I was going to post this question in about a week so it would seem as if I was a good blogger and actually making posts on a regular basis, but I want some answers from you people and don't really want to wait. So here is the question (if you haven't figured it out from the title):
What is Holiness (how would you define it?). Is it attainable by us? If so how do we attain it? If not what is the point of the Christian walk?
I have been struggling with these questions and could use some input.
3 comments:
Part 1
What is Holiness? So we are reading the Bible a lot right and last month we were in Leviticus, and it is all the laws, but I started to notice a trend, over and over and over and over, it says be holy because I the Lord your God am Holy. For example it says in Leviticus 11:44 "I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, becuase I am holy." Consecrate is set yourself apart, clean or wash your self. In Spanish it says santifiquense y mantenganse santos which means purify yourselves and then continue to be pure, continue to be holy. In Leviticus 19:2 it says again "Be holy because I, the Lord your God am Holy. and in 20:8 it says "I am the Lord who makes you Holy." and in 21:8 "Because I the Lord am holy - I who make you holy." and in 22:32 "I am the Lord who makes you holy."
Next thoughts to come :-)
I have been thinking about writing a book someday entitled "Am I Sanctified?"
When I was pastoring a church of 70 people, it seemed like there were 69 diffrent opinions on the nature of sanctification/holiness. (Naturally, my wife agrees with mine) :)
As I reflected over my own personal experience, I have come to realize that I was sanctified, not in college as I had been telling people, but in High School when I felt called into ministry. The reason I didn't understand when/if I was sanctified was because I had an improper and unrealistic understanding of holiness.
Holiness is God-centeredness. It is the experience of finding nothing more satisfying in life than being with God. It is loving God in every way you know how and trusting in His grace to sustain you.
For years I lived with the idea that holiness was sinlessness. So did that mean that every time I sinned I lost my holiness and then regained it when I repented? If so, then holiness doesn't really count for much, because most of us if we are honest will admit that we still deal with sin on occasion. Now to be sure, if I am living my life as I described above, sin will not be a part of that experience. It can be resisted. But I no longer define holiness by the negetive criteria of rejecting sin, but instead by a the positive criteria of loving God.
And I have found that when I live in this type of holiness, the sin-free part comes as a fringe benefit...
So I don't consider myself to be very wise, but here are my thoughts. I read some chapters in Leviticus, which Michal recommended. Over and over, it kept saying 'be holy because I the Lord your God am holy'. Wow! How can I be holy? I am so far from being holy it's not funny. I think it inspires me to try to be more like God - more holy. It's an impossible journey on earth but it's something to strive for - perfection, righteousness - with God on my side. Also, my parent had a bible study last week and this verse comes to mind: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." I don't know what holiness is exactly, but I'm striving to live for God and walk by his side - I guess that's my idea.
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