Personal Study of Holiness

Holiness

As a child of God we must think, and live in a way that honors Him. In order for us to have victory over sin, we must understand what is most important to God. If we will follow and obey two truths from God’s word, the foundation will be laid for us to remain spiritually, mentally and physically pure.

Matthew 22:35-40
Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

In this passage of scripture; Jesus teaches us that the greatest commandment is for us to LOVE God! I believe that the reason He instructs us to love God fully is because when we love Him the way He deserves, then we begin to love the things that He loves.

When we LOVE God with our whole heart:

1) His desires become our desires and we love what He loves!
Ps 37:4 Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

This does not mean that if we love God or delight ourselves in Him, that we get anything and everything we want! Prosperity gospel is heretical teaching and leads men astray by the thousands! It does however mean, that when we delight ourselves in the Lord, we love Him more, that His desires will also be our desires. We will grow to love and want the things that He wants and loves!Here are a few things that God loves that we should also love:

• The World: “for God so loved the world…” – Jn 3:16
• Worship: “singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” – Col 3:16
• Honor: “or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” – 1Cor 1:31
• Holiness: “Be ye holy; for I am holy.” – 1Pet 1:16
• Reverence: “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” – Matt 6:9

2) We love one another!
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another:and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

What are some ways we can show love one to another?

• Show them Jesus: “and ye shall be witnesses unto me…” – Acts 1:8
• Bear each other’s burdens: “Bear ye one another’s burdens…” – Gal 6:2
• Pray for each other: “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men…” – 1Tim 2:1
• Serve one another: “ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.” – Jn 13:14
  3) We live a holy life!
  1 Peter 1:13-16 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 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.
  

In 1 Pet 1:13a the Bible says to gird up the loins of your mind.
To gird up your loins simply means to prepare. It must be a conscious decision to prepare your mind. If you do not decide to be guarded in our lives each day, then we will eventually fall. It is the daily effort of purposing in your heart that you will not defile yourself. (Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank:therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.)

The passage also states that we should not fashion or live according to our old nature before salvation. Even though we are no longer “ignorant” to the grace of God, if we are not very careful, we live in our former unsaved state.

Heb 12:1,2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The first two verses of Hebrews tells us to lay aside things that hinder our relationship with God and the sin that we are most susceptible to.

The verse uses the illustration of a race that we run. To effectively run the race of a godly life we must put off weights and sin that would slow us down or hinder us from running.

What are some weights that could slow us down in the race of a Christian life?

1. Our jobs
2. Our hobbies
3. Material things and wealth
4. Even our families

These things in and of themselves are not “bad” things. However, when they begin to take up priority, when they take God’s place in our hearts, then they become wrong!
Matt 6:33 instruct us to seek first God’s kingdom, then all these things listed above will fall into the right priorities.

What are some sins that can so easily best us?

1. Sex outside of marriage
2. Pornography
3. Alcohol
4. Worldly Friends

The bible is very clear that we should abstain from fornication, fleshly lusts, drunkenness, and to be careful of our friends.

James 1:14,15 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

James gives us the progression of feeding our lust.

1. We are enticed by things that appeal to our flesh. This may be different for each individual. I may be enticed by something another person has no desire for. Satan knows this also. He will use bait that you enjoy to draw your attention and desire from the Lord.
2. When that lust is acted upon, it produces sin. This is when lust is no longer an enticement, but something we have acted on.
3. Then when sin has run it’s course, death is the end result.

It has been said that “sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”

This is why it is so important for us to remain guarded each day, putting on the whole armor of God!

Eph 6:11 “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

It all goes back to the original command; Love God with all your heart! When you strive each day to be more in love with Him, everything else will have its proper place in our lives. Priorities will be in line with His will. Fleshly desires will be be quenched, our minds will be prepared, and God can get ultimate glory from our lives! Living a holy live is not to be a burden or yoke of bondage; but rather allow us to know and experience real JOY!

Stephen Underwood
Acts 20:24
stephenunderwood.net