“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” 1 Peter 1:15,16.
“But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us sanctification” 1 Corinthians 1:30.
“God hath from the beginning chosen you unto salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth”2 Thessalonians 2:13.
Not only has God chosen and called us for salvation, but also for holiness–salvation in holiness. The goal of the young Christian must not only be safety in Christ, but also holiness in Christ. Safety and salvation are, in the long run, found only in holiness. The Christian who thinks that his salvation consists merely in safety and not in holiness will find himself deceived. Young Christian, listen to the Word of God–Be ye holy.
And why must I be holy? Because He who called you is holy and summons you to fellowship and conformity with Himself. How can anyone be saved in God when he does not have the same disposition as God?1
God’s holiness is His highest glory. In His holiness, His righteousness and His love are united. His holiness is the flaming fire of His zeal against all that is sin. This is how He keeps Himself free from sin, and in love makes others also free from it. It is as the Holy One of Israel that He is the Redeemer, and that He lives in the midst of His people.2 Redemption is given to bring us to Himself and to the fellowship of His holiness. We cannot possibly take part in the love and salvation of God if we are not holy as He is holy.3 Young Christians, be holy.
And what is this holiness that I must have? Christ is your sanctification. The life of Christ in you is your holiness.4 In Christ you are sanctified–you are holy. In Christ you must continually be sanctified. The glory of Christ must penetrate your whole life.
Holiness is more than purity. In Scripture we see that cleansing precedes holiness.5 Cleansing is the taking away of that which is wrong–liberation from sin. Holiness is the filling with that which is good and divine–the disposition of Jesus. Holiness is conformity to Him. It is separation from the spirit of the world and being filled with the presence of the Holy God. The tabernacle was holy because God lived there. We are holy, as God’s temple, after we have God living within us. Christ’s life in us is our holiness.6
And how do we become holy? By the sanctification of the Spirit. The Spirit of God is named the Holy Spirit because He makes us holy. He reveals and glorifies Christ in us. Through Him, Christ dwells in us, and His holy power works in us. Through this Holy Spirit, the workings of the flesh are mortified, and God works in us both the will and the accomplishment.7
And what work do we have to do to receive this holiness of Christ through the Holy Spirit? “God bath chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth”.8 The holiness of Christ becomes ours through faith. Naturally, there must first be the desire to become holy. We must cleanse ourselves from all pollutions of flesh and spirit by confessing them–giving them up to God–and having them cleansed away in the blood. Then, holiness can be perfected.9 Then, in belief of the truth that Christ Himself is our sanctification, we have to take and receive from Him what is prepared in His fullness for us.10 We must be deeply convinced that Christ is wholly and alone our sanctification as He is our justification. We must believe that He will actually and powerfully work in us what is pleasing to God. In this faith, we must know that we have sufficient power for holiness, and that our work is to receive this power from Him by faith every day.11 He gives His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, in us to communicate the holy life of Jesus to us.
Young Christian, the Trinity is three times holy.12 And this Trinity is the God who sanctifies you. The Father sanctifies by giving Jesus to you and confirming you in Jesus. The Son sanctifies by becoming your sanctification and giving you the Spirit. The Spirit sanctifies by revealing the Son in you, preparing you as a temple for the indwelling of God, and making the Son live in you. Be holy, for God is holy.
Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, what thanks will I render to You for the gift of Your Son as my sanctification, and that I am sanctified in Him. And what thanks for the Spirit of sanctification to live in me, and transplant the holiness of Jesus into me. Lord, help me to understand this correctly, and to long for the experience of it. Amen.
Footnotes:
1) Exodus 19:6; Lev. 11:44; 19:2; 20:6,7
2) Exodus 15:11; Isa. 12:6; 41:14; 43:15; 49:7; Hos. 11:9
3) Isa. 10:17; Heb. 12:14
4) 1 Cor. 1:2; Eph. 5:27
5) 2 Cor. 7:1; Eph. 5:26,27; 2 Tim. 2:21
6) Ex. 29:43,45; 1 Cor. 1:2; 3:16,17; 6:19
7) Rom. 1:4; 8:2,13; 1 Pet. 1:2
8) 2 Thess. 2:13
9) 2 Cor. 7:l
10) John 1:14,16; I Cor. 2:9,10
11) Gal. 2:21; Eph. 2:10; Phil. 2:13; 4:13
12) Isa. 6:3; Rev. 4:8; 15:3,4
Notes
1. What is the distinction between forgiveness and cleansing, and between cleansing and holiness?
2. What made the temple a sanctuary? The indwelling of God. What makes us holy? Nothing less than the indwelling of God in Christ by the Holy Spirit. Obedience and purity are the way to holiness; nothing is higher than holiness itself.
3. In Isaiah 57, verse 17, there is a description of the man who will become holy. It is he who, in poverty of spirit, acknowledges that even when he is living as a righteous man he has nothing, and he looks to God to come and dwell in Him.
4. No one is holy but the Lord. You have as much holiness as you have God in you.
5. The word “holy” is one of the most profound words in the Bible, the deepest mystery of the Godhead. Do you desire to understand something of it and to obtain part of it? Then take these two thoughts, “I am holy,” “Be ye holy,” and carry them in your heart as a seed of God that has life.
6. What is the connection between the perseverance of the saints and the perseverance in holiness?