THE CHURCH AND HOLINESS: Some people are "holier than thou." We often hear that expression and we judge those who appear to be that way and we try not to be like them. But whatever you or I may feel like in our own hearts, the fact is our God is a holy God and without holiness we will not see Him. Hebrews 12:14 says (quoting from the NRSV) "Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness without which no one will see God."Serious business this holiness...it reminded me of an old Baptist hymn that we used to sing entitled "Take time to be holy"So I went looking in an old Baptist hymnal and there on page 367 were the words "Take time to be holy, Speak oft with the LORD; Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word;
Make friends with God's children, Help those who are weak; Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek. " That's the first stanza. The next verse goes thusly, " Take time to be holy, the world rushes on; Spend much time in secret With Jesus alone: By looking to Jesus Like Him thou shalt be; Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see." There are two more verses but I will spare you. I have to confess that I have not taken the time that I should have taken to spend in secret
with Jesus and consequently I have not appeared to be all that holy and I have repented and sought forgiveness for that and He has forgiven me. But the secret to holy Christian living is to do what that second verse says "Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone." And the next line, "By looking to Jesus like Him thou shalt be" I broke down and wept as I read these words for I realize that I have failed so many times. We cannot be holy in ourselves and of ourselves; it is only by His grace that we can receive our holiness but we need to put it into practice through our daily living. That verse I quoted at the outset from Hebrews 12:14 goes on to say in the next verse, " See to it that no one fails of the grace of God, that no root of bitterness spring up and causes trouble; and through many become defiled." Psalm 91 says, "he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high God shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." That is where I want to be today .....in the secret place. Do you?