The Indispensability of Holy Living

Last week we said that holiness means to be separated from sin and worldliness and be dedicated and devoted to God. As believers God’s absolute standard for us is to live a holy life. In God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John1:5). A life of sin is a life synonymous with darkness (John 3:19). Christ has come to make all those who believe in Him walk in the light, that is to live righteously (John 12:46). While one is not advocating sinless perfection, it however behoves us as believers to ensure that no sin rules or domineers us (Rom 6:12; Psalm 19:13; 1 John 3:9). Any sin you allow in your life, no matter how little can lead you to hell, because a little leaven leavens the whole lump (Gal 5:9).
Anyone who separates himself from the world and its lust thereof and has put on the garment of salvation and the robe of righteousness will enjoy the following benefits.

i. A life of constant fellowship and communion with God
Who shall abide in God’s tabernacle, ascend His holy hill and dwell in His holy presence? It is that man or woman who will not commit his or her hands into evil (whose hands are free from external acts of sin). It is he who walks uprightly, righteously and speaks truth in his heart. That man with an inward holiness coupled with the right motives and goals is he who will fellowship and commune with the God of the Bible (Psalm 15:1-2; 24:3-5).
The more that person fellowships with the holy God, the deeper his relationship with God grows. This results into transformation hooked on to Christ’s likeness and continues until His return when the transformation will be complete (2 Cor 3:18).

ii. Be used by God as a vessel of honour
God uses as vessels of honour, faithful believers who separate themselves from evil and hold tenaciously to the true gospel according to Biblical revelation. These are those who have a sure foundation in Jesus Christ and have departed from iniquity (2 Tim 2:19-21).

iii. Life of true prosperity
True prosperity is not money or wealth. True prosperity or success means possessing the wisdom to live righteously and be where God wants us to be, that is achieving God’s goal for our lives. This is achieved only when we follow God’s Word and law, making God’s Word guide all our beliefs and actions, studying God’s Word (Josh 1: and determine to seek earnestly the presence of God throughout our lives. Paul the Apostle counted all things as lost in order to attain true prosperity (Phi 3:. Peter and his brother Andrew, James and John the sons of Zebedee respectively forsook their profession and their father to be what God had ordained them to be (Mark 1:16-20). David’s uppermost desire is to dwell in the house of the Lord, to behold His beauty and inquire in His temple (Psalm 27:4).

iv. A life that brings glory and honour to God
A child of God who has the law of God written in his heart by the power of the Holy Spirit obeys God. The person through his lifestyle brings glory and honour to God. Christ Jesus in Mt 5:14 & 16 says “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” 2 Cor 3:2 “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men.”

v. Knowledge of the mind of God
We know the mind of God by the Spirit of God in us (1 Cor 2:10-12). The Spirit of God in us reveals the mind of God to our human spirit (Rom 8:26-27). We can only experience this revelation when we are Holy Spirit led (Acts 16:6-9). One who is carnally minded cannot please God, neither can he know God’s mind (Rom 8:7-. He like the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor 2:14). We can safely conclude that the person who knows the mind of God is that one who is totally yielded and committed to Him through his life of obedience and worship in spirit and in truth. It is that man whose mind is renewed and living a transformed life in Christ, who is able to test, prove and affirm that the will of God is good, desirable and perfect.


vi. Victory over Satan and powers of darkness
The fight against the forces of evil led by Satan is not a physical one but a spiritual battle. The fight is against the devil, principalities, powers, rulers of darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph 6:12). The Bible makes us to understand that this battle can only be won by using spiritual weapons. Although these are good spiritual exercises, but it is not won through conducting deliverance programmes, fasting and prayers or weekly all night prayers. It is won as we put on the whole armour of God, which enables us to stand against the wiles of the devil (Eph 6:11, 13). This armour includes truth, righteousness, faith, gospel of peace, salvation, and the Word of God backed by prayers (Eph 6:14-18). These elements are all embedded in the victory our Lord Jesus Christ secured for us Himself through His death on the cross. Our Lord waged a triumphant war against Satan the devil. He not only defeated him but disarmed the evil powers and authorities (Col 2:15), led captives in His train and redeemed believers from Satan’s powers. Therefore, whosoever will exercise this authority over Satan must be in Christ Jesus, the One Who owns the power. And we can only be in Him when we are living our lives in accordance with His Word.

vii. Eternity in heaven with God
No holiness, no entrance into heaven! Our being in heaven is not dependent on riches, neither is it dependent on poverty. It is not our earthly acquisitions e.g. properties, cars, private jets etc, that will take us there. Neither will our position or office in the church take us there. You may be a Pope, Cardinal, Archbishop, Bishop, Reverend, GS, GO, Pastor etc without getting there. Christ Jesus in Mt 5:8 said “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” To see God means to be His child and to dwell in His presence, both now and the future kingdom. Mt 5:9 says that peacemakers shall be called the children of God. We see from these two passages that it is the children of God (the peacemakers) who live in holiness that will see God. This is further confirmed by Heb 12:14 which says “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”

Conclusion
The importance of our living sanctified and holy lives cannot be over-emphasised. It is not an option for anyone who calls himself or herself a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our relationship with God is intertwined with our living holy lives. We not only live it, but advocate that other believers do the same.

The church must preach and emphasise on holy living. This should be her focus, while other areas should be secondary. She has to boldly preach against sin. Sin must be treated as it is: rebellion against God. Sin is not ‘bad behaviour’ or ‘bad character’ or ‘bad habit’ like some modern day pastors now call it. Sin is a cankerworm that permeates the very existence of any human being, eats the person up and brings on him or her eternal damnation. We have to note that God Who is love (1 John 4: is also a consuming fire (Heb 12:29) and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb 10:31).
Ministers who emphasise so much on money and material acquisitions, while paying lip service to the importance of righteousness and holy living do so to their own peril and to that of their members. Members Be Warned!
Let us remember that our citizenship as believers is in heaven (Phi 3:20). We are not of this world (John 17:14). We are strangers and aliens on the earth (Heb 11:13). Heaven is now our fatherland as we have been born from above (John 3:3). Our names are now in heaven’s register. As citizens of heaven, our lives are guided by heaven’s standards with our rights and inheritance reserved in heaven.

He, who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

God bless you.