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The Christian Walk not Talk
by The Disciples Corner

previous entry: Represent Christ (Being Christ Like)

next entry: Time Marches on..and Too Fast

Holiness is What you Want in Me..What Kind?

02/24/2009

In the last entry we have establish that God who is Holy calls for his followers to also be holy, but what does it mean to be holy and how does this quest for holiness effect the beleivers life? The first thing we need to understand is exactly what holiness is and what it is not. In the most general of terms to be holy means to be set apart, to be separated from something else. Here is the Websters defination of holy.

1. Properly, whole, entire or perfect, in a moral sense. Hence, pure in heart, temper or dispositions; free from sin and sinful affections. Applied to the Supreme Being, holy signifies perfectly pure, immaculate and complete in moral character; and man is more or less holy, as his heart is more or less sanctified, or purified from evil dispositions. We call a man holy,when his heart is conformed in some degree to the image of God, and his life is regulated by the divine precepts. Hence, holy is used as nearly synonymous with good, pious, godly.

2. Hallowed; consecrated or set apart to a sacred use, or to the service or worship of God; a sense frequent in Scripture; as the holy sabbath; holy oil; holy vessels; a holy nation; the holy temple; a holy priesthood.

3. Proceeding from pious principles,or directed to pious purposes; as holy zeal.

4. Perfectly just and good; as the holy law of God.

5. Sacred; as a holy witness.

Now based off of this definition what does holiness mean to a believer and are there various degrees or stages of holiness? The truth is that there are (4) steps or degrees of holiness or sanctification (same word used interchangably in the Bible). There is the pre-conversion sanctification where God has set this person. There is the positional sanctification of a person that the experience on the moment of conversion. There is the practical or progressive step of sanctification where the beleiver is being transform, set apart and his moral character is being conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ, and finally there is the perfect sanctification when the believer has died and now stands before God as being presented blameless by Christ Jesus.

Now which one of these can the believer have an effect might be the next question? The first one pre conversion man cannot have any effect on. God choses whom he chooses and has mercy upon whom he has mercy. This person might be sanctified by his believing spouce as told to us in the scripture and while they are set apart that doesn't mean they are saved. Bottom line it is God's work and God's choosing. The next is postional sanctification which occurs upon conversion and while a person does have more or less a part in the salvation process the person is santified by the shed blood of Jesus Christ and thus has no real part in this process either. Then there is the practical or progressive and this is where man through his choices and his actions have the greatest influence and much is said about this part of the process. Lets look at them and while man certainly makes choices we must never forget it is the Holy Spirit that is working in us and throgh us in the process of personal progressive sanctification or holiness.

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. (Galatians 5:19-25)

If you were asked which list describes you the most which one would it be? Would your testimony be one of anger, clamour, sexual immorality, impurity or would your life be laced with evidence of love, joy, peace, patience and all of the other fruits of the spirit? Wherever you stand in this list would give you the best idea of whether your are live as a carnal Christian or one who is growing and conforming to the image of the Lord, in other words being more Christ Like?  Who do you think will have more of an effect on the world, the unbeliever and his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? Those who are more like the world or more like Christ?

previous entry: Represent Christ (Being Christ Like)

next entry: Time Marches on..and Too Fast

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I think the Christian who will have the largest effect on the world is the Christian who has a testimony that includes a life indicated in the first part of the text, but who has changed and now lives a life indicated in the second part of the text.

Even if the person still has some of those qualities, but is changing those things as a result of being in a relationship with God. Far too often Christians look at another Christian who may not be living the complete "perfect" life and look down on them because of those things, not knowing what is going on in that person's heart and life. While it may be they still do some of those things that are not Christ-like, one doesn't know how they are changing and growing.

And even some of those Christians who do the looking down STILL struggle with jealousy, fits of anger, and rivalries. Just to name a few. It's not fair to judge someone else's walk by the distance YOU have walked. Because at some point in time, "you" were at the same level as the other person.

[Missing Chaya ElianaStar|0 likes] [|reply]

lol.. why do you keep deleting your diaries? are you hiding from someone?

Blessings..

[The ShellybeanStar|0 likes] [|reply]

*sniffles* you is mean.

Blessings..

[The ShellybeanStar|0 likes] [|reply]

Diary added to your faves.
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