Holiness is
The more dead to myself I am, the more filled I am with the Holy Spirit; the more surrendered I am, the more room there is for GOD to live in me; when the holiness of GOD is moving in and through me, the more holy is my life. Holiness is less of me and more of GOD.
1 Corinthians 3:17 says, “… the temple of GOD is holy, which temple you are.”
We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. The temple is holy. But what is holy other than GOD Himself?
As we walk near to GOD, through the Holy Spirit, with Jesus as our shepherd guide, we walk in holiness. But other than GOD-speak, what does that mean?
Holiness is Godliness, meaning GOD-likeness: purity, peace, power…. simply put, all that is GOD. We discover it, not through striving but through surrender.
In the context of Jesus’ Church
No opinion. No gossip, back-biting or envy. A stroll through Paul’s letters to Timothy shows us what the church must not be: not gossips (1 Timothy 5:13), not slanderers or lovers of self (2 Timothy 3:1-3), to site two examples.
Rather, we are to look in the mirror much more than we are to judge one another. Love is at the centre of all of our relationships and we celebrate for one another and mourn with each other. True intimacy is at the heart of Jesus’ church. Today, there are snapshots of this church but we have to mature a great deal to capture it entirely. We mature through surrender.
Back in March of this year, I posted about Holiness (https://laruspress.com/holiness/). At its heart is love, because at GOD’s heart is love. GOD is love. And perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). When we love perfectly, GOD is working in us perfectly, and we are perfectly Holy.
Jesus said, “… be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) Perfection then is possible… through our surrender. Jesus did nothing other than what the Father asked him to do, said nothing other than what the Father led him to say. Jesus was perfect: a perfect servant, perfectly loving and perfectly holy. For those of us who take our walk with Jesus seriously, we too can become perfect: perfectly loving, perfectly holy, through our surrender to GOD.
Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19)
When we walk in the holiness of GOD, and meet together as the Body of Yeshua/Jesus as his church, then the church will be holy and fruitful. Hallelujah. GOD has made a way.
All to the glory of GOD
We who are in Christ Jesus are saved from sin, and therefore we have access to the purity of Jesus, as we surrender as he did, to the Father. All things are lawful now, however, not all things are helpful or edifying (1 Corinthians 10:23). And so our behaviour is dependent not upon law but upon love.
I’d like to encourage you to read 1 Corinthians 10 with the view to relating it back to holiness of the church. By the grace of GOD and through the sacrifice of Jesus, by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in us, we are free.
But in that freedom, our action will not cause others to fall; will not act for self. Holiness points to Yehovah — our Father GOD. We are free and it is all for the glory of our Father, Creator of the Universe and Lover of Mankind. Our freedom points to GOD. Our holiness points to GOD. Our existence, our life, our church — everything now points to GOD.
This is all possible — not through our effort but by our surrender.
This is how Jesus’ church lives and breaths and ministers to a fallen world.
8 replies on “Holiness: Church needs to Change – Part 8”
Hi my sister Sarah in Yeshua – Jesus, with respect? All churches who stand togeather with both the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches world wide. According to the Word of God in Jesus Messiah, have to repent from compromising the Word of God, with man made false religion. The Kodesh Ruach – Holy Spirit warned us via what King David said in Psalm 1:1); “Do not stand with those who stand in the council of the wicked”
Sarah over 30 years I have wittenessed why these Gentile Christian leaders cannot change their churches? They refuse to here the spiritual cockeral crowing in their spirit… Like Simon Peter was delivered from a spirit of fear, which manifested as pride! I also give you witteness due to myself not excepting what Yeshua says, but compromising with religiouse man made false religion! Sarah, any church of people who choose? not to believe in Jesus Messiah, cannot change! We have to first admit our guilt to be deliverd of it, being heald from unrighteouse spiritual pride, is impossible in Messiah Jesus, without first being deliverd from it… Give my love to Alan also.
Shalom Kenny
Howard Shergold Weston
I agree with you in principle and stand with you in prayer, that all who have received Jesus will recognise Yeshua Messiah and that GOD sent him for His chosen people as well as for the gentiles.
Lovely to hear from you Kenny.
Shalom
Amen Sarah! Preach it!
Rom 8:2-5
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
NKJV
Amen. Thank you for sharing that scripture. Hallelujah!
Hi Sarah
I have just been introduced to your web. Can you tell me in what way the churches have to change please. All churches think they are right.
And l read in the newspaper that the pope is now coming out in agreement with same sex marriage. I know that the bible teaching is against it.
Thank you.
Rita, Welcome. If you scroll through recent posts, you’ll see I’ve written 7 previous blogs on Church needs to Change.
Simply, as individuals, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us rather than our good intentions and thoughts. For the church, Jesus is to build his church, which has not really happened has it, since Constantine made the church the state religion in Rome in the 4th century. As Jesus builds and the Holy Spirit leads us, the church will be transformed into his likeness and we, his bride, will be ready for his return. Shalom and GOD bless. Please consider joining the newsletter and receive in your inbox each newsletter. It’s free. Just look to the right of this blog to see the entry form. GOD bless.
Rita often people confuse the church as being the building on the corner or a denomination. The true Church is neither. It is the ekklesia (the called out ones), the Greek term for the “Church”. It is found 114 times in the New Testament. It is the Body of Christ which means Jesus is it’s head.
Col 1:18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. NKJV
Col 1:24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church
NKJV
Hope this helps, a brother in Christ. Gary
Thanks Gary, Indeed, I support that entirely.
Every blessing, Rita.