Holiness

Not a Look—a Lifestyle

            How does one live holy?  As much as some people attempt to make it difficult or impossible, living holy is possible or God would not have asked us to do so.  “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (I Peter 1:15,16).
            How does one define holiness?  True holiness is defined by being as much like God as we can.  We exhibit love for all, compassion for all, and a right relationship with God so that He may guide us in all that we do.  If we refuse to obey His Word, we cannot be in a right relationship with God.  We must also remember that we are not gods and we do not have the right to tell God what He can or cannot do either with others or through others.

            Holiness is not defined by man’s inept legalism. If a woman is truly holy, her clothing will completely cover her extremities, her hair will be covered, and she will be void of make-up and jewelry. There are no specifics as to how to define how a man is holy as to how they should dress. So says legalism.

            What is legalism?  Legalism is the way of the Pharisees and the Scribes.  These are the rules by which leaders determine who is holy and who is not.  Legalism is another word for bondage.  Bondage hinders and prohibits the Holy Spirit from directing and guiding an individual and keeps people controlled by other people.  Jesus warns us in The Word when talking about the Pharisees, ”Thus you are nullifying and making void and of no effect [the authority of] the Word of God through your tradition, which you [in turn] hand on. And many things of this kind you are doing” (Mark 7:13 Amplified).  In this particular passage He is referring to how the Pharisees attempt to control men as it relates to the care of their parents.  It also holds true for much of the church world. 
            How many rules does a church have?

1)     There are rules for dressing in order to come into the sanctuary. 

2)      There are rules for committing a portion of one’s income to support the church.

3)      There are rules for what one can do outside the church building. 

4)     There are rules for whom one can hold associations or affiliations. 

5)     There are rules for when to come to church.

6)     There are rules for who can teach or preach. 

7)     There are rules for where one can sit in the church. 

8)     There are rules for the women. 

9)     There are rules for the men. 

10) There rules for the young people.

11) There are rules for the rules.