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Liberty Advocate http://www.libertyadvocate.com
May 2023
My dear friend, The word "holy" is used 611 times and "holiness" 43 times in the King James Bible. Unfortunately, the modern church has canceled "holy" and "holiness." But... The Bible is God's holy Word. And...
Because it is
written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Angels?
Demons?
Who?
It is written for us...
Belief
in God does not make us holy. Even demons believe in God.
Church attendance does not make us holy. Even hypocrites and sinners attend church.
Good works do not make us holy. Even atheists do good works.
Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord,
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but
he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many
will say to me in that day, Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and
in thy name have cast out devils?
and
in thy name done many wonderful works? And
then I will profess unto them, I
never knew you; depart
from me, ye
that work iniquity. Matthew
7:21-23
Jesus
warns us that even if we do many wonderful works in His name, yet remain
unholy and unclean, we are not one of His:
And
then I will profess unto them,
Contrary to Biblical commands, the modern church substitutes social good works (social causes/social works) for righteousness and holiness. Rick Warren boasts he has shifted away from “sin issues” – like abortion and gay marriage – and is more interested in questions that are “uniting” such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, climate change and human rights. (See "Wake Up, Evangelicals!" @ http://libertyadvocate.com/message28.htm)
My friend, when you shift away from “sin issues” you shift away from the true Gospel!
It
is written in Romans 6:22, 23…
But
now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your
fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
For
the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
It
is written in 2 Corinthians 7:1… Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and
spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
It
is written in Ephesians 4:24…
And
that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness
and true holiness. It
is written in 1 Thessalonians 4:7,8…
For
God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto
holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who
hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
Irrefutably, God's Law demands holiness.
Professing
Christians w Professing
Christians who are unholy are sinners. We must be filled with the spirit of holiness which is the indwelling of the Holy Ghost!
Be ye holy.
A church without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a dead church - a false church!
A professing Christian without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a dead Christian - a false Christian!
The Truth is the Gospel proclaims that when we truly repent, the blood of Jesus Christ washes away our sins and we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost – His holy Ghost or His holy Spirit. And when we are filled with His holy Spirit, the Spirit empowers us to be holy. In other words, when we truly repent we are baptized with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: “He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire” (Matthew 3:11). When we receive the Holy Ghost, we are purified, sanctified and consecrated. We are dedicated, or set apart, to serve the Lord God:
A
true Christian is a holy temple. A
true Christian school is a holy campus. A
true Christian church is a holy sanctuary.
A true Christian serves the Lord in holiness and righteousness. A true Christian is consecrated to obedience: obeying God's Law as recorded in the Holy Bible. We are saved by repentance and "through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ" ( 1 Peter 1:2).
In
contrast, if
we do not live a life of holiness but perform good works, we are a
sinner and a hypocrite. Good works may make us outwardly appear righteous to men, but Jesus
said, Even so ye outwardly appear righteous
unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity
(Matthew 23:28). Clearly,
the Bible commands Christians to be righteous and holy: "For as ye
have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity
unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness
and holiness" (Romans 6:19). And
the Apostle John warns us in plain language in 1 John 3: 8 – 10 that
those who commit sin are of the devil:
He that committeth sin is of the devil;
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin;
In this the children of God are manifest,
God
has called Christians to be “ a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an
holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of
him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1
Peter 2:9).
When we are saved and transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are transformed from a sinner to a saint! "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are no longer servants of sin. We are servants of holiness and righteousness.
The Bible declares that true Christians are a holy people led by the Spirit of God: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God...The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (Romans 8:14, 16).
My dear friend, do not quench the Spirit: "Quench not the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:19).
Be filled with the spirit of holiness which is the indwelling of the Holy Ghost.
Be led by the Spirit.
Be
ye holy.
Grace and peace,
Karen Pansler-Lam, J.D.
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