“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” – Romans 6:22

The call to a holy life is found throughout the Word of God.  From the beginning, we were created in God’s image and gifted fellowship with Him.  His holiness was manifested towards us and we lost that noble estate.  From that point forward God has been about bringing us back to it.  His design is to make again that which was broken, but to make it anew; sin separates us from God, but holiness reunites us.  The redemption is available though the blood of Jesus Christ.  The archetype of holiness, the example, the lamb that was slain, the Savior and sanctifier; Jesus Christ brought holiness back to mankind.   

        When you Google the definition of holiness you find there on your screen “the state of being holy”.  So then you next move is to Google the definition of holy.  One will then find that holy is defined as “sacred or dedicated to the service of God.”  The vessels of old in the temple were holy vessels.  They were dedicated and devoted to the service of God.  So we also are made holy, dedicated, and devoted to the service of God when His Holy Ghost comes in.  Jesus was holy.  He did always the will of God and his heart loved God and loved his neighbor.  We can be brought into that same purity; concerning the heart.  Our “want-to’s” can be changed through the power of God and we can be in the likeness of His holiness.  Through the line of time the word holiness has taken on a different connotation, it is more so thought of when describing certain religious figures such as the Pope or the Deli Lama.  It is not ascribe to practical religion, certainly not thought of in relation to personal salvation.  The reality of it is….is that holiness is a reality.  You, me, anyone, can come to know a true experience of holiness of heart and life.  We just have to die.  The death route is the only route, because, as said above, you have to be “made free from sin” first.  Sin is a hindrance to the will of God, so you have to die to it.  How?  By sacrificing yourself: your, self; that is: your plans, your wishes, your wants, your everything.  You give up yourself and all the sinning you’ve done or want to do.  You have to get to the place where everything from the house that you own, to the gum in your pocket, is God’s.  You give you heart to him; you give it all to him.  When you get there you have died, and a dead man is a man free from sin.  It’s not an easy place to get to, but once you get there, you wonder why it took you so long.  Once you die, then and only then, God can raise you anew.  He can bring you into fellowship with himself through the vehicle of the Holy Ghost.  We die so we can live, live unto God, live unto holiness, live as Jesus lived; in complete fellowship with God. 

It is not by works, or knowledge, or merit that we are brought into fellowship with God.  We are made free from sin, by the merit of Jesus Christ, and His shed blood.  Like the song says: “Dark the sin that spoiled man’s nature and long the distance that he fell.  Far removed from hope and heaven near to deep despair and hell.  But there was a fountain open and the blood of Gods own Son, purifies the soul and reaches deeper than the stain has gone.”  You can be made free from sin, and you can become a servant to God, instead of a servant to the devil.  The devil writes a poor paycheck.  God gives liberally.  The blessing of holiness is the highest calling of man, and nothing glorifies God more than a life of holiness.  There is no greater joy than to walk in truth.  Do you believe this?  If you have faith, you can have holiness.

This post is a repost from "Wednesday Weekly", a blog written by Patrick Collins. You can read this post in it's original format here.