Marks of the Church:  Holiness

John 17:14-16

April 13, 1997

 

Holiness seems to have dropped from the Christian vocabulary.  Yes, it is used to refer to certain sects and their peculiarities.  But in the biblical sense, the word has met with hard times.

 

Yet, the Bible very clearly calls all believers to a life of holiness.  "But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, 'YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY'" (I Peter 1:15-16).  "Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him" (Ephesians 1:4).  "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship" (Romans 12:1).  Add to these passages the numerous references to believers as "saints," which simply means "holy ones" (e.g., Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1).  There is little argument that holiness is one of the identifying marks of a true believer.  This is a truth we need to regain in this day of blurred Christianity.

 

J. I. Packer, in his usual incisive way, has written, "According to the New Testament, holiness is neither a feeling nor an experience, but a kind of living in which the character of the Father and the Son is mirrored in one's outlook and conduct."  He continues, "The word 'holiness' suggests to modern man something pale, anaemic, withdrawn, negative and passive.  That shows how little modern man knows about it!  Scriptural holiness is in fact the most positive, potent and often passionate quality of life that is ever seen" [God's Words, 175, 177].

 

It appears that some have the idea that holiness is simply refraining from doing certain things, like drinking, smoking, dancing, attending movies, etc.  While holiness certainly has in it the aspect of abstinence and self-discipline, it also demands that we take action to demonstrate the spirit of Christ in our relationships, family life, church life, work life, and ministries.  In holiness, we are to show forth the compassion, love, faithfulness, and obedience of Jesus Christ in all we do.  In short, holiness is thinking and living as our Lord Jesus Christ exemplified before us.

 

We are to give attention to walking in holiness.  I really do not know of anything more important for the church at this period in human history.  We must recover a biblical holiness in our individual lives and churches.  Some have tried but not according to Scripture.  Attempts to manufacture holiness produces legalism.  Others have pretended that commands to holiness do not exist.  Such neglect of holiness results in worldly compromise. So, how can we live in holiness as believers?

 

I.  Holiness begins with revelation

 

We have already noted in our study of John 17:6 that revelation precedes our salvation.  We saw that such revelation is not extra-biblical, rather it is the truth of who Christ is and what He has done in redemptive activity becoming real to us.  It is the Spirit of God applying the gospel to our minds so that the truth awakens us, brings us to life, and shows us that Christ alone is God's way for our salvation.  It is that truth of the gospel that we believe and receive.

 

In the same way, holiness begins with revelation.  For holiness is foundational to our character as true believers.  Our Lord stated, "I have given them Thy word," as He prayed to the Father.  Such an act of giving the disciples the word of truth was an act of direct revelation.  Truth became light to them.  While others rejected Christ and scorned His preaching, these disciples embraced Him in faith.

 

When we hear the Word of God taught or preached and it becomes light to us so that we respond in faith to Jesus Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King, we too have experienced this revelation.  A revelation of God's character and power to save inevitably leads to holiness.

 

Take for instance, the case of Isaiah the prophet.  In the sixth chapter of his prophecy, we find the Lord revealing Himself to Isaiah.  He saw the Lord "lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple."  He heard the seraphim calling to one another, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory."  In that revelation Isaiah was brought to a point of utter ruin, seeing himself as a helpless sinner before this almighty and holy God.  "Woe is me, for I am ruined!  Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts."  At that revelation, one of the seraphim took a live coal from the altar, touched Isaiah's mouth, removed his iniquity and forgave his sin.  That was redemption taking place.  Immediately, the Lord spoke, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?"  In other words, in light of the revelation of the holiness of God, who is willing to be set apart to the Lord to be used according to His purpose and desire?  Isaiah's reply demonstrates holiness.  "Here am I. Send me!"  Only moments before he was spiritually bankrupt, ruined, a disaster.  Now, with the redemptive work of the Lord, he has been set apart unto the Lord, ready for usefulness.  His holiness began with revelation.

 

"I have given them Thy word," our Lord states.  That revelation sets apart the disciples from the world.  He continues, "and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world...."  When we receive the Word by faith, we are distinctly different from the world about us.  The world opposes God's Word.  The world scorns the way of the cross.  It considers the doctrines of Scripture as worthless and impractical.  But we have received the Word, which in turn sets us apart unto the Lord.  Because we have received the Word, we are now at odds with the spirit of the world.  It is a collision of holiness and unholiness, of light with darkness.  

 

How does this revelation take place?

 

1.  Through propositional truth  v. 14

 

Again, I am not referring to some kind of mysterious, extra-biblical revelation when I use this term revelation.  Instead, because our minds are darkened to the truth we must have truth revealed to us (Ephesians 2:1-7).  As a person of the world, our whole mindset is opposed to God and His way of redemption.  Our thinking follows the pattern of the world (Romans 8:5-8).  So the Spirit of God must reveal truth to us.  We are incapable of sorting it out in an intuitive fashion due to our spiritual deadness.  Spiritual things can only be understood with spiritual faculties (I Corinthians 2:14).  Therefore, the Holy Spirit brings our minds to life so that we might understand the truth of the gospel and believe.  As He does this, it affects us so distinctly that we are no longer "of the world" nor do we still think like the world.  All things become new!  This truth is not simply a new awareness.  For it to be truth it must be stated in terms understandable by the human mind.  Revelation does not use some sixth sense to communicate truth.  Revelation comes to the mind and with it the understanding of specific, identifiable truths from God's Word.

 

I emphasize this point because there is such grave misunderstanding in this area.  Some people have the idea that if they can just feel good about a sermon or a gospel presentation, then they are saved.  Yet those people may not be able to explain any particular truth of the gospel.  They do not understand why they need to be saved, nor what it means to be at enmity with God, nor what God has done in Christ to redeem sinners.  They simply make a decision without revelation.  

 

It is these kind of people who become perfect targets for legalism.  They hear sermons on holiness, consecration, and dedication, then determine that they are going to be holy.  They clean their lives up, quit doing bad habits, avoid taboos, then think they are holy.  But nothing has changed on the inside.  They are outwardly more moral, but inwardly, in their attitude and thinking, there is no holiness.  They become cold, rigid, and legalistic about everything they do in the Christian life.  They may be great workers in church because they are trying their best to achieve holiness.  The problem is that they have no Christian life.  They made a decision without revelation.  They have masked the spirit of the world in their hearts by their outward conduct and activity.  But the fire of God's gospel truth has never ignited an eternal flame in their hearts.

 

When it comes to our salvation, there are specific truths which we hear and believe in order to be saved.  I do not mean that we just make a mental acknowledgement of the various components of the gospel--there's no revelation in this.  Instead, we hear truth concerning Christ and we are powerfully drawn to Him.  Yes, we may have heard these things before, but our hearing is now different.  We hear about the Law of God and our sin and we are broken over the truth that we are an offense to holy God.  We hear about the work of the cross and our hearts blaze with the consciousness that our salvation took place through Christ at the cross.  We hear the call to repent of our sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and we gladly come to Him, turning away from our sinful ways, turning to Him in obedient faith.  All of these things are propositional truths.  They can be clearly stated or written.  But only by the gracious work of the Holy Spirit can we come to the place of understanding and believing these truths to the saving of our souls!

 

2.  Through truth received  v. 14

 

This word of the gospel revealed to us is then received.  It is no longer an abstract religious idea.  It is truth that has flooded our minds and hearts so that we are satisfied with nothing else but believing Christ and receiving the work of His gospel.

 

When Jesus stated, "I have given them Thy word," it was not a philosophical statement.  He was implying that the word revealed was now the word received.  This is simply a repetition of what Christ had already spoken:  "for the words which Thou gavest Me I have given to them; and they received them, and truly understood that I came forth from Thee, and they believed that Thou didst send Me" (17:8).  Many heard the words of Christ.  But it was the few who received the words.  That is how you know that a person has truly experienced the revelation of the gospel.  They respond in faith to the message of the gospel.  They believe and receive Christ and His glorious, saving provisions as their very own.

 

Consider the implications of receiving Christ and His saving work.  Now that person is indwelled by the Holy Spirit.  Now he belongs wholly to Jesus Christ.  Because he has been "bought with a price," he is therefore to glorify God in his body (I Corinthians 6:20), which is practical holiness.  He has become a recipient of the saving work of the Son of God.  God has imputed the righteousness of His own Son into this person so that he has a right standing with God.  How can he live any other way than in holiness since he belongs to Christ, having been set apart to Christ?

 

Have the truths of the gospel been revealed to your mind so that you have responded in faith, trusting Christ alone for a right standing with God?  Have you received Christ as your Prophet, Priest, and King?  This is where holiness begins.

 

II. Holiness is evident by separation  

 

Both the Old Testament Hebrew and New Testament Greek words for holiness imply "separation" or "being set apart for a particular use."  When a vessel in the temple was called holy, it meant that this vessel was to be used only for the Lord and for the purposes He prescribed for that particular vessel.  To do otherwise was to profane the holiness of God.  

 

When Nadab and Abihu offered "strange fire" upon the holy altar of God in the early tabernacle, they were immediately consumed for being casual with the holy dictates of Jehovah.  Moses then spoke the word of the Lord to a stunned Aaron, as he saw the torched bodies of his two sons before him, "By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be honored" (Leviticus 10:1-8).  There was no occasion for unholiness in the lives of the priests who had been set apart to the Lord to minister in the place set apart for the Lord.  The tabernacle was holy and the priests were holy.  They belonged only to the Lord and were to find their usefulness only in God's design.  The temple was separate from the other structures in the camp.  The priests were separate from the rest of the people of Israel.  The word used to describe this is "holy."

 

The meaning has not changed.  We who are redeemed of the Lord have been separated unto Him for His glory and His purpose.  We do not belong to ourselves (I Cor. 6:19-20).  We have been set apart to the Lord.  That's why the New Testament very freely calls Christians saints.  Even to the church at Corinth, Paul told them that they were "saints by calling, [along] with all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours" (I Corinthians 1:2).  

 

I do agree with the late missionary, Miss Bertha Smith, who said, 'Most people don't want to be called saints because they don't want to live like it!'  But, my brethren, we are called saints, so we must live like it.  Packer adds, "The New Testament does not say that Christians must lead holy lives in order to become saints; instead, it tells Christians that, because they are saints, they must henceforth lead holy lives! [God's Words, 178]

 

1.  Different nature  v. 14

 

Our nature is different so that our separation or holiness begins within and works out of us.  "Because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."  None of us would argue that Christ was "not of the world."  There was nothing of that spirit of opposition to God or enmity with God or scorning of the Word of God in our Lord.  That is because His nature was holy in every respect.  

 

Notice what He says of the believer.  We are not of the world, even as Christ Himself is not of the world.  The reason is the same:  we have a new nature that is holy in the Lord.  We no longer are living under the Adamic nature.  We are in Christ.  We are new creatures in Christ, our disposition has been changed by the power of God.  That love for the world and all its enticements has been removed and a new love for God and holiness has taken over.  We have become "partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust" (II Peter 1:4).

 

The nature of a being determines its attitudes and conduct.  For instance, the nature of a wild animal is not to act like a domesticated animal.  I read about a young girl who had found a baby racoon.  She raised it on a bottle and took care of it just as if it was a new puppy.  The racoon was friendly and loving to the girl, until one day its nature came out.  The racoon viciously clawed the girl's face as any wild animal of that sort might do.  Though it had been tamed outwardly to some degree, the racoon still had the nature of a wild racoon.  That nature had to come out.

 

This might help us understand how a person can attend church, make a profession of Christ, be active in the service of the church, yet the day comes when he abandons all of it.  He turns away from Christ, shuns the church, refuses all pleas of repentance.  He is simply acting according to his unregenerate nature.  

 

But the nature of someone "born of God" is totally different.  He has been so affected in the depths of his mind and heart that he cannot fully turn from the things of God.  He may sin a great deal.  He may fall into some bad habits.  But his true longing is to walk before the Lord in holiness.  If he loves to wallow in sin then he is not born of God.  If he truly loves holiness and desires to walk in it, even when he fails, then it is evidence that he is truly born of God.

 

Because his nature has been changed, the child of God thinks and acts differently from someone who is of the world.  His desire is for the Lord.  He longs to do those things that please the Lord.  He continually seeks to separate himself from the patterns of sin that have been his lifestyle apart from Christ.

 

This truth can be practically seen in our way of thinking and in our conduct.  Do you think as one who has a new nature in Christ or as one who is still in Adam?  Do you conduct yourself in terms of your relationships, your activities, your interests as one who has a new nature in Christ or as one who is till in Adam?

 

2.  Due to identification  v. 16

 

It is an incredible thing that Jesus Christ identifies believers with Himself.  He who is altogether holy in thought, attitude, and deed, declares, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."  This is another repetition of what He had already stated in verse 14.  Stating it twice puts stress upon the truth.  It calls our attention to ponder the wealth found in this statement.

 

We are to live in this world as our Lord did.  That's the essence of His statement.  Because we are now in Christ, with a new nature created in righteousness and holiness of the truth (Ephesians 4:24), we are to seek to conduct ourselves as those who have received the saving mercy and grace of God.

 

How did Jesus Christ think, act, and live in the world?  If we can ascertain to some degree how our Lord conducted Himself, then we will have a better grasp of how we are to pursue that same holy conduct in our lives.  I believe we can point to at least three areas of Christ's holiness which should be the pursuit of our lives.

 

First, Jesus Christ walked in moral purity.  In His thoughts, He was pure.  In His social interaction, He was pure.  In His conduct, He was pure.  I believe that we sometime have the wrong perception of moral purity.  Look at Christ to understand it.

 

In our day, we tend to think that we can engage our mind in the mire of the world, stimulate lustful passions by things we read, view, or listen to, yet still be holy because we do not commit acts of indecency or immorality.  Our Lord maintained purity in His mind because He constantly disciplined Himself to abstain from fleshly indulgences.  His affections were "set on things above," rather than living as though this world is all there is to life.  Paul gives a very practical exhortation to moral purity in our thoughts:  "If you then have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth" (Colossians 3:1-2).

 

What do you set your mind upon throughout your day?  Do you let your eyes stray into those things that would defile your thoughts?  Paul tells us to take the action ourselves to set our minds on those glories and beauties found in the presence of Christ, rather than upon the fleshly things of this world.

 

Second, Jesus Christ lived a consecrated life in every way.  By that, I mean that Jesus was consciously living as one set apart to the Father.  His desire, pleasure, and practice was to faithfully do the will of the Father.  His vocation in life, even when working in the carpenter shop of Joseph, was that of being consecrated to the Father.  To consecrate anything is to willfully set it apart unto the Lord for His use alone.  That is practical holiness.  We must seek to daily consecrate ourselves to the Lord, not for improving our standing with God, but because we have been given a right standing with God through the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

 

Look at your work life or school life.  Do you do your work "heartily as unto the Lord?"  Do you view your occupation as having been placed where you are to be an "ambassador for Christ?"  Do you live as though all of life is spiritual to some degree?  Even in the mundane things of life we are to live, act, think as one who has been set apart unto the Lord.  It is important that we examine ourselves regularly to see if we are indeed living as one who is "holy to the Lord."

 

Third,  Jesus Christ walked in contentment.  This aspect of holiness really begins with our whole attitude toward life.  Jesus was contented with what the Father provided for Him.  You never see greediness nor self-seeking nor materialism nor complaining in our Lord.  All of those things are signs of not living in contentment.  Contentment is a fruit of holiness.

 

Paul stated, "For I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.  I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:11-13).  Contentment is a way of viewing all of life, so that you are not manipulated by external circumstances.  You do not let the enticements of the world have your attention.  You do not live as one who is constantly seeking to impress others or to satisfy your desires upon things.  Instead, and this is very positive, your contentment is in the Lord.  You find your greatest satisfaction and fulfillment in knowing Him.  "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" (Philippians 3:8a).  That's contentment.

 

Are you seeking to live a separated life unto the Lord through moral purity, consecration, and contentment?  Holiness has its beginnings in revelation and the new birth.  But we must pursue holiness as well.  We are holy in our position before the Lord.  But we must be holy also in our practice.  The pursuit of holiness is a mark of true Christian character.

 

III. Holiness is maintained by preservation  

 

Please understand what I'm implying by a pursuit of holiness.  We are holy because of the holy life of Christ dwelling within us.  Our holiness has its foundation in having received Christ and His redemptive work.  Such a root of holiness does not breed laziness in our walks.  Instead, because we are holy in Christ we will pursue holiness in our daily living.  Behind all of our ups and downs in seeking to live in holiness before the Lord, He preserves us.  Practically speaking, I am not holy because I do some good works.  I am holy only because of the life of Christ dwelling within me.  I am holy only because God has set me apart as one whom He has redeemed through His own Son.  Now, out of gratitude, I pursue holiness.  I can do this because the Holy One is constantly preserving and sustaining me.

 

1.  No escapism  v. 15

 

Then why does the Lord not just take us out of the unholiness of the world?  If He wants us to live in holiness then it would seem the best thing would be to remove us from all unholiness.  But that is not the purpose of our Lord!  Listen to His prayer:  "I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one."  God's desire is for us to maintain a holy life in the midst of an unholy world.

 

Some of the ascetic bent have tried to get around this prayer.  They have taken seriously the commands to holiness but also saw the difficulty of the world.  So they left as many worldly surroundings as possible and lived in monasteries or caves or in isolated places so that they had no contact with the world.  Guess what?  They still had trouble with holiness because they had to battle with the patterns of the world that are embedded upon their minds!  Our Lord does not favor escapism.  Instead, He works His holiness in us and out of us right in the midst of an unholy world.

 

The Lord does not remove the difficulties or the temptations of the world.  What He does is to provide the strength and grace necessary to live in holiness in spite of the world about us.  John Calvin expressed it well, "God does not take His people out of the world, because He does not want them to be soft and slothful; but He delivers them from evil that they may not be overwhelmed.  For He wishes them to fight, but does not allow them to be mortally wounded" [Calvin's New Testament Commentaries, 145].

 

We are in a constant battle in this world.  Paul calls it a "warfare."  If we are to walk in holiness then we must put the armor on, stand in the strength of the Lord, and depend upon His might for power to walk as overcomers (cf. Ephesians 6:10-20; Romans 8:31-39).

 

2.  For God's glory  v. 15

 

He does not take us out of the world, but our Lord has prayed that the Father might "keep them from the evil one."  This could be translated as simply, "evil."  But I believe the implication is that we be kept from falling into the power of the evil one, that is, the devil.  It is God's job to do the keeping.  We cannot keep ourselves from the evil one.  We are too weak.  We are to go on in warfare, living unto the Lord, standing against the powers of darkness that would drag us into sin, and count on the Lord to keep us from falling into the evil hands of the devil.  And rightly so, for Jesus Christ has secured our deliverance from the power of the Adversary through His own mighty death and resurrection!

 

Is there greater glory for God to save someone and immediately take them to heaven before they are spoiled; or to save someone, leave them in the battle of the world, and keep them for all eternity by His mighty power?  In His great mercy, our God wants to display His strength, might, power, and glory through us in this world.  Unbelievers will look on and be astounded that we do not fall prey to the same kind of sin in which they engage (I Peter 4:3-4).  The host of heaven will rejoice in God's great power to keep us in this world.  And we get to experience the grace of God in countless measure as we seek to live holy lives in an unholy world.

 

Conclusion

 

Are you marked by a holy life?  Perhaps you have professed to be a Christian, but there's no difference in your life than any other person in the world.  My friend, I urge you to take seriously what it means to be a Christian.  God calls every true believer a saint.  We have been set apart unto the Lord, for His purpose alone.  If you cannot rejoice in that truth, then you are not a Christian.  In that case, seek the Lord who is ready to save you from your sin.

 

Perhaps as a Christian, you struggle with sin and the world.  My brethren, all of us do, so do not think you are alone.  We are in the warfare together.  Let us stand firm in the Lord.  Let us seek to walk in holiness in our conversation, our thought life, our morals, our contentment, and all our behavior.  The Lord is pleased with such a life.  And He enables such holiness to mark those who are His own.

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