Holiness

This word once struck a great reverential worship towards the Lord's house, His presence, and the believers life.  Now holiness is just for those special people in ministry. In Isaiah 35:8,9 it says, 'And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it .... but the redeemed shall walk there ....'  The very way that leads to eternal life, is called holiness. This is the way our Heavenly Father speaks and acts from.  One needs to locate their position on the highway of holiness; or be relocated.

We see that holiness starts and ends with our Father God. Psalms 99:9 says, 'Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy.'  Psalms 47:8 says, '.... God sits upon the throne of His Holiness.'   When a king is on his throne, any judgment and decision is going to be deceived; that will affect the whole kingdom. The Lord's judgments are not only just but also holy (Psalms 108:7). Holiness is also mentioned with God's deliverance of His people. Obadiah 1:17 says, 'But your mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall  be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall posses their possessions.'  In fact holiness is smack down in the middle of salvation, for all through Jesus Christ.  Romans 1:4 says, 'And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.'  Holiness also carries a calling to all who are born again.               1Thessalonians 4:7 says, 'For God has not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.'

Holiness means being separated for God.  Since the Lord is holy, men of God should have proofs of His holiness in their life.  Romans 6:22 says, 'But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.'   We see again that the path to eternal life, is a path of holiness.  One may ask what is holiness?  The bible describes holiness by listing what it is not.  In Romans 6:19 it says, 'I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as you have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even now yield your members servants to righteousness and true holiness.'   Members is one's body and mind, no longer having fruit unto uncleanness and iniquity.  Ephesians 4:24 says, 'And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.'    One's spirit at the new birth is created to walk on this path of holiness, but there is still a individual choice.  Either to let the flesh dominate one's future, or the new spirit man in Jesus Christ; forever more.  There is a discipline to living holy, that comes from the Father who is holy.  Hebrews 12:10 [amp.] says, 'For [our earthly fathers] disciplined us for only a short period of time and chastised us as seemed proper and good to them; but He disciplines us for our certain good, that we may become sharers in His own holiness.'   We think of holiness as a consecration or separation. Like following Jesus to the Father, and our back to the unholy world (no turning back).

Every scripture that we have looked at, is written to the believer, not the unbeliever who is unholy.  Holiness is not some moral code of ethics.  That one has to strive to fulfill with all their might.  Holiness is the root of spiritual character, planted in every child of a holy, righteous, loving God.  One may be asking why?  Hebrews 12:14 says, 'Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.'

Holiness is the only way
To receive one's eternal reward
From the hand of the Lord.