Are YOU Holy?

It would be difficult to respond without first saying that I KNOW I am holy in the sight of God by my faith in Christ. Having said that, I KNOW I am still a sinful man despite all my best efforts to try and please God in everything that I do, so I would not lay claim to the title of "Holy". It is God who places that title on me by the blood of Christ.

Greetings Deepthinker

I think the best way that I can answer this is to say that I do not consider myself(maryjane) to be Holy. I do however know that Jesus who is in me is Holy and since the Father loves the Son and when the Father looks and me He sees the Son in me, I feel confidant by the cover of Jesus that I am Holy in Christ Jesus!

God Bless
mj

thingsabove wrote

"D.J. Kennedy once said that some are "holier" than others. I believe this is biblical."

We often look at ourselves and consider our "holiness" or lack of. If we were to ascribe to ourselves, say on the usual scale of 1 - 10, with 10 being holy and 1 being a poor wretched man/woman deserving only of God's fiercest wrath, how might we scale our holiness?
The problem that I see is that we would even ascribe a scale to holiness. We either are holy or we are not holy. I do not believe that there are degrees of holiness. We are holy because it is a gift of God. We are not holy in and of ourselves plain and simple. We all deserve God's wrath but because of His great grace we are offered that which we cannot attain, holiness. Neither will we, in and of ourselves, get holier. We simply cannot, we will not. We may shed some of our sinful "shackles" but we will not be any holier than what we are now.
All this to say again that I believe that there are no degrees of holiness. We are holy or we are not holy.

trxx wrote:
thingsabove wrote

"D.J. Kennedy once said that some are "holier" than others. I believe this is biblical."

We often look at ourselves and consider our "holiness" or lack of. If we were to ascribe to ourselves, say on the usual scale of 1 - 10, with 10 being holy and 1 being a poor wretched man/woman deserving only of God's fiercest wrath, how might we scale our holiness?
The problem that I see is that we would even ascribe a scale to holiness. We either are holy or we are not holy. I do not believe that there are degrees of holiness. We are holy because it is a gift of God. We are not holy in and of ourselves plain and simple. We all deserve God's wrath but because of His great grace we are offered that which we cannot attain, holiness. Neither will we, in and of ourselves, get holier. We simply cannot, we will not. We may shed some of our sinful "shackles" but we will not be any holier than what we are now.
All this to say again that I believe that there are no degrees of holiness. We are holy or we are not holy.

I cannot put words into his mouth, but DJ Kennedy might have meant that there are some more "obedient" than others.

Would you agree that there are degrees of obedience and some might be more obedient then others?

Lysa said, "Would you agree that there are degrees of obedience and some might be more obedient then others?"

I agree wholeheartedly with this. This is often what we mean when we speak of holiness.
But I believe that it is important that we know where our holiness comes from. Our holiness comes not from our actions. Our holiness comes as a gift. However good we might attain to we will never be holy apart from grace.
We know that God must dwell in the Holy Place. The believer is indwelt by the Deity. If we sin, must He then leave and return when we repent? I'm afraid that He would of necessity dwell outside of me more that within if I was holy according to my deeds. I don't even realize all of my sins. Rather, because He has given me His holiness (righteousness) as a gift, I am always holy, and He inhabits me always.
I am not sure of all of the implications and even to write this out helps me to explore and understand what He has been teaching me of late. Just the thought that there are no degrees of holiness is new to me within the past few weeks. Previous to that I learned of where my holiness comes from. I struggled with how He might inhabit me if I was yet sinful in any way. I believe that I am beginning to better understand.
Yes, there are times that I am more obedient than others but I am no more or less holy because my holiness comes not from within (my own deeds) but without (the gift of God). He's given me much more than forgiveness, He has given me His life and His righteousness.

Act 10:15 Again a voice came to him a second time, "(21) What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy."

dohzman wrote:
Act 10:15 Again a voice came to him a second time, "(21) What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy."

hi, i am most certainly holy...as the ground was holy...holiness is the presence of God...Helives within me.jimp

Jesus is, and in the measure that I allow Him to change me by His Spirit, His holiness will be mine.

See http://www.holiness.org.uk/ for many resources items on holiness.

Alive-to-God wrote, "But, I think there is a danger in referring to 'holiness' as a gift, as if it is something I now hold to myself, as I would a parcel."

I think I agree with the thought behind what you say. I use the word gift because Scripture tells us that our righteousness is a gift.
Romans 5:15-17 "But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ."
The important part of this for me lately has been to realize where our holiness comes from. Its not that I didn't know it but but that it has become much more profound in my life. It is a gift because it is given to me. Is it something that I own and may do with it as I please? Its given to me, its mine but its not mine if that is possible lest I mistreat it. But I don't know how far I might take that analogy either.

"I am not sure we can hold on to our holiness, or even perceive it. According to Oswald Chambers, the moment we think we are anything, we have lost it by that very act of attributing it to ourselves. (eg humble)" It sounds like Oswald is is saying much the same thing. Its important always to remember that our holiness comes never from ourselves but always through the merit of Jesus Christ.

On a bit of a side note, through looking at all of this lately I discovered what to me is related but exciting enough that it stands alone. Isaiah 62:11-12 says, "Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth, Say to the daughter of Zion, "Lo, your salvation comes; Behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him. And they will call them, "The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD"; And you will be called, "Sought out, a city not forsaken (NASB)." What I found most intriguing and exciting is that wherever we see the Old Testament word "salvation" it is the word "Yeshua." So the name of our Lord and Saviour is the same as the Hebrew word for salvation. In this particular verse I love to pronounce "Yeshua" for "salvation." It fits perfectly. He is our salvation (our righteousness or holiness).

But I would question the implications of "Jesus is, and in the measure that I allow Him to change me by His Spirit, His holiness will be mine." I may not rightly understand what scotsbaker is trying to illustrate but the whole point is that holiness is not given in measures but is complete in itself, in the gift of righteousness. He does not give me more holiness because I am more obedient. Holiness is complete or not at all. We either have received it or we are unregenerated. I will be no more holy tomorrow than I am today. I may in fact be more or less obedient but I am no less/more holy. That would suggest that holiness depends on me. It does not.

tuc wrote:
Yes I am 100% holy. Now this was not something I accomplished or made any effort for whatsoever.

When I was born again my old sin nature died and I was crucified with Christ. My sin Nature no longer exists. Then I received Christ's very LIFE in the place of my old life.

Since I have HIS life, I am as Holy as HE is. I will never be any holier. I Have HIS righteousness and I am just as perfect as HE is.

This is not a positional truth but an actual present reality. Any feelings I have can never change these facts.

I am in Him and HE is in me. I was made one with HIM. I have HIS LIFE and His divine nature.

Hey
I was reading through this thread and I thought I would share this I read just yesterday. I want to live in such away that those around me know my heart belongs to Jesus:-)

____

I Am Set Apart as Holy to the LORD

This was a workday alphanumeric page amongst a hundred or two Saints... Apply His Decree and Opportunities quoted below—along with His Chosen in every country and, back through time, to every generation? His Invitation is nearly irresistible! But we may have to change a few things, in how we value that which is NOT “set apart” for Him. Will we come along with those who had the courage and love and insight to lay aside affections to relationships and seen-world objects which gratify the flesh—but are not part of Him?

No one has ever tried Him truly, with no strings attached, and been let down by Messiah!

For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell in them

And walk among them.

I will be their God,

And they shall be My people.”

“Therefore, come out from among them

And be separate, says the Lord.

Do not touch what is unclean,

And I will receive you.”

“I will be a Father to you,

And you shall be My sons and daughters,

Says the LORD Almighty” (2Cor.6:14-18).

But isn’t this just all mere POETRY to most? Didn’t Jesus say, that amongst the “many” religious folks using His Name, “few” would choose this way of thinking and acting and deciding, and relating to those who have rejected Him? Let’s allow Jesus to make this all SO REAL and obvious in our hearts and lives! “Few will be those who find it”—but why not you?! Why not me?! : )

“Finally, they made the sacred medallion of pure gold to be worn on the front of the turban. Using the techniques of an engraver, they inscribed it with these words: SET APART AS HOLY TO THE LORD” (Exo. 39:30).

I know no one is likely to start wearing a big gold medallion, inscribed with, “SET APART AS HOLY TO THE LORD.” But WHAT IF God had required it in our Covenant, for you, for every day? You’d wear it to the stores, to work, playing basketball, in your home... How would the constant presence of that declaration, “SET APART AS HOLY TO THE LORD” on a large, gold medallion on your chest, for all to see—how would that affect your AWARENESS of Who you belong to, and HOW you should think, speak, and act?

Go ahead! Volunteer to engrave those words ON YOUR HEART, ON YOUR TONGUE, IN YOUR EYES—for all to see, wherever you go!!

Let it be that obvious, ** “I AM SET APART AS HOLY TO THE LORD!” **

Eph 4:24
(24) And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

I did. I am.

Travis

:-)

hi, whosoever believe INTO Him shall have eternal life... the word in the greek translated in or on in john3:16 is eos {into} not en {in or on)that is how we get inside... baptized in His death and risen with Him.jimp

This has to do with old testament prohibitions (dealing with gentiles, unclean food, etc.) that were recast by Jesus' teachings. I don't think it applies to the question in this thread, for there are many passages in the Bible that warn us to be humble and to not forget what we are without God's grace.

I don't understand your comment here, because it had to do with God's pronouncement of a man and his household being holy. Basically Jesus who is our great high Priest pronounces us holy and we are that because of His working in us and through us, as simple as that. What do you mean by "recast by Jesus teachings?" Jesus came to His own, his teachings were to the Jew first than the gentile, how can something that has never been cast be recast? We were a blank slant dead in our trespases and sins, seperated from all of God's promises and covenants, that is if you believe what the word of God says, and than you quote Roms 11:16-20 which goes hand in hand with the Peter vision but you highlite the last 7 word?????? Thats foolishness, almost as if you think ....but be afraid.... is something NT, when in fact it is be in the Fear of the Lord, which is altogether different from the english understanding of ....be afraid (which is a poor translation). As the Old hymn says" On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand". IT is and always will be His Holiness, His pronouncement over us and the working of His spirit In us. He is our robe of righteousness, 1Jn 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

But what it seems to me is that you want to lay a burden or yoke on some through a misuse of this scripture and prehaps a lack of understanding into the nature of entering into HIS Rest. Rember fear is binding, the Fear of the Lord is liberating....freedom!

Quote: I did. I am Now, could you explain how you put Him on?

I guess Paul the apostle can explain it better than I can. Romans chapter 6.

Rom 6:1-23
(1) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
(2) God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
(3) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
(4) Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Not the act of water immersion here. Baptism into Christ. The act of water baptism is a signifies this baptism (although both could occur simultaneously). I was born again. How can I be born again except first I die? Otherwise I would be two conflicting individuals spiritually, both alive at once, which is not possible.

(5) For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
(6) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
(7) For he that is dead is freed from sin.
(8) Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

The old man is dead. I now live with Him. I have put on the new man according to Eph. 4:24.

(9) Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
(10) For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

I died unto sin once. I now live unto God.

(11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(12) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
(13) Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Sin's power over me is broken. I have been totally recreated in righteousness and true holiness. As a result, I have the power through Christ to deny sin's right to reign over me. Now this does not say that it is impossible for me to occasionally miss the mark. There are even times when God touches something in my life that I was not even aware was a sin against Him. When I am made aware of it I agree with God over the matter (I believe a mark of a holy life), and I rely on His ability to let not that sin reign in me. I kick the legs out from under the throne that thing has occupied and show it the door.

(14) For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
(15) What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
(16) Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
(17) But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
(18) Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
(19) I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
(20) For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
(21) What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
(22) But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Here is a very interesting verse. Holiness is the fruit, not the root, of right relationship with God. One cannot become holy enough to please God. But, when by faith one enters into relationship with God, God will cause that person to be holy.

(23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

One final thought. Holiness is not absolute perfection of the flesh (body, mind, will, emotions). I believe holiness to be about my attitude toward God where the flesh is concerned. If God says, "I am not pleased with x", holiness says, "Yes Lord. In that case x has to go. I agree with You Lord, and by Your power and grace x will no longer reign in my mortal body." (Titus 2:11-14)

Travis.

i could answer that question if u would like?

I am not Holy.....

Why?

Well I have not put of the old man.....and put on the new man Christ.

I had been taught that "reckon yourselves dead to sin" and did recoken myself dead to sin.

But 10 years later after a time of fasting and prayer, the spirit open my eyes so and let me see that the old man was still alive along with that there was a way for it to be removed and that when I realy got into Holiness teachings and for the past couple of years the Holy Spirit has been teaching me about the subject of Holiness.

's all fine and dandy to say from scripture that we are dead to sin and alive unto God, but are you really dead to sin? We all can say by faith and proclaim on the highest mountain, I AM DEAD TO SIN AND ALIVE UNTO GOD. That is easy to say. But what saith today? What are we struggling with? If we are struggling, then we have not reckoned ourself to be dead to sin and alive unto Christ, we are just quoting the bible. The Word of Faith crowds does this all day, like it some incantation. Now if your not struggling with any sin and you are truly dead, then you are in revival. Since we are not in revival, I ask you again, How did you put on Christ? Without quoting from scripture, how did you come about to put on Christ?

Hey Deepthinker:

I have been mulling this over in my mind a bit. I am not sure I agree with the premises on which the question rests.

First the idea that we are not in revival. Just what is the definition of revival? There have been many great moves of the Spirit of God in one place or another, and men have labeled them revival, but what exactly does revival look like? I guess in a corporate sense we could say it is a turning of a group of people back to their first love. But the question is personal, so that rules out the corporate in this discussion altogether. What is revival individually? Revival as a term and I contend as a concept is totally foreign to the new testament. Those of the early church would have looked at us a bit funny if we had brought the concept up. How can a person who has receive the fullness of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, have any concept of needing to be revived. On a personal level it makes no sense to me either. I am seeing God change me from glory to glory at an ever accelerating pace. He is blowing my mind with the things He is doing in my life. I am being transformed by the Holy Spirit and by the word of God almost daily. Many today are crying out for revival when the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of pentecost and has never been taken away. If we need revived personally, on with it. It is not God withholding. He has provided it in the person of His Holy Spirit.

The second is the idea of struggle somehow precluding holiness. Romans 6 does not say that holiness has anything to do with an end to struggle with the flesh. But rather Christ brings an end to the reign of the flesh and of sin over the life of the believer. As long as I live in this flesh I will be tempted, and sometimes that struggle will be difficult. But, since I am dead to sin I am freed from the power that sin once had over me. I am free from the bondage of having to serve sin. Sin shall not have dominion over me any more. This is not to say I will not struggle to overcome temptation. If there is no struggle, then the temptation is not really tempting.

Third, how can I say anything but what scripture says about how I put on Christ when it is scripture that tells me how to put on Christ. We human beings are a complex lot. We have a very difficult time separating our emotions and perceptions from the spirit. There are times when I don't feel holy, but that does not change what the word of God says about me, so I declare what the word of God says in spite of my emotions and perceptions. I don't do this out of presumption, assuming to have something I do not have, but rather out of faith, proclaiming what I know to be true in spite of what the "evidence" seems to suggest. It is how we please God and it is how we walk in the things He intends for us to walk in. How did Mary conceive? Remember the word is a seed, Christ is the word, and God told Abraham that Christ was the seed. Mary heard the word of the Lord and chose to say, "be it unto me even as you have said.", as improbable and impossible as it seemed. It was receiving that word in faith the cause conception. The seed of the word was implanted, literally. That is exactly how it works in us.

So, I have no better way to explain it to you than the way God used Paul to explain it to me. Wow, wouldn't it be great to never again struggle with sin? But praise God the power of sin has been broken and we can have victory in that struggle. But what if I at some moment fail to win an individual battle? I am no less holy, because my holiness was never dependent on my own perfection anyway. If it had been, then Christ died in vain.

Not sure if that helps you see where I am coming from or not. Hope so.

Travis

twayneb wrote:

Wow, wouldn't it be great to never again struggle with sin?

twayneb wrote:

But, since I am dead to sin I am freed from the power that sin once had over me.

twayneb wrote:

Wow, wouldn't it be great to never again struggle with sin?.

I am totaly confused you say twice it would be great never to struggle with sin, leading me to believe that you struggle with sin, but then you also you claim also that you are free from the power of sin...

So what is the truth Travis are you claiming to be one thing "Holy" but yet are struggling with sin.

Or are you "Holy" and are living a life of victory having been freed from the power of sin.

I know what your answer should be I just hope you can be honest with yourself and face up to facts in your life.

Travis at conversion you were content to fall down as a condemned death starving sinner, be content now to sink before God in confession that as his redeemed child, you still feel utterly impotent to do and be what you see he asks of you.

Then begin to ask if he has made provision for you that maybe you haven't quite understood yet for meeting the impotence and giving you strength to do what is well pleasing to God.

Travis I know what I have written could cause offense to rise up in you and others but we as a church as God's people we must start to look at ours lives and see where we are missing it.

The true fact of the matter is that the church God's people are being overcome by the temptations and falling into sin, why because we claim to free from sin by faith but it's not a reality in our lives. But there is hope there are some of God's people, I have found a few that claim to have "entered his rest" and are living Holy pure lives free from sin.

God has made provision for us to live a Holy life, a clean life, a pure life as you said yourself "Wow, wouldn't it be great to never again struggle with sin"

I just hope that by this post that you would challenged enough to seek God's face in this matter.

Hey Colin: No offense taken brother. What you defined in your post won't take place until Christ returns and our salvation is 100% complete. Spirit, Soul, and Body. If you are waiting until you reach some state of flawless perfection in your mind, will, and emotions, then I am afraid you are never going to be able to fully enjoy the benefits of your salvation. You will never be able to walk in confidence and faith in the way that God intends. I never claimed to be holy in my own right. I surrendered myself to the word of God and claimed of myself only what the word proclaims about me. When I was born again, I put on the new man which, according the word, is created in righteousness and true holiness. I would direct you to 1 Peter 2. According to Titus 1:8, unless men can be holy then eldership in the body of Christ is impossible. In 1 Thess. 5, Paul charges that his letter be read to all of the holy bretheren in Thessaloniaca. According to Col. 3:12, the elect of God are holy, and beloved of God. Col. 1:22 says that the very purpose of Christ's sacrifice was to present me holy before God. Ephesians 1:4 says that God ordained our holiness before the foundation of the world.

Holiness is not a state of perfection where one never again struggles with sin. Jesus was holy, yet He was in ALL points tempted like as to us. This temptation had to be legitimate or Heb. 4:15 is disingenuous.

Holiness is a beautiful fruit that grows out of the root of a righteous spirit. It is the visible result of an obedient heart. It is a perpetual yes in our spirit toward whatever God requires.

Travis.

Twayneb wrote

Holiness is not a state of perfection where one never again struggles with sin. Jesus was holy, yet He was in ALL points tempted like as to us. This temptation had to be legitimate or Heb. 4:15 is disingenuous.

There is a difference between being tempted and sinning, being tempted to sin is not sin. Sin is when you give in to the temptation and commit the act in thought or deed. There will always be temptation, sufferings, testing and trails to endure in this life.

What I am trying to put across is not sinless perfection but being spiritually minded Roms 8:6. Not just justified and regenerated but purified and sanctified made Holy.

Twayneb wrote

Holiness is a beautiful fruit that grows out of the root of a righteous spirit. It is the visible result of an obedient heart. It is a perpetual yes in our spirit toward whatever God requires.

Sound a bit like Roms 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man but as with Paul we find that there is something that brings us into captivity.

Know in Romans you can see from verses you can see from

[b]Christ received in you[/b]

Roms 3:21 to Roms 4:25

[b]Judicially[/b], justification through the antonement and imputed righteousness of Christ.

Roms 5:1-11 [b]Experientially[/b], justification with God brings peace with God the love of God shed within by the Holy Spirit.

[b]Christ Revealed in you[/b]

Roms 5:12 to Roms 7:6 [b]Judicially[/b],, by transference from the headship of the Old man to that of the new man.

Roms 7:7 to Roms 8: 39 [b]Experientially[/b], “Sin that dwelleth in me” and “the wretched man” is now transformed into more than a conqueror.

Judicially Christ has paid the price so he can be received and revealed in you.

Getting back to my point above about what I am trying to say is that we have experienced justification with God and have peace with God, but have not experienced being transformed into more that a conqueror.

We can claim it judicially because Christ has paid the price “I put on the new man” but the reality is that we have not laid hold of it and we struggle inwardly against all manner of sin. The fact of the matter is that we are “the wretched man” because sin still dwells in us and until we get to the point where we surrender to God and his will for our life fully we will continue to be that “wretched man”

My dear friend do you know who “the wretched man” is it’s you, you’re the old man you are the one who needs to die, you need to die so that Christ can be revealed in you.

Have you got any ambitions, desires, pleasures that are not the will of God well my friend that’s the old man, do you find any anger, wrath, malice, bitterness shooting forth from the heart well that’s the old man.

How do we become Holy well the answer is easy it’s no longer you that lives that wretched old man he cannot and never will be Holy but because he is dead (Experientially), Christ now lives in you and he is Holy.

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.

Holiness is a beautiful fruit that grows out of the root of a righteous spirit. It is the visible result of an obedient heart. It is a perpetual yes in our spirit toward whatever God requires.

Love this!

The original question "Are you holy?" challenges me. Regardless what one says. more questions will arise. But Scripture says we are to be holy because God is holy. Since this is the case it is not an option but a command ...

I really appreciate this quote, Travis. It explains it well.

ginnyrose

Holiness comes from the Christ that is in us. Love is the total fulfillment of the Law. How much love did it take for Christ to go to the cross for in He first loved us and gave Himself for us. This is our fulfillment in Christ by the Christ that is in us, and us being conformed to His Image. The old man fails, but the New man overcomes as Paul, speaks, "who will set me free from this body of sin"? Romans 7:24-25 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Romans 13:9-14 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

How do we accomplish this, even in our failure? Let us love as He loves, If we love Him we will keep His commandments. If we don't, we need more instruction from the Holy Spirit to the Love of Christ that is in us.

How are we Holy? By the Christ that the Father has birthed in us by His Incorruptable Seed, Jesus Christ. Now we are Holy because He is Holy.

So, put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and fulfill His commandment, Love one another as I have loved you.

In the Love and Holiness of the Christ that is in us" Phillip

There is a difference between being tempted and sinning, being tempted to sin is not sin. Sin is when you give in to the temptation and commit the act in thought or deed. There will always be temptation, sufferings, testing and trails to endure in this life.

Colin: True brother! When I talked about struggle, I meant the battle against temptation is a struggle.

Now, don't misunderstand me, I am not saying that a Christian can or should go off and live in sin that grace may abound. I think Paul dealt with that one pretty thoroughly as well. But some have made holiness out to be something that we have to attain through our own strength and effort. "Well, I must not be dead to sin and holy in God's sight because I gave in to a temptation today." Sin is simply missing the mark. It is falling short of God's standard. If holiness demands 100% perfection in the realm of resisting temptation, then no one is going to make it. Sure, we get pretty good at the big things, but what about the thoughts, the attitudes? How long must I dwell on a tempting thought before it becomes sin? One second, two seconds, a fraction of a second? What fraction? Just when does disappointment become bitterness from rejection? When was the last time you were self centered instead of selfless? Are these not sin? God is never self centered.

You see, we can split hairs all day long, much like the Pharisees and we can build our own definitions of what is acceptable and what is not. Jesus dealt with this in Matthew 5. Speaking to the common people he said that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will in no way enter the kingdom. This must have come a quite a blow to those people who venerated the Pharisees as in a class of holiness far beyond what they were capable of. Jesus then goes on to compare the outward standard of the law with the true standard of God's holiness and demonstrates that even the Pharisees fall short of it. He sums it up by saying that if you are going to get there by keeping laws, you must be perfect like God is perfect. Impossible. It is in that place of realization that my own righteousness and holiness are never going to be sufficient that I surrender to the righteousness of Christ. See Rom. 10:3.

You see, Paul also dealt with the idea that justification (righteousness) comes through grace but sanctification (holiness) comes through keeping the law in the book of Colossians. He says that we walk or continue in Christ the same way we received Christ (by faith). Col. 2:6. He really pounds this home throughout the book of Galatians, even saying that the church as Galatia has been bewitched.

So my righteousness and my holiness come the same way. By grace through faith. It is the grace of God that allows me to be holy. See Titus 2:12. Specifically though, holiness of life is a result of righteousness through faith. A righteous man desires holiness because righteousness is what he is.

I am not much for separating the work of God in a person's life with terms like judicially and experientially. It is as if we are saying, "God declared me to be holy so judicially that is what I am, but I fail to experience it sometimes so experientially I am not holy?" Such statements, to me, don't make sense. If God calls me holy, then I am regardless of what I see, hear, smell, taste, or feel. Now I am not saying these things in presumption, but rather in faith because I know I am born again. The terms used by the denomination I grew up in were, "sanctification in sentiment and sanctification in reality", but the concept was the same. Nowhere do I find this concept in the Bible. I either am or I am not. To me it is just that simple.

This being said, holiness in our outward man is a thing walked out day by day.

Recently God revealed and dealt with something in my heart that He showed me clearly was sin. It was an attitude that I had about who I was that stemmed from experiences of the past. I was saying things about myself that were in direct opposition to what God said about me. That is sin. I repented, and God brought a deliverance in me that was so sweet. So the question is, was I unholy before this event, and am I now holy. Was I less holy and now I am more holy. I say I am no more holy now than then. The attitude of repentance and submission to the word of God is an act of the holiness that is resident in me as a new creation in Christ Jesus.

Brother, how I love Gal. 2:20. Praise God it is not I that live but CHRIST IN ME!!! He is so precious.

Blessings brother

Travis

Good word Phillip.

Travis wrote:

""Brother, how I love Gal. 2:20. Praise God it is not I that live but CHRIST IN ME!!! He is so precious.""

Most people do not think that the Cross of Christ was enough to procure their salvation. In other words, Jesus just did not die quite enough to make me Holy by He that is birthed in me, That New Creature in Christ Jesus. I have to add something to what the Cross lacks. What a prideful insinuation, that now it depends on me to finish the Work Christ didn't do enough of to make me Holy.

Travis, may I add to your favorite verse? Gal 2:20, mine to, with a companion verse unto our perfection.

Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Then on top of that, unto perfection;

Colossians 1:28-29 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

It is such a blessing for us brothers to know that Christ is in you, and seeing Him in you because I see Him in me.

What a wonder Christmas was, to bring forth a Son that would save all those that are headed for the Father's House.

In Him and most of all Him in us:

Phillip