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#45 Be ye holy
From
The Fascination of the Race and Other Essays,
by Benjamin L. Sommer
What a call! what a challenge! when our God says to us, “Be ye holy, for I am
holy.” (I Peter 1:16; Exodus 19:6) The end and aim of our calling in Jesus
Christ is so high that we shall grow and be sanctified in that calling until we
attain to that holiness “without which no man shall see God.” (Hebrews 12:14)
Since holiness is thus held up to us as a necessary condition to our being
acceptable to God, it is good that we should stop to ask and consider, “What is
holiness? How is it attained? How does it manifest itself? What does it mean to
be holy?” Otherwise we might, like ancient Israel, fail to attain to it, even
though we seek it, if we do not seek it with understanding.
First, we must try to remove false and morbid conceptions of holiness, so as to
clear the way in our hearts for a better conception and understanding of the
nature of true holiness. The artists of the past have done much to fix in the
popular mind a morbid conception of holiness by painting pictures of saints in
long black robes, with long drawn faces and upturned eyes, and with, perhaps, a
halo about the head. No, this is not holiness. This is that perversion of
holiness against which Isaiah protested, saying, “Ye shall not fast as ye do
this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have
chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a
bulrush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou call this a fast
and an acceptable day to the Lord?” (Isaiah 58:4, 5) That chapter in Isaiah, the
fifty-eighth, is recommended for most careful reading and rereading, if a person
desires a clear exposure of the wrong way to serve God, as well as a wonderful
lesson upon the right way.
Let us consider the word, “holy” itself. What is its root and origin? The answer
to that question will start us on the right track. Webster's New International
Dictionary gives the word as being related to whole, wholesome, healing, well,
sound, healthy. “Spiritually whole or sound,” “pure in heart.” In German it is
the same, heilig, hell, heilen. How closely is the word related to health,
healing and wholesomeness, of course primarily, in a spiritual sense.
How refreshing, like a sea breeze, it is to think of holiness in this way! How
elevating as compared to the sordid, sickly thing that has been parading under
the name of holiness and against which true religion has had to fight in all
ages.
Holiness then means spiritual life and health. A realization of this leads us to
the first step in attaining holiness. Just as there can be no physical health
and well being without cleanliness and hygiene, so is it folly to talk about
holiness of spirit without a spiritual house cleaning, without a purifying of
the heart. Purity of heart then is the first essential of holiness. That is why
the Scripture says repent, confess, believe, and be baptized. “Ye must be born
again!” The heart must be purified through faith. We must be liberated from the
yoke and bondage of sin. We cannot serve God acceptably and yet live in sin. We
must be freed from the dominion of sin and walk in cleanness and purity of heart
and newness of life.
This purity of heart, however, is not complete when we merely abstain from gross
immoral acts. That, of course, must be included, but the matter must go much
farther. One might, under the influence of the law and out of fear, live a life
free from gross immoral acts and yet be absolutely filthy in thought and heart.
In self- righteousness we can suppress many evil acts, but we can not purify the
heart nor attain to holiness.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matt. 5:8) It is God
who purifies our hearts through faith! (Acts 15:9; I John 1:9) And the more He
purifies us, the more clearly we can see Him and the better we shall know Him.
This will further sanctify and purify us. So we go from grace unto grace if we
resist not His grace, but submit ourselves and co-operate with the working of
His grace.
Not only moral conduct, but purity of thoughts and heart are required to attain
that spiritual healthfulness and wholesomeness which is worthy to be called
holy. This purifying is possible for all men who earnestly desire it. It is not
attained through our own effort or will-power, but rather, it is attained
through faith in Jesus Christ and in His saving and transforming power. His
death atoned for our sins that are past; His resurrection gives us victory over
the power of sin, and His ascension into the true Holy of Holies, into heaven
itself, opens the way for us to the heart of the Father. The veil is torn
asunder, and we can draw near the throne of grace in His name when we worship
the Father in spirit and truth. These are the glad tidings! This is the Gospel!
Through such faith in the gospel the heart is purified and ennobled, is filled
with love and hope, with joy and peace. Doubt, fear, hatred, envy, malice, and
all unclean lusts, and thoughts are banished. That is spiritual life and health!
That is holiness!
To those who stand in this faith: Make the most of it. Be diligent and active
so that you may not stand still nor backslide but may grow in it and may
increase in godliness and holiness, without which no man shall see God.
To those who are yet unsaved: Seek earnestly your salvation through Jesus
Christ. Pray for a penitent heart so that you may sincerely repent your past
sinfulness and unfruitfulness. Confess your sins. Believe in the atonement of
Jesus Christ and be baptized in this faith, thus laying the foundation for true
holiness of life.
It is folly to build without first laying a good foundation. It is folly to
attempt to attain to holiness of life unless we build upon that rock, that
unshaken foundation, Jesus Christ.
Finally, I would record the following as my conception of a holy life: It is a
life of purity and uprightness, of humility and soberness, of hopefulness and
cheerfulness, of kindness, gentleness and friendliness, of peaceableness and
peacefulness, a life of faith and prayer, in short a life of godliness, of the
closest communion with the Father and the Son, through the Holy Spirit, and
lastly a life of love and unselfish service. Such a life, though it may
experience the deepest trials and sorrows, will never be without its comfort and
consolation, and in the midst of all tribulations it will find peace and joy in
the inner sanctuary of the heart.
Men and women so living are indeed “a light in this world” and are “the salt of
the earth” and “a good savor of Jesus Christ.”
View all episodes
By Timeless FaithFrom
The Fascination of the Race and Other Essays,
by Benjamin L. Sommer
What a call! what a challenge! when our God says to us, “Be ye holy, for I am
holy.” (I Peter 1:16; Exodus 19:6) The end and aim of our calling in Jesus
Christ is so high that we shall grow and be sanctified in that calling until we
attain to that holiness “without which no man shall see God.” (Hebrews 12:14)
Since holiness is thus held up to us as a necessary condition to our being
acceptable to God, it is good that we should stop to ask and consider, “What is
holiness? How is it attained? How does it manifest itself? What does it mean to
be holy?” Otherwise we might, like ancient Israel, fail to attain to it, even
though we seek it, if we do not seek it with understanding.
First, we must try to remove false and morbid conceptions of holiness, so as to
clear the way in our hearts for a better conception and understanding of the
nature of true holiness. The artists of the past have done much to fix in the
popular mind a morbid conception of holiness by painting pictures of saints in
long black robes, with long drawn faces and upturned eyes, and with, perhaps, a
halo about the head. No, this is not holiness. This is that perversion of
holiness against which Isaiah protested, saying, “Ye shall not fast as ye do
this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have
chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a
bulrush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou call this a fast
and an acceptable day to the Lord?” (Isaiah 58:4, 5) That chapter in Isaiah, the
fifty-eighth, is recommended for most careful reading and rereading, if a person
desires a clear exposure of the wrong way to serve God, as well as a wonderful
lesson upon the right way.
Let us consider the word, “holy” itself. What is its root and origin? The answer
to that question will start us on the right track. Webster's New International
Dictionary gives the word as being related to whole, wholesome, healing, well,
sound, healthy. “Spiritually whole or sound,” “pure in heart.” In German it is
the same, heilig, hell, heilen. How closely is the word related to health,
healing and wholesomeness, of course primarily, in a spiritual sense.
How refreshing, like a sea breeze, it is to think of holiness in this way! How
elevating as compared to the sordid, sickly thing that has been parading under
the name of holiness and against which true religion has had to fight in all
ages.
Holiness then means spiritual life and health. A realization of this leads us to
the first step in attaining holiness. Just as there can be no physical health
and well being without cleanliness and hygiene, so is it folly to talk about
holiness of spirit without a spiritual house cleaning, without a purifying of
the heart. Purity of heart then is the first essential of holiness. That is why
the Scripture says repent, confess, believe, and be baptized. “Ye must be born
again!” The heart must be purified through faith. We must be liberated from the
yoke and bondage of sin. We cannot serve God acceptably and yet live in sin. We
must be freed from the dominion of sin and walk in cleanness and purity of heart
and newness of life.
This purity of heart, however, is not complete when we merely abstain from gross
immoral acts. That, of course, must be included, but the matter must go much
farther. One might, under the influence of the law and out of fear, live a life
free from gross immoral acts and yet be absolutely filthy in thought and heart.
In self- righteousness we can suppress many evil acts, but we can not purify the
heart nor attain to holiness.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matt. 5:8) It is God
who purifies our hearts through faith! (Acts 15:9; I John 1:9) And the more He
purifies us, the more clearly we can see Him and the better we shall know Him.
This will further sanctify and purify us. So we go from grace unto grace if we
resist not His grace, but submit ourselves and co-operate with the working of
His grace.
Not only moral conduct, but purity of thoughts and heart are required to attain
that spiritual healthfulness and wholesomeness which is worthy to be called
holy. This purifying is possible for all men who earnestly desire it. It is not
attained through our own effort or will-power, but rather, it is attained
through faith in Jesus Christ and in His saving and transforming power. His
death atoned for our sins that are past; His resurrection gives us victory over
the power of sin, and His ascension into the true Holy of Holies, into heaven
itself, opens the way for us to the heart of the Father. The veil is torn
asunder, and we can draw near the throne of grace in His name when we worship
the Father in spirit and truth. These are the glad tidings! This is the Gospel!
Through such faith in the gospel the heart is purified and ennobled, is filled
with love and hope, with joy and peace. Doubt, fear, hatred, envy, malice, and
all unclean lusts, and thoughts are banished. That is spiritual life and health!
That is holiness!
To those who stand in this faith: Make the most of it. Be diligent and active
so that you may not stand still nor backslide but may grow in it and may
increase in godliness and holiness, without which no man shall see God.
To those who are yet unsaved: Seek earnestly your salvation through Jesus
Christ. Pray for a penitent heart so that you may sincerely repent your past
sinfulness and unfruitfulness. Confess your sins. Believe in the atonement of
Jesus Christ and be baptized in this faith, thus laying the foundation for true
holiness of life.
It is folly to build without first laying a good foundation. It is folly to
attempt to attain to holiness of life unless we build upon that rock, that
unshaken foundation, Jesus Christ.
Finally, I would record the following as my conception of a holy life: It is a
life of purity and uprightness, of humility and soberness, of hopefulness and
cheerfulness, of kindness, gentleness and friendliness, of peaceableness and
peacefulness, a life of faith and prayer, in short a life of godliness, of the
closest communion with the Father and the Son, through the Holy Spirit, and
lastly a life of love and unselfish service. Such a life, though it may
experience the deepest trials and sorrows, will never be without its comfort and
consolation, and in the midst of all tribulations it will find peace and joy in
the inner sanctuary of the heart.
Men and women so living are indeed “a light in this world” and are “the salt of
the earth” and “a good savor of Jesus Christ.”