IN PURSUIT OF HOLINESS

98. HOLY BEING AND HOLY DOING Be holy in all you do (1 Peter 1:15). The Lord God has called us to holiness in being and doing. We areto be holy in person and practice, in heart and hands. We are to be holyinwardly and outwardly, publicly and privately. That’s a tall order. Most of us are short of wisdom, short of willpower and short of role models. We are commanded to be holy in aterribly unholy world. When we read God’s words as a command, theymay fill us with frustration and despair. But when we read them as a promise we are full of excitement andhope. What he commands he also enables. Where sin abounds, gracesuper-abounds. He can so cleanse our hearts and empower our lives thatwe can be and do what is holy. Philosophers argue about being and doing. Which comes first?Does essence precede existence? Does existence precede essence? We dowhat we are. We are what we do. Which is correct? The Lord knows that many of us are not smart enough to join thedebate, much less resolve it. We only know that being and doing areinseparable, and in both we are to be like Jesus. Lord, purify us.Activate us. Live in us that we may live like you. What we thirst for isnot debate but you! 101

99. \"I AM HOLY\" I am holy (1 Peter 1:16). These three little words dismiss those who deny that God exists,who insist that the notion of God is wish-fulfillment, a trick our mindsplay on us. We didn’t wish God into our lives. He is holy, and when we firstencountered him we didn’t want someone whose presence was a moralrebuke and a threatened judgment. We didn’t even want a promisedmercy! We wanted to be left alone in our sin. A holy God is the lastperson we would have conjured up in our corrupt imaginations. He is notour creation; we are his. They are wrong who tell us that prayer is simply talking toourselves, that a hearing God is the figment of our imaginations. Most ofus have talked to ourselves quite often and we know when someone else islistening. When we first read God’s word it caused some of us greatdiscomfort. We went to Scripture desiring pats on the back and got kicksin the pants. A noted English atheist who became a Christian confessed that heand his cronies denied God because he disturbed their immoral life-style.Perhaps most atheists deny that God is because he is holy. When we were in sin, the Lord was our dread. Now we are in theLord, and sin is our dread. We are glad he is holy and that he can makeus holy. 102

100. THE WORD OF HOLINESS It is written, “Be holy...” (1 Peter 1:16). It was spoken before it was written. God voiced his will for hispeople to Moses, and voiced it through him to Israel. Later the spoken word became the written word, in order thatfuture generations might be confronted with the same demand andpromise of holiness. In many ways, by many authors, across many years, it was written.In precept and promise, in poetry and prose, it was written. God suitedthe message to every listener and reader. God knocked at the door ofevery heart. The call to holiness has been universally communicated andapplied. What was written was next enfleshed. Through the incarnation, theLiving Word came to demonstrate the meaning of holiness in humanexperience. Jesus is a perfect transcript of divine and human holiness. How patient and gracious the Lord has been! He has workedthrough centuries of time, with a variety of persons and languages, toproclaim the word that offers holiness for time and eternity. What God has spoken, written and demonstrated, we surely desire.What he has written in our Bibles needs to be written in our hearts! Thiscalls for the ministry of the Holy Spirit who can access our beings atdepths we can not understand. His presence at the control center of ourlives is the source of our holiness an the force by which that holiness issustained in an environment that is indifferent at best and hostile atworst. 103

101. REASON AND PATTERN Be holy because I am holy (1 Peter 1:16). God calls us to be holy for the noblest of reasons--to sustain a familyresemblance. God is our Father; we are his children. Every good fatherwants his children to resemble him in their values, standards andbehavior. A sober father doesn’t want drinking children. An honestfather doesn’t want cheating children. A generous father doesn’t wantselfish children. A forgiving father doesn’t want grudge-holding children.The list could be extended almost endlessly, but it all comes down to this--the holy Father wants holiness expressed in the lives of his children. Here too, we learn not only why we are to be holy, but also we learnwhat it means to be holy. To be holy is to be like the Lord. To be holy isto adopt his attitudes, to emulate his actions. The Father revealed himselfin Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ way of being and doing we find the pattern forour lives. Fathers teach by example. Children learn by imitation. Weneed to carefully study and eagerly duplicate the pattern God has givenhis children in the life and death of Jesus. The Father declared that he was well pleased with Jesus. The morelike Jesus we become the better pleased God will be with us. We do wantto please our Father. “Be holy because I am holy.” Can you think of a better reason? 104

102. WALKING AND CLEANSING But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowshipwith one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin (1John 1:7, margin). In the Christian life walking and cleansing occur simultaneously.As we walk with the Lord we are made clean and kept clean by the powerof his atoning sacrifice. God is light, perfect light. He is holy in being and doing, notshadowed by any measure of darkness or any degree of sin. The gods ofancient peoples shared in the sins of their devotees, but our God is whollylight, light that exposes and opposes all sin. To walk in the light is to renounce sin and to embrace holiness. Todeny sin, to excuse sin or to practice sin is to live in darkness. Suchdarkness marks the absence of the Lord’s abiding, affirming and atoningpresence. Sin separates from him, and that separation means death. We choose to walk with him. We submit to his judgment, we yieldto his cleansing and we rejoice in his fellowship. Let his word inform ourdecisions. Let his example inspire our actions. Like children we fear thedarkness. Like plants, we seek the light. Let us so live and grow that wereflect the holiness of God. Forget the notion that holiness means the end of happiness. Theholy life is not grim and joyless. He who says, “I am holy,” is also called“the blessed God.” He has wedded holiness to happiness and they cannotbe divorced. “Blessed are the pure in heart.” What God has joinedtogether let not man put asunder. Sin is the enemy of happiness; holinessis the guarantor of happiness. Walk in the light. Be purified by divinegrace. You will then be environed in blessedness. 105

103. LOVE'S COMPLETION But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete inhim. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in himmust walk as Jesus did (1 John 2:5-6). God’s love seeks fulfillment in God’s people. His love is completewhen it possesses us and shapes us into his likeness. This is our fulfillment,too, for we were created to bear his likeness and to reflect his love. Only in his love are we complete. Until his love fills our hearts as acleansing and shaping force we are not truly and fully human. He intendsfor holiness and humanity to be synonymous. In Jesus the two are one. His perfect life is our pattern. All ourrelationships and responses are to be governed by his example. To \"walk as Jesus did\" is our desire as God’s children. He walkedin utter obedience to the Father’s word and will, preferring a cross inobedience to comfort in disobedience. He walked as one burdened for lostpeople, and he served their needs sacrificially and selflessly. He will grantus grace to walk as he did, whatever the cost. O, divine Love, be fulfilled in us! 106

104. HOPE INCITES TO HOLINESS Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure(1 John 3:3). Christian hope is not an abstraction. It is not some vagueexpectation of some unspecified good. What John calls \"this hope\" isfocused upon seeing Jesus and becoming exactly like him, the gloriousculmination of a process of salvation that began when we first met him. The world did not know Jesus when he came the first time. Blindedby sin, the world rejected and crucified him. The world does not knowthe church. God's people are dismissed as deluded visionaries. But wewho believe know him as the Son of God and Savior of mankind. Whenhe comes we shall be known as his family, and our faith, now derided, willbe vindicated. The hope of his coming has a purifying effect upon his disciples.Hope and holiness are wedded in Scripture and cannot be divorced. Theexpectation of being completely like him inspires us to become as muchlike him as possible here and now. We can now have clean hearts,purified from all sin. We await clear heads, when knowledge andjudgment will be unmarred. Faultless behavior will then be eternallypossible. “He is pure.” He is pure in his thoughts, pure in his speech, pure inhis acts, pure in his desires, pure in his aspirations and pure in hisrelationships. He plants the flag of his purity upon the high ground ofholiness and challenges us to occupy that ground. 107

105. LOVE EXPELS FEAR There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fearhas to do with punishment. The man who fears is not made perfect in love(1 John 4:18). According to John, those who trust in the Lord can experienceperfect love \"in this world.\" \"Pure love alone, reigning in the heart,\" asJohn Wesley phrased it, dispels fear as light dispels darkness. The \"fear\" of which John speaks is specific. It is not “angst” thatdefies definition and dimensions. It \"has to do with punishment.\" Thereare other fears, healthy and unhealthy, which have nothing to do withpunishment for sin. The \"love\" of which he speaks is equally specific. It is \"the loveGod has for us\" (v. 15), the love that was dramatically displayed in theatoning death Jesus experienced on Calvary. It is, as Paul declared, thelove which \"God has poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit...givenus\" (Rom. 5:5). It is God’s love for us that creates, informs and energizes our lovefor him, love which casts out fear of punishment. When bad thingshappen to us, we are not being punished as sinners, but chastened andcorrected as God’s children so that we may partake of his holiness. Flood our hearts, O Lord, with fear-dispelling love for you. To\"know and rely on\" your love is our daily prayer. 108

106. THE REWARD ...let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holycontinue to be holy. Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, andI will give to everyone according to what he has done (Revelation 22:11-12). We know that character and conduct tend to permanence. At theLord’s coming and judgment they will be fixed forever. Vile sinners willbe vile sinners for eternity; the holy and righteous will be redeemed saintsfor eternity. Holiness comes to expression in deeds and these in turn become thebases for rewards. The reward of holy men and women is access to thecity of God and to the tree of life forever. They shall live in unbroken andintimate fellowship with him through all ages to come, endlessly separatedfrom the idolatry and immorality that once environed and saddened them(v. 14). We will be judged according to what we have done. We canbecome righteous and holy according to what God has done. Christ’satoning death and triumphant resurrection provided the forgiveness andcleansing that changes our character and conduct. At the end, we will beconfirmed and rewarded according to what we have done as God’s holychildren. The whole process is one of grace. He offers saving grace to all who \"hear\" and \"come\" (v. 17). Beglad that you heard and came. Keep hearing for he still speaks. Keepcoming, for he still invites. A lifetime of hearing and coming will be wellspent and well rewarded. The glorious future promised to those who areholy exceeds in value anything that we can have in this world. “Continueto be holy” for the Lord is coming, and our redeemer will be ourrewarder. Indeed, he is the reward. 109

BOOK TWO BIBLE STUDY OUTLINES FOREWORD Those who pursue holiness live as a community of faith, not asisolated individuals. They may wish to teach others what they arelearning as they journey onward. To assist those who teach individualsor groups, we offer these study outlines. They are given briefly andsimply and they are intended for those who are not technical scholarsbut are eager learners and sharers. They can be of value to those whoteach Sunday school classes and / or lead small group sessions. 110

1. THE HOLINESS OF GOD--TRANSCENDANCE Seven times in the Old Testament God says, “I am holy.” On thebasis of his own holiness he commands Israel, “Be holy” (Lev. 19:1; 1Pet. 15-16). Human holiness is demanded by and enabled by the divineholiness. The logical place to begin a study of holiness, therefore, istheology’s primary question: What does it mean to say that God isholy? The first answer to that question is transcendence. Mary, mother of Jesus, said of God, “holy is his name.” God’sname and nature are one. He is what he names himself. For example,Jeremiah said, “Thou art great and thy name is great” (10:6, RSV).Compare Amos 4:2 with Amos 6:8: God swears by his holiness andswears by himself. The two are one. Unlike his human creatures who wear masks and deceivethemselves and one another, God always acts in character. He is anddoes what is holy. He lives up to his name as “the Holy One.” As the “Holy One,” God is distinct from and exalted above allwho are called “gods” and all human creatures. Consider in this regardthe following scriptures: Hosea 11:9; Isaiah 40:25; and Psalm 99:1-3. God’s holiness is his distinction from creation. God’s holiness ishis very godness. A synonym for God’s holiness is “otherness.” He isforever “the Great Unlike,” as Robert G. Lee once put it. Robert Davidson said, “the Bible never imagines that God issimply another member of the Human Club, not even an HonoraryMember. There is always an awareness of an ultimate and unbridgeabledifference between God and man.” 111

Hear God speaking through Hosea again: “I am God and notman--the Holy One...” He is the Holy One and the “One” means that noother is holy. Only by an extension of the term can persons, places, andthings be called holy. They are holy only as they belong to God. If holiness is utter transcendence, is the bridge out? Is Godunapproachable and unknowable? Is mankind eternally doomed by itsown unholiness? No, for the Holy O has access to his creation. He candraw near to save and help us. That is another aspect of holiness thatwe will consider next. 112

2. THE HOLINESS OF GOD--IMMANENCE We are pursuing the question, “What does it mean to say thatGod is holy?” The first answer was “transcendence,” which means that Godonly is holy. He is distinct from and exalted above all his creatures. Hehas no equals, no peers. He is unique--“the Holy One.” His holiness ishimself, eternal and underived. The second answer to our question is immanence. The holiness of God is expressed in the loving redemption andguidance of his people. God is unique but not unrelated. He says, “I am God and notman--the Holy One among you” (Hos. 11:9). To say that God istranscendent does not mean that he is indifferent; it means that he isdifferent. He is other than human but he comes to us in order to save usand help us. His holiness is expressed in positive action within our time-space existence. He is present in his creation but not contained by it. In Isaiah’s vision the Lord was “high and exalted,” but the Onewho was called “Holy, holy, holy” by the seraphim was also the Onewhose “glory” filled “the whole earth “(Isa. 6:1-3). His “glory” here ishis burning presence among people in this world. When Israel was enslaved by Egypt, God beheld their misery andheard their cries. He said to Moses, “I have come down to rescue them”(Exod. 3:7-8). When that rescue had taken place, the people celebratedtheir freedom by singing to the One “highly exalted”: “Who among thegods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you--majestic in holiness,awesome in glory, working wonders? ...In your unfailing love you will 113

lead the people you have redeemed...you will guide them to your holydwelling” (Exod. 15:11-13). The holiness of God as immanence, as a presence in our world, isexpressed also as judgment upon evil. Consider the strange incident recorded in 1 Samuel 6:19-20.Some men treated the ark, the symbol of God’s presence, as an object ofcuriosity that bordered on contempt. God struck them dead, and themourners asked, “Who can stand in the presence of the Lord, this holyGod?” In Ezekiel 38:22-23, God says, “I will execute judgment upon himwith plague and bloodshed...And so I will show my greatness and myholiness...Then they will know that I am the Lord.” The holiness of Godis displayed in the vindication of his sovereignty against those whochallenge it. This aspect of God’s holiness is like atomic power. It canbe extremely beneficial when properly handled, but it is potentiallydestructive. God is holy, then, means that God involves himself lovingly toredeem those who trust him, and involves himself powerfully to punishthose who oppose him. 114

3. THE HOLINESS OF GOD--RIGHTEOUSNESS What does its mean to say that God is holy? It means, first of all,that he is transcendent--distinct from and exalted above all creation. Heis “the Holy One.” It means, second, that he is immanent--present inour space-time world to save his people and to judge his enemies. He is“among” us. But there is more. The third answer to our question is righteousness. In the O. T. “holiness” is usually a religious (cultic) term, but itsassociation with God invests the term with a profound moralsignificance. Isaiah declares, for example, that “the Holy God will showhimself holy by his righteousness” (5:16). Look again at Isaiah’s “call vision” in chapter six. In the presenceof the Lord who was exalted in holiness, the prophet was acutely awareof his own sin. He cries out, “Woe to me...for I am a man of uncleanlips...” He expected to be slain, for the holiness of God can be lethal. Asthe author of Hebrews says, “Our God is a consuming fire.” Instead ofbeing destroyed the prophet was cleansed from sin and commissionedfor service. The holy God does what is right. The Psalmist exclaimed, “TheKing is mighty, he loves justice--you have established equity; in Jacobyou have done what is just and right. Exalt the Lord our God...he isholy” (99:4-5). To say that God is holy is to say that he does right andcommands his people to do likewise. Moral purity is a component of divine holiness. God nevercompromises his being by acting out of character. What a contrast isthe Holy One to pagan “gods” and to human beings! 115

The holiness of God demands judgment upon sin. Isaiah said,“The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame” (10:17).And Amos warned his people, “The Sovereign Lord has sworn by hisholiness: The time will surely come...” (4:2). The context makes clearthat the coming time is one of judgment on sin. The uncompromising God is also a forgiving God when peoplerepent of their sins and trust in his mercy. The heart of God is one ofholy love. His holiness is the opposite of, and in opposition to,everything impure. But his holiness is also, as we have seen, displayedin his compassionate deliverance of those who cry to him from theirbondage. Summary: To say that God is holy is to affirm that he is exaltedover all, yet involved with all, and yet unstained by all. It is histranscendence, immanence, and righteousness, not in abstraction asideas, but in relationship to his people in their daily lives and deepneeds. Whether that holiness will be our deliverance or doom dependson our response to it. 116

4. THE HOLINESS OF GOD--JESUS A Christian view of divine holiness must confront the fact thatGod became man in Jesus Christ. “The Word became flesh and madehis dwelling among us” (John 1:14). In the Word made flesh we have arevelation of the God who says, “I am holy...” Jesus reveals the transcendent majesty of God. He is uniquely “the Son of God.” “The majesty of holiness in Godwhich awes man and causes him to be at once attracted to and repulsedfrom God, attaches also to Jesus.” This is shown in the reaction of Peterto the miracle of filled nets (Luke 5:1-11). Peter “fell at Jesus’ kneesand said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’” He clung toJesus even as he begged Jesus to depart from him. Jesus knew himself to be related to God in some unsharable way.He taught his disciples to say, “Our Father...” But when he includedhimself with them he said, “my Father and your Father...my God andyour God” (John 20:17). Even in his oneness with us his “otherness” isapparent. Jesus reveals the immanent mercy of God. In Jesus we know the presence of God as a saving presence to allwho believe. At the conversion of Zacchaeus, Jesus said, “Todaysalvation has come to this house...For the Son of Man came to seek andto save what was lost” (Luke 19:9-10). As “the Holy One of God,” Jesus is both majestically in chargeand yet is sacrificed for our sins. He calls himself “the good shepherd”who “lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:10). These figures blendthe concepts of sovereignty and sacrifice, of one both exalted above usand involved with us for our deliverance. 117

Jesus reveals the perfect righteousness of God. The Gospels attest his freedom from, and his opposition to, allkinds and degrees of sin. He who is “the Lord” and “the Light” is also“the Lamb,” the unblemished sacrifice who “takes away the sin of theworld” (John 1:5, 9, 23, 29). Jesus’ obedience to the Father and, therefore, his moralsuperiority to us, is affirmed by the Father (Matt. 3:16-17), by himself(John 8:29; 14:30), and by others (2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15). When Mary said of God, “holy is his name,” she was affirminghim as the transcendent, redeeming, and moral One. When Gabrielspoke of the child she would bear as “the holy one...the Son of God,” hewas identifying Jesus as the revealed meaning of the divine holiness. Ifyou want to know the meaning of holiness, look to Jesus. 118

5. THE HOLY NATION God is “the Holy One,” so called some 48 times in the OT. Healone is holy, but by an extension of the term, places, times, things, andeven people may be called holy also. Holiness is a relational term. It is basically a relationship to God.That is holy which is separated unto God. An outstanding illustration of holiness is Israel, the nation towhom Moses said, “You are a people holy to the Lord your God. TheLord your God has chosen you to be his people, his treasuredpossession” (Deut. 7:6). Israel’s holiness was grounded in election. God chose them among all the nations of earth to be his people,his special treasure. Israel was chosen, not for any reason in them, but in sovereignlove. They were neither numerous nor prosperous. They were “thefewest of all peoples.” The explanation for their election lay beyondthemselves in the sovereign love of God: “it was because the Lord lovedyou...” (vv. 7-8). They were not chosen because they were choice. Israel’s holiness was actualized by redemption. The Lord chose them and formed them into a nation by savingthem from Egyptian bondage and making covenant with them at Sinai. Moses harks back to the exodus to affirm their election: “hebrought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land ofslavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (v. 8). It was nottheir choice of God that made them holy; it was his choice of them. They were redeemed from bondage by power. “He brought youout with a mighty hand.” They were freed, not by human resolution or 119

revolution, but by the power of God. Hence they sang, “Your righthand, O Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O Lord,shattered the enemy” (Exod. 15:6). They were redeemed from guilt by blood. They were instructed toplace the blood of lambs upon their doorposts and lintels, and promised,“When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exod. 12:13). God waschoosing and redeeming sinners, not saints. They were not holy, andtherefore redeemed; they were redeemed and therefore holy. Israel’s holiness was expressed through submission. Moses exhorts, “Therefore, take care to follow the commands,decrees and laws I give you today” (v. 11). The law was grounded upongrace. The nation’s obedience was grounded upon redemption. Lawwas not the reason for their deliverance; it was the result of theirdeliverance (Exod. 20:1). From this we conclude that holiness is separation unto God,grounded on election, actualized by redemption, and demonstrated inobedience. This is also true of the new Israel, the church (1 Pet. 1:13-19; 2:9-10). 120

6. THE HOLY TEMPLE The holiness of persons, places, times, and things is determined bytheir relationship to God. Basically, holiness is separation unto God.We considered this truth with respect to the holy nation--Israel. Theywere holy as a people chosen and redeemed by God to live in covenantobedience to his will. A second illustration of holiness as relationship to God is thetemple. “The Lord is in his holy temple” (Hab. 2:18-20). God’s presence made the temple holy. The words of Habakkuk occur in a polemic against idols. Idols arethe creations of men. They are lifeless, powerless, speechless and reflectthe moral impurity of their makers. In sharp contrast, “The Lord is inhis holy temple.” The temple is holy because, unlike other buildingsmade of similar materials, the temple stands in unique relationship tothe true and living God. When the temple had been built and dedicated, the Holy One said,“I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting myName there forever” (1 Kings 9:3). The temple housed the ark of theLord, was filled with the glory of the Lord, and bore the name of theLord (1 Kings 8:6, 10, 11, 20). Ark, cloud and name were symbols of theimmediate presence of the Holy One. The temple was hallowed, not byman’s works but by God’s gift of his presence. God’s presence was conditioned upon Israel’s obedience. The holy place functioned as a house of prayer and the venue ofpardon (1 Kings 8:29-30). The Holy One met his people there to heartheir cries for help and to bestow his delivering grace. 121

But grace was conditional, and Israel’s disobedience to God wouldrob the temple of its sacred character. God would abandon to well-deserved judgment the very place he had consecrated for mercy (1Kings 9:6-9). Contrary to the claim of false prophets, the templeprovided no automatic security (Jer. 7:1-11). When the temple hadbeen defiled by Israel’s sins, the presence of the Lord was forfeited(Matt. 21:12-13; Luke 13:34-35; 19:41-44). The N. T. temple is the church, hallowed by a divine indwellingconditioned upon obedience to the Lord (1 Cor. 3:16-17). We restate our first conclusion: Holiness is separation unto God.It results from his indwelling Spirit. It continues as his people areobedient, and is forfeited when they are disobedient. 122

7. THE HOLY DAY Holiness is relational. That is holy which belongs to the Holy One.We have looked at two illustrations of this truth, the holy nation and theholy temple. Now we are considering a third illustration--the holy day. God commanded his people to “Remember the Sabbath day bykeeping it holy” (Exod. 20:8). The Sabbath was made holy by its relationship to God. It was the day in which the creator “rested” from his work, restedin fellowship with man, the crowning glory of that creative activity:“God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he restedfrom all the work of creating that he had done” (Gen. 2:3). The Sabbath, as a time period, was no different from any otherday. Its holiness issued from its function--a commemoration of God’screative work, a celebration of all the wisdom, power and love that workreflected. Six days of common toil were to be followed by an uncommonday, a day of rest devoted to God. In commanding Sabbath observance,with a death penalty affixed for violators, God made it clear that theday’s significance rested upon the day’s relationship to himself. Hecalled these uncommon days “my Sabbaths,” and they were “a sign”that proclaimed him as “the Lord who makes you holy” (Exod. 31:12-13). The Sabbath, made holy by God, was to be kept holy by Israel. Its primary feature was rest, a rest that was, in effect, worship.All work was forbidden (Exod. 20:10; 31:15). The Sabbath was thus amerciful provision for all that labored, both people and animals. 123

Man’s fellowship with God began with rest, not with work. TheSabbath thus marks holiness as the gift of grace, not the achievement ofworks. God’s rest was broken by man’s sin. Creation was scarcelycompleted when redemption was begun. Jesus was doing thisredemptive work, which took place on all days, when he healed peopleon the Sabbath. Accused of being a law-breaker, he replied to hiscritics, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, amworking” (John 5:16-18). In opposing him they “condemned theinnocent” because “the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Matt. 12:1-8). The church is “a new creation.” Its day of rest honors thereadmission of man into fellowship God on the basis of divine grace, notof human works (2 Cor. 5:17). Its Sabbath commemorates the finishedwork of redemption by celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Itaffirms anew the truth that holiness is separation to God, to God ascreator and redeemer. It reminds us that the ground of our fellowshipwith him is divine grace, not human merit. 124

8. HOLINESS—THREE INFERENCES Holiness is basically a relationship to God grounded inredemption from sin and expressed in obedience to his will. We havelooked at three illustrations of this truth--the holy nation, the holytemple and the holy day. From this truth three important inferences must be drawn, forthey negate common fallacies concerning the nature of holiness. 1. Holiness is not equivalent to morality. It is opposed to immorality, for it is separation to the Holy One.But morality, as commonly understood, can exist without holiness. People are not holy because they keep moral rules or practicereligious disciplines. One may do these because he is holy, but doingthese does not make him holy. Holiness is a relationship to God butmorality may be a relationship to laws, codes, traditions or culturalpressures. Certain Pharisees were classic examples of morality divorcedfrom holiness. They were outwardly clean, but Jesus branded them“hypocrites” under condemnation (Matt. 23:1-33). His disciples must“surpass” the Pharisees in righteousness or be excluded from thekingdom (Matt. 5:17). This does not mean “keep more rules,” butmeans a righteousness that seeks the glory of God and not the praise ofmen (Matt. 6:11-18, 33). 2. Holiness is not the product of mysticism. Mysticism seeks to establish a direct and immediate union of thesoul with God. We can know God only through Jesus Christ (John14:6-7; 1 Tim. 2:5-6). Only through his ransom-based mediation are 125

persons related to God and made holy. Holiness is not being “lost inGod;” it is being saved in Christ. Holiness, reduced to its essence, is being a Christian. Our holinessis in Christ alone (Eph. 1:4, 7, 13). Wesley declared, “[T]he holiest ofmen need Christ still as Prophet...Priest...King,” to give them light, toatone for their failures and to reign in their hearts. John negates unionwith God apart from Christ when he says flatly, “every spirit that doesnot acknowledge Jesus is not from God” (1 John 4:3). 3. Holiness is not external but internal. Christ relates us to God by dwelling in us through the Holy Spirit(John 14:16-17). Outwardly, the world may have many things incommon with the church, but the inward difference is radical. TheHoly Spirit abides within the church, but not within the world (Jude19). Holiness, then, is a relationship with God in Christ by the Spirit.Holiness means separation but the separation is essentially inward, notoutward. Holiness begins, therefore, in the moment one is “born of theSpirit.” The new life then imparted is holy life. There is more toholiness than the new birth, but not less. 126

9. SIN THAT REQUIRES CLEANSING Holiness, as a human experience, begins with the new birth. Italso involves the negative aspect of cleansing from sin. Biblical holinesshas implications of wholeness, of soundness. Holiness requires theremoval of spiritual cancer, of moral virus, that we may be healthy-spirited. We shall look at this in two lessons; the first considers sin thatrequires cleansing and the second considers cleansing that removes sin. Sin has a twofold existence: wrongdoing and wrong being. Sin is an act of rebellion but also an attitude of defiance.Underlying wrong deeds are wrong desires that infect human nature. Sin’s outward aspect is easiest to recognize and analyze, for it isdefined by an objective standard--God’s law. Thus John writes,“Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness” (1 John3:4). Lawless, here, does not mean without law; it means against law.Sin is an act of defiance against the lawgiver. Inward sin is the lawless spirit that prompts the lawless deed. Paul speaks of this when he writes, “The sinful mind is hostile toGod. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Thosecontrolled by the sinful nature cannot please God” (Rom. 8:7-8). Sin isa mindset, a propensity, an inclination toward rebellion. True life is God-centered. False life is self-centered. To sin is tosay, in effect, I will be my own God and live by my own laws. Our firstparents sinned and died when they believed Satan and disobeyed God(Gen. 3:1-6). Life was re-organized with self at the center, and deathensued. This basic self-centeredness corrupts every person born into 127

Adam’s fallen race. It underlies every misdeed (Ps. 51:4-5; 58:3). Sinas inward lawlessness is an inborn depravity and disposition. Sin as wrongdoing, as committed acts, is remedied by forgiveness(Eph. 1:7). God, for Christ’s sake, freely and fully forgives and forgetsour transgressions (Heb. 10:17). The sinner who receives thiscovenanted forgiveness is “justified” by grace, by faith and by blood(Rom. 3:23-24, 28; 5:9). He is accepted into fellowship with God, nolonger a rebel but an adopted child. Forgiven sinners are still infected by “inbred” sin. “Sin no longer reigns but it remains.” Thus Paul describes thechurch at Corinth as “worldly” for they were “acting like mere men,”i.e., unconverted men. And for the Thessalonians, of whose election andconversion Paul was certain, he prays, “May God himself, the God ofpeace, sanctify you through and through” (1 Thess. 5:23). The prayerimplies a state of incomplete holiness which argued the fact ofremaining sin. This “residue of sin” cannot be forgiven; it must be cleansed.That deep inward cleansing will be the focus of our next study. 128

10. CLEANSING THAT REMOVES SIN Wrongdoing can be remedied by forgiveness. Wrong being mustbe remedied by cleansing. Scripture and experience declare happilythat such a thorough and profound cleansing can be experienced byforgiven sinners. Cleansing is a covenant promise. God’s “new covenant” promises not only a full and freeforgiveness, but also a cleansing of the inner life that supplants nativelawlessness with a delight in, and a dynamic for, the law of God (Ezek.36:25-27). Hebrews 10:1-18 discusses this as the sanctifying work ofChrist, our High Priest. This cleansing is what we experience when weare sanctified “through and through” (1 Thess. 5:23). “Cleansing” is metaphorical language. Sin is not a substance that can be literally removed from the soulas dirt is removed from clothing or as dross is removed from metal. Tosay that “the blood of Jesus...purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7) is toemploy both “blood” and “purifies” as metaphors. Such figures ofspeech, however, describe a real experience; they imply an inwardtransformation that centers life in Jesus Christ. The metaphor of cleansing is a common biblical one. Godinspired men to describe the negative aspect of holiness in precisely thisway. Sin is spoken of as stain and dross, and God’s sanctifying work isrepresented as cleansing and refining (Ps. 51:2, 7; Isa.1:25; Mal. 3:3;Jas. 4:8; 1 Cor. 6:11; John 13:8; Rev. 7:14). Cleansing is a transforming experience. These figures of laundering and refining express an actualexperience. By the grace of God an inward purifying and unifying is 129

received. We may assume the answer to the Psalmist’s prayer (51:10).We are certain of the disciples’ experience at Pentecost (Acts 15:8-9).The heart-knowing, heart-cleansing God bears witness to a deep inwardcleansing for believers. Some theologians have denied the need for cleansing. They viewman as innately good and requiring only a fuller enlightenment of hismind to enable his triumph over evil. Other theologians have denied thepossibility of a radical cleansing. They view man as incurablydepraved this side of the resurrection. Both the sunny optimism of theformer and the paralyzing pessimism of the latter are wrong. Jesus certainly knew that our depravity was heart-deep (Mark7:21-23). The sins that defile men outwardly have their source“within.” But Jesus also clearly taught that inward purity is a presentpossibility (Matt. 5:8). His word is sufficient to ground our faith. Holiness, as an experience, includes inner cleansing from innersin. That which prophets, psalmists, and apostles proclaimed, we maypossess. 130

11. THE PERFECTION OF LOVE The negative aspect of holiness is cleansing from sin. The positiveaspect is perfection in love. Perfection is commanded in Scripture. God said to Abraham, “Walk before me and be blameless(‘perfect’)” (Gen. 17:1). Jesus said to his first disciples, “Be perfect,therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). There is a perfection that becomes the subject of intercession inScripture. The author of Hebrews writes, “May the God ofpeace...equip you (‘make you perfect’) with everything good for doinghis will...” (13:20, 21). These passages speak of a relative perfection. Absolute perfection belongs only to God. Perfection is of love, notlife; of our intention, not our behavior. The context of Jesus’ commandin Matthew 5:48 makes this abundantly clear. Our love is to becomplete, excluding no one, not even an enemy, and thus it reflects theFather’s love for us all. John writes of “perfect love” that “drives outfear” (1 John 4:18), and like Jesus, he insists upon a love that serves (1John 3:16-18). The passage in Hebrews is especially instructive. The Greek verbtranslated “equip” is used in the sense of repair and restore. It occursin Mark 1:19, where we read that James and John were “preparing”(‘mending’) their nets.” The net, when mended, was still used, frayedand stained, but it would do what it was made for--catch fish. We weremade to love God with all our hearts, and when we do, howeverdeficient our minds and defective our conduct, we are “perfect” or“blameless.” 131

This relative perfection is attributed to persons in Scripture. In the O.T., Job is called “blameless (‘perfect’) and upright” bynone other than God, who certainly knew him better than his neighborsor family (1:8; 2:3). What God affirmed, Satan denied, which shouldgive pause to those who are disposed to sneer at the teaching ofChristian perfection. Critics are swift to mention Paul’s disclaimer of perfection inPhilippians 3:12. The context makes its clear that he is referring to thekind and degree of perfection he will enjoy after the resurrection, whenboth his body and his spirit will be perfected as instruments of love. Paul prays that believers may “increase and overflow” in love“for each other and for everyone else.” He then adds “as ours does foryou,” joining testimony to exhortation and furnishing a role model forthem to imitate (1 Thess. 3:12; see also 2:8-12). “Holiness,” as G. Campbell Morgan said, “is love-mastered life.” 132

12. THE BASES OF HOLY LIVING We have looked at holiness from doctrinal and experiential pointsof view. In the next few studies we shall be concerned with practicalholiness, the living out on a daily basis of the experienced doctrine. One basis of holy living is what is right. What is wrong must be avoided, what is right must be embraced.Holiness allows no moral compromise. Holiness is never consistent witha silenced or butchered conscience. Righteousness is a vital componentof holiness. (Isa. 5:16; 1Thess. 2:10). A second basis of holy living is what is revealed. To do right we must know the right. Conscience must beinformed by the word of God, not by the opinions of culture. The holynever contradicts the biblical. (Psa. 118:9-11; Col. 3:16-17; Matt. 4:1-4). A third basis of holy living is what is rewarding--but ultimately. Holy living brings the purposes and values of the next world intothis world. It is motivated by ultimate rewards, not immediate rewards.(Matt. 4:1-4; Luke 4:14; Rev. 20:4-6). Holiness leads to suffering in anunholy world, but God is faithful and righteous to reward his holypeople in another and better world (2 Pet. 3:10-14). Life on these bases requires thoughtful decisions and actions. A holy lifestyle creates some problems not easily solved. Generalprinciples must be applied to particular situations. Right decisions andactions must be guided by the word and Spirit of God, with dueconsideration given to one’s influence upon others. This calls for agrowing understanding of the Lord, the Bible, the church, the worldand oneself. (2 Pet. 3:18). 133

Some clues for making right decisions may be gleaned from1Timothy 4. (1) What does the word of God teach? (2) How will mymoral training be helped? (3) What does my example and influencerequire? God transmits perfectly, but we do not receive perfectly. His willcan be frustrated by ignorance as well as by rebellion. The holy life,therefore, calls for ongoing penitence and forgiveness. 134

13. THE SCOPE OF HOLY LIVING Holy living, as we have seen, is based upon what is right and whatis revealed. It is life ordered by the will and word of God. We areconsidering now the scope of holy living. Holiness involves the total conduct of God’s people. Scriptureexhorts, “be holy in all you do” (1 Pet. 1:15). In being and doing we areto be holy, for the God who gives us being and judges our doing is holy. We have three basic relationships--to God, to people, and tothings. God is our sovereign and holiness is life ruled by his will (Lev. 19-23). People are our equals, and holiness is life devoted to the welfare ofothers (Heb. 13:12-16). Things are our servants, our utilities, our tools, and holiness is lifethat governs them, refusing to be ruled by them (Luke 18:18-25). Toward God, holiness takes the form of worship and obedience. He created man in his own image (Gen. 1:27) but not as his equal.We are his inferiors and his servants. This is good, for he is all-wise, all-good, and we are neither. We are made to worship him, not people andnot things. We are made to obey him, and thus find our truest freedom,our highest good. When anyone or anything takes the place in our livesthat belongs to him, life becomes unholy. Toward people, holiness takes the form of service based on love. Such life requires patience and forgiveness. Jesus plainly taughtthat to love is to serve human needs (Luke 10:25-37). The obligation ofloving service is not confined to fellow Christians, but extends to allpeople (Matt. 5:43-48). Jesus-like service requires patience, for it may 135

not be understood and appreciated. And it requires forgiveness, for it isboth imperfectly rendered and imperfectly received. Toward things, holiness takes the form of having and sharing. Things too easily possess us and when they do we become self-indulgent and neglect others. To be holy is to share with others assurely as it is to worship God (James 1:27; Isa. 1:10-17; Matt. 25:31-46).Three rules should govern our relationship to things: (1) gain themhonestly; (2) hold them lightly; (3) use them unselfishly. Holiness involves every relationship, every situation and everyperson in our daily lives. 136

14. THE DYNAMIC FOR HOLY LIVING A holy life in an unholy world is a tough assignment. Nonetheless,God clearly and frequently demands it in his word. To achieve this goalwe need a dynamic equal to the demand. That power source is the HolySpirit, residing in us and presiding over us (Gal. 5:16-25). Divine law is not an adequate dynamic for holiness. The law can define sin but it cannot enable holiness (Rom. 5:20-21). The law can set boundaries but it cannot prevent trespasses (Rom.8:6-9). Not the external law, but the internal Spirit, makes and keeps usholy (Heb. 10:1-18; Ezek. 36:25-28). Social environment is not an adequate dynamic for holiness. The best of surroundings cannot insure holiness; the worst ofsurroundings cannot defeat holiness. Environment may sanctionholiness but it cannot exclude or destroy sin (Gen. 3:8-19; 1 John. 5:18). Human personality is not an adequate dynamic for holiness. Even men and women who are mental giants may be moralpigmies. In this world cultural achievements neither require nordemonstrate holiness (2 Kings 5). The Holy Spirit alone is adequate to make and keep us holy. He is an adequate dynamic for all persons (Acts 2:38). He is anadequate dynamic for all times and places (John 14:16-18). He is anadequate dynamic for all needs (Phil. 1:19-21). To be filled with the Spirit, to be led by the Spirit, is the opensecret of a holy life. 137

15. A PRAYER FOR SANCTIFICATION 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24. Nowhere is the New Testament provision for, and experience of,holiness more clearly presented than in 1 Thessalonians. And nowhereis the passionate longing of the apostle Paul for the purity and power ofthe church more sharply focused than in this prayer. 1. Paul’s prayer is for the people of God. Paul refers to his addressees 16 times as “brothers.” He isconvinced that they are God’s chosen (1:4). They had turned to Godfrom idols to await the return of Jesus from heaven (1:9-10). They hadaccepted the word of God and it was at work in them (2:13). They weresounding forth the gospel, in spite of persecution (1:6-8). Theirrelationship to Christ was beyond doubt. However, they needed to besanctified entirely, for while sin did not reign in them it did remain inthem. 2. Paul’s prayer is prompted by moral demands. The apostle has summoned God’s people to perfect love (3:11-13);to sexual purity (4:3-8); and to peaceful, helpful, joyful, prayerful andthankful lives (5:12-22). Such exacting behavior is not possible unlessand until God makes us holy “through and through” and the wholeperson--“spirit, soul and body”--is “kept blameless” by the presence andpower of the indwelling Spirit. 3. Paul’s prayer is followed by a confident promise. “The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” The caller isour cleanser and our conserver. Being holy does not result from ourresolutions or exertions, but from his purpose and might. “God himself, 138

the God of peace,” is our sanctifier. He who has peace within himselfgives us peace within ourselves and among ourselves. No other can, buthe will. The holy are not yet what they will be. Purity is not maturity.Growth and progress are still both possible and necessary. Theremaining verses of the letter remind us that the sanctified need (1)prayer; (2) fellowship; and (3) scripture--all made available to us by“the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 139

16. A DEMAND FOR PERFECTION Matthew 5:43-48. This is the first appearance in the New Testament of the word“perfect.” I am surprised that modern translators have left it in the text, forit became a scare word to many of them. We cannot shrug off thisdemand, for it comes to us from the highest authority--”but I tell you...” 1. A careful distinction. Jesus commands us to “be perfect...as your heavenly Father isperfect.” He does not say, “Be as perfect as your heavenly Father isperfect.” Only God can be as perfect as he is. We are to be perfect inthe same way, but not to the same degree. Our human perfection isrelative and derived, his is absolute and original. The difference ishuge. 2. A contextual definition. Attention to context tells us how we are to be perfect--in love. Inactive good will, for that is what agape means. This love is volitional,not emotional. It is not pious sentiment but active compassion. Perfect love means universal love. It is not restricted to the lovelyor to the loving. It includes those who are “brothers,” and “neighbors”and even “enemies.” God loves everybody; so must we to be Godlikepersons. Perfect love is practical love. Love does. God loves, and sendssunshine, rain, and Jesus. He bestows his many love-gifts upon “therighteous and the unrighteous,” upon “the evil and the good.”Obviously, love has no respect for merit. It extends to the undeserving. 140

We are informed here that love prays for those who are persecutors ofChrist’s disciples. Perfect love is moral love. Active good will does not erase thedifference between good and evil, righteousness and unrighteousness.Love is not indifferent to sin, but seeks the highest welfare of the sinner.Love never gives license to sin. 3. A personal demonstration. Jesus not only said, “I tell you,” he also showed us what it meansto love our enemies and pray for our persecutors. He practiced what hepreached. From the cross he prayed for the forgiveness of his crucifiers(Luke 23:34). He doesn’t just point to the way; he is the way of love. “But I tell you...” said Jesus, and supplied an ethic higher andnobler than any other given to men. We can live like that, but only inhis strength, and only when everything hostile to love dies within us.Love-filled actions flow only from pure hearts. 141

17. ANOTHER DEMAND FOR PERFECTION Genesis 17:1-8. This is an OT counterpart to the NT command for perfection inthe Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:48). We have the privilege ofreading it through our NT spectacles. 1. A confrontation. “The Lord appeared to him...” Three times in Genesis this is said. How, in what form, the Lordappeared we are not told. Each time the appearance is related toAbraham’s offspring and the land they would inherit. The Lordconfronts us, either in mercy or in judgment, and our response is crucialto our lives now and hereafter. 2. A command. “Walk before me and be blameless.” The KJV reads “be perfect.” Elsewhere the same demand isfound in the words “be holy.” To be “perfect” is to fulfill the purposefor which a thing or person was made. Jesus’ summarized the law inthe commandment to love. Love identifies the purpose of God forhuman life (Matt. 22:34-40). 3. A comfort. “I am God Almighty...” The Hebrew title means “God All-sufficient.” We cannot be“perfect” or “blameless” or “holy” in our own strength. Only God canimpart the power to live on the highest moral plane. What Godcommands he also enables. “Walk before me...” He is our judge. Not Abraham’s wife, norhis son, nor his servants, nor his neighbors were his judges. The heart-knowing God alone is the judge of who is and who is not blameless.This is a comfort when we act in love but foolish or destructive 142

consequences occur. It provides no comfort to the insincere ordeceptive. What God commands and enables, he judges. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham--“exalted father” to“father of a multitude.” The change marked a new stage in the historyof the covenant that would eventually give the world Jesus and theBible. The promise of fruitfulness may not be ours to claim in a literalsense. But the life which God commands, enables, and judges willincrease our influence and impact for righteousness in this “present evilworld.” The new covenant promises a better land than was Canaan. Onlythose who walk before God in blameless love will be at home in that“better country.” 143

18. THE HOLINESS CODE Leviticus 18-26. These chapters are called by scholars “the Holiness Code.” Theyare found in a “manual for priests” but have application to all Israel,both collectively and individually (19:1-2). They contain truthsimportant for the New Israel also. Because of time constraints we are going to focus on chapter 19. 1. The sanctity demanded. “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy” (v. 2). Twenty-four times the word “holy” appears in the “Code.” Threetimes God affirms, “I am holy.” Four times he commands, “Be holy.”Seven times he declares, “I am the Lord who makes you [them] holy.”Statistically, holiness is both significant and mandatory for God’speople. The holiness demanded is comprehensive. It embraces inner life(vv. 17, 18); outer life (vv. 11-13); social life (vv. 10, 13-14, 32); sexuallife (v. 20); religious life (vv. 5, 30-31); family life (v. 29); business life(vv. 35-36); and personal life (vv. 27-28). These are “sample”references. Enlarged details can be found elsewhere in the entire“Code.” Compare 1 Peter 1:15-16. 2. The separation stressed. Indigenous to “holiness” on the human level is separation,separation from the profane or common unto God. Israel was “set apart from the nations” to be God’s own people(18:1-5; 20:22-25). 144

To teach the importance of separation the Law forbade suchthings as planting a field with two kinds of seeds or wearing clothesmade from two kinds of materials (v. 19). Compare 2 Corinthians 6:14--7:1 and Romans 12:1-2. 3. The servanthood implied. Forty-five times in the “Holiness Code” the phrase “I am theLord” occurs. Implied in God’s sovereignty is his people’s servanthood. Thesovereignty of the Holy One is the adequate reason for all thecommands to holiness, and the adequate guarantee of all the promises tomake his people holy. “You must...” is supported by “I am...” Compare 1 Corinthians 6:18-20. Holiness reduces to obedience, an obedience demanded by loveand expressed in love (vv. 18, 34). 145

19. THE HOLY NAME Ezekiel 36:16-32. Any person’s name is shorthand for who that person is and whatthat person does, for character and for conduct. To pray “hallowed be your name,” is to pray that we mightbehave in such a way that our God’s holiness is evidenced in, notcontradicted by, our lives. 1. The Holy Name profaned (vv. 16-21). “They profaned my holy name.” Israel’s actions: They profaned God’s name “by their conductand their actions.” Violence and idolatry are specified, but all their sinsare included. God’s reactions: God responded to Israel’s persistent sin withjustice: “I judged them...” His “wrath” took the form of dispersion:“they were scattered through the countries...” They forfeited land andfreedom. 2. The Holy Name vindicated (vv. 22-32). “I will show the holiness of my great name....I [will] show myselfholy.” The mercy shown: “I will gather you...and bring you back...”Whom he scattered in judgment he will gather in mercy. The reason given: “It is not for your sake...but for the sake of myholy name...” God is responding, not to their merit, but to his nature. The witness borne: “Then the nations will know that I am theLord...” His judgment and mercy send a message of his sovereignholiness. 146

The changes promised: “I will cleanse you....I will give you a newheart.... I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow mydecrees...” God promises a radical inner cleansing and empowermentthat will energize his people’s obedience to his will. These promises were not fulfilled when Israel returned fromBabylon. They are being fulfilled to a new Israel as they trust in JesusChrist. We are either profaning or honoring his name. 147

20. BEING MADE HOLY Hebrews 10:1-18. Verse 14 speaks of “those who are being made holy.” Mosttranslations read “who are sanctified.” Either is possible, and neither ismisleading. There is a sense in which sanctification is complete and atthe same time continuing. 1. The inadequacy of the law. Verses 1-4 argue that the law was the shadow of the comingChrist. It pointed to atonement for sin which it could not itself provide.Animal life does not have the value of human life, and animal bloodcannot atone for human sin, except in a symbolic manner: “it isimpossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” This wasevidenced by the fact that those ritual sacrifices were “repeatedendlessly year after year.” 2. The finality of the Christ. Verses 5-14 affirm that Jesus did what the law could not do. Theincarnation (“a body you prepared for me”) was in order toatonement“--“the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”Both orders of sacrifice were “the will of God,” but were not equivalent.The many symbols foreshadowed the one reality. Christ’s devotion to the will of the Father was perfect. He was, asPaul puts it, “obedient to death—even death on a cross.” Thatobedience becomes the means by which “we have been made holy.” Noforgiveness, no cleansing is possible apart from the sacrifice of Christ. His sacrifice is never repeated. Its value and power are sufficient“once for all”—all persons, all sin, all time. This is demonstrated by thefact that the risen and ascended Christ “sat down at the right hand of 148

God.” In contrast, Israel’s priests always stood, repeating sacrificesthat could not remove sin. 3. The efficacy of the Cross. Verses 16-18 further emphasize the eternal efficacy of Christ’satoning death. The Holy Spirit testifies, through ancient scripture, to the glorioustruth that God’s new covenant promises are fulfilled in the one perfectand unrepeatable self-offering of Jesus. As a consequence, we who trust in Christ enjoy the full and freeforgiveness of all our sins. We enjoy, as well, a total restructuring ofour inner lives, the writing of the law upon our minds and hearts. Forever, and for all persons, the only way to God, to holiness, andto heaven is the blood of Jesus. 149

21. HOLINESS AND HOPE 2 Peter 3:1-14. This passage urges us to live toward the future. It associates hopeand holiness. 1. A great change is indicated. A new heaven and a new earth are coming. They will become“the home of righteousness.” In the N. T. the “new” is the old renewed,transformed. There is both continuity and discontinuity. Three heavens and earth are mentioned--one destroyed by theflood, one now existing that will be destroyed by fire, one awaiting thefuture. The three are the same physical universe but each existingunder different conditions. The renewal of the universe takes place at “the day of the Lord”--when Jesus comes again. That coming has been “delayed” by divinemercy, giving sinners more time to repent and be saved. Nevertheless, itwill come! The renewal results from the dissolution of the “elements,”attended by a raging, roaring fire. That sounds modern to a nuclearage! 2. A great challenge is issued. The renewed universe will house a new humanity, those who havelived “holy and godly lives.” At Christ’s coming, those who are“spotless, blameless, and at peace with him” will inherit the purifiedand perfected world. In this present world we are being prepared forthe world to come by the justifying, sanctifying, upholding grace of God. We are challenged to live by faith, to live in hope, to be the holypeople who will be at home in the new heaven and new earth. 150