Some people believe that holiness is exhibited in the strictest environments. The Apostle Paul described them as the "Do not handle", "Do not taste", and "Do not touch" crowd. While I'm appreciative of their devotion, I think there is a lot of misguided thinking.
Holiness isn't the result of keeping the law. It's not the result of adhering to the strictest of rules. Holiness is a gift. It's imparted to us at salvation. We all recognize that the law demanded holiness. The Old Covenant is filled with consequences for those who do not live up to it's standard. What many believers have failed to recognize is that Jesus took the handwriting of ordinances that was against us and nailed them to the Cross. The results of His sacrifice in our lives guarantees that we can live holy.
The question then becomes: What does HOLINESS look like? (This is where the discussion gets hairy)
Depending on your idea of holiness it could look much different than mine. Hot topics around the Bible belt typically revolve around drinking, smoking, language, the way people dress, the music they listen to, and the list goes on. To be quite honest...I am tired of those discussions. We have spent SO MUCH time discussing what holiness is that we have failed to recognize what it is NOT.
It's not living up to a standard - it's allowing the life of Christ to be manifest in us.
It's not keeping the rules - it's allowing Jesus to be Ruler of our lives.
It's not our moral perfection - it's His perfection imparted to us.
The problem with the wrong mindset about holiness is that it can trap us into a "works" lifestyle. And we know that by no works of the law can any human be justified (see Romans 3:20). The only way we are made right with God is through His grace and mercy.
Freedom in Christ actually produces a greater responsibility for the believer. When taught correctly we understand that the grace of God empowers us to live out our faith. We learn how to appropriate the grace of God for every situation. Holiness exhibited in our lives is then tied to a choice to live through our faith in Him rather than our own self determination. Freedom in Christ also requires that we make up our minds concerning certain things. We choose what we eat, drink, handle, listen to, etc. It's just that whatever we do, we do in faith. In other words, we are fully persuaded in our minds that these are good decisions. (See Romans 14:23)
Jesus lived the holiest life ever known to mankind and yet the religious leaders of His day called Him a glutton and a drunkard. In their view of things no one could associate with such people and be considered clean. Unfortunately, that same Pharisee mindset has infiltrated many churches:
"Preaching the grace of God means that you can do anything and still get to heaven."
"Teaching the unconditional love of God leads people to live however they want to live."
"Allowing people to make up their own mind concerning certain lifestyle practices means you can't control the outcome."
These are just some of the arguments that come from a religious mindset. The reality of it is that commandments, rules, and the like have never produced holiness in anyone. Only the grace of God can accomplish that. And accomplish that is exactly what He has done.
When you and I learn to live out our identity in Christ then we discover something amazing about holiness: It's the same quality of life that Jesus enjoyed. That quality of life has been imparted to us and we find ourselves living holy more by accident than we ever did on purpose. This is what we get to enjoy. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says it all: "For our sake He (God) made Him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him (Jesus) we might become the righteousness of God." Folks...we just cannot improve on what God has already accomplished.
I'm sharing this with you today because I want to get the monkey off your back. I want to remove the pressure that some fellow believers may place upon you. I want you to learn how to live without shame, guilt, and condemnation. I want you to enjoy the holiness of God applied to your life. I want you to enjoy the journey of continually being conformed into the image of His Son. I want you to learn how to rest in His grace, be thankful for His mercy, and rejoice over the finished work of Christ.
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