HOLINESS OF HEART FOR HEAVEN-BOUND SAINTS
Psalm 15:1-5; 24:3-4; Matthew 5:8;
Hebrews 12:14; 1John 3:3
Heaven
is a place we all must “strive to
enter,” (Luke 13:24). It is a glorious, beautiful and blissful place full
of joy, peace, love and happiness. Things that make life in this world difficult
and unbearable are totally absent there. It is however a holy place governed by
a thrice holy God and only those who are holy and pure in heart can get there.
Jesus Christ says, only the pure in
heart can see God (Matthew 5:8,20); and Hebrews 12:14 tells us “…holiness WITHOUT WHICH NO MAN shall see
the Lord.” It is then necessary for all heaven-bound saints to possess a
very definite experience of heart holiness and to maintain it in all situations
and circumstances of life!
1.
OBTAINING
THE EXPERIENCE OF HEART HOLINESS
Romans 10:9,10; Ezekiel 36:25-27
(a) God
Chooses Who And What Is To Be Holy
(2Chro.29:11; Deut.7:6; 1Pet.1:13-16; 2:9 (Lev.11:44; 19:12);
Heart
holiness is an experience and not a religious culture. It is God who calls
people to holiness. You cannot be holy except you have accepted the call of
God. The Church has been called to holiness. If you have become a part of the
Church of God, you have been called unto holiness. If you refuse to be holy you
are refusing God and not man. God has chosen you (i) to stand before Him, (ii)
to serve Him (iii) to minister in His presence and (iv) to burn incense. To do
this in the presence of the Thrice Holy God, you must be holy (1Pet. 1:15)
(b)
God’s
Presence Confers Holiness (Exod.3:4-5; 2Chro.7:1-2; 1Pet.2:9)
Wherever
God is, that place is holy. And if you are in such a place you’d better know
how to comport yourself for holiness is conferred to such a place by the
presence of God! (i) Moses was forbidden to look and restricted to a certain
perimeter from the presence of God. (ii) The priests could not enter into the
newly built Temple because God’s presence descended and the cloud of His
Presence filled the Temple.
Yet
some so-called Christians today would walk into the house of God anyhow they
like, with defiled dresses and clothes, showing no reverence. They expend no
effort to live right. They tell lies. They gossip about other people. They
cheat others. They will not pay their tithe or give offering or support the
Church. They are full of themselves and their own projects.
Are these people serving God?
How I wish that the presence of the Lord will break forth and fill the Church. Then we will know those who serve the Lord and those who serve Him not! If they had had a true relationship with God, they might have been holy.
(c)
New
Birth Necessary For Heart Holiness
John
3:1-7; Rom. 10:9-10; Titus 2:11; 2Cor.5:17
Holiness is not something you can just work up in your life, or something you can just do by your self-effort. You must be Born Again before you can begin the walk of Holiness. You must take that first step to Christ. Confess your faults to Him. Ask for His forgiveness. Ask Him to save you and the Holy Spirit will complete that work in you. He will give you a new heart and a new spirit (Ezek.36:25-27). Then you will begin your walk of holiness.
2.
MANIFESTING
THE EVIDENCE OF HEART HOLINESS
Gal.5:22-24;
Eph.5:9; Mat.5:8; Phil.1:11; James 3:17;
I Cor.13:4-7
There are evidences that point to the fact that you are now holy in Christ. (i) You will manifest the fruit of the Spirit (Gal.5:22-24). (ii) You will be pure in heart (Mat.5:8). (iii) You manifest the fruits of righteousness – sincerity, without offense (Phil.1:9-11). You will be known by a life that is clean, pure, upright and forthright. Your life will marked by victory over lusting, lying, anger, malice, envy, wickedness, covetousness, hypocrisy and so on. You love for God will be pure and real. Your love for the brethren will be pure and real. Your love for your enemies will be pure and real.
What if you make a mistake and stumble in something that you probably did not know was wrong or through some carelessness? Your heart will smite you. You will feel convicted. You will weep and cry to the Lord till He restores you and applies the blood of Jesus to your heart. We must keep our holiness. Here are a few points from JC Ryle.
(i)
Holiness
is the only sound evidence that we are the children of God. If men have no likeness
to the Father in heaven, it is vain to talk of being His sons (Rom.8:14)
(ii)
Holiness
is the plain command of the Scriptures (Mat.5:20, 48; 1Thes.4:3; 1Pet.1:15-16)
(iii)
Holiness
of believers is the reason Christ died (2Cor.5:15; Eph.5:25-26)
(iv)
Holiness
is the only evidence that we have true saving faith in Jesus Christ (James
2:17)
(v)
Holiness
is the only guarantee that we will enter heaven (Rev.22:27).
3.
SAINTS ESTABLISHMENT IN HEART HOLINESS
For
us to be ready for heaven at all times, we must be firmly established in the
experience of heart-holiness through:
(i)
Faith
(Romans 1:17; Hebrews 10:38). Faith is the means by which holiness of heart is
experienced; and by it, it must be maintained.
(ii)
Focus
on Jesus and His word (Hebrews 12:2; James 1:25; Matthew 7:24,25).
(iii)
Faithfulness
– faithful interpretation and application of the scriptures to life’s
situations (Psalm 119:1,9,11). We prove we are holy by the life we live, the
actions we take, the associations we keep, the things we consider important to
us.
(iv)
Commitment
to fervent, regular supplication for and self-emptying before the Lord.
(v)
Forgiveness
– prompt forgiveness of offenders and offences (Colossians 3:13).
(vi)
Fellowship
– regular fellowship with God and with the brethren (I John I:3; Acts 2:42).
(vii)
Fruitfulness
– fruit of the Spirit leads to fruit of ministry (John 15:16; Romans 6:22; 2
Peter 1:5-11).
CONCLUSION (Psalm 15:1-5)
In
(Heb.12:14) we are instructed to follow peace, and holiness withoutwhich no
one will see God. Today holiness is not even mentioned in many Churches. Many
erroneously believe that it is not necessary to live in practical holiness. But
they forget that God is a consuming fire (Deut.4:24; Heb.12:9) and that nothing
defiled can enter heaven (Rev.21:8, 27). The consuming fire of God will consume
any and everything that is not holy. Such will not stand in His presence! In
heaven the inhabitants rest not day nor night saying Holy, Holy, Holy!
Do
you think that you would rejoice to meet Jesus face to face in holy heaven after
cleaving to the sins for which He died, after loving His enemies and despising
His friends? If you are not holy heaven will reject you. Death cannot change
your state. You will be exactly the same person you were before you die
(Rev.21:11). If holy you will appear in eternity holy. If unholy you will
appear in eternity unholy. Your path is fixed, your destiny is sealed once you
leave this world! No remedy, no change. Any change must be made right here,
right now!
But
those who live upright lives, those who practice righteousness, who practice
the golden rule, who love and do the truth, will be ushered into the eternal
Kingdom of God. Heaven will receive you. The angels and saints will rejoice because
of you. Your name will be called and you will advance with humility and
reverence and joy to receive your eternal reward!
