Clarion call to Holiness
Dr. Elizabeth Simon, New York

Holiness is an unpopular topic these days. The unpopularity is based on the premise that Holiness is misinterpreted as a list of do nots or merely meaningless external expressions. However, it is absolutely necessary to revisit this great commandment of God given to His sons and daughters.

I would like emphasizing what Holiness is. According to Pastor Bob Philips Old Testament Biblical term for Holiness “quadosh” means to be bright, clean and pure in relation to God and separate, cut off and separate in relation to man. He stated that there are three primary words for “ pure” in New testament 1) genuineness- 2 Pet 3:1, 2 Cor 7:11, 2) free from defilement -1 Pet: 3:2 Cor 7:11, 3) pure from everything that would change or corrupt- John 3:3, 2 Cor: 7:1. I believe that Holiness is an attitude of devotion, worship, obedience, passion to walk with a Holy God, obligation to your fellow believer, compassion to the multitudes, and a special burden for the ungodly. Holiness was a mandate for Israel as well as the early church and it is for us also. God’s standards are eternal even when the ways of life are changing.

In 2 Corinthians 7:1 Paul urges the church to be holy. “Having therefore, these promises, dearly beloved let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting Holiness in the fear of God. It is important to note that Paul uses the term us that you, making it clear that the church as a body needs to perfect Holiness. The promise depicted here is found in the words just above that in 2 Cor 6:18 “Ye shall be my sons and daughters”. Therefore, the promise of becoming sons and daughters is based on the condition of dwelling in Holiness.

This message of Holiness was written to Corinthian church that existed in a permissive Greek society, very proud of their earthly scholarship and oratory skills, not shameful of their lack of integrity and low moral standards. In this context, it was important for Paul to write this letter in an attempt to purify the church from partysm and immorality. Paul’s message is a reverberation of God’s commandment to Israel through Moses. “I am the Lord that brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. Ye shall therefore be Holy as I am Holy”. Lev 11:45. The Scripture makes it clear that people, who are brought out of bondage of servitude and sin for spiritual adoption in God’s family, are mandated to abide by God’s standards of Holiness.

In addition to adhering to God’s standards, Holiness is way of life propelled by a Holy press towards the mark of a high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3: 14) and invites others to be “thus minded” (v.15). Underlying in those words, there are two aspects of Christian life: a. passion b. discipline. Holiness is disciplining ones life after the Holy passion or ambition. It is evident from our observation that the young people have passion; but lack discipline to follow after that passion. On the other hand, experienced adults have a form of Christian discipline but pathetically have quenched the passion. Reigniting the passion and disciplining our life to pursue that passionate goal will lead to a higher place of Holiness.

There is always this question, “Can man be as holy as god wants him to be”? If God command it in Old Testament, which is repeated in New Testament, then he will give us grace to follow that command if we are passionate about him. Bishop T.D Jakes aptly illustrated in a sermon, the difference in the attitude of a child of God in contrast with worldly person when they are accidentally exposed to sin. He gave an example of a pig and a lamb. When a pig falls in to dirty, miry cesspool, it will jump up and play around in it. On the other hand, when a lamb falls accidentally to the same cesspool, it will cry aloud to be delivered, to be clean again. The attitude towards filth makes the difference between the lamb and the pig. When God the father turned away his face for a moment from Jesus, because of the ugliness of sin laid on the Lamb of God, the lamb cried aloud with passion, as he was desperate to be in His Fathers presence, beholding His face. That is Holiness; it is an attitude and a way of life in Gods presence.

God the father not only make a commandment for Holiness but also is in action in helping his children to be Holy because Holiness is rooted in the character of God. There are at least three ways in which God help His children to be Holy.

1. God pronounce and engrave upon the priests that they are Holiness to the lord (Exodus 39:30). The declaration and engraving upon the children is done from God’s side! This is justification by Grace. The Holy crown sits right on the head touching the thought system that controls the actions. It affects the attitude and directs our affinity towards a Holy walk. The visible crown reminds the priest and the others that he is different from others- that he is Holy. Like wise, let us also make it visible in our home, offices, work places and schools and colleges that we are Holy- separated for a higher calling. Let scriptures, engravings, music, appearance, and our behaviors remind us constantly that we are Holiness to the Lord. The priestly garments and the external expressions of the high calling always demanded accountability also. This holy walk is a process of sanctification.

2. The Holy Spirit dwells in us to make a sanctuary of God, the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17, 6:19, 20). After justifying, God send His Holy spirit to help us in the Holy way of life. The earthbound body is filled heaven bound Holy spirit to make the filthy human beings to Holy vessels of God. The very purpose of Holy Spirit living in our body is to “cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgment and do this” (Ezekiel 36:29). God our creator knows that we are vulnerable for unholiness and filthy ambitions by nature and only Holy Spirit can subdue our flesh. Holy Spirit is a helper who guides our ambitions attitude and passion to lead a holy life. Paul reminds Corinthians that they are the living temple and they cannot destroy that with unholiness and therefore, they are to glorify God in their bodies

3. And eventually God places you in a spiritual highway to holiness (Isaiah 35:8. Proverbs 16: 17, Jeremiah 31:21). A Highway in any place has its boundaries rules, standards and regulations. God plants our feet on a spiritual highway to make this walk easier for us. This is a “way of holiness” (Is. 35:8) and “unclean shall not pass over it and the redeemed shall walk there V.9. This “highway of the upright is to depart from evil” (Proverbs 16:17) and Jeremiah calls Israel to “set thine heart towards the highway (31: 21). Setting the heart again shows the attitude, the attitude that is passionate after holiness, the presence of God, transmitting the glory and the character of Christ.

Jesus, our example of a man who was Holy, kept His Holiness by being connected to God the father. He prayed early in the morning and late at night to be in the presence of the father and be more like Him. If Jesus, who is God himself, needed all that presence while on earth, how much more we need to spend time with God to be more like Christ? The only way to lead a Holy life is to have a life of prayer – discipline of prayer – holy ambition for prayer at His presence. A saint said “prayer will keep you away from sin or sin will keep you away from praying”. God has pronounced us Holy, engraved in you holiness and set us in a holiness highway. With a passion for holiness and discipline in prayer life and meditation of the word, we are a sanctuary for the Lord, where the lost world will see the light and enjoy the truth and peace.