What do you think of when you here the word "holy"? When I was growing up that word meant some sort of perfect person with a halo over their head followed by angels singing. Funny enough I think a lot of people still think that way. But really the word holy means to be separate. We are set apart. Separate and set apart from the world. Many people view holiness as only an outward condition. For example; Some people may think it's not holy to play drums in church or if a woman was to wear makeup, she was not holy. I like the way John Bevere puts it in his book, "Heart Ablaze". He wrote, "A woman can have a dress down to her ankles, her hair in a bun, with no makeup or jewelry on, and still have a seducing spirit up to her eyeballs! A man can boast about how he never commited adultery or divorces his wife, but he may still lust after every woman who walks by him. That is not holiness. That extreme focused exclusively on the flesh, and holiness is not a work of the flesh. This notion led many people in the church into legalism."
When I looked up the word legalism in the Webster dictionary it said this:
Legalism, in Christian theology, is a sometimes-pejorative (pejorative means belittling) term referring to an over-emphasis on discipline of conduct, or legal ideas, usually implying an allegation of misguided rigour, pride, superficiality, the neglect of mercy, and ignorance of the grace of God or emphasizing the letter of the law over the spirit. Legalism is alleged against any view that obedience to law, not faith in God's grace is the pre-eminent principle of redemption.
Paul reminds us that we are now in Christ, we are adopted into the family of God and now everything is different! Legalistic rules in the modern Church can have the effect of separating us from that new life by creating a list of things by which we can say we are “righteous.” (We dress right, listen to the right music, etc.) It is not by works of righteousness that we are saved! For if it were then Jesus wouldn't have had to die on the cross. Our salvation has nothing to do with good works. Isaiah said all our works are like filthy rags!
I was dwelling on that thought the other day and I had a revelation and such a breakthrough! Almost all of my Christian walk (the past 16 years) I have been trapped in a lie. When the enemy would make me dwell on my past mistakes I would mourn and cry. I kept thinking "if only.." If only I had done that, said that, not done that, not said that - does that list sound familiar? I would constantly put myself down and feel horrible. But yesterday the Lord said to me, "okay...what if you had done everything perfectly? Would you still be without sin and not need a Savior?" This halted my thought immediately. I thought, okay..even if I had prayed more, read the Word more, did more in ministry, did more good deeds, always told the truth - IT WOULD STILL BE FILTHY RAGS!!! Wow did that ever wake me up! When you realize this truth it completely sets you free from the performance trap. You can't earn it, work for it, be good enough for your salvation. It's all about God's grace and His love. Holiness is not about how many good deeds you do for God.
But there is one thing we do have to do. And it's not what you may think. It's not just about believing in God for the Bible says even the demons believe and tremble. And it's not about works or how much money you give or how big your ministry is. Think about Judas. He left his job and followed Jesus. He performed miracles, healed the sick, cast out demons. But Judas went to hell.
Jesus said "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
- Matthew 7:20-23
So then what is it truly that makes us holy, seperate unto God? What is it we are suppose to do?
The answer is SURRENDER
We make a choice. We choose to serve the Lord. We choose to not just follow Jesus but to obey Him. We must leave the old behind and embrace the new. The world behind me - the cross before me. No turning back! No turning back!
Remember what happened to Lot's wife when she turned back? Her heart was still in Sodom and Gomorrah. She longed to be there. I was thinking about this a lot lately. I've been working on surrendering my free time to the Lord. And I have had a LOT of free time lately. But what made me sad was that I knew even if I had the will power to turn off the TV or get off the computer my heart would still long to be there. I realized it's the same thing! My heart should be passionate about the Lord, spending time with HIM! I realized I had a heart problem.
Holiness is not outward it's inward. God looks at the heart!
The more I read God's Word the more I realize how serious He is about us separating from the world. When the Israelites left Egypt God told them, I have delivered you from Egypt but now you must get Egypt out of you. How many times did they long to return to Egypt? Even after seeing God do amazing miracles? They saw the Red Sea part, saw God wipe out the Egyptian armies, saw God produce water from a rock, saw bread fall from the sky! Yet their hearts longed for Egypt and to return even though there they were slaves and in bondage.
We are slaves and in bondage to the world. God frees us from the world through Jesus Christ and then says now get the world out of you!
It's a lot to take in I realize. If someone ever told you all you have to do is say a prayer and you are saved then you were not told the whole truth. It's a surrendered heart. It's waking up each morning and saying Lord, I choose You! It's taking the time to read His Word and listen to His voice. It's about a relationship. It's about obeying Him and doing what He tells you even when it hurts. God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Did he obey? Yes, the next morning he got up and set out but I am sure that it hurt!!! Abraham didn't know God was going to spare Isaac. We know how the story ends but I am sure during those days and hours they walked to that mountain Abraham's heart was breaking in a million pieces. His flesh, his dreams, his visions, his wants all had to die.
Jesus said we can not have both. We either choose Him or choose the things of the world. What Isaac are you holding on to?
As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy."
- 1 Peter: 1:14-16
In other words, be separate.
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. - Matthew 7:13-14
