March, 2008 Prayerletter

I was recently preaching in a Revival Meeting in New York during the 2nd week of December.  Between all the snow and ice, I felt God really blessed the meeting.  The pastor and I were discussing the sins in Christian’s lives and the absence of holiness from our pulpits and congregations in many Churches today.  I am NOT talking about discipline or self-righteousness.

 So God has impressed upon my heart to talk about the doctrine of holiness, this month…

THE STIGMA OF BEING HOLY

“I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh.  For as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now
yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.”  (Romans 6:19)
 
There is no doubt that holiness is both the aim and the goal of religion.  But I for one, have NOT met many Christians who have set the mark or even reached the goal that they can properly be identified as holy.  The Truth IS…We will NOT be completely holy [Conformed to the image of Christ] until Christ returns and we get our glorified bodies.  But we can still do much better than we are now.

 And yet I am of the opinion that despite all of this, even the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is difficult, if not impossible to find anybody that is holy as the Bible teaches us.  Please stay with me.  I am not talking about self-righteousness.  I want to talk about this issue because I am concerned about what appears to be an absence of holiness and Christ-likeness and an absence of those who are themselves holy within the Institution of the Church as we know it.

 It disturbs me that we have come to the 21st Century and what folks are most likely to find in the Church is not holy Christians [Christ-like], but instead a peculiar contradiction.  Those are folks who prefer to be Christians of the generic kind without any requirement for living Christ-like.

 It bothers me that many times we who are supposed to represent Christ-likeness or holiness, who say that we have been convicted and converted [Born-Again] to a lifestyle that is suppose to be holy and more like our Savior.

 It bothers me that even though God’s Word speaks of holiness and defines holiness and requires holiness, that not many preachers are not preaching about holiness and Christ-likeness today.  And as a result not many Christians are living in the path and pattern of holiness.  In fact, just to talk about holiness causes some folks to be uncomfortable.  It causes others to get nervous while others are turned off by it.

 You are aware, of course, that this matter of holiness is not my idea.  Holiness and [Christ-likeness] is not an option.  The Bible teaches us that God’s people are, by definition, a holy people and a holy nation: “Sanctify yourselves and therefore, be ye holy: For I am the Lord you God.” (Lev. 20:7)

 Psalms says that the place of Worship is at His Holy Hill.  The Scriptures teach that the Temple of God is Holy.  Paul told young Timothy that God has called us with a holy calling.  God’s Name is Holy.  Even the Word of God which we preach from was written by holy men who were inspired by the Holy Ghost.

 So at the Biblical level it is a clear concept that holiness and holy are to be part of the Christian life.  This note on iniquity and holiness, which comes from an aging Apostle whose days are indeed numbered, does not, I will admit, usually provide proper kindling for preaching fire.  And yet, here is Paul writing from Corinth with love to those whom he says are “Called To Be Saints.”

 To these, the unclean, the impure, the defiled, the dirty, the weak and the wicked, to these Paul says:  YIELD YOUR MEMBERS SERVANTS TO RIGHTEOUSNESS UNTO HOLINESS.  What Paul is addressing here is the manner by which sinners can escape the power of sin.  It is here that Paul reminds us in (V.23) that the wages of sin is death.  Paul is saying that once a man is converted, he is no longer what he was.  The converted man was once a servant of sin, but now that he has a brand new walk in Christ, we are no longer servants of sin but servants of righteousness.

 After Salvation [New Birth] the change of moving from what I used to be, is achieved by yielding ourselves to the Holy Spirit.  Holiness is not something that we do, but something that the Holy Spirit does as He conforms us to the image of Christ.

 In other words, one does not just stumble upon holiness.  Paul insists that if you seek or desire the Fruits of the Spirit, then you must decide to give up, to surrender, to yield your bodies “Servants of Righteousness.”  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)

 Holiness is not about what you wear; Holiness is about how you walk with God.
 Holiness is not about the Cross that your wear; Holiness is about the Cross that you bear.
 Holiness is not about the Bible that your carry; Holiness is about the Bible that carries you.
Holiness is not about how well you preach; Holiness is about how well you pray.
 Holiness is not if you are an officer; Holiness is if you are a witness.
 Holiness is not about the quantity of your tithe; Holiness is about the quality of your Christian life.
Holiness is not about how high you can jump; Holiness is about how well you serve God when you come back down.

 The Holy Spirit is not power to be used, but He is a person to be yielded to, so that you might be used.  Holiness is not something that we do, but something that the Holy Spirit does in us and through us.  If God is Holy, then His children [Born-Again], believers, and His Church along with those men of God who lead them should be as well.  This only happens when the Holy Spirit gets more of us in every area of our lives.

 Please, don’t think that I think that I have arrived in any way.  But I am saying that all of us have room for improvement.  Let’s make a decision that we’re going to live our lives and lead God’s People to be more Christ-like so the we might bring Honor and Glory to God our Father.

 I encourage you and I too pray for one another that we might strive to live holy lives and be more like Christ.  To put Christ first in our lives that we might show others how God manifest Himself in us that others will desire the Holy Spirit working in their Christian life and not grieve Him.

 This decision begins by each of us denying self and pleasing God, instead of denying Christ and pleasing ourselves.  May God Bless You is my prayer.
 
A Servant Of The Lord,
 
Bro. Randy Davis
(Isa. 40:31)