The How & Why of Holiness

How can one live a holy life? You will remember God's command: "Be ye holy, for I am holy" (1Peter 1:16), and we are to obey this command if we are to please Him. The idea of living a holy life is to promote practical holiness, and it is by the blessing of God, it may lead many of His followers to greater Christlikeness of life. Also, that they are lead to more usefulness in service to God.

The path that these people of God follow is a path on which thousands of God's children have found an unspeakable blessing. It is the way of holiness, and the pathway of power. They entered this path crying: "The good I could have done, I did not, but the evil which I would not, I did.

You must accept the Bible as the Word of God, and that it is eternally true and authoritative. If we believe the Bible is the Word of God, when we read it, we hear God speaking to us through its pages. If we are to tread the way of holiness firmly and without fear, we need a Bible in which, as someone has said, the Holy Spirit, while using men for the total and in the details too "has had His way all along in the details and the total also." A Bible, in short, not only contains, but is the Word of God.

One must surrender himself to God. When we thus surrender, we yield ourselves -- spirit, soul and body - utterly to God. There are some who have made this surrender, and in the moment of their consecration a tidal wave of blessing has swept their souls. They have been filled with a peace they never knew before. Some have asked after this happens: "Will it last?" Only the believer can make this happen.

How you make it happen is simple; you keep your faith in Jesus Christ. Never again should you doubt the Saviour's power; "All power is given" unto Him "in heaven and in earth" (Matthew 28:18). He is "able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20. Such trust brings success in meeting temptation. This success has no ground for boasting. It is not experienced because of anything in us, but because of the mighty power of God. It should lead to a more pronounced humility.

Now we ask, "Why should I be holy?" When we completely surrender to, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ - when we place everything into the hands of the Lord Jesus - there steals over the soul, a peace deep as a river, a peace that simply passes understanding (Philippians 4:7).

As we move on through life, we must stay in the Word of God - read scriptures daily. Another reason why we should strive to live a holy life, and since we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we will have a life overflowing which enables us to witness fearlessly. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard (Acts 4:20).

If we are interested in the wonderful promises of God - eternal life, a beautiful home and seeing Jesus in our midst, we should be anxious to be holy.

Now, for some of my own thoughts about living a holy life: humility is one of the most beautiful virtues known to mankind. This is a perfect way to begin your walk to holiness, and also to continue through life along with all other God-given traits. It is the virtue I admire most in people I meet or have known for some time. I also believe with all sincerity that since the secret of all holiness is faith in and fellowship with God, He, who is the Holy One is the author of all holiness in us.

Sources:

"A Holy Life and How to Live it," (adapted from the book by: G.H.C. MacGregor)
Moody Bible Institute, Center for External Studies

""The Way of Holiness," by: Stephen F. Olford, Crossway Books, Wheaton, ILL
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