The Doctrine of Holiness

[b]THE DOCTRINE OF HOLINESS[/b]

“Be ye holy.” (1Peter 1:15)

-\tWhat is holiness?

-\tWhat is it to be unholy?

-\tWhat are the attributes of holiness?

-\tWhat is not holiness?

-\tWhat is the necessity of holiness?

-\tHow is holiness obtained?

[b]WHAT IS HOLINESS?[/b]

Holiness = ἁγιασμός (pronounced “hagiasmos”)

Thayer Definition:

1) consecration, purification
2) the effect of consecration
2a) sanctification of heart and life

Holiness defined: Holiness is a moral state which is the result of the consecration of the whole being to the will of God; it is a moral quality resulting from entire obedience to the Law of love. It is the state of the moral character of one seeking to promote the highest well-being of God and neighbor. It is the state or condition of the heart which motive is love towards God and man; a heart and life that is pure from all sin.

[b]The extent of holiness:[/b]

The bible speaks of:

-\tThe Holy Scriptures (Romans 1:2, 2Tim 3:15).

-\tHoly places and holy ground. (Matt 24:15, Acts 6:13, Acts 7:33, Heb 9:12, Heb 9:25)

-\tHoly mountains. (2Peter 1:18)

-\tThe Holy Spirit. (Luke 11:13, Eph 1:13, Eph 4:30, 1Thes 4:8)

-\tHoly Angels. (Matt 25:31, Mark 8:38, Luke 9:26, Rev 14:10)

-\tThe Holy Ghost. (Mat 1:18, Mat 1:20, Mat 3:11, Mat 12:31, Mat 12:32, Mat 28:19, Mar 1:8, Mar 3:29, Mar 12:36, Mar 13:11, Luk 1:15, Luk 1:35, Luk 1:41, Luk 1:67, Luk 2:25, Luk 2:26, Luk 3:16, Luk 3:22, Luk 4:1, Luk 12:10, Luk 12:12, Joh 1:33, Joh 7:39, Joh 14:26, Joh 20:22, Act 1:2, Act 1:5, Act 1:8, Act 1:16, Act 2:4, Act 2:33, Act 2:38, Act 4:8, Act 4:31, Act 5:3, Act 5:32, Act 6:3, Act 6:5, Act 7:51, Act 7:55, Act 8:15, Act 8:17, Act 8:18, Act 8:19, Act 9:17, Act 9:31, Act 10:38, Act 10:44, Act 10:45, Act 10:47, Act 11:15, Act 11:16, Act 11:24, Act 13:2, Act 13:4, Act 13:9, Act 13:52, Act 15:8, Act 15:28, Act 16:6, Act 19:2, Act 19:6, Act 20:23, Act 20:28, Act 21:11, Act 28:25, Rom 5:5, Rom 9:1, Rom 14:17, Rom 15:13, Rom 15:16, 1Co 2:13, 1Co 6:19, 1Co 12:3, 2Co 6:6, 2Co 13:14, 1Th 1:5, 1Th 1:6, 2Ti 1:14, Tit 3:5, Heb 2:4, Heb 3:7, Heb 6:4, Heb 9:8, Heb 10:15, 1Pe 1:12, 2Pe 1:21, 1Jn 5:7, Jud 1:20)

-\tJesus is spoken of as a Holy Child and as the Holy One. (Acts 4:27, Acts 4:30)

-\tThe Law and Commandments are called Holy. (Rom 7:12, 2Pet 2:21)

-\tThere are days which are considered holy. (Col 2:16)

-\tThe bible speaks of lifting up holy hands. (1Tim 2:8)

-\tThe bible speaks of having a holy calling. (2Tim 1:9)

-\tThe bible speaks of the most holy faith. (Jude 1:20)

-\tThe bible speaks of the holy city Jerusalem. (Matt 4:5, Matt 27:53, Rev 11:2, Rev 21:2, Rev 21:10, Rev 22:19)

-\tThe bible even speaks of a holy kiss. (Rom 16:16, 1Cor 16:20, 2Cor 13:12, 1Thes 5:26)

In these instances, “holy” is synonymous with “pure”; pure hands, pure faith, pure city, pure kiss, etc.

[b]Holiness In Relation to Mankind[/b]

- The bible speaks of holy women (1Pet 3:5), holy men (2Peter 1:21), holy apostles (Eph 3:5, Rev 18:20), and holy prophets (Eph 3:5, 2Peter 3:2, Rev 18:20).

- When holiness is pertaining to men it speaks of moral purity.

- Morality belongs to the heart (Gen 6:5, 1Sam 16:7, Joel 2:12-13, Isaiah 29:13, Matt 5:8, Matt 7:17, Matt 12:35, Matt 15:11, Matt 15:17-20, Mark 7:15-23, Heb 4:12, 1Tim 1:5, Titus 1:15) or to the motive of the heart. (Prov 23:7, Matt 5:28, Matt 6:5, Matt 15:7-8, Matt 23:5-28, Mark 7:6, 1John 3:15)

- So holiness is a description of the moral quality or state of the heart and life.

- Holiness is a virtuous state or morally upright quality.

- Love is the essence of all virtue. (Deut 6:5, Matt 22:37-40, Mark 12:30-31, Luke 10:27, Romans 13:8, Romans 13:10, Gal 5:14, James 2:8). Nothing but love can be virtue. Virtue and love are synonymous. Holiness is simply a descriptive word to describe the moral quality of love.

- There is no virtue at all without love. (1Cor 13:1-3)

- Love is the root of all virtue which all that is virtue proceeds from. (Matt 7:17, Matt 12:35, Luke 6:45, Romans 11:16, Titus 1:15) If your motive is right, your conduct will be right.

- Love obeys the law (John 14:15, John 14:23, 1John 5:2, 1John 5:3), because love is the law (Deut 6:5, Matt 22:37-40, Mark 12:30-31, Luke 10:27), love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:8, Romans 13:10, Gal 5:14, James 2:8)

- Love is an inner motive of the heart, a committal of the will, to promote the highest well-being of all (Deut 6:5, Matt 22:37-40, Mark 12:30-31, Luke 10:27, Romans 13:8, Romans 13:10, Gal 5:14, James 2:8), which of necessity manifests itself into outward action. (Matt 7:17, Matt 12:35, Luke 6:45, Romans 11:16, Titus 1:15)

- Holiness (love) is a moral obligation required of all capable beings. (Deut 6:5, Matt 22:37-40, Mark 12:30-31, Luke 10:27, Romans 13:8, Romans 13:10, Gal 5:14, James 2:8, 1Peter 1:15, 2Peter 3:11)

- Being holy, or loving, was God’s intention for His creation. (Gen 6:5-6, Eph 1:4, Eph 2:10)

- Being holy, or loving, is a voluntary choice. (Romans 6:19, 2Cor 7:1)

- Love is an intelligent choice: the choice to live according to your reason or in submission to the demands of your conscience. (Matt 7:24, Rom 12:1, James 3:13)

- Love is the moral state God chooses to live in. (1John 4:8, 1John 4:16)

- Love is the moral state, or holiness is the moral quality, of all those who follow Jesus. (Mark 6:20, Luke 1:70, Acts 3:21, 1Thes 5:27, 1Cor 3:17, Eph 2:21, Eph 2:22, Eph 3:5, Col 3:12, 1Thes 2:8, Titus 1:8, Heb 3:1, 1Peter 2:5, 1Peter 2:9, 1John 2:3, 1John 2:4, 1John 3:3, 1John 3:24, 1John 4:7, 1John 5:2-3)

- And so the bible addresses Christians, in this life, as sanctified (Acts 20:32, Acts 26:18, 1Cor 1:2, Heb 2:11, Heb 10:10, Heb 10:14, Jude 1:1) and as Saints (Matt 27:52, Acts 9:13, Acts 9:32, Acts 9:41, Acts 26:10, Rom 1:7, Rom 8:27, Rom 12:13, Rom 15:25, Rom 15:26, Rom 15:31, Rom 16:2, Rom 16:15, 1Cor 1:2, 1Cor 6:1, 1Cor 6:2, 1Cor 14:33, 1Cor 16:1, 1Cor 16:15, 2Cor 1:1, 2Cor 8:4, 2Cor 9:1, 2Cor 9:12, 2Cor 13:13, Eph 1:1, Eph 1:15, Eph 1:18, Eph 2:19, Eph 3:8, Eph 3:18, Eph 4:12, Eph 5:3, Eph 6:18, Php 1:1, Php 4:22, Col 1:2, Col 1:4, Col 1:12, Col 1:26, 1Thes 3:13, 2Thes 1:10, 1Tim 5:10, Phm 1:15, Phm 1:7, Heb 6:10, Heb 13:24, Jude 1:3, Jude 1:14, Rev 5:8, Rev 8:3, Rev 8:4, Rev 11:18, Rev 13:7, Rev 13:10, Rev 14:12, Rev 15:3, Rev 16:6, Rev 17:6, Rev 18:24, Rev 19:8, Rev 20:9).

Only once does the bible refer to a Christian as a sinner and it is speaking of a Christian who backslides. (James 5:19-20) The bible makes a distinction between the righteous and sinners. (1Peter 4:18)

- One of the purposes of Christ’s death was to turn sinners into saints, to make men holy. (Eph 2:10, Eph 5:25-27, Col 1:21-23, Titus 2:14)

[b]WHAT IS IT TO BE UNHOLY?[/b]

-\tHoliness is a descriptive word for moral quality, describing the moral state of love or of one who is in total obedience to the Law of love.

-\tLove is a choice of the will to live benevolently, seeking to promote the well-being of God and neighbor. (Deut 6:5, Matt 22:37-40, Mark 12:30-31, Luke 10:27, Romans 13:8, Romans 13:10, Gal 5:14, James 2:8, 1Peter 1:15, 2Peter 3:11)

-\tTo be unholy then is to be unloving. It is to be selfish. Unholy is a descriptive word to describe the moral quality or condition of a selfish choice or of a selfish individual.

-\tSelfishness is a motive or choice of the will to live supremely for self, when one’s ultimate aim – purpose – or pursuit is to secure their own self interest. (Matt 6:5, Matt 23:5)

-\tSelfishness is the religion of the devil (Isaiah 14:13-14) and all those who follow him. (John 8:41-44)

-\tThe Law was made for the lawless, disobedient, ungodly, unholy sinners so that they might know how to properly and rightly conduct themselves. (1Tim 1:9-10)

[image][img]http://openairoutreach.com/albums/adobe/SanctificationDepravity3.jpg[/img]

[b]WHAT ARE THE ATTRIBUTES OF HOLINESS?[/b]

1Corinthian 13:4-8

-\tPatience (cares about others)
-\tKindness (cares about others)
-\tIs not jealous (cares about others)
-\tDoes not show off (cares about others)
-\tIs not proud (does not regard self)
-\tIs not rude (cares about others)
-\tIs not selfish (does not regard self)
-\tIs not easily provoked (cares about others)
-\tThinks no evil (cares about others)
-\tDoes not rejoice in sin (cares about others)
-\tRejoices in the truth (cares about others)
-\tEndures all things (does not regard self)
-\tBelieves all things (lives according to reality)
-\tHopes all things (wills the best)
-\tEndures all things (does not regard self)
-\tNever fails (a remarkably powerful thing)

[b]WHAT IS NOT HOLINESS?[/b]

- It is not an optional luxury of a later decision one makes after conversion. (Matt 5:8, 1Cor 6:11, Heb 10:22, Heb 12:14, 1Pet 1:15, 1Peter 1:22) Holiness must be chosen in this life (Titus 2:12, Eph 2:1-7, 1John 4:17) because the moral condition you die in will be the moral state you remain forever in. (Rev 22:11)

- It is not something that is impossible in this life. (2Cor 1:12, Titus 2:12, Eph 2:1-7, Col 3:7, 1John 5:3, 1John 4:17)

- It is not obeying some God implanted desire (Gen 3:6, 2Cor 10:2, James 1:15) but is rather living according to your God given intelligence or conscience. (Acts 23:1, Acts 24:16, Rom 7:12-13, Rom 7:23, Rom 12:1, 2Cor 1:12, 1Tim 1:5, 1Tim 1:19, 1Tim 3:9, 2Tim 1:3, Heb 13:18, 1Pet 2:19, 1Pet 3:21)

- Holiness (love) is not an emotion but a committal of the will (John 15:13, Matt 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23) in accordance with the Intelligence (conscience) to promote the highest well being of all. (Deut 6:5, Matt 22:37-40, Mark 12:30-31, Luke 10:27, Romans 13:8, Romans 13:10, Gal 5:14, James 2:8)

- It is not obeying some of God’s laws, picking and choosing, (Titus 2:14, 1John 1:7, 1John 2:3, 1John 3:22, 1John 5:2-3) since God has only one Law, and that is the Law of love. (Deut 6:5, Matt 22:37-40, Mark 12:30-31, Luke 10:27, Romans 13:8, Romans 13:10, Gal 5:14, James 2:8) So to break any of God’s Laws is to be guilty of breaking all of God’s Laws. (James 2:10)

[b]WHAT IS THE NECESSITY OF HOLINESS?[/b]

- The good of the universe requires it. (Deut 10:12-13, Luke 6:9)

- God cannot delight in anything but holiness. He separates himself from that which is unholy. (Isaiah 59:2, 1John 1:5). So only the holy will be saved and spend eternity with God. (Matt 5:8, Heb 12:14, 1Peter 4:18)

- The government of God cannot approve of anything but holiness. (Romans 1:18)

- Nothing but holiness can dwell in Heaven. (1Cor 6:9-10, Gal 5:19-21, Rev 21:8, Rev 22:15). So one must persevere and be blameless unto the very end. (Matt 24:13, Mark 13:13, 1Cor 1:8, 1Thes 5:23)

[b]HOW IS HOLINESS OBTAINED?[/b]

-\tBy being converted unto Christ and following Him. (Luke 14:26, Luke 14:27, Luke 14:33, Eph 4:24)

-\tBy yielding your entire self to the service of God. (Romans 6:13, Romans 6:16, Romans 6:19)

Degrees of holiness have to do with degrees of knowledge.

The person with more knowledge, yet sins against that greater knowledge, has a greater sin.

But each individual is either obedient or disobedient. There is no partial disobedience. Partial disobedience is total disobedience.

A person, at any given moment, is either obedient or disobedient. There is no middle ground. It's black or white.

Winkie Pratney describes it this way:

A light dimmer represents knowledge. You can go from darker to lighter in degrees.

But obedience and disobedience is represented by a light switch that is either on or off.

I recommend reading Finney on "The Unity of Moral Action".

A light dimmer represents knowledge. You can go from darker to lighter in degrees.

2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

This is actually why I picked glorytoglory as my username. We are going from glory to glory.

Are babies born into sin?

There is a difference in being tempted (by the devil) and being tempted. Not only are we born tempted but babies have no knowledge. God said my people are destroyed FOR A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE.

Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

Romans 7:7
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Romans 7:10
10And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

The apostle Paul said the law is what convicts us that we have sin. A baby does not understand the requirements of God so therefore babies are born sinners. The unsaved cannot repent of their sins without the law convicting them that they have sin and the power of God working in their life. Are they convicted of every sin at once? No, gradually God deals with us as we are and we are changed into His image from glory to glory.

Eventually as alot of us here have learned we do not have to sin.God's grace is sufficient but if we do we have an advocate with the Father.

1 John 2:1
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

Babies are born into temptation. But sin is a freewill choice.

Babies inherit a body with lusts and passions which tempt their freewill to submit and thereby sin. But temptation is never stronger then freewill - 1Cor 10:13, so we are without excuse for sinning.

Babies are not capable of sin until they know right from wrong. James tells us that sin is only sin to him who knows to do good and chooses not to do it.

The bible uses the word "innocent" to describe young babies because babies have not yet sinned. Babies are not guilty until they reach the age of accountability when they know right from God, and choose to do what they know is wrong.

I believe that they inherit the sin nature but until they have knowledge (the law) that do not know they have sin therefore they are not yet accountable.

They have corruption because babies can die in the womb. Physical death is a physical sign of corruption.

They have sinned but are not accountable for that sin till they have knowledge of their sin.

The only thing I do not believe we can ever be sure of is the exact age a person can be accountable.

An unsaved person cannot stop sinning before they come to Christ. First they have to have knowledge that they have sin, than they repent which means:

Fruits of Repentance:
#1 recognize through the law you have sin
#2 have conviction
#3 Turn to God for forgiveness
#4 turn from that sin

Can you skip #3? Should #3 be #4 instead and visa versa? No.

True holiness is complete and total trust in the finished work of Christ.

glorytoglory wrote:
An unsaved person cannot stop sinning before they come to Christ. First they have to have knowledge that they have sin, than they repent which means:

Fruits of Repentance:
#1 recognize through the law you have sin
#2 have conviction
#3 Turn to God for forgiveness
#4 turn from that sin

Can you skip #3? Should #3 be #4 instead and visa versa? No.

True holiness is complete and total trust in the finished work of Christ.

Also, you cannot skip #1. There is more to the law than the 10 commandments. Jesus came to fulfill the law and the apostles built upon that.

Add to your faith, virtue and to virtue more knowledge...

2 Peter 1:5-6
5And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

How are we changed into His image? By adding virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience and Godliness. That is what the bible means by going from glory to glory.

2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

We are saved by grace through our Lord Jesus Christ but we still have the need to increase. He must increase and I must decrease.

1 Thessalonians 4:9-10
But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

10And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;

I cannot increase if I do not know I am lacking. If I am lacking than sin is present with me. The only difference is that I have on His robe of righteousness so in God's eyes I have no sin. Until I have knowledge of my sin I am not guilty of that sin. Once that sin is revealed to me I am accountable.

Add to your faith virtue. Virtue is the result of faith. Virtue is what came out of Jesus that caused the woman with the issue of blood to be healed. Faith without walking in it is dead. When you walk in it there is virtue but then you need to add more knowledge.

Mark 5:30
And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

2 Peter 1:5-6
5And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

Add to your knowledge temperance. Another word for temperance is moderation meaning not in access. Too much knowledge without properly applying that knowledge can lead you to error.

To that temperance you have to add patience. Let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and entire wanting nothing.

To patience add Godliness which is spiritual maturity in the Greek. The only way to have spiritual maturity or Godliness is by applying what you have learned and by being accountable to God and others.

Thoughts or comments welcome...

2 Peter 1:3
3According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

When we do these things we bring God glory and virtue flows out from our lives. Everything around us is effected by our obedience.

We are called to glory and virtue.

I Peter 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner
of conversation;
1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Romans 8:1-3

1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

When we are walking after the spirit we may sin unintentionally. The scripture says that the law is WEAK THROUGH THE FLESH. When Jesus came in the flesh He conquered sin in the flesh. So what we are not able to conquer (the law) in the flesh Jesus conquered for us. Our spirit is willing but our flesh is weak. There is no condemnation to those who have a willing spirit.

I also did a study a long time ago on what it meant to be perfect and I found alot of verses that spoke of having a perfect heart.

Matthew 23:26
26Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

Perfect Heart:
1 Kings 8:61
Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

1 Kings 11:4
For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

11 Kings 15:3
And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.

1 Kings 15:14
But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.

2 Kings 20:3
I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

1 Chronicles 12:38
All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.

1 Chronicles 28:9
And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

1 Chronicles 29:9
Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.

1 Chronicles 29:19
And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision.

2 Chronicles 15:17
But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

King David had a perfect heart the bible says even though David sinned. David commited murder and adultery. A christian can commit murder and adultery by having just one thought about either. You did not intend on having a thought of hate or adultery. It was not your intention but it happened. This was what happened to David. David had a perfect heart and when he was confronted with his sin he realized what he had done and repented of his sin.

Someone who continually has hate and adultery in their heart needs to examine whether or not they are in the faith because murderers and adulterers will not enter into the kingdom of God. I am not speaking of physically murdering someone or physically commiting adultery. A person who goes to those two extremes is not saved at all. Following through with an act such is that is not the mark of a saved man.This is the difference between old testament and new.

A better covenant means that more is required of us but God equips us by His spirit. We are a new creation the old is gone and the new has come.

David was a man who communed with his heart:

Psalm 4:4
Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

Psalm 77:6
I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.

When we are weak in the flesh this is where we struggle in keeping the law:

Romans 8:3
3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

But Jesus came in the flesh and condemned sin in the flesh. What the law could not do for David Jesus did for us.

2 Samuel 12:1-13

1And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.

2The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:

3But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

4And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

5And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:

6And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

7And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

8And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.

9Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

10Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

11Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

12For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

13And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

David communed with his heart. He had a conversation with his heart. This is how we examine our hearts.

Communing with your heart:

This is the definition of commune:

com·mune-
–verb (used without object) 1. to converse or talk together, usually with profound intensity, intimacy, etc.; interchange thoughts or feelings.

David was a man after God's own heart. What is the heart of a man like that is after the heart of God? The bible describes the heart of David as perfect because it was after the heart of God even when David failed.

Psalm 4:4
Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

Psalm 7:10
My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.

Psalm 9:1
I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.

Psalm 10:17
LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

Psalm 11:2
For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.

Psalm 17:3
Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

David understood that the wicked did not have a heart that was after God:

Psalm 10:6
He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.

Psalm 10:11
He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.

Psalm 10:13
Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.

Psalm 12:2
They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

David knew he was in good standing with God by the condition of his heart. David communed constantly with his heart.

The bible describes the heart of David as perfect because it was after the heart of God even when David failed.

David's heart was perfect, except for when he committed adultery. David was not after God's heart when he committed adultery, David was after Bathsheba.

"Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, SAVE ONLY in the matter of Uriah the Hittite." 1 Kg.15:5

If David's heart was right, his life would have been right also:

"For a good tree brings not forth corrupt fruit; neither does a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil." Luke 6:43-45

Lazarus1719 wrote:

The bible describes the heart of David as perfect because it was after the heart of God even when David failed.

David's heart was perfect, except for when he committed adultery. David was not after God's heart when he committed adultery, David was after Bathsheba.

"Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, SAVE ONLY in the matter of Uriah the Hittite." 1 Kg.15:5

If David's heart was right, his life would have been right also:

"For a good tree brings not forth corrupt fruit; neither does a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil." Luke 6:43-45

I wonder if we are saying the same thing Jesse. David was decieved in his heart even though he had a heart after God. He reasoned within himself and justified what he was doing but he was clearly wrong. Nevertheless his heart was perfect because his heart was after God's heart.

It was only perfect in the sense that it was after God.

1 Kings 11:6
6And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.

1 Kings 3:5-7
5In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

6And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

7And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.

1 Kings 9:4
And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:

Concerning Asa:

1 Kings 15:14
But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.

Here's a good article by David Wilkerson:

http://www.tscpulpitseries.org/english/1980s/ts891002.html

A perfect heart is searchable, trusting and broken.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

chandras wrote:
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Amen! :-)

A Perfect Heart Is Searchable (Part 1):

Psalm 119:165
Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

A perfect heart is searchable. If you have a perfect heart you are concerned with whether or not what you believe lines up with God's word. You don't mind others correcting you, just the opposite you welcome it. Your communing with your heart and concerned with your motives. I have heard many preachers in agony over whether or not what they heard was from God. I have heard of preachers who say they have preached sermons and lost sleep at night worried over whether it was from God. They love to fellowship with men who have the same heart for God because they want more of Him. They love those who love God because they are Christlike and they want to be accountable to others of like mind.

Proverbs 8:17
I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

Psalm 26:4-6

4I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.

5I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.

6I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD:

A person who does not have a perfect heart is only out for themselves. They are not searchable or teachable. They will get angry with you when you begin to correct them even though you are giving them scripture straight out of the word of God and the intentions of your heart are one of love.

Their are times they may not get angry at you but just ignore you because they do not have a perfect heart and their heart is divided. It could be they have an idol in thier heart or maybe they are just too proud. Their pride is more important to them than what God thinks. The apostle Paul mentions how to deal with one who is unteachable:

1 Corinthians 14:38
But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.

We need to proceed with caution when we are fellowshipping with those who have idols in thier heart.

Proverbs 22:24
Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:

Proverbs 29:22
An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.

1 Samuel 24:13-15
13As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.

14After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.

15The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.

A Perfect Heart Is A Trusting Heart (Part 2):

If you trust in the Lord than this is a reason to not only rejoice but to shout for joy. The reason for rejoicing is because:

#1 God defends us
#2 He blesses us
#3 He compasses us as with a shield

Psalm 5:11-12
11But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

12For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

Unbelievers shout about many things but Christians have a reason to shout and to rejoice.
Many who call themselves Christians will tell you to find a mountain and flee to that, but the bible says this:

Psalm 11:1
In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?

When troubles come where do you run? Do you give your troubles to God and leave them there? Many Christians will not leave their troubles with God simply because they do not trust Him. They think well how could God possibly think this is good for me? This is not good for me look at all of the suffering I’m going through.

I wrote an article awhile back on suffering:

The more we suffer the more we are able to comfort others. God allows us to suffer for this very purpose.

2 Corinthians 1:4-7
4Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

5For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

6And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

7And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

It would be difficult to comfort someone else if you could not relate at all to what they are going through. When others see us suffer they see how we are able to keep going on despite our suffering and they are able to see the power of Christ working in us. This is a testimony! God allows the enemy to come against us to test us and cause us to lean on and trust in Him alone. If suffering were easy it would not be suffering!

Suffering is supposed to be hard and at times it even seems cruel that God would allow such a thing but it is working in us to bring glory to him and make us stronger so we can stand against the enemy in even tougher times. The world and even other Christians will look and wonder at how you are able to endure such a thing but it is the power of God.

If you were to see a man or woman who never suffered, truly suffered, than you would say "well of course they are happy, they never suffer, look at them they have everything they could possibly want!" Suffering is difficult. I heard David Wilkerson once say "immature Christians get little darts from the enemy but if you want to be a man or a woman of God than you've got to face a flood!"

Be encourage today if God has counted you worthy to face a flood!

A Perfect Heart Is Broken (part 3):

Psalm 51:16-17
16For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Sacrifices God did not desire and burnt offerings He did not delight in. Sacrifices and burnt offerings were a requirement for sins but what God delights in is a broken and contrite heart.

Today a good example of a sacrifice would be giving God your time, preaching the gospel or feeding the poor. Even though God takes pleasure in these things this is not God’s desire for you. This is just the fruit of a man or woman of God who has a perfect heart. God wants your heart not your works.

1 Corinthians 13:3
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

This is a new testament example af a sacrifice and an offering:

#1 Feeding the poor
#2 Giving his body to be burned

…God delights in neither,

Romans 4:5-7
5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

6Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

7Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

Works are the fruit of a believer. Every Christian should have works only because works are the sign of our faith and that we are walking after the spirit (James 2:20) but this is not what the Lord delights in. The Lord does not see things as man does.

1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

It’s easy for a Christian to have a hard time with the idea that God looks on the heart because man cannot look on the heart. We worry about whether or not we should be “doing” something for the Lord when the only thing we should be doing is communing with our hearts than the works will come and God will be pleased.

Psalm 34:17-19
17The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

18The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

19Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

Psalm 38:7-9
7For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.

8I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.

We are only broken when all our desire is before Him:

9Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.