Holiness

Holiness is self-affirming purity.  In virtue of this attribute of His nature, God eternally will maintain His own moral excellence.  In this definition are contained three elements: first, purity; second, purity willing; and third, purity willing itself.

The following passages provides a description of this attribute.

• In Exodus 15:11, God is "glorious in holiness,
• In Exodus 19:10-16, the people of Israel were instructed to purify themselves before they came into God's presence,
• In Isaiah 6:3, God is Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of host,
• In Isaiah 6:5-7, the prophet's lips are purged with coal,
• In II Corinthians 7:1, we are instructed to cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord,
• In I Thessalonians 3:13, we are established blameless in holiness,
• In I Thessalonians 4:7, God called us not for "uncleanness, but in sanctification," and
• In Hebrews 12:29, God is described as a consuming fire.

The development of the conception of holiness in Hebrew history was doubtless a gradual one.  At first, it may have included little more than the idea of separation from all that is common, small, and mean.  Physical cleanliness and hatred of moral evil were additional elements which in time became dominant.  We must remember, however, that proper meaning of a term is to be determined not by the earliest but by the latest usage.  Human nature is ethical from the start, and seeks to express the thoughts of a rule or standard of obligation, and of a righteous Being who imposes that rule or standard.  With the very first conception of majesty and separation which attach to the apprehension of divinity in the childhood of the race there mingles at least some sense of the contrast between God's purity and human sin.  The least developed man has a conscience which condemns some forms of wrong doing, and causes a feeling of separation from the power or powers above.  Physical defilement becomes the natural symbol of moral evil.

Places and vessels and rites are invested with dignity as associated with or consecrated to Deity.  The conception of holiness clears itself of extraneous and unessential elements only gradually, and receives its full expression only in the New Testament revelation and especially in the life and work of Christ.  This should not blind us to the fact that the germs of the idea lie far back in the very beginning of man's existence upon Earth.  Even then the sense of wrong within had for its correlate a dimly recognized righteousness without.  So soon as man knows himself as a sinner he knows something of the holiness of God whom he offended.  We must take exception therefore to the remarks by any to say Believe in God.

The one aim of Christianity is personal holiness.  This is to be the one absorbing and attainable aim of man, only as he recognizes it to be the one preeminent attribute of God.  Hence, everything divine is Holy.  The temple or church must be set aside for holiness to be developed.  The development of the idea of holiness as well as the idea of love was prepared for before the advent of man.  In our times, the Church has turned from holiness to pleasures of all kinds such as self-improvement teachings, financial packages, and sexual encounters of all kinds. Every man or woman is hoping that God will supply all these things without moral challenge. 

We in many places think that God is pleased, and happy to make us happy.  We refuse to make any effort at all to please Him by following Jesus' example. Follow me as I follow Christ is out the window with all the old leftovers.  So what we have is a carnal holiness.  The idea and concept of not being a bad person becomes the substitute for real biblical holiness. This sad but true.  Most church leaders have no idea in their character how to find the direction to lead churches into true holiness.

Every church called by God owes it to God to preserve its own being to present itself in true Holiness.  So we find a need to preserve our very service in a way that develops biblical morality.  The imminent return of God is based on this desire to present to Him a church without spot or wrinkle.  Case in point, some believe the rapture is going to be a totally a rescue mission. I don't believe this to be such.  It is God's will to help us but we have a responsibility to develop a character which espouses personal holiness.

As the Church, let us pray a revival caused by a hunger for Holiness. God Bless!!
 
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Talk to you soon,
Pastor James P. Norman Jr.

Artesian Well Church
6031 Linden Avenue
Long Beach, Ca 90805