Friday, 29th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Holiness is indispensable – Part 1

By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi
07 August 2016   |   2:30 am
God wants His children to be holy and prepared for glory. Whatever anyone possesses, knows or experiences, whatever privileged position anyone holds or right being enjoyed on earth, without holiness, he has not got enough.
Kumuyi

Kumuyi

God wants His children to be holy and prepared for glory. Whatever anyone possesses, knows or experiences, whatever privileged position anyone holds or right being enjoyed on earth, without holiness, he has not got enough. All the things we possess; all the things we enjoy, including the ones that give the greatest pleasure; all the places we travel to; and all the privileges we have on earth are temporary.

We will miss the presence, pleasure and habitation of God forever, if we do not have the great and indispensable experience of holiness. Whatever anyone considers the most valuable earthly possession will fade into insignificance, without holiness of heart. Our riches and wealth, prosperity and authority, fame and fortune, religion and good behaviour, power and peculiar privileges will fall and fail us throughout eternity, if there is no holiness experience.

Everyone needs to prepare for heaven by obtaining and maintaining purity of heart and life. The reason is that holiness is the very nature of God. Man was created in the image of God. Our first parents – Adam and Eve – were partakers and possessors of the divine nature. Everything about God’s desire, demand and commandments is holy. Everything He gives, does or withholds is on the basis of His holiness. His love, acts, heaven, Son, Holy Spirit and covenants are centred, built and based on holiness. Becoming “partakers of His holiness,” demands that our minds, hearts, souls, language and entire life reflect and resemble God. And when we experience God, we experience His holiness.

God commands, as well as, demands holiness of life from all His children. No believer is exempted from being holy on the untenable excuse that he is only saved but not yet sanctified. God commands “ALL” to be “holy: for I the LORD your God am holy”. He created and redeemed us to be holy because that is His nature and character. Having provided for it, God expects us to be holy. He always bases His command and demand on His nature, character and attributes, which are devoid of darkness and sin.

He possesses pure and perfect holiness and that is what He delights to see in all His children. To make holy, He first cleanses the sinner from past sins and grants him salvation and outward righteousness experience. He also destroys the kernel, root or “body of sin” in the believer through sanctification. Every believer should, therefore, prioritise on cleansing self from filthiness and “perfect holiness in the fear of God”.

Although man naturally falls short of His demand to be holy, God has made adequate provision for us through Christ. Thus, He commands it, convicts us for it, converts, cleanses and conforms us to the image of His only begotten Son. As we repent and confess our sins, He forgives, removes condemnation, saves and commands us to go and sin no more. This is how to begin a holy life. At salvation, the believer possesses a level of holiness experience, but has a new pursuit and priority to “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

Thus, he forgoes the pursuit of earthly possession; privileges and enjoyments that will hinder, relegate or make him lose his spiritual experience, which he considers priceless. He does not allow employment, marriage, family, honour, money, religious title or service, property, clothing and food to displace or replace holiness in his life. This is to avoid losing heaven like Esau, who chose temporary satisfaction and happiness over his birthright, without knowing that happiness is a product of holiness. He suffered eternal regrets and any believer, who prioritises on earthly things above possessing and retaining the invaluable experience of holiness, will suffer a similar fate.

Further Reading (King James Version): Hebrews 12:10; 2 Peter 1:3,4; 3:10-14; Luke 1:72-75; Leviticus 19:2; 11:44,45; 20:7,8,26; 1 Peter 1:14-16; Romans 6:17,18,22,6; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 4:23,24; 1 Thessalonians 4:3,7; Hebrews 12:14-17; Romans 8:29; Hebrews 12:1-4; Isaiah 6:1-7; Psalm 27:4; 24:3,4; 73:23-26; Matthew 5:6,8; Ephesians 5:25-27; Acts 15:9; Ezekiel 36:25,26; Romans 6:17,18; Philippians 2:12; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 4:17; Daniel 6:4,5,22; 2 Peter 1:4,9; 1 Peter 2:21-24; Romans 12:1,2; Deuteronomy 30:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:22-24.

In this article

0 Comments