By Staff
God is holy.
Being holy is not an arbitrary decision on God's part. Holiness is intrinsic in His being.
We are not intrinsically holy. We are fallen creatures. From the time that Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, we have not had access to the physical presence of God.
The current situation is well described in the New Testament epistle of James, chapter 3, verses 15-17. James declares us to be "earthly, sensual, demonic (James 3:15). He continues in verse 16: "For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there."
The contrast is shown in verse 17: "The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy." God is all that and more.
We get the idea of the distance between the holiness of God and our sinfulness from the above verses.
God's plan is to redeem us from our fallen, earthly, sensual, demonic state to full and unblemished holiness. The plan is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Jesus is God.
Coming to earth in the likeness of a man, Jesus "humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:8). Christ's death on the cross was payment for all the sin of all mankind for all time. When we receive by faith Jesus Christ as Savior, we enter into the family of God and into a covenant relationship with God that assures us spending eternity with Him (John 3:16).
With all that taking place, the question is still, "Whatever happened to holiness?"
Throughout the history of mankind, there have been periods of great harmony between God and man. In the Old Testament, we see seasons when kings, prophets, or priests led the people in confession and repentance. They put away their idols and false religions and returned to holiness before God. When the people practiced holiness, God poured blessings on them that could not be contained. These times of holy living were relatively brief and, for many reasons, the people would return to their old ways and forsake God.
God is always herding His people back to Himself. God draws us to repentance and salvation through His abundant goodness (Romans 2:4). But once we are His children, chastisement becomes the tool to keep us close and living right (Hebrews 12:5-10). Hebrews, chapter 12, verse 10, states that chastisement causes us to be partakers of His holiness.
In the last 2,000 years in a period called the church age, God in His sovereignty has graciously intervened in the affairs of mankind to draw us back to holiness. These interventions are called revivals. Revivals are periods of time when people return to holiness and enjoy the presence and the blessing of God.
No thinking person could deny that in our generation we are experiencing days of confusion and every evil work. It is like God has left us to ourselves.
We must believe God is as interested in holiness and blessing today as ever. God commands us to be holy.
In the Old Testament book of Leviticus, chapter 11, verse 44, God declares, "For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy." This command is repeated in the New Testament in 1 Peter, chapter 1, verse 16.
Our neglect of the pursuit of holiness has led to the current state of the home, the church, the nation, and the world. It is time to be holy.