rjones
Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2007
- Messages
- 314
"Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken" (Ps. 15).
Blamelessness is a condition of our heart. Blamelessness is not the same as faultlessness. If a young child wants to help his parents clean up the house, but drops a bowl and breaks it, the child is not faultless, but he is blameless. His heart had the desire to help his parents. In the same way, God is looking at our heart's attitude. Holiness begins in the heart.
Called to be Holy
"Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy'" (1 Peter 1:15-16).
If we are to walk with the Lord on a daily basis, we must be like Him in heart and action (Amos 3:3).
"Make every effort to live in peace with all and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God..." (Heb. 12:14-15).
The grace of God enables us not just to live a holy life, but to be holy as God is holy!
Three Parts to Holiness
To be launched into a holy life, we must understand three separate parts to holiness:
Righteousness (the Gift)
Blamelessness (the Walk)
Faultlessness (the Goal)
Righteousness is the starting point of the Christian life - it is a gift from God (Rom. 1:17; 2 Cor. 5:21). Blamelessness is where we walk in that righteousness - it is the expression of holiness in our daily lives (2 Peter 3:11,14). Faultlessness is the goal of God's work, as He conforms us to the likeness of His Son (Rom. 8:29; Phil. 1:6).
"Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression" (Ps. 19:12-13).
God continues to work on our "hidden faults", but His major focus is our "willful sins". Blamelessness is a condition of the heart (Isa.51:6; Psa.51:10; 86:11) - a desire to walk in purity before God (see Rom.6:19; 1 Cor.1:4-8; Phil.2:15; 1 Thess.5:23). Holiness, however, is the dynamic outworking of that pure heart in godly behavior. Both come only by God's grace.
"...by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace" (2 Tim. 1:8-9).
The Way of Holiness
"And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way..." (Isa. 35:8).
Holiness literally means "to be set apart" (read 2 Cor. 6:14-18). This does not just mean being "separated from the world", but also being "separated unto God for His holy use" (2 Tim. 2:20-21). Holiness is not a condition of "distance from evil things," but rather of "closeness to the heart of God." As we walk before God in blamelessness, His grace is released in our lives to produce the same kind of holiness that God Himself has (Eph. 4:22-24).
"To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy" Jude 24.
Blamelessness is a condition of our heart. Blamelessness is not the same as faultlessness. If a young child wants to help his parents clean up the house, but drops a bowl and breaks it, the child is not faultless, but he is blameless. His heart had the desire to help his parents. In the same way, God is looking at our heart's attitude. Holiness begins in the heart.
Called to be Holy
"Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy'" (1 Peter 1:15-16).
If we are to walk with the Lord on a daily basis, we must be like Him in heart and action (Amos 3:3).
"Make every effort to live in peace with all and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God..." (Heb. 12:14-15).
The grace of God enables us not just to live a holy life, but to be holy as God is holy!
Three Parts to Holiness
To be launched into a holy life, we must understand three separate parts to holiness:
Righteousness (the Gift)
Blamelessness (the Walk)
Faultlessness (the Goal)
Righteousness is the starting point of the Christian life - it is a gift from God (Rom. 1:17; 2 Cor. 5:21). Blamelessness is where we walk in that righteousness - it is the expression of holiness in our daily lives (2 Peter 3:11,14). Faultlessness is the goal of God's work, as He conforms us to the likeness of His Son (Rom. 8:29; Phil. 1:6).
"Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression" (Ps. 19:12-13).
God continues to work on our "hidden faults", but His major focus is our "willful sins". Blamelessness is a condition of the heart (Isa.51:6; Psa.51:10; 86:11) - a desire to walk in purity before God (see Rom.6:19; 1 Cor.1:4-8; Phil.2:15; 1 Thess.5:23). Holiness, however, is the dynamic outworking of that pure heart in godly behavior. Both come only by God's grace.
"...by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace" (2 Tim. 1:8-9).
The Way of Holiness
"And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way..." (Isa. 35:8).
Holiness literally means "to be set apart" (read 2 Cor. 6:14-18). This does not just mean being "separated from the world", but also being "separated unto God for His holy use" (2 Tim. 2:20-21). Holiness is not a condition of "distance from evil things," but rather of "closeness to the heart of God." As we walk before God in blamelessness, His grace is released in our lives to produce the same kind of holiness that God Himself has (Eph. 4:22-24).
"To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy" Jude 24.
