Holiness is the Way

Let’s define holiness – Holiness derives from the word holy and it is the quality of life to those who are dedicated, consecrated and set apart solely to God.  Holiness is the very attribute, trait, and characteristic of who God is.  He is pure and undefiled.  Nothing or no-one can be compared to Him! Before anything was, He is and shall always be HOLY!

[The word HOLY in the Hebrew is kodesh.  It means a sacred place or thing, something that is consecrated or dedicated to a sanctified purpose.  In the Greek the word translated as holy is hagios, which means pure or blameless.  When God designates something as holy, he considers it pure and consecrated for service to fulfill [His purpose.] 

One of the greatest examples of this to me is found in Isaiah 6: 1-3.  In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.  Above it stood the seraphims:  each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.  And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts:  the whole earth is full of his glory.   What I would like to point out are the seraphims.  Seraphims are a class or certain type of angel that come first and are closest to the throne of God. 

They exist in the uppermost part of the hierarchy of angels and their very name means ardor (enthusiasm or passion).  They encircle the throne existing off the love emanated by God and unceasingly, repeat “holy, holy, holy.”  This burning love keeps them ever close to God’s Throne and they bear love and light to the lesser choirs of angels.

I would like share a few points on HOLINESS.

v THINGS CHANGE IN THE ATMOSPHERE OF HOLINESS

Here in the sixth chapter of Isaiah in verses two and three, we witness just how holy the presence of God is.  Here these angels are constantly in the presence of God and due to His holiness, they cover their eyes and feet with their wings.  Surely if the angels respect the holiness of an almighty God, then those of us in the earth must respect His holiness as well.  Being in the presence of a holy atmosphere, a change will begin to take place.  Holiness is where God is and nothing unholy can remain in that state in His presence.  Look at Isaiah, in verse five, “then said I, Woe is me!  For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.  Isaiah realized how undone he was because he was a man of unclean lips that dwelled in the midst of a people with unclean lips after seeing the King; the Lord of hosts in the atmosphere of holiness.  When you are in the presence of a HOLY GOD, something is going to change!

 v OUR CONVERSATIONS SHOULD BE HOLY

Turn with me to 1 Peter 15:16 and it reads – 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.

We are living in a time where the conversation of most is so profane and defiled that it hurts one’s ear.  Being holy in all manner of conversation means just what this scripture says.

Whatever type of conversation you are having, it must be holy.  Gossiping, backbiting and tearing down one’s character with our mouth is not HOLY!  Being holy in our conversation means that when a person approaches you with something negative about your brother or sister in God’s Kingdom or anyone else for that matter, you should not even be a partaker of it by even listening, less known than giving an opinion about it.  You can shut unholy conversations down by not even being a participant in it.  If you happen to know something about your sister or brother that they may have an issue with or struggling in, your conversation should be with them in love and not with others bringing them down.  I am strongly led to tell you this, “IF YOU HAVE BEEN DOING THIS, STOP IT!”  You will have to stand before a just God and give an account for every idle word that is coming out of your mouth.  Idle words are not holy words!  Idle words are careless, inactive and unproductive and when they come forth out of your mouth, they can have a negative effect on someone.  Remember that death and life is in the power of our own tongue, and if we love it, we shall eat the fruit thereof as stated in Proverbs 18:21.  I admonish you “do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (That can be found in Ephesians 4:29).

  

v HOLY PEOPLE ARE PECULIAR

1 Peter 2:9 states – But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Holy people have been selected as the best and most appropriate of all people born and living, a regal lineage, a sacred and separated culture, an odd individual; that you should express warm approval or admiration of God who has summoned you out of world into His extremely good light.  You are not peculiar if you are looking, talking and walking like the world, “you are just worldly!”

v HOLINESS AND PEACE GO TOGETHER

Hebrews 12:14 states – Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Holiness involves going after tranquility, freedom from disturbance and quiet with all men, and a consecrated, sanctified life, without which (peace and holiness) no man shall see the Lord. Peace and holiness go together like hand in glove; and foot in shoe;   Peace follows a life hallowed out in holiness.

There is a way to get to holiness:

v HIGHWAY TO HOLINESS

Isaiah 35:8 (a, b) reads – And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; A highway is a main road to get somewhere.  This main road to holiness is reached through our total obedience to God.  For the Church (God’s people); the way is the way of holiness housed in our sanctuary (our temples where the Holy Ghost resides) which is for those beneficiaries of Christ (those that have taken up their cross to follow Him) those that have been ransomed by Jesus. 

This way shall be so plain and straight, that even the most foolish will not easily mistake it.  This highway is not mistaken but often bypassed by those that want to remain led by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life.

How is holiness obtained?

v HOLINESS IS PERFECTED IN THE FEAR OF GOD

2 Corinthians 7:1 states – Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Those in Christ have the promises of God to be in communion with Him, protected and preserved by Him; which are absolute and unconditional.  You have to exercise an ongoing conscious effort to abstain from external defilement such as:  impure words, filthiness and foolish talking, all rotten and corrupt communication; idolatry, adultery, fornication, incest, sodomy, murder, drunkenness, revellings and everything that is filthy which is to be hated  by the saints; filthiness of the spirit is internal pollution (defilement by the internal acts of the mind, such as evil thoughts, lusts, pride, malice, envy, covetousness, and the like should also be abstained from by the saints.  Perfecting holiness (means to become mature in the holiness of God) as you reverence God (fear God).

  

v OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S LAW IS THE TRUE MARK OF HOLINESS

Exodus 19:5 reads – Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people for all the earth is mine:

Obedience to God’s Holy Law is what has marked God’s people from the very beginning, but there is a special part of God’s Law that is designated as His special sign or seal of obedience.  Holy people are God’s peculiar treasure!

IN CLOSING

Holiness is the way because it represents who God is!  Just as your natural children bear resemblance that they belong to you, so must God’s people bear the true resemblance of holiness.  Holiness is the quality produced as a result of living in full obedience to God. 

Holiness is not a stern mean look; holiness is not how long your dress is; holiness is not whether you wear makeup, finger nail polish on your nails or toes; holiness is not whether you wear weave, false eye-lashes, or coloring your hair.  All of these things that have been mentioned reflect one’s outward appearance, but the attribute of holiness comes as a result of your love and obedience to God that will cause you to change from the inside out which will in turn reflect how you live!   Pray much for me!