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God’s demand for holiness – Part 1

By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi
11 November 2018   |   4:13 am
The single, unchanging demand of God from all His children in all ages is that we should be holy. He commands us to “follow peace with all men, and holiness...

Pastor W. F. Kumuyi

The single, unchanging demand of God from all His children in all ages is that we should be holy. He commands us to “follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” If we are going to see Him or remain in eternal fellowship with Him on the last day, we need to maintain holiness of life and heart. Without holiness and its virtues, we will not be able to see God. True holiness leads to the following virtues or goes with the following components:
Humility
Obedience
Love
Integrity
New man
Entire consecration
Self-denial, and
Separation from the world.

Possession of these virtues is the only thing that can qualify us to see God, to do His will on earth and to live with Him in eternity. Pride, disobedience, hatred, unfaithfulness, old sinful nature, lack of consecration, self-indulgence and friendship with the world will hinder anyone from seeing and dwelling with God. While repentance and faith in the cleansing blood of Christ make us clean, restitution for our past wrong deeds removes from our hearts guilt of offences committed against fellowmen.

In all ages, God has always demanded holiness of heart and life. There had never been a time in history, when He tolerated or excused sin in any form. God has the same expectation and condition for all His children in all ages and in all climes, irrespective of church affiliations. His holy nature demands holiness from those who worship Him. Holiness of heart and of life remains His call and demand for anyone who wants to follow and serve Him on earth and dwell with Him in eternity. The Lord wants us to be sanctified and purified – that is what holiness means. He says: “sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 20:7).

Any marriage, job, interaction, relationship, friendship, plan, thought or attitude that can diminish or destroy the seed of holiness in our lives cannot be the will of God for us. “This is the will of God, even your sanctification.” Any activity that can decrease our thirst and hunger for holiness in the church is never the will of God. We do not become holy because we want to please man, but because God is holy and requires holiness from all His saints. Whatever people may do for or against us, the Lord’s injunction remains: “be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). The reason He has called us out of sin, the world of darkness and evil is so that we might live a righteous, pure and sanctified life. He can make us holy, if we will commit and consecrate ourselves to Him.

Further Reading (King James Version): Hebrews 12:14; Isaiah 33:15-17; Psalm 101:4-8; 24:3,4. Leviticus 11:45; 20:7, 8; 1 Thessalonians 3: 4, 7, 8; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 2 Peter 3:11-14

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