Introduction⤒🔗

We know from Scripture that we are called to holiness. To mention one reference, Hebrews 12:14 admonishes us: "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." How can we know this holiness? This involves keeping watch over oneself. It calls for personal self-discipline. Godliness or personal holiness is worked by the Holy Spirit in the heart of a believer. But the blessed Spirit is willing to use the means of pursuing holiness. We are called to ex­ercise ourselves unto godliness. "Exercise thyself unto godliness" (1 Tim. 4:7). This exercising of oneself has everything to do with keeping close watch over oneself and self-discipline. This is the way we are called to pursue holiness.

Maintaining a close watch over ourselves and stimulating self-discipline in our lives will result in a close walk with the Lord. We will have strength in times of need. This self-discipline breeds people who can face the challenges of the world. It breeds people who are rooted in the Word of God. It breeds people who do not follow the majority in doing evil, but who live by the principle of "sola Scriptura." They are the ones who fear God. They stimulate others and are examples to others. In our day, we need people who are personally instructed by the Holy Spirit and who by grace know this activity of exercising themselves unto godliness.

We need personal instruction and the guidance of the Lord. Those who neglect to receive personal comfort and instruction from the Word of God will become dry. They will become run-down. They will wither away. Perhaps others will not notice it right away, but you yourself will feel it. You will sense that the joy is gone and your zeal is lacking. Sins prevail. There is neglect of communion with the Lord Jesus. A close walk with the Lord will be lacking. Your words will have no power or strength. That is why a child of God needs to maintain a strict watch over self. Self-discipline and personal holiness are closely connected.

It is my plan to write on this topic in a series of three articles. In this first article I will attempt to portray some aspects concerning holiness in general. In the second article, we will see some things concerning the principles of self-discipline, and in the third article, I wish to focus upon the connection between holiness and personal self-discipline.

The Nature of Holiness←⤒🔗

Our God is holy. The angels in heaven continually sing: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. We read in Psalm 89 that God swears by His holiness. Why? Because His holiness is the fullest expres­sion of Himself. Therefore in Scripture He is often called "the holy One." In Revela­tion 15 we hear the redeemed Church of Christ exalt: "Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord and glorify Thy Name? For Thou only art holy."

When we speak about holiness, we must always start by referring to the perfect holiness of God. In His blessed Being is found the sum of all moral excellency. He is absolutely pure and in Him there is not even the shadow of sin. Habakkuk cries out with awe: "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity." In Israel the Lord had appointed singers "that should praise the beauty of holiness" (2 Chron. 20:21). Charnock is correct when he writes: "Power is God's hand or arm, omniscience His eye, mercy His bowels, eternity His duration, but holiness is His beauty." Psalm 145 tells us that "the Lord is righteous in all His ways and holy in all His works."

We see God's holiness in His law. God is utterly opposed to sin. He hates sin. He loathes everything that is contrary to His holy law. He is the Holy One. Arthur Pink points out that this alone is the proof of the divine inspiration of the Scriptures:

Man could only think of a god patterned after their own evil hearts. An ultimate holy God Who has the utmost abhorrence of all sin, could never be invented by any of Adam's fallen descendants.

The Consequences of God's Holiness←⤒🔗

God is holy. His holiness is pure. This has consequences for us. In the first place, because God is holy, the utmost reverence becomes us when we approach Him. "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints. Exalt ye the Lord our God and worship at His footstool, He is holy" (Ps. 89:7; 99:5). The holiness of God has implications on how we come to church, and on how we are dressed in coming to God's house. It has implications on how we address the holy God in prayer. His holiness should lead us to fear Him.

Besides this fear and utmost reverence towards the Lord there is also another consequence: "Be ye holy, for I am holy" (1 Pet. 1:16). Because God is holy, we should desire to be conformed to Him.

We are not called to be omnipotent, neither are we called to be omniscient, as God is, but we are called to be holy and that in all manner of conversation (cf. 1 Peter 1:15).

Here lies the basis of our subject. The call to holiness is rooted in the fact that God is holy. We think about holiness, because God is holy. We are called to be holy.

Is the Call for Holiness Outdated?←⤒🔗

Holiness is not a word that is "in" today. Man is not concerned about his personal relationship to God. The great question of Luther: "How shall I find a merciful God?" is not relevant to the minds of many. The question of personal sanctification or holiness seems outdated to many. The Lutheran World Federation already stated in the 60's, that the main question of man today is: "Where is God?" Modern man does not suffer because he sins, but he suffers because of the emptiness of his existence. He does not ask for a merciful God, but man asks: "Does God exist?"

Even in present discussions in the Netherlands the focus is changing among Reformed ministers when they discuss the problem of "Godsverduistering" ("Where is God? Has God hidden His face from us?") Without saying that these Reformed ministers deny the necessity of holiness, we can still discern a shifting of emphasis.

It is Scriptural to emphasize sanctification. This holiness or sanctification is a result of the vital union that exists between Christ and a man. "He that abideth in Me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit" (Jn. 15:5).

What Does it Mean to be Holy?←⤒🔗

Sanctification is a fruit of regeneration. It is a result of the renewing work of the Holy Spirit. To be sanctified a person must be born again. The Holy Spirit must enter his or her heart with power and change the attitudes, desires, longings and fears of a person.

John Owen says that "sanctification and holiness is nothing but the implant­ing and writing and realization of the Gospel in our souls."

Listening to some other Puritans on this topic we want to quote the following:

Thomas Brooks: "Holiness is a flower that grows not in nature's garden. Men are not born with holiness in their hearts as they are born with tongues in their mouths. Holiness is of a divine offspring; it is a pearl of great price."

Traill: "It is the implanting and the engraving of the Image of Christ upon the poor soul."

Flavel: "What health is to the heart, that is holiness to the soul."

Watson: "It is absurd to imagine that God should justify a people and not sanctify them."

True sanctification is the evidence of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which is essential to salvation. The Holy Spirit never lies dormant in the soul, but brings forth fruit. Paul says in Galatians 5:22 that "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance and such like." When these things are not present, men are spiritually dead before God.

The Spirit is often compared to the wind. We cannot see the wind, but we can observe the influence of the wind. We can hear the waves roaring. We can see trees bending and branches waving. So we can also observe the effects of the Spirit of God.

Imitation Holiness?←⤒🔗

We may not confuse certain personal attributes or qualifications with the work of the Holy Spirit. There is much counterfeit work of so-called holiness or dedication to God, that certain people lift up and then confuse with the genuine work of the Holy Spirit. A man may go to great lengths and yet never reach true holiness. We can have lots of knowledge and we can even be in the service of God, but still be unsaved, without holiness. Balaam is an example. We can belong to those who profess the name of the Lord Jesus but still not belong to Him. Judas Iscariot is an example.

We can do many things to promote the outward church. Herod did that. We can be zealous for the true religion. Jehu did that, but it was carnal zeal. We can have a high morality and outwardly be re­spectable in conduct like the rich, young ruler. We can keep company with godly people, like Demas, Joab, and Gehazi. But none of these people knew holiness.

We Need Personal Holiness←⤒🔗

The inevitable question comes to us: "Do you and I know this personal holiness?" It could be that we have a name that we are holy, but are we personally holy? What are our personal fears? Where are our desires? What are our wants? What do we abhor and what do we wish to have? What do we delight in?

Perhaps you think the people of God are too strict, too particular, and too serious? Perhaps you would rather avoid them. Do you not delight in their company? Don't you like their talk of indwell­ing sin, of humility, of fearing the Lord and trembling for His Word? This is how the people of God are portrayed in God's Word. There will be no other company of men in heaven. Do you still not like them? It is because you don't belong lo them. It is because you are still a stranger to holi­ness.

Perhaps your situation is one in which you don't like to read God's Word for yourself. You consider it to be dull and pessimistic work, something to be tolerated but not to be enjoyed. Do you think the sabbath is a burden? Do you think that praying is a waste of time and it doesn't help anyway? But in heaven it will always be sabbath, singing and worshipping.

It can even be that you delight in carnal pleasures, and in worldly things. The ungodly, the lusts of this world and of the flesh are attractive to you. Profane and worldly-minded people attract you. Remember that there shall be none of this in heaven.

The question of holiness is therefore a personal matter. That is the only way in which we can really consider this topic. Do you and I know this genuine work of holiness in our lives?