very interesting class discussion this morning, all about holiness.
many differing viewpoints.
i know what i believe, but i am curious:
how man of you believe you are holy?
by that, i mean holy. :o) not saved in your sin, but from your sin.
how many of you believe that you live in total victory, that your sinful nature is crucified, that you're a slave of righteousness, that you've been filled with divine love?
i don't want to get into another holiness discussion right now (my brain hurts...i'm game for it at another time!), but i would love it if you would comment a sentence or two (no preaching, please) and tell me if you testify to holiness or not.
do you sin?
19 comments:
I think your holy after you ask for your sins to go away or be taking away. but after that if you sin agen then your no longer holy.
I sin, but go through times when i sin less...
is my doubt stopping me from not sinning full stop? Maybe its my disobedience...
Jesus saved me from my sin, once I understand that, from that point it is my choice to sin and spit at Him on the cross.
Kyrie elesione - Lord have mercy
Welp i prayed for holiness, for him to take control over the part of me that sins. but i havn't been holy for a month straight, but i think i am at this very moment, but if i sin again, i know right away it happened, and i gotta repent, and my holiness starts again, I know at some point there will be no more mess ups, and i will be holy 24/7, i just gotta make the right choice always. im excited for that point, maybe it will be today! :)
I thought I was Holy, but either I was mistaken, or I lost the blessing, as I know I have sinned since.
I feel as if I don't know enough about it - what it is and what it isn't, to know. Where I am there is both conflicting and insufficient teaching on it.
I think I want Holiness, but I still don't know what it is.
i had this huge thing to say olivia.
but you didn't ask for a discussion, so i'm not gonna be the one to start it.
i sin. i am not holy.
except, that the bible states that by Jesus dying on the cross we are made holy. so, my holiness is not by my own striving or my own acheivement. any holiness i have or am able to have is by Jesus' death on the cross. He has made me holy.
again, it's not about me. it's all about Jesus.
only by the death of Jesus and him standing in the guilt of my sin am i made holy.
From the Pastoral letter of General Clifton, with whom I'd have to agree:
In his sacred heart, God also has a longing for each of us to be victorious. He offers us a life of victory over temptation, over sin, and over self. This becomes possible when we are living under the feet of Christ, in submission to the Saviour (Ephesians 1:22). To be victorious we must submit to Christ.
Sadly, I'm not always submissive.
I don't know that I can have an experience of Holiness, without the fullness of the Holy Spirit (perhaps a loaded word, fullness).
All I know is that I had to do an assignment on holiness a while back and in my reading I went back to some holiness gurus (Brengle has some really thorough teaching). I found out about the 'second blessing' and the idea really appealed to me, as I knew I was saved and I knew I struggled to live a life reflecting Jesus, so I was missing something important....
I found freedom in re-commiting my life to Christ and praying for the Holy Spirit to be in me to the extreme. Its difficult to describe with words how I can be confident in my own Salvation and state of Holiness... I know for sure, I'm never EVER turning back - I'm chasing for more of the spirit, because its only by his indwelling that I can be truly Christ-like!
I wouldn't dare answer this - the only people who know are those who have to live with me. From time to time I need to find the courage to ask them!
:0)
Eleanor
Sister under private vows
Penzance Corps
Those who would truly be living a life of holiness wouldn't necessarily admit to such a life.
I recently read a book,"when a Christian sins", it's a dry and booring book, but it has a purpose. We as saved Christians will mess up and "fall short of the Glory of God". It's true, but what's great about being a Christian is that when we mess up we have Someone to go to! Paul said,(paraphrased version)"The things I should do I don't do, and the things I know I shouldn't do I keep doing!" He pointed out though that is the exact reason why Christ died for us. He new we couldn't behave, so God provided us with Christ so that we could live in right relationship with God! I know, no preaching, sorry. Sometimes I just can't help myself!
The fullness of Christ within my life, that is holiness. I believe the Scripture displays that God not only wants to save me from sin but also save me and all believers for something - holiness. But if I choose to fill my heart, my mind, my emotions with myself, depression, anger, pettiness - there is less room for Christ. that is not the fullness of Christ - that is the fullness of me. And as much as I might like that face in the mirror, a fullness of me is a paultry exchange for the holy life I could have in exchange of beng full of Christ.
Holiness is not an either/or state.
We are holy in Christ, because of his work for us. But we are still frail human beings with limitations - works in progress. We continue to grow into his likeness as we submit to him, but it is not as simple as some of us claiming "I am holy" and some of us saying "I am not holy" for whatever reason.
My answer to the question is both "yes" and "no." Strangely, we all Christians can say, "I am holy", because we are in Christ (just as in the New Testament all believers are called saints - which literally means "holy ones" and is the same Greek word as "holy"), and yet we must also admit that we are not completely holy, and continue to submit and trust in Christ's redeeming power to bring the good work to completion. We live our lives totally committed to him, because he has won holiness for us in his victory on the cross.
Number two through and through! Cleansed from all unrightosuness - Hallelujah! and yes I testify :-)
Punctuated by deep periods of doubt and sepair but always more than conqueror :-)
Number two through and through! Cleansed from all unrightosuness - Hallelujah! and yes I testify :-)
Punctuated by deep periods of doubt and sepair but always more than conqueror :-)
Man,oh man, this whole thought of "Are you holy?" is getting a bit ridiculous. When I talk to certain people, it's all they talk about. It's not, "How's your heart? or how can I serve or love you more?, it's "Are you holy?"
A lot of people I talk to don't even know what holy means. If I asked them this, it would turn them off completely. I'm not against holiness, God has called us to be Holy and ultimately be true followers of Him. I just think we can easily get caught up in these debates and thoughts. To me the number one prioroty is love. Sounds cheesy but it's true. God's number one command to us is to love Him with all of our hearts and love others.
Rob Reardon made a great point. Even if I was living a truly holy life, I wouldn't tell the world. It's not that I would be ashamed of it but pride can easily sink in.
When we ask each other if we are holy, a lot of times in directs the attention on us. We need to whole heartedly fix our eyes and our hearts on Jesus.
Let us lift each other on and love each other becasue love conquers all, God is love.
Peace.
Rob Reardon made a great point.
If I was living a Holy life, I wouldn't tell the world. Pride can easily sink in and it directs the focus on me. We need to whole heartedly fix our eyes and hearts on Jesus.
We need to love others. Most people I talk to wouldn't even know what Holy means. My heart's desire is to be more and more like Jesus.
I pray that God would teach us more and more humility. Love conquers all, God is love.
Peace.
if Jesus is holy, then the more we gaze at him...
This thought keeps pressing on my mind since reading this page tonight:
holiness begins as a smile.
it makes me smile because his children desire it so. Maybe the most holy we can be is to believe/know he will one day make us like him, because he loves us so.
if anyone is interested in what Brengle has to say on the matter:
http://articles.christiansunite.com/article6291.shtml
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