03.11. The Touchstone of HOLINESS

11. The Touchstone of HOLINESS

Holiness is the great end of all true religion. Holiness is . . .
the unfailing mark by which God’s people are known everywhere;
’the spot of His children;’
the one unmistakable feature which distinguishes His family;
the highest step which can be attained in the Christian life.

It is of course important that we should have a sound and clear view of doctrine. The awakening of our souls is also important, and the consciousness that we need a Savior. But such knowledge and such feelings are worthless — if they do not lead onward to holiness of heart and life. But let us clearly understand what we mean by Holiness.

Holiness is not a mere outward ornament of the Christian character, something put on for the gaze and admiration of men. It is true that it must be outward, but not merely so. A person may act religiously — he may take a high tone from grounds of expediency, or because he may chance to be thrown among men of rectitude — and yet there may not be a spark of real spiritual holiness in him. Lift up the outer covering, and perhaps you will find a miserable blank within.

Holiness is a grace which belongs to the inner life. The heart, the affections, the desires — all must be holy. The heart within must be pure — or the waters which flow from it will fail to be pure also.

It is easy enough to clothe oneself in the outward garb of holiness, to have a righteous deportment, to have religious words upon our lips, to use religious phrases in our common talk, and even to show some interest in forwarding the outworks of Christ’s kingdom. But this may be only tinsel which makes a glitter; whereas the precious ore must be there, deep in the heart, running through the whole man.

Again, holiness is not a sudden acquirement — it is gradual and progressive in its nature. There is often a great mistake on this point. There are some people who, when they first wake up to the necessity and blessedness of a pious life, seem to expect that there is a swift and royal road, by which the highest spiritual state may be reached at a single bound. It is true that a person’s conversion may be sudden. He may in an instant be aroused from a long life of indifference, and from that moment become a new and altered character. He may suddenly wake up to the feeling that he has hitherto lived in vain. He may at once see the misery of sin, and may long to be delivered from its hateful bondage. He may forthwith set his face heavenward. But there is no such thing as a sudden leap from a state of sin — to the highest state of holiness. It must needs be a gradual work, not of a day, but of a life. Our sinful nature, which has grown up with us, must be subdued and overcome — and we must be molded into Jesus’ image. This sin must be put away — and that evil habit conquered. The right hand has to be cut off — and the right eye plucked out; and these are no easy operations. We must fight and struggle; we must contend with self, as well as with our great spiritual foe. And this battle will be going on to the very last.

But, thank God, there is no uncertainty about the outcome — the victory is ours, if only we are in earnest; we shall be sure to conquer in His strength.

Such is Holiness. Truly it is . . .
the crowning grace of the Christian life,
the unfailing result of God’s real work in the soul,
the topstone of that spiritual building which is of His own structure. And now there is a very important inquiry for every earnest person: ’How can this state of holiness, this higher and purer life, be attained? Is it beyond our reach? Is it something ideal, which cannot be grasped by ordinary Christians? No — it may be acquired by every one of us. But how?

First, bear in mind that it is the work of God Himself — the blessed work of His Holy Spirit. In passing over some of the wild commons of this country, if you were suddenly to come upon a field of corn, or a cultivated garden of herbs — you would know that these cannot be the natural product of the soil. You would be sure that the cultivator’s spade, and the sower’s practiced arm, must have been there. And so, wherever we find Holiness, we may be equally sure that it is not natural to the soil of the human heart. It has been planted there by the heavenly Gardener — and there has been a work, and perhaps a long and difficult work, of cultivation within. The soil has been turned up, the seed has been sown, and the dew has descended from an unseen hand. Remember then that God alone, by the indwelling power of His Holy Spirit, can make us holy.

Secondly, though the work of Holiness is God’s work in the heart, we must work with Him. Prayerful, earnest, persevering efforts are needed on our part. We must deny ourselves, and take up our cross. We must make war against sin, and be upon our guard against its intrusions. We must not only pray, ’Lead us not into temptation’ — but we must be ever on our watch, and carefully close up every avenue by which it may enter. Our life must be an unerring endeavor to be holy as God is holy.

Thirdly, since God works by means — we must thankfully employ them.

Now, one great means of our sanctification is the WORD of God. ’Sanctify them (said our Lord) through your truth — your word is truth.’ He has given us His word, ’that we may grow thereby.’ The Bible not only teaches us how to serve God — but also feeds our souls, and strengthens us for His service. There is a transforming power in it. It not only speaks to us of God’s glory and beauty, but when it is brought home to us, we are changed into Jesus’ image from glory to glory. The devout, reverent, and thoughtful reading of Holy Scripture brings us into acquaintance and harmony with God, and fills our souls with love towards Him. And I ask — have not our hearts sometimes burned within us, while He has talked with us along the way, and while He has opened the Scriptures to us?

God has also given us PRAYER, by which we draw near to Him, and hold fellowship with Him. Prayer is the great secret in every stage of the Christian life — and especially as we approach the higher steps in our course. And he who is much in prayer is in a fair way to become a holy person. His sails are being filled with the favoring breeze, which wafts him towards the desired haven.

Times of RETIREMENT too are essential to the Christian, if he would live near to God. Our blessed Lord, who was so much with others, often sought retirement. He needed to hold communion with His Father above, and tasted of its sweetness. And if we would possess anything of that calm peace and repose ourselves, we must act as He did, who rose up a great while before day, and departed into a solitary place and prayed — every spot being to us as the house of God, and every occasion a consecrated hour.

Well is it for us if we know the blessedness of thus putting ourselves often in God’s immediate presence. There is . . .
so much in the world to drag us down,
so much to chill and ruffle us,
so much to engross our thoughts,
so much chain them our hearts to this earth,
so much to call us away from what is high and holy
— that it is absolutely essential to our growth in grace to withdraw ourselves from time to time from our worldly pursuits and worldly companions, and to hold communion with our Lord; to lay our souls as it were in His bosom, and to hide ourselves in Him. For it is by personal applications to the Savior, that we get fresh supplies of grace and strength for growth in the spiritual life. But there is a Special Ordinance, which our Lord has Himself ordained for the spiritual nurture of His children, in which the soul of the earnest believer is brought near to Christ, and is purified, strengthened, and refreshed by Him. Go to that heavenly Feast with a humble, believing, loving heart — and you will be strengthened for your onward journey, and your walk will be close with God.

There are now two questions which I should like to consider before closing this chapter.

One is, where should our Holiness show itself? Not merely in the House of God, nor in the actual exercises of religion, nor in the company of godly people — but in our every-day life, in our transactions with the world, in our fellowship with ordinary men. But there is one place in which it should specially show itself — in our Homes, in our Family Circles. There is nowhere that the Christian’s true character is better tested, than in his own household. There can be nothing put on there. All know each other too intimately for any deception. Outside religion may pass with the outside world — but it will miserably break down inside the Home. All hypocrisy will fail there — reality alone will make itself felt. Personal Holiness will be ever diffusing itself, whether found in Husband or Wife, Parent or Child, Master or Servant. It is like the perfume which manifests itself — the whole house is filled with the fragrance of the ointment. What the playground is to the schoolboy — the home is to the man. They are the truest tests of character. The other question which I wish to notice is this: Will our state of holiness be ever perfect?

God’s work in the renewed soul is a perfect work. There is no incompleteness or defect in the Spirit’s power, no stint on His part. But alas He has sinful hearts to work upon, and therefore there will ever be a falling short — we shall never reach perfection here on earth. He bids us to be holy — as He is holy; to be perfect — as our Father in Heaven in perfect — and He gives us all the aid we need. But we are forever failing, ever dragging after us a body of sin, ever aiming it may be — but always coming short, never fully reaching the mark we so long to attain. And well indeed is it if even the desire has been kindled within us. Well is it if we can truly say, ’I am earnestly pressing towards the mark,’ though there will ever be something higher and beyond, a prize which these soiled hands of ours are too feeble to grasp.

No, we shall never be perfectly or completely holy here. We shall always need the blood of sprinkling. Our look must ever be towards the cross, and our cry to the very last, ’God be merciful to me a sinner!’

Perfect holiness is reserved for another state. In Heaven all will be complete. We shall then bid adieu to sin, and that forever — it will find no entrance into those high courts. Heaven will be a holy place — for it is the presence-chamber of God Himself, and the dwelling-place of His people. And if we are there, washed from all our sins in the blood of the Lamb, and perfect through His righteousness — our hearts and feelings will be all in blessed accord with that sinless, heavenly throng. Be ever trying then to rise higher. Let each step be a step onward. Let your motto be, ’A little further from sin — a little nearer to God!’ until you reach a calmer and a purer region, unswayed by the eddies and currents of this sinful world, and where the presence of Jesus Himself is realized in all its fullness.