Daily With Jesus

At the first advent of Jesus, no place ever recorded that He became unholy despite His boundless journeys. On the contrary, the Old Testament saints and their environment were defiled or made unholy when they came in contact with things branded unholy. In the days of Moses’ law of sin and death, the Old Testament books especially the Pentateuch detailed the demands of the law on the people of God. They had to do according to the details of the law, word for word, and line by line to become and remain holy. Sadly, they were confronted with the challenging and impossible task of achieving holiness through the works of the flesh. Today, many people including some Christians define and embrace holiness by their orientations and experiences. Rather than drawing from human philosophies and experiences, our definitions of God and His attributes should be grounded in the original intent of the one Who created everything that we attempt to understand and define—GOD.

As we encounter personal or global paradigm shifts, holiness is inadvertently defined by experiences and orientations. Several factors affect the shaping of who we are and what we believe. These factors may be transient or enduring. They may include culture, major life events, family, religious orientation, education, etc. When we are born, we are born into a family with set beliefs and ways of life. We inherently adopt these beliefs and ways of life through our parents’ or guardians’ teachings. Some learned behaviors also come passively by observations of cultural norms which consequentially give birth to dispositions. All the factors stated above and several other orientations substantially impact shaping one’s belief system and approach to the description or definition of various subjects.

There is a demand for people to meet ethical standards. Customarily, it is in the meeting of those standards that holiness is defined. People are evaluated based on their ability to do good or to conform to set ethical standards. Failure to meet the stipulated standards renders the individuals unholy or in extreme cases banished from sacred associations and communions in the society. Ethics in this case becomes the standard by which holiness is judged. However, the key focus of holiness is GOD. The people of God lived in the era of laws and ceremonial practices that defined holiness. without those binding laws and ceremonies, they could not attain the temporary holiness and sanctification offered by those practices. 

Sadly, even after Jesus has come, offered the final sacrifice once and for all for our sins, and has been glorified, many are still caught up in the ethical dilemma created by ritualistic notions of holiness. This notion ultimately leads them to insatiable desires to perform endless acts of the flesh to atone for their sins. Notably, God through the book of Hebrews tells us that at the end of the atonement by works, their sins remain and are revisited continually at every performance of sacrificial acts of the flesh. ^“It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these”, (Hebrews 9:23, KJV). Thank God for Jesus! Thank God for our dispensation, a better testament, and a better sacrifice than the former. The temporary atonement for sins attained by ceremonial or ritualistic sacrificial practices was only a picture of the better, perfect, eternal, and glorious sacrifice to come.

But, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36, KJV). Jesus is the only one who was and is qualified to atone for the sins of humanity. He has paid all our debts once and for all. Humanity cannot take away from or add to the redemption freely granted by the atonement of Jesus’ blood. Only the blood of Jesus can “…purge (our) conscience from dead works to serve the living God”, (Hebrews 9:14, KJV). However, as recipients of salvation by grace alone, we nonetheless have a duty, to live out our new lives in Christ Jesus by acting in a manner that exemplifies our faith. In exercising our faith by works we “…see that faith was working together with his works, faith together with his works, and by works, faith (is) made perfect?” (James 2:22, NKJV). These works of faith do not call for any act that has the intention or suggestion of payment or atonement of our sins which Jesus Christ has already accomplished on the cross of Calvary. He has already declared that “it is finished!”, (John 19:30, NKJV). Holiness by works of the flesh is finished! Works of faith do not suggest payment for sins rather, it is an outward expression of the inward transformation induced by salvation and empowered by the Holy Spirit. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”, (Ephesians 2:10, NKJV).

But, how does one go from their ethical orientation to ‘God-orientation’ or kingdom orientation? This is the very reason Christ died for us. He died to save us from the condemnation of sin and death. He died to set us free from the demands of sin and death. He died to save us from ritualistic ethical demands unto freedom into a life led by the Holy Spirit where sin and death have no more hold on us. For Jesus hath “…deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage”, (Hebrews 2:15). Because our first parents sinned, we inherited the sin nature deserving nothing but the death penalty. We have inherited depraved minds that are incapable of kingdom reasoning and life. Jesus through His sacrificial death atoned for our sins and gave us salvation. “But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God”, (John 1:12, NLT). Salvation is available to as many as will accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior believing and confessing without any doubt, that He is the Son of God, Whom God sent to come and die for our sins. “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved”, (Romans 10:10, NIV).

Accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior begins the journey of renewing our minds. This is how one goes from their ethical orientation to God-orientation. As we journey through life, our minds are conditioned to believe and accept whatever our environment calls good or normal.  To renew our minds, a greater than what we have been exposed to must be employed. There is good news! “But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here (…the people of Nineveh) repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now, something greater than Jonah is here …something greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:6, 41, & 42, AMP.). A greater than our orientations and experiences is here! Jesus is greater than all! He stands with His arms wide open to receive as many as will confess Him as their Lord and Savior. He is ready to transform our minds and lives. Our yes to Him opens the door to TRUTH, God’s truth. “…If (we) abide in (His) word [continually obeying (His) teachings and living in accordance with them, then] (we) are truly (His) disciples. And (we) will know the truth [regarding salvation], and the truth will set (us) free [from the penalty of sin]” (John 8:31-32, Amp.).

We must be free from the lies and deceit that we inherited from this sinful and adulterous generation. We “…all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God”, (Romans 3:23, Amp.). Satan has lied to us and has through our existence in varying environments and cultures configured our minds to conform to his evil agenda to cause us to lose our place in the kingdom of God. He wants us to rebel against God that he may cause us to be denied of God’s grace, forgiveness, freedom from sin and eternal condemnation and death, righteousness, joy, assurance, hope, peace, and above all, eternal life that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ^“Do you not know that when you continually offer yourselves to someone to do his will, you are the slaves of the one whom you obey, either [slaves] of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness (right standing with God)?”, (Romans 6:16, AMP.). Yes, all that we have done that does not conform with the will of God is obedience to our enemy satan. We have knowingly or unknowingly been enslaved by him, We have been subjected and enslaved to believe and do his lies. Therefore, let us reject satan, the enemy of our souls, and everything he offers us through the world system and come to Jesus that He may empower us “…not (to) be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of (our) mind, that (we) may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2, NKJV).

A man wrongly accused and held in prison by the law based on a false accusation is bound in prison as long as there is no witness or evidence to prove him innocent. If all of a sudden there appears a verifiable witness or other evidences that prove him innocent beyond doubt, he will surely be freed from bondage. The lies that held him captive are erased and replaced by the truth, he did not commit the crime. The lack of evidence to prove the man innocent brought darkness and evil upon him. However, the entrance of truth brought him light, out of evil and set him free. The truth of the gospel supersedes all preexisting beliefs that have their foundations outside God. When the truth of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ comes to us, all lies that once held us captive must concede defeat because the truth breaks chains, opens prison doors, and sets captives free. No other truth will do but absolute truth, God’s truth.  All that we had wrongfully believed is displaced by the truth and light of the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple”, (Psalm 119:130, KJV). The gospel’s veracity trumps all prior convictions derived from sources other than God. The “…righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [Jew or Gentile] who believe [and trust in Him and acknowledge Him as God’s Son]. There is no distinction, since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God, and are being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus”, (Romans 3:22-24, AMP.).

We will now move to John W. Kleinig’s article, Luther on the Reception of God’s Holiness. Kleinig focused on the extensive work of Luther on the subject of holiness which underscores the metaphysical perspective of the definition of holiness. Unlike the categorization above that defined holiness based on ethics, Luther focused on God, emphasizing that He is the sole source of all true holiness and that we can only receive his holiness passively. “Instead of placing obligations on the people in this utterance, God places obligations on Godself”, (Arcadi James M. 2018) His doctrine of passive holiness stands on the principle that God is the only source of holiness engendering the passivity of the recipients. We did and still do nothing to receive holiness from God.  “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9, KJV). Kleinig quoted Luther saying, “All self-fabricated holiness is abhorrent to God, for all those who would make themselves holy act as their own gods; they seek God’s glory for themselves”^, (Kleinig John W. 2008).No one and nothing can have any attribute of holiness except it is given to them by God. God is HOLINESS and all existence of holiness proceeds from Him, sustained by Him, and is for Him. “For from Him [all things originate] and through Him [all things live and exist] and to Him are all things [directed]. To Him be glory and honor forever! Amen” (Romans 11:36, AMP.).

God’s holiness is transcendent and awe-inspiring. We are incapable of defining and attaining God’s standard of Holiness. We, without ambiguity, cannot fathom His Holiness. Where do we even begin the definition? How do we define what we have never and will never understand fully? Oh, thank God for His marvelous grace! He did not leave us in oblivion. He did not leave us completely empty-handed. Through His Son Jesus, He left us with experiences of faith that continually lead us towards His holiness. He left us with His Spirit, the Holy Spirit divine, our helper, teacher, and revealer of secrets. He left us with His word “…profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, KJV). Above all, He sent us His Son, Who has made a way for our sins to be atoned through the agency of His suffering, death, and resurrection. God has brought us into a life of holiness by His Son Jesus Christ. “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved”, (Acts 4:12, NKJV). He has allowed us to be led daily by the Holy Spirit, our helper, to a continual life of sanctification and progression toward our final perfection.

God, our creator has abundantly furnished us with answers to our questions through His word and our experiences in Christ Jesus that have empowered us to live out a life of Holiness by the Holy Spirit as our guide. Even if we, God’s children fail to define holiness to the fullest extent of its significance in GOD we have an advocate, Jesus, Who is before us, with us, has gone ahead of us, and is our holiness. Clothe in the righteousness of God through Christ we through sanctification attain the holiness God wills for us. “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! (Psalm 32:1, NLT). For those who have received salvation by Christ Jesus, God has provided us answers to all our questions through His word and our kingdom experiences. Despite our lack of proficiencies in defining holiness, God empowers us to live lives of Holiness under the direction of the Holy Spirit. By the same empowerment we “ become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]” (Ephesians 5:1, Amp.).

Only God has the power to bring clean from unclean, (Job 14:4). We are passive recipients of holiness. To correctly define holiness, we must first, ^“… seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to (us)”, (Matthew 6:33, NKJV). As we begin to know Him, our understanding opens to what holiness means and we through continued sanctification by His word begin to meet the demands of the holiness God requires of His children. For in Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him, we actually have our being…], Acts 17:28, Amp.).

No matter how many ways we attempt to define holiness, the true definition of holiness can only come from the author and incarnation of holiness Himself, GOD. He stands alone and is the only one Who can be said to be absolutely holy all by Himself. But for us, holiness is a state of perpetual exclusivity (being set apart) to God, eternal death to the world, and being fully alive in His Son, Jesus Christ all enabled by the Holy Spirit. “And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist”, (Colossians 1:17, KJV). Being clothed with the righteousness of God, we become passively holy. “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! (Psalm 32:1, NLT). God is holiness, and holiness is God! All definitions of holiness must enthrone God as the author and finisher of holiness.

Sources

1. Arcadi, James M. 2018. “‘You Shall Be Holy’: A Speech Act Theoretic Theological Interpretation.” Journal of Theological Interpretation 12 (2): 183–99. doi:10.5325/jtheointe.12.2.0183.

2. Kleinig, John W. 2008. “Luther on the Reception in God’s Holiness.” Pro Ecclesia 17 (1): 76–91. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.regent.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLA0001680490&site=ehost-live.