Holiness is a subject many fear to preach and of which many believers never want to listen to because the Holiness of God testifies that man is guilty and needs to be saved. The Holiness of God eposes the evil in the hearts of many, even the strong is made weak in the light of His Holiness. Therefore, many people prefer not hear it as not to be exposed and their ego brought low. Nonetheless we cannot regard man over God. God is Holy; He is set apart. And His demand is that we be like Him in Holiness.
“Leviticus 19–20: ‘Be Holy for I Am Holy’”
Holiness is the quality of becoming separated, dedicated and consecrated unto God. It means to put on a white and spotless robe. It is an attribute of God. Therefore, when a man is holy, he is simply copying God. He talks like God, he lives like God, he relates like God, his appearance is like God, what delights God delights Him, he is conformed into the image of Christ and God. God is Holy!
But now, we that are covenanted in the Holy Covenant of God has obtained the Spirit of grace which helps us overcome our weaknesses. Therefore, to holy unto God should be the lifestyle of all saved and heavenly minded Christians. As it is written; “without holiness no one will see God.“ Hebrews 12:14
Therefore, we have to be holy and godlike in appearance, in speaking and conversation, in our relationships with friends, families, loved ones and enemies. We have to be holy in our works and deeds, in character and integrity, in our desires and preferences which includes our career pursuit/source of income. In all areas of our lives, we must show consecration and separation, and that we belong to God with all our hearts.
All our religiousness, legalisms, our outward show of spirituality, great preaching and teaching, great singing, fervent tongues and extravagant giving cannot by any means substitute Holiness. One could have all these but would still be rejected by God. In God’s kingdom, holiness has no substitute.
“For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.” – Leviticus 19:2
Areas of Holiness
- Holiness of the mind: A holy Christian should not just be purged of sin in the flesh, but also in his thought and mind. There are thoughts that should not be in the mind of a holy believer. Thoughts of wickedness, lust and sinful imagination show unholiness and corruption of the mind.
- Holiness of the Eyes: A true Godlike believer ought not to fix his eyes on what is unholy. The way God looks at evil must be how we see these things. The world may view it differently, but the judgements of God is the standard for us. Therefore, a Christian set apart to God cannot afford to cannot watch pornography and nude pictures, it is unholiness with the eyes. We cannot look in lust of either male or female as the world do.
For the eyes Is the window to the heart and mind. Whatever goes through it enters into the subconscious man and corrupts his thoughts. One is tempted to fall into sin whose thoughts are corrupted from what the eyes have seen.
A young man was caught in homosexuality, when interrogated, it turned out that it was his eyes that led him into the abomination of the Sodomites. He saw it on the internet and gradually he became part of the gay abomination. Similarly, a lady confessed that whenever she sees a dog, that she gets into lust for bestiality. It all started when she began to watch bestial pornography; then this unclean spirit entered into her. If she practiced holiness with the eyes, she would never have been destroyed by the weapon of Satan. Be ye holy; Yes! keep your eyes holy.
- Holiness of the tongue: Lies and deceit, slander and backbiting, gossip and curses are not the ways of a holy Chistian. By the standard of God these things are unholy and sinful. No Holy Chistian does business with lies and deceit, for God hates a lying tongue.
Psalm 59:12 “By the sins of their mouths and the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride, in the curses and lies they utter.”
Proverbs 12:22 “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.”
- Holiness of the Ear: Oh! Be careful little ears what you listen to, because the ear is a door to the soul as is the eyes. The questions are: The things I listen to, is it holy or unholy? How exactly does God see them? Does He approve of it? Since we are Christ-like (Christian), will Jesus listen to this?
A computer acronym says: “Garbage In; Garbage Out”. What we feed our soul and mind with is what will come out of us. Holy things produce a holy person, unholy things produce unholy person.
As a Christian who grew up in the Holiness Pentecostal movement, I learnt the teachings of men who put on holiness like a robe. These were men who had a living relationship with God, and by their teachings I also have found and seen Jesus. I have received many angelic visions and some visitations. Once, I was in my sitting room and an angel came and called me out, then he took me down and showed me the plan of God to cleanse His Church.
The present corruption of our Christianity cannot allow us to know and experience the true power and grace of being a Christian. Those who do not yield to holiness cannot experience God because He is Holy, and he demands Holiness from all who will desire to walk with Him.
The teachings of Holy Men who mentored my relationship with God I give back to this generation. Worldly music and those that glorify sin, immorality and not God is not of God and not for those who desire an intimate relationship with Christ. Don’t play them, don’t listen to them, don’t have them on your phone. Apostle Paul says; “Do not copy the world.” Do not be like them, nor act like them, nor talk like them, nor follow their ways.”
Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
If we must return to Holiness, we must also return to making a godly choice of what we listen to. Total separation to God is what Holiness is about. For if we are for God, we must be for God alone.
- Holiness of the Hands: Holiness is also found on hands of those who do not steal or covet their neighbour’s goods. Those who have traded fighting and violence for peace and godly living is holy with their hands.
We cannot pickup someone else’s money on the floor and keep it to ourselves as many do today, it is unholiness and evil. The owner could be in a painful search for it, it could be his only means of survival. Should we not do to others as we wish them to do to us? Is this not the Golden Law of Christ? A church goer who takes what is not his own is simply a thief, and one who does evil with his hands is still in death. None of them shall take part in the kingdom of God because they wilfully break the commandments of God.
- Holiness of the feet: There are places a holy Christian cannot be found in. A set apart believer cannot be found where sinners dine and wine and live in sin. There are parties and events a Christian should attend and there are those he must run away from. A place where wickedness is done against God is not for a Holy Child of God. There you feed your soul with the lewdness and wickedness of men, and many have fallen from been yoked together with the wicked.
A Christian should never be found in a prostitute brothel relaxing, it does not speak godly of us. And one seeing us may misunderstand us and we may cause the weak to fail and fall. We also cannot visit shrines or traditional worship centres unless if it be to destroy the things of darkness.
- Holiness in the Heart: Malice and hatred are sins of the heart. “He that hates his brother is in darkness” – 1 John 2:11. At all cost we must forgive and seek to be forgiven; for no one does not offend another at some point in time. Unforgiveness is a sign that the very nature of God is not yet formed in us; it is a sign of an unholy and stained heart.
I know a way that has helped me to forget and forgive others no matter what. When it looks unbearable then I cry to God to help me overcome a grudging heart. Heaven is far more precious for one to lose it over an insult or mistreatment. Let it go!
Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.“
- Holiness in Choice and preference: I do not aim to please men, if my aim was to please men, I would not be a follower of Christ. Therefore, I cannot shy from telling it all as I was taught by God’s spirit although it displeases many.
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Timothy 4
Holiness in choice and preference imply that before we decide, in whatever we want to do, we must set God before us. Our preferences should respect the person and nature of God; for ourselves are also like unto Him if we are Holy. Our Choice of words, relationships, marital affair, business, associations and career pursuit must showcase our allegiance to His Holiness. Thus, there are professions a holy Christian cannot do no matter how lucrative it is. We cannot help immorality and evil to strive in our society and claim to be for God. No way! No one can serve two matters at same time, Jesus said. You cannot serve both God and money. Indeed, you serve money if for money you despise the Lord your God. You cannot promote the things of Satan Oh! Christian. We were established by God to declare His praises and show forth His glory and priests of Zion. Should we then glorify sin and the works of Satan for the sake of meeting ends?
1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
A Church goer can work anywhere, but a Holy Christian or believer cannot work in a brothel? For what has light to do with darkness? I have seen a self-acclaimed pastor producing worldly music. How can a believer produce music that defiles the soul of his and another? It shows gross unholiness.
Holiness is the standard for those who desire to be in a contact relationship with God, there is nothing else that can guarantee that. Not even fervent prayers can bring man close to God, not his giving and sacrificial offerings. Indeed, God does not desire burnt offerings over obedience to Him as seen in 1 Samuel 15:22. Therefore show me a man whom God delights in and I’ll show you a Holy man. If we must return to God and experience Him like the worshippers of God in the Bible, we then must return to total Holiness; without which no man will see the face of God.