Holiness

What is Holiness?

¤  `Holiness is wholeness to God. The soul is surrendered to God. The will, and even the thoughts, are brought into subjection to the will of Christ. The love of Jesus fills the soul, and is constantly going out in a clear, refreshing stream, to make glad the hearts of others.' (6BC1076)

¤  Agreement with God (5T743)

¤  Doing God's will (MB149)

¤  Entire surrender of will to God (AA51)

¤  Foundation of God's throne (TM145)

Where Does Holiness Come About?

`Those who receive the Saviour become the sons of God. They are His spiritual children, born again, renewed in righteousness and true holiness. Their minds are changed. With clearer vision they behold eternal realities. They are adopted into God's family, and they become conformed to His likeness, changed by His Spirit from glory to glory. From cherishing supreme love for self, they come to cherish supreme love for God and for Christ. ' (6BC1117)

What will holy people be like?

¤  Loving

¤  Joyful

¤  Peaceful

¤  Patient

¤  Kind

¤  Good

¤  Faithful

¤  Gentle

¤  Self-controlled

Galatians 5:22)

Two Classes Only?

`He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.' (Matthew 25:33)

By what will the sheep be identified?

`I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' (Matthew 25:35,36)

When last did I feed a hungry person?

When last did I entertain a stranger?

When last did I give clothing to the poor?

When last did I care for the sick?

When last did I visit a prisoner?

Can we make ourselves holy?

`Man cannot transform himself by the exercise of the will.' (Christ's Object Lessons, p.96)

`Of ourselves we are no more capable of living a holy life than was the impotent man capable of walking.' (Desire of Ages, p. 203)

How do we become holy?

`The Saviour does not bid the disciples labour to bear fruit. He tells them to abide in Him.' (Desire of Ages, p.677)

`If we abide in Christ, if the love of God dwells in us, our feelings, our actions, our thoughts, our purposes will be in harmony with the will of God, as expressed in His holy law.' (Steps to Christ, p.61)

How do we abide in Jesus?

We Do Not Focus On Our sins

`We shall not gain a particle of strength by dwelling on the discouragements. By beholding we become changed. As we look in faith to Jesus, His image is engraven on the heart. We are transformed in character.' (E. G. White, Letter 134, 1903)

`Let us, then, take our minds off the perplexities and the difficulties of this life, and fix them on Him, that by beholding we may be changed into His likeness.' (SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, p. 970)

We Focus on Jesus

`By beholding Christ, by talking of Him, by beholding the loveliness of His character we become changed. Changed from glory to glory. And what is glory? Character.' (E. G. White, Sons and Daughters of God, p.337)

`It is a knowledge of Christ as the sin bearer, as the propitiation for our iniquities, [as the one who made peace between God and man,] that enables us to live a life of holiness. This knowledge is the safeguard for the happiness of the human family.' (Selected Messages Vol.1, p.264)

`Nothing reaches so fully down to the deepest motives of conduct as a sense of the pardoning love of Christ.' (Desire of Ages, p.493)

The Principles That Govern
The Change of The Mind

`It is a law of the mind that it gradually adapts itself to the subjects upon which it is trained to dwell.' (Patriarchs and Prophets, p.596).

`Our religious experience is of exactly the same quality as the food we give our minds.' (Unpublished Testimonies, p.57)

How Do We Look To Jesus?

`His power, His very life, dwells in His word. As you receive the word in faith, it will give you power to obey.' (MB150)

`It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. As we look to Him and think of Him, He will be formed within, the hope of glory.' (DA83; 7BC970)

` ``Pray to thy Father which is in secret.'' In the name of Jesus we may come into God's presence with the confidence of a child. No man is needed to act as a mediator. Through Jesus we may open our hearts to God as to one who knows and loves us.' (MB84)

`He has granted men the privilege of becoming partakers of the divine nature and, in their turn, of diffusing blessings to their fellow men. Those who thus become participants in labors of love are brought nearest to their Creator. (SC79)

`The only way to grow in grace is to be disinterestedly doing the very work which Christ has enjoined upon us - to engage, to the extent of our ability, in helping and blessing those who need the help we can give them.' (SC80)

We Refuse To Look At Evil

`Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? . . . [He] who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil.' (Isaiah 33:14,15).

`Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness. In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.' (2 Timothy 19:19-21)

'The lust of the eye and corrupt passions are aroused by beholding and by reading. The heart is corrupt through the imagination. The mind takes pleasure in contemplating scenes which awaken the lower and baser passions.' (2T410)

We Avoid The Theatre & Television

`There is no influence in our land more powerful to poison the imagination, to destroy religious impressions, and to blunt the relish for the tranquil pleasures and sober realities of life than theatrical amusements.' (Testimonies Vol.4, p.653)

`The primary danger of the TV screen lies not so much in the behaviour it produces as in the behaviour it prevents.' (Psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner)

`If the things of this world are cherished, however uncertain and unworthy they may be, they will become all-absorbing.' (E. G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 520)

We Do Not Read Newspapers and Novels

`The press publishes the revolting details of vice, thus initiating others into the practice of fraud, robbery, and murder; and Satan exults in the success of His hellish schemes.' (DA586)

`Avoid reading and seeing things which will suggest impure thoughts. Let not these noble powers become enfeebled and peverted by much reading of even storybooks.' (2T410)

'Thousands are today in insane asylums whose minds became unbalanced by novel reading.' (HL 842)

'Novel and storybook reading are the greatest evils in which youth can indulge - (it makes children) air-castle builders, living in an unreal, and imaginary world. They become sentimental and have sick fancies. Their artificial life spoils them for anything useful.' (3T152)