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Emphasis Mine In All Bible Verses
There is little or no emphasis on sin in the modern church. It lies breathing its last, buried below mega star preachers, flamboyant preaching, worship teams that could find work in many Broadway productions, large "crusades", exciting "revivals", one manmade creative program after the other, and glitz and glamour that Hollywood could be proud of. Yet the Bible says "Without Holiness, No Man Shall See God!" (Hebrews 12:14) in view of which perhaps it would be wise to know exactly what it means by holiness€.
Part I - Introduction HERE
The Holiness of God
One of the primary attributes of God is that He is holy. However, He does not conform to a standard of holiness - He is the standard of holiness.
The Call To Holiness in Both Testaments
Holiness Is Not Optional
Too many modern day teachers say "just believe" -
the Bible says "Pursue... holiness, without which no one will see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14). Who are you going to believe?
The Warnings
Jesus did not say you should not serve God and mammon, but you cannot serve God and mammon
Both Holiness and Sinfulness Have Eternal Consequences
A lack of holiness is an insurmountable barrier to a relationship with God.
Modern 'Holiness'
Reading inspirational 'Christian' messages, daily doses of wisdom from Proverbs, uplifting Bible verses and listening to a 15-20 minute sermon every Sunday is NOT holiness
Part II - What is Holiness? HERE
Separation
Separation - Emphasized From Cover to Cover of The Bible
"...Come out from their midst and be separate (Gk. aphorizo) ," says the Lord. "and do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you. (2 Corinthians 6:17" However, since it is obvious that we cannot physically leave this planet, how do we 'come out from among them'? Do Christians have to isolate himself from the world and everything in it?
Perfection
When Abraham was instructed to "be perfect" in Genesis 17:1 (KJV) and Noah was described as such in Genesis 6:9 (KJV), the Hebrew word used in both cases was tâmîym that means entirely (literally, figuratively or morally) without blemish, undefiled, upright etc. In Matthew 5:48 and 19:21 Jesus echoed His Father's instructions to Abraham telling His listener/s to "be perfect" (Gk. teleios). In other words, 'perfection' means both 'completeness' and moral uprightness.
Part III - Applying The Principles of Separation HERE
The great importance the Bible places on separation brings up the question of how exactly a believer in the 21st century is to distance himself from the world. To what extent can a Christian be involved with secular society? Do they have to isolate themselves from the world and everything in it in order to be considered 'holy'? Are Christians supposed to look and sound religious? What about material possessions?
Part IV - Overcoming Sin HERE
Sin Causes Us to Fall Short of Perfection
We forget that although many sins often seem to be fun, pleasurable, or beneficial in some way, they estrange us from the Father. Even if we have the desire to do what is right we often fail because we have two natures that are in complete opposition to one another. So if you find yourself in the position of falling repeatedly it is time to go beyond good intentions and employ a more concrete strategy to defeat whatever it is that is tempting you.
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