Treasures New and Old

Personal Holiness

(a series compilation)

What is one of the most important things I can do as a Christian?

Solomon is called by God the wisest man who ever lived. I suspect that Jesus was wiser – but then He is the God-man, so we won’t count Him. Solomon grappled with this question after giving us the Proverbs and the following years of failure and sin and turning to idols in his older years. He comes to his senses in Ecclesiastes: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

Wow . . . (1) Fear God, and, (2) Keep His Commandments . . . Heavy!

That was Old Testament – but what about now? How does a “New Testament” saint answer that question? Consider the following:

1 Peter 1:13-17: “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear [.]”

I see three things – two are in both the Old and the New Testament: Fear God (“pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:”), and keep His commandments (“as obedient children”). But I also see another – a higher calling – and frankly a very hard one to accomplish:

“Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

How many of us feel very holy?

Can we even be holy? If we are honest with ourselves, we don’t really fear God, and we have huge areas in our lives where we don’t obey Him. Oh, we may not go out of our way to disobey Him, but we have had that still, small voice tell us – hundreds of times – things that we are not doing – or worse – things we are doing that He wants us to stop. I’ll just concentrate on the positives . . .

Are you praying as much as God has prompted you to pray?

Are you reading the Word as much as you know God wants you to read?

Do you study His Word as you ought? Are you a meat-eater or still drinking milk?

Do you respond to others around you in a Christ-like manner? Are you a godly example to others?

Personal holiness is tough. It is neglected, even ignored, in the church today. We want to “worship” – have a good time in the Lord, praise Him, and emphasize the joy of our salvation – but we don’t want to be responsible for our actions.

How can I possibly be responsive to the clear command “Be ye holy; for I am holy?” I don’t have what it takes within me . . . or do I?

It starts with the first step finally figured out by King Solomon -fear God.

Let me ask another probing question . . . what are you personally doing to find out what God wants you to do in obedience to Him? Now you are saying I am just getting way too personal!

It is a lot easier to go about our daily lives and not read or study God’s Word and, thus, seek to find out what He may be trying to tell you. After all, ignorance is bliss, right?

A lot of Scripture talks about the benefit of fearing God. Over 110 verses either directly or indirectly refer to fearing the Lord. Look at these few verses:

Deuteronomy 6:2: “That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.”

Deuteronomy 10:12-13: “And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?”

Deuteronomy 31:12-13: “Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.”

Personal holiness must be built on the foundation of the fear of the Lord. It will guard us from sin. It will provide motivation to seek Him. It will teach us. It will provide boundaries for us that will protect us. It will be for our good. It will help prolong our lives, and it will help us to possess and keep “the land” that God has chosen to give us (a metaphor to the church that refers to the inheritance that we gain as we serve Him).

But if you have no fear of God – no awe regarding Him, no fear of offending Him, no fear of creating wedges of separation between you and Him, no fear of grieving Him, then you will also have no desire to seek Him or to search His Word. You won’t care to find out what pleases Him or to seek His will for your life or to find His calling for you. Your focus won’t be to serve Him or the brethren but rather to simply serve yourself. You may not be running from God, but it is a sure bet you’re not running to God either.

Personal holiness starts with a proper and spiritually healthy fear of the Lord. Do you fear Him?

Please reconsider the following verse:

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

In the Old Testament, that command can be found in Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7; 20:26; and Numbers 15:40. Do you think God might be serious about our being holy?

So – what is holy? What is meant by conversation?

In the Hebrew, it is the word quado:” [a]n adjective meaning sacred, holy [Strong’s H6918]. It is used to denote someone or something that is inherently sacred or has been designated as sacred by divine right or ceremony. It designates that which is the opposite of common or profane. It could be said that qados is a positive term regarding the character of its referent, where common is a neutral term and profane a very negative term. This word is often used to refer to God as being inherently holy, sacred, and set apart.” (Baker & Carpenter, 2003, #6918, p. 976)

Please note, common is not bad; it is simply common, normal, average. Holy is above that, better than that, purer, finer, greater than that. Holy means set apart for God’s use – not for common everyday use. Profane needs no additional explanation – it is bad! It is the very opposite of holy.

In the Greek, the word is hagios; an adjective taken from the root “hagos (n.f.)” and means “any matter of religious awe, expiation, sacrifice, Holy, set apart, sanctified, consecrated, saint [Strong’s G40]. It has a common root, hag-, with hagnos, . . . chaste, pure [Strong’s G53]. Its fundamental idea is separation, consecration, devotion to the service of Deity, sharing in God’s purity and abstaining from earth’s defilement” (Zodhiates, 1992, #40, p. 70).

So we have a clear theme from both Hebrew and Greek – that of being pure, set apart for sacred use, abstaining from earth’s (the world system) defilement.

Look again at 1 Peter: “. . . so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.” The word conversation is the Greek word anastrophe (Strong’s G391): a “noun from anastrepho (390), to turn up, to move about [Strong’s G4762]. A turning about. In the NT, mode of life, conduct, behavior, deportment . . . life, as made up of actions” (Zodhiates, 1992, #391, p.164). The word has a prefix – ana, which means to repeat over and over (Strong’s G303; Zodhiates, 1992, #303, p. 142); and a root strepho, which refers to our manner of living – our behavior or actions (Strong’s G4762; Zodhiates, 1992, #4762, p. 1317).

So lets reread 1 Peter with this new expanded knowledge:

1 Peter 1:15-16: But as he which hath called you is pure, sacred, and set apart from the world, so be ye pure, sacred, and set apart from the world in all manner of your repeated behaviors and actions; Because it is written, Be ye pure, sacred, and set apart from the world; for I am pure, sacred, and set from the world (paraphrased).

We are called to be holy, to be set apart, to be sacred, to be pure in all manner of our everyday behaviors and actions. Over and over – everyday – continuously.

That is a really tall order! How in the world (or out of this world might apply better) am I supposed to accomplish that demand? How can I possibly be “holy as He (God) is holy?” How am I supposed to be set apart? When, Why, Where, What, How? (We know the Who – ALL OF US WHO ARE CHRISTIANS!)

We now know that holiness means pure and set apart for God’s purposes. How am I supposed to be set apart? Can I even do it? Not on your own, but with the Lord’s help – yes, you can! Let’s start with something simple – personal meditation on God’s Word. For as we saturate ourselves in His Word, it will cleanse and conform us into His image – for He is the Word.

What is Scripture mediation? Meditation is first and foremost a living, growing relationship with our heavenly Father through the transforming power of His Word, not an intellectual study. This spiritual exercise involves the following components of steps:

1. Read a Section of Scripture

When we read the living water of the Word, it has a cleansing affect upon the mind, will, and emotions. As Jesus points out, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (John 15:3).

Reading a larger section of Scripture can build personal faith which is essential in order to please God. “. . . Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

Reading portions of Scripture also fulfills God’s instruction to believers: “Till I come, give attendance to reading . . .” (1 Timothy 4:13).

2. Read With Your Spirit, Not Just Your Mind

Meditation is not an intellectual exercise. It is a Spirit-to-spirit interaction. “. . . [F]or the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24).

Meditation requires that we place the mind under the control of the spirit and God’s Spirit, because the Scriptures are spiritually discerned, as Paul explains: “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

This also requires that we have the Holy Spirit in us by being born-again, and that we have not grieved Him or quenched His power. Sins must be confessed and forsaken, because “[i]f I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” (Psalm 66:18)

3. Mark the Verses That Stand out to You

As you read, the Holy Spirit will cause certain verses to stand out to you with special meaning. Put a mark by these verses so that you can come back to them. As you reread familiar passages, different verses will probably stand out because you have had new experiences and are facing new needs in your life.

After finishing your reading, select the most significant verse or passage so that you can use it for your meditation. If God directs, you can also select an entire chapter or book to use for your memorization and meditation.

4. Place the Passage in Your Heart

Meditation is an activity that takes place in the heart. Therefore, David prays, “With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments” (Psalms 119:10). God states, “. . . Let thine heart retain my words . . .” (Proverbs 4:4).

We put God’s Word in our hearts by memorizing it word for word. God urged us to do this when He says, “Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee . . .” (Proverbs 22:17-18).

5. Use Scripture to Talk With God

In the process of memorizing the passage, quote it back to the Lord as an expression of your mind, will, and emotions. This is what David does in his meditation. “. . . Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed . . .” (Psalm 25:1-2).

As we use Scripture to express ourselves to God, we are engrafting it into our souls which fulfills the instruction of James 1:21: “. . . receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”

6. Focus on One Word at a Time

There is a vast world of truth and meaning in each word of Scripture, because “All Scripture is giving by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

By focusing on each word in the sequence of the verse, we expand our understanding of its meaning and increase our ability to think God’s thoughts after Him. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).

Where possible and appropriate, personalize the passage. This is done by using the words I, my, and me rather than he or they.

7. Share Your Results With Others

We are told to “. . . exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13). There is no better way to exhort others than by sharing the overflow of our meditation.

By telling what God is doing in our lives through meditation, we also deepen our own grasp of the verses and often see new applications of them.

As we meditate on Scripture, God will bless us in significant ways. As we share these blessings with others, they should be motivated to follow our example and meditate on Scripture day and night.

But what should we meditate on? I would like to suggest that we start at meditating on verses that deal with principles found in the Scripture upon which we can build our lives. First a definition from American Dictionary of the English Language:

PRINCIPLE, n. [It. principio; Fr. principe; L. principium, beginning.]

1. In a general sense, the cause, source or origin of any thing ; that from which a thing proceeds ; as the principle of motion ; the principles of action.

Dryden.;

2. Element ; constituent part ; primordial substance.

Modern philosophers suppose matter to be one simple principle,

or solid extension diversified by its various shapes.

Watts.;

3. Being that produces any thing ; operative cause.

The soul of man is an active principle.

Tillotson.;

4. In science, a truth admitted either without proof, or considered as having been before proved. In the former sense, it is with synonymous with axiom; in the latter, with the phrase, established principle.;

5. Ground ; foundation ; that which supports an assertion, an action, or a series of actions or of reasoning. On what principle can this be affirmed or denied ? He justifies his proceedings on the principle of expedience of necessity. He reasons on sound principles.;

6. A general truth ; a law comprehending many subordinate truth ; as the principles of morality, of law, of government, &c.;

7. Tenent ; that which is believed, whether truth or not, but which serves as a rule of action or the basis of a system ; as the principles of the Stoics, or of the Epicureans.;

8. A principle of human nature, is a law of action in human beings ; a constitutional propensity common to the human species. This it is a principle of human nature to resent injuries and repel insults.

(Webster, 1987)

Man conceives many principles that may have either a false premise or false subsequent behaviors associated with them. Some hold to principles of economics, for example, that embrace socialism and thus deny principles held by others such as free-market supply and demand. A close examination of all of man-made principles will most likely reveal flaws and shortcomings.

Entire systems of principles exist that one can follow such as the ethics and fiduciary principles in banking, medicine, law, and management of corporations. Principles exist in various disciplines like science (try violating chemistry principles regarding mixing chemicals and substances and see what happens). Math has well-known principles (add a column of numbers in any order and they still sum the same, etc.).

Where we lack knowledge and understanding is in the area of biblical principles. Biblical principles guide and direct our lives, as God would desire. Although not all of the principles we know about are specifically spelled out in the Scriptures (I don’t recall reading about the law of gravity), all valid principles are in harmony with Scripture (thrown rocks come crashing down back to earth).

The Scripture is filled with principles that affect every area of our lives. Principles can be found that provide direction for us to follow in:

• Successful Living
• Personal Holiness
• Troubled Times
• Relationships

The list above is only a partial list and can be broken down further. For example, in marriage, one can find principles for guarding your heart, for protecting your spouse, for intimate relationships, for roles and responsibilities, etc.

• Reap what you sow
• Obey – than understand
• Giving to God – overflow
• Lay up treasure in Heaven

More Biblical Principles to Follow:

• Rebellion is as witchcraft
• Joy leads to good health
• Provoke not your children
• Light always dispels darkness
• Bitterness leads to bad health
• Scripture memory = success
• Chain of command – authority
• Avoid the appearance of evil
• Borrower is servant to lender
• Compromise destroys (little foxes)
• Precious metal is refined in the fires
• Prepare for trouble in the quiet times
• What your treasure is – so is your heart
• Double-minded man is unstable – failure
• God resists the proud – gives grace to the humble
• Stewardship & God’s real ownership
• What it means to be bought with a price (we are mail-order brides on our way to meet the groom)
• Bear one another’s burdens
• Faith cometh by hearing – hearing by the Word of God
• The SIN blood borne disease – we all have it
• Trees planted by the water withstand the heat
• Homes built on a solid foundation withstands the storm
• Principles of seasons for everything under the sun
• Jurisdictional authority within the spiritual world

Personal holiness assumes that you are under proper authority. Without that, you are unable to control yourself and react to those around you (or the world, flesh and Devil) without the power of Christ – because you have decided to be your own authority. Let’s look at this word a moment from American Dictionary of the English Language:

AUTHOR’ITY, n. [L. auctoritas.]

1. Legal power, or a right to command or to act ; as the authority of a prince over subject, and of parents over children.   Power ; rule ; sway.;

2. The power derived from opinion, respect or esteem ; influence of character of office ; credit ; as the authority of age or example, which is submitted to or respected, in some measure, as a law, or rule of action. That which is claimed in justification or support of opinions and measures.;

3. Testimony ; witness ; or the person who testifies ; as, the Gospels or the evangelists are our authorities for the miracles of Christ.;

4. Weight of testimony ; credibility ; as a historian of no authority.;

5. Weight of character ; respectability ; dignity ; as a magistrate of great authority in the city.;

6. Warrant ; order ; permission.

By what authority dost thou these things.

Mat. xxi   Acts ix.;

7. Precedents, decisions of a court, official declarations, respectable opinion and sayings, also the books that contain them, are call authorities, as they influence the opinions of others ; and in law, the decisions of supreme courts have a binding force upon inferior courts, and are called authorities.;

8. Government ; the persons or the body exercising power or command ;  as the local authorities of the states.

Marshall. 1 Pet. iii.

In Connecticut, the justices of the peace are denominated the civil authority.

(Webster, 1987)

1 Timothy 2:1-4: “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honestly. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

Romans 13:1-10:

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain; for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. Own no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 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 neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

1 Peter 2:13-17: “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”

Get under God’s proper authority!

May God bless you all!

Bro. Joe

References

Baker, W., & Carpenter, E. (Eds.). (2003). The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

Strong, J. Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. Meyers, R. (2005). e-Sword. [computer software] . Franklin, TN: Equipping Ministries Foundation. (Original work published 1539)

Webster, Noah. Noah Webster’s First Edition of an American Dictionary of the English Language Facsimile Fifth Edition. San Francisco, CA now at Chesapeake Bay, VA: The Foundation for American Christian Education. 1987. (Original work published 1828) (www.face.net).

Zhodiates, Dr. S. (Ed.). (1992). The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

Privacy Policy