Holiness

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:13-16) For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. (1 Thessalonians 4:7-8)

The truth I am going to share with you in this message is mainly to correct your wrong beliefs about God and his Nature. 

God wants his children to be Holy. However, God does not want us to be Holy so that we can get something from Him. God is not interested in giving something to us because we are Holy. God does not relate to us based on our performance. The bible says: God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) God did not die for us because we were so holy. God died for us because He is holy. Stop and think about this for a while.

We are justified freely by his grace. (Romans 3:24) The greek word for freely used in Romans 3:24 is the same word used for the phrase "without a cause" in John 15:25. Truly, God loved us without a cause and once you receive Jesus Christ as Lord, God loves you much more without a cause. There is nothing you can do make God stop loving you. You did not do anything to make him love you in the first place.

The truth to be learnt here is that no one can become right with God by self-effort. The bible says that we are made the Righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) God makes us Righteous. It is an act on God's part and not on ours.

Righteousness is separate from Holiness in actions. 

When a person is made Righteous by God that does not make him Holy in his actions. Righteousness is an eternal position or a standing that God offers to those who put their faith in Jesus. 

The Bible says: But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed... even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, (Romans 3:21-25) 

Truly, there is no sin that is not covered under the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. God does not love you because you are Holy after you become a Christian. As a child of God, God continues to love you based on His grace and mercy and not based on your performance. The Christian message is primarily not about making you a good and moral person. It is about informing you that God loves you even when you fail Him. He is not waiting to punish or rebuke you the minute you make a mistake. Rather when you sin God is right there with His hand stretched out towards you to lift you up and strengthen you with His Word. 

Therefore if you pursue holiness as a means to get right or receive from God it is in vain. Truly, God loves you and will bless you regardless. The only way to receive from God is by faith in his Word. 

If Holiness can get you nothing from God, then why should you live Holy? 

Now this is an appropriate question. Sin is very destructive in Nature. Therefore, the only reason God wants you to be Holy is because He loves you and does not want to see sin destroy your life. 

Satan is the enemy who wants you to sin and destroy your life. 

The method God uses to make you live Holy is also very interesting. God knows better than anyone that a list of do's and don'ts will not help you live Holy. (Romans 3:20) 

God's make you live Holy by revealing to you who you are in Christ. When you understand your identity in Christ through the scriptures the power of sin over your life automatically losses its grip. 

When you understand that you are united with God (1 Corinthians 6:17), that you have partaken of His divine Nature (2 Peter 1:3-4), that you are a new Creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), that the old man has been crucified with Christ 2000 years ago on the Cross of Calvary, that you are a new Man alive to God (Romans 6:9-11), that sin no longer has dominion over you (Romans 6:14), that you were slaves of sin, that you were set free from sin, that you have become slaves of God in the Spirit (Romans 6:17-22), that the Holy Spirit is in you and will make you walk Holy (Philippians 2:13) and so on and so forth you will automatically begin to walk in holiness effortlessly. 

When you understand who you are in Christ, you automatically begin to live holy as a response to God's great Love for you and because that is your New Nature. Just like it was natural for you to sin when you were an unbeliever, it becomes natural for you to live Holy when you are born-again and understand it. (John 3:1-8) 

When you are made a good tree by the grace of God, you will naturally bear good fruit.