The Lord God our Father is a Holy God and He desires that all His children must be holy. The type of holiness He requires from us is holiness without defilement in the dirty and corrupt world. 'The world is dirty and corrupt, but, like the Lily in a dirty, muddy environment retains its whiteness, so must true believers retain our holiness though the environment may be corrupt and dirty! In the days of Noah men and women were dirty and corrupt yet Noah remained righteous by grace (Genesis 6:5, 11-13,8,9). We must not give excuse that others are not clean, therefore we cannot be clean, that is unaccepted excuse.The Lord said "be ye holy, for I the Lord your God I am holy".
CALL UNTO HOLINESS IN THE DEFILED WORLD
The call of God is a call unto holiness and uprightness. The Bible said clearly that without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Holiness is the very nature of God and we are created in the very image of God. We must sincerely seek holiness, desire holiness, pray for grace to be holy and upright. The true evidence that someone is a child of God is freedom from sin, and justification by God. A person who professes to be a child of God but still lives in sin is deceiving himself. Salvation come by grace with the evidence of freedom from all known sins. The holiness that God demands is holiness here on earth: not in heaven. If someone is not holy here, he cannot make it to heaven.
COMMITMENT TO HOLY LIVING WITHOUT DEFILEMENT IN THE WORLD
To live a life of holiness in the old, sinful, defiled, corrupt and dirty world, the men and women of God in the past generation were dedicated and were consecrated and committed to a daily life of holiness that pleased the Lord. We have so many examples of these men and women like Enoch, Noah, Deborah, Esther, Ruth, Hannah, Timothy, Paul the apostle etc. These men and women served the Lord in true holiness and righteousness and went at last to heaven. And, now, it is our time and our generation. The demand of God for holy living from all men have not changed, and the same grace of God that made them holy is available to us. We are to come into the life of true holy living, and serve the Lord fervently in holiness till the Lord Jesus returns. To come into a life of holiness begins with genuine salvation, separation from the world, sanctification and purity of heart. To remain holy requires: (1) Personal decision. (2) Personal discipline. (3) Personal devotion. (4) Personal determination. If we rise up with all our heart to be holy, we will be, because holy living is possible.
COMMENDATION FOR THE HEAVENLY-MINDED WHO ARE DEDICATED TO THE WORD
The life of holiness, uprightness and purity carries a great reward now and hereafter. No man will escape the judgement of God except he is saved and holy. We cannot make it to heaven unless we are holy and upright.
The greatest possession a man can possess on earth is salvation in Christ and true holiness. Good education, money and riches, properties, and other possession in the world are vanity without holiness. That is why we must pray like the Psalmist that says: "open to me the gate of righteousness that I may go in", and also seek the Lord until he comes and rain righteousness upon us.
Those who are heavenly-minded and are dedicated to the Word of God while walking steadfastly in holiness shall abide in the Lord's tabernacle, and dwell in His holy Hill (Psalm 15:1). They shall ascend into the hill of the Lord. They shall stand in His holy place (Psalm 24:3). Also, genuine believers who walk in holiness shall see God (Matthew 5:8; Hebrews 12:14), here on earth, and in heaven at last.
May the Lord give us grace to be holy and remain holiness till He returns for the rapture of the saints in Jesus Christ Name!
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