#8 How to Remain Holy in Our Private Lives

Remaining Unspotted From The World

In this post on holiness in action, I want to focus on how we can remain holy in our private lives. James 1:27 provides a great bridge from my last post about holiness being displayed through our loving actions, words, and generosity towards others to the serious work of preserving holiness in our personal lives. It says, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” Religion can be defined as the practices through which we serve and worship God. As a Christian, the way I am set apart as holy unto God illustrates the religion I adhere to. The first signs of the pure, undefiled holiness mentioned in this verse are loving actions toward others in need. The second part of the verse describes intentional, active work to maintain holiness or separateness from the filthiness of a world not set apart unto God. As you read, discover some things the Bible warns us to avoid and actions it instructs us to take in order to accomplish this.

Be Careful Little Eyes What You See

Too many people try to perform the outward actions of Christianity after their initial conversion without changing much, if anything, in their private lives. Unfortunately, maintaining God mandated holiness with this attitude is simply impossible. They may fool many people, but God sees all and is not fooled.

The Bible directs us to be careful of what we watch, read, listen to, and even who we spend time with. Psalms 101:3 says, “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” With today’s pervasive video on tv or internet services, in addition to reading materials, signage, and scantily clad people easily seen, it takes concerted effort to “set no wicked thing” before our eyes. In our world, we will inevitably see wicked things. However, we do have the power to avoid actively or intentionally viewing something that could have been avoided. An obvious example would be to carefully monitor what we watch on tv or stream. So many believe that we are only to monitor our children’s media content. Perhaps it would help to think of ourselves as God’s children in this context and ask if he would put that program on for us to watch or listen to. In fact, in writing this I couldn’t help but remember the children’s song, “Be Careful Little Eyes What You See.”

The second part of that verse says, “I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cling to me.” This refers to hating the evil works of those who are not following a righteous path and not wanting to be associated with the things they do. 1 Corinthians 15:33 in the New King James Version says, “Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits.” This should not be interpreted to mean we should never interact with sinful people. However, we should not be around when they are behaving sinfully. We should be the light that everyone recognizes, and thus halts ungodly behavior when we come near. Otherwise, we must leave and remain “unspotted from the world.”

If we watch, listen to, or hang around evil behavior, we will also inevitably think about it. Philippians 4:8 instructs “Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” When we intentionally keep these wonderful things at the forefront of our mind, the holiness God commands will naturally be cultivated. What we purposefully see, hear, and who we associate with, can help immensely in this endeavor.

Avoiding Fleshly Actions

Sexual Immorality

One type of ungodly behavior to avoid placing before our eyes as well as participating in, is sexual immorality. The Bible admonishes against this sin numerous times. One example in 1 Corinthians 6:9 says, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,” Another passage, Galatians 5:19 states, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness.” Also, a dire warning is given in 1 Corinthians 6:18, “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” These are only a small sample of Bible verses about sins of sexual immorality.

Unless otherwise noted, I use the King James Version of the Bible and some of these words describing sins are no longer in regular use and so should be defined. Dictionary.com gives the following definitions.

Effeminate

(of a man or boy) having traits, tastes, habits, etc., traditionally considered feminine, as softness or delicacy.

characterized by excessive softness, delicacy, self-indulgence, etc.:
effeminate luxury.

Lascivious:

inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd:
a lascivious, girl-chasing old man.

arousing sexual desire:
lascivious photographs.

indicating sexual interest or expressive of lust or lewdness:
a lascivious gesture.

Fornication:

voluntary sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons or two persons not married to each other.

“Abusers of themselves with mankind’

Most versions translate this phrase as those commiting homosexual acts.

See Bible Hub for the various translations of that verse.

Because the Bible warns of the immediate and eternal consequences of these sins, we must avoid them at all costs. The world may accept and embrace them as normal, but they exemplify some of the filthiness of the world we must remain unspotted from. In fact, Jesus in Matthew 5:28-29 goes as far as to say, “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.” This indicates how vital it is that, not only must we avoid participation in these sins, but we must also avoid voluntarily placing them before our eyes. We must recognize the possibility of these images igniting lust within us, a sin in itself.

In fact, the Word of God goes farther in its warnings around this topic. We are not even to eat or hang out with someone who is a fornicator (or committing one of the other sins mentioned,) while simultaneously being called a fellow Christian. 1 Corinthians 5:11 states, “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.” This might seem harsh, however, a large part of being holy consists of a separation from the world that allows God’s holiness to shine through us and attract others to Himself. This can’t happen if the world sees us ignoring or promoting the sin of someone in our Christian fellowship. Of course, if that person confesses their sin and truly repents (turns away from it), God completely washes them in his blood, and they become clean again.

Drunkeness and Insobriety

In his word, God instructs us to maintain sobriety. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” When drunk or high, a person automatically loses some degree of alertness and ability to react to danger, both physical and spiritual. Instead they are more easily blindsided by evil and influenced to participate in it. Just think about stories you’ve seen or heard about things happening at parties where many revelers are under the influence. Intoxicated people will do and say what they otherwise wouldn’t if sober. The devil and demons use this state of mind as an opportunity to get a foothold in someone’s life. As his cherished vessels, God wants us protected from being damaged or devoured prey oppressed or possessed by demons.

Proverbs 20:1 lets us know, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” We must exercise wisdom as Christians. Our joy must come from our salvation. When we feel overwhelmed, we can get strength from our real connection to the God of the universe within us. Ephesians 5:18 commands, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;” A renewal of the Holy Ghost is all that we need. .

Covetousness and Greed

As the next verse I will reference indicates, not only is murder, drunkenness, and reveling (wild partying) prohibited to someone wanting to be holy and make heaven, but so is envy. Galatians 5:21 says. “Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Jesus never wants us to compare ourselves to others. His example and his instructions alone should be our measuring stick. God created each person to give glory to him in a unique manner only intended for that individual. If we need something, we are to turn to him and he will supply all our needs. If we don’t have something nor are given the ability to obtain it, then we must trust God’s perfect will can be accomplished in us without it.

Paul said in Philippians 4:11-13, “ Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Christ gave him the strength to have contentment even while suffering and living without.

Jealousy, envy, covetousness, and greed have no place in a Christian’s life. In Luke 12:15 Jesus taught, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” Hebrews 13:5 in the New King James states, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Finally, greed is the coveting or insatiable desire for money. It will lead to further sin and sorrow. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Once again, in our personal lives, we must guard our hearts against allowing money, things, or even position from becoming more important to us than pleasing God with a holy life.

Pride Versus Humility

Not only must we avoid envying things belonging to others, but we must also guard against coveting positions, power, or fame. If we acquire any of those things and become prideful as a result, we sin. No longer set apart for God’s use and glory, pride causes us to claim glory for ourselves. People will no longer see God through us because we want them to see us instead. Perhaps for this reason James 4:6 says, “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” God will not share his glory.

Rather than pride, we must practice humility and submission. Philippians 2:3 instructs, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” In this verse Paul is teaching an assembly of believers. He warns against doing things because of selfish ambition or conceited pride. Instead, we should value others above ourselves. In a letter to another assembly, he takes it a step further and writes in Ephesians 5:21, “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” These are not natural human inclinations, but by allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to work through us they can be achieved. If we practice this radical humility, God promises to reward us when he sees fit. 1 Peter 5:6 declares, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”

Dying Out To Our Fleshly Desires

In writing this post, 1 John 2:16 came to mind. I realized that this verse which summarizes the roots of all sins, also nicely encapsulates each of the categories of sin I wrote about that keep us from holiness. It reads, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” Sexual immorality and even drunkenness stem from a lust (ungodly desire) of our flesh. Envy, covetousness, and greed are all products of a lust for what our eyes see. Evidently, the pride of life comes to the surface when we reject humility and are lifted up with pride in ourselves. In each of these cases, we are placing our own desires (lusts) for pleasure, things, or praise ahead of our worship of God. Thus, they have become our idols, and we are no longer unspotted from the world.

The Bible instructs us to repent and die out to our fleshly desires. 1 John 2:15 says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.” Paul even announced that he died daily. He instructed us in Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” We must continually repent, die out to our own desires, putting his desires for us first. We must let him transform and renew our mind so that we may be his holy vessels doing his perfect will.

Thank You

Finally, I’d like to thank you for reading this post. I hope you have been helped by it. I have heard and seen that many have visited this blog. However, there are very few subscribers. That may be because some may not realize that it is a 2-step process to subscribe. First you must click the black subscribe button and fill out the form. Then you must reply to the follow up email to confirm your desire for a subscription. If you are subscribed, you should get an email when I publish a new post. Just for your information, I also have a Health, Holiness, and Hallelujahs Facebook page where I announce when I publish a new article as well as other things occasionally. Thanks again for your time and sharing this site with friends and on social media. We must all strive to draw closer to Jesus in holiness during these difficult times. The world around us needs to see him in us more than ever. God Bless You All!