“HOLINESS” What is Holiness? Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God. Lev 20:7 Holiness is a conformity of the heart and the life unto God. Whatever outward appearance men may make by their external actions, as if they were holy, yet if it proceeds not from a most inward hearty and sincere holiness within, it is nothing. Amaziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart all that he did was not acceptable to God, who searcheth the hearts and trieth the reins of the children of men, and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth. And whatever holiness they may pretend to have in their hearts, whatever hypocritical pangs of affection they may have had, it is all to no purpose except it manifest itself in the holiness of their lives and conversations: (Ja 1:26, 27), If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart, this mans religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. And in Ja 2:18, Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. And in verses (19, 20). Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? So that there must be a conformity of both heart and life to God, in order to true holiness. Holiness is the image of God, his likeness, in him that is holy. By being conformed unto God is not meant a conformity to him in his eternity, or infinity, or infinite power. These are Gods inimitable and incommunicable attributes; but a conformity to his will, whereby he wills things that are just, right, and truly excellent and lovely; whereby he wills real perfection, and goodness; and perfectly abhors everything that is really evil, unjust, and unreasonable. And it is not only a willing as God wills, but also a doing as he doeth: in acting holy and justly and wisely and mercifully, like him. It must become natural thus to be, and thus to act; it must be the constant inclination and new nature of the soul, and then the man is holy, and not before. It is a conformity to Jesus Christ. Christ Jesus is perfectly conformed unto God, for he is God. He is his express image. Now Christ is nearer to us in some respects than God the Father, for he is our Mediator and is more immediately conversant with us; (John 1:18), No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. Jesus Christ, he has been with us in the flesh and as one of us he appeared in the form of a servant, and we have seen his holiness brightly shining forth in all his actions. We have seen his holy life; we have a copy drawn, and an example set for us. Now holiness is a conformity unto this copy: he that copies after Jesus Christ, after that copy which he has sent us and which is delivered to us by the evangelists, is holy. He that diligently observes the life of Christ in the New Testament need not be at a loss to know what holiness is. Christ commands us to follow his example: (Mat. 11:29), Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Have you ever read the four Gospels, and did you not observe in the life of Christ wonderful instances of humility, love to God, love to religion; wonderful instances of zeal for Gods glory, steadfastness in resisting temptations, entire trust and reliance on God, strict adherence to all his commands; astonishing instances of condescension, humility, meekness, lowliness, love to men, love to his enemies, charity and patience? Why, this is holiness. When we imitate Christ in these things, then are we holy, and not till then. Holiness is a conformity to Gods laws and commands. When all Gods laws without exception are written in our hearts, then are we holy. If you can go along with David in(Psalm 119), where he speaks of his love and delight in Gods law, in your own experience; when a man feels in some good measure what David declares concerning himself towards the law of God, then may Gods law be said to be written in his heart. By Gods law I mean all his precepts and commands, especially as they are delivered to us in the gospel, which is the fulfillment of the law of God. If you feel Christs Sermon upon the Mount engraved on the fleshly tables of your hearts, you are truly sanctified. The new covenant is written in the hearts of those that are sanctified, of which the prophet (Jeremiah 31:31, 33), speaks, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah. This shall be my covenant, that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. The commands and precepts which God has given us are all pure, perfect, and holy. They are the holiness of God in writing, and, when the soul is conformed to them, they have holiness of God upon their hearts;(2 Co. 3:3), Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in the fleshly tables of the heart. When the soul is molded and fashioned according to the image of God, the example of Christ and the rules of the gospel, then it is holy, and not else. But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 1 Peter 1:15-16
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 02:50:22 +0000
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