Walking in Holiness
The most satisfying and wonderful life in the world is walking in the holiness of Jesus Christ. The Father created us to be pure, and anything less is a reduction of our life. Our lips were formed beautifully to speak a pure language without guile or bitterness. The moment our lips begin to form dark and destructive thoughts it sends a chill down into the reservoir of our soul. When we begin to follow the worldÂ’s system and to pursue the worldÂ’s favor, it is like a nosedive off the pure plains of spiritual living and Heavenly satisfaction. The enemy paints a lovely picture, but the canvas of colors soon begins to blur and turns into shadows. Purity and holiness alone are the one source of pure happiness.
God’s Holy Word is infallible and supernatural. It prescribes a pure life and furnishes the grace to be transformed out of a life that destroys. Apostle Paul wrote to Titus and described the challenge of holiness. He spoke of disciplined living with responsible conduct and showed clearly the change that follows a conversion to Christ. “Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.” (Titus 3:1-3) This is what the Bible means by “walking in holiness.” It is a life that lifts the individual onto a level of clean and responsible living.
Each saint of God must never forget where he came from and who he once was. There are no perfect souls that have never sinned. Sin is most often insanity where the evil habits and passions carry the souls right down to the gutter of filth. One of the great statements describing conversion to Christ says, “from the guttermost to the uttermost.” Jesus Christ came to rescue the darkest sin-bound-soul in our midst. To the woman caught in the act of adultery and brought to Jesus Christ, He said after His grace had arrested her soul, “Go and sin no more.” She was a new creature.
The Gospel writer continues after the instruction above and speaks of the wonderful transformation of righteousness. “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.” (Titus 3:4-6) What marvelous words when he speaks of “the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Religion that only touches the intellect is woefully inadequate. Religious works are impossible to create change in the inner man, only grace can reach inside the human heart. We must have a heart transplant. Thank God our Savior accepts trade-ins. Give Him your old heart and let Him give you His new one.
The beautiful life will flow right out of that new heart that the Savior implants by grace. Keeping GodÂ’s great laws of righteousness is a joy to the soul with the new transplant. He creates us in righteousness so that righteousness becomes an exceeding joy. This new man replaces the old life of evil and cheap living. It pains the soul of a true saint to hear or see the godless conduct of wicked souls.
The great life of holiness is beautifully portrayed in Romans. Paul said, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” (Romans 6:6-12) Walking in holiness is beyond joy; it is exceeding joy. Being free from the bondage of moral depravity and unbridled conduct is like being turned out of a dark prison full of depraved inmates.
By grace and through faith in Christ and His Blood offering, you can be a new creature. As a new creature, you can help others discover the life in Christ offered free to one and all.