How Can We Achieve Holiness?
In my first holiness post I established that being holy meant being set apart and dedicated to God’s service. In the second post I showed that holiness was not just a suggestion, but actually a commandment from God that should be seen as a reasonable sacrifice to remain unspotted by sin in order to escape impending judgement. In this post I would like to investigate how we, as flawed humans, can successfully become holy to fulfill this command. After all, it is one thing to know you are supposed to do something and quite another to actually do it.
What Has Man Tried In Quest To Become Holy?
Some may think this task entails going through the Bible, especially the New Testament, and compiling a list of rules. They would then have us write them, speak about them, memorize them, and generally bombard ourselves with them so we won’t stray. Others have suggested and tried shutting themselves away from everyone and everything that doesn’t agree with that list of rules in order to avoid difficulty in following them. But is that what the Word of God instructs us to do? How does it suggest we become holy and maintain that state of holiness long term? I would like to look into the scriptures to find out what they say.
The Bible As Our Instruction Manual
It is true that we must look to the Bible for instruction on how to live in a way that God considers holy. According to Psalms 119:11 “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” However, it can seem overwhelming and impossible. After all, his word records in Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” Titus 3:5 gives a clue when he writes that it’s “Not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost”. So we know we can’t achieve holiness in our own power. That just leaves us to question where we get the power to reach this impossibly high standard. We can thank our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, that he has made a way for us.
Becoming Holy By Being Cleaned And Filled With The Holy God
Our holy God wrapped himself in flesh and revealed his name was Jesus. He died, was buried, and resurrected so that he could dwell within us and give us power over sin. In repentance we turn from, and die out to, our sinful nature. God covers us with his cleansing blood. The name of Jesus is called over us when we are buried in the waters of baptism like Peter in the early church taught in Acts 2:38. It was evident many had been baptized this way in Acts 8:16. In Acts 19:5, When believers found those who had been baptized in John’s baptism of repentance, they taught them about Jesus Christ and re-baptized them in Jesus name. “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” At the moment we are buried in the waters of baptism, our sinful nature is buried and we are clean, washed white as snow.
Finally, we need the power of the holy God living within us to enable us to live the holy life he has appointed for us. We can call out to him in praise and worship, asking for the gift of his spirit promised us in Act 2:39, and he will fill us as he did the disciples in Acts 2:4. The same power that caused the hidden and fearful disciples to begin to boldly preach the Gospel will fill us, and we will speak in tongues as he takes complete control. Some call it the Holy Spirit, others, like me have always called it the Holy Ghost. No matter which you prefer to use, that Holy Spirit is the holy God in us empowering us to live holy. Paul let us know that, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17. This is how we first become truly holy.
Consecrated And Ready For The Miraculous
There is nothing like the feeling of being completely pure and readied for God’s use. In my next post I will explore how to maintain this state of holiness once it is achieved. I hope you will continue to study holiness with me and consecrate yourself to our holy God. Those who are dedicated to him, he uses in miraculous, exciting ways. If you have experience being washed by his blood and filled with his spirit, let me know about your experience in the comments and subscribe if you haven’t already. Also, feel free to contact me by leaving your name, email, and request if you would be interested in a more in depth Bible Study on what I have covered in this post.
