A REVIVAL OF HOLINESS
Therefore having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. 2 Corinthians, Chapter 1, Verse 7.
To be Holy means to be “set apart” or “sanctified unto the Lord.” Holiness is a “state of being pure in heart.” John Wesley, the great revivalist, said, “Holiness is an attitude of the heart”. If we are HOLY, we are set apart from the rest of the World and totally dedicated to obeying the Commandments of God. Our hearts do not condemn us and we are at peace with ourselves and with God because we are FILLED with the fullness of Christ. When we are filled with His fullness we will desire to please Him rather than man.
Jesus praying to the Father said, Sanctify (set them apart) them by your Truth. Your Word is Truth.” John, Chapter 17, Verse 17. We are sanctified by the Truth. Jesus is the TRUTH. Jesus is the WORD. We are transformed into the image of Christ through the Truth of His Word. It is the Spirit of Truth which enters into our hearts (spirit) that transforms or makes us “Holy, even as He is Holy.” When Christ dwells within us richly we are set apart from the rest of the World.
If the Church is going to be found “Holy” when Jesus returns, there is going to have to be a Revival of Holiness. Many churches have lost the Light which once burned brightly in their midst. They have become apostate and the name “Ichabod” has been written over the doorways of these “whited sepulchers.”
Churches have forgotten they were called to be Holy and to serve Christ, not their own selfish desires. Many Churches which once were godly churches are now preaching a “different Christ” than the Jesus found in the HOLY BIBLE. Holiness is what sets true believers apart from an apostate Church. An apostate Church is a Church that displays a form of godliness but denies the Power of God.
Frank Bartleman, the Holiness preacher who attended the Azusa Street Outpouring wrote: “Where two or three have gathered in my name, there I am in their midst.” But, He can be in our midst a stranger! Ignored, unrecognized even by those who meet in His name! The Jews gathered in the Synagogue to speak of His name, and to prophecy of His coming. They praised the Name of the Father who promised to send Him. They spoke the Messiahs name with awe and reverence. Then when He came and walked among them He was not recognized! He was a stranger to them. Christ, a stranger in the midst of a Spirit filled congregation? A stranger in the midst of those who speak His name-who worship the Father who sent Him? A stranger to those who sing His hosannas who call Him “Lord, Lord?” Yes! It is not only possible – it is happening among God’s chosen people today!”
There are many Christians who try to live Holy. Unfortunately, they do not have godly leaders who will, or even know how, to lead them down the path of Righteous living. Holiness is not a suggestion, but a command. If we are not seeking to live a life of Holiness, we are missing the “Mark of the prize of the High calling of God in Christ Jesus.” If we cannot recognize and obey Christ as He walks among us, we are destined to follow another gospel. If we are not seeking daily to be “Holy as He is Holy,” we will surely be found unholy, needing then to be cleansed from all “filthiness of flesh and spirit.”
WITHOUT SPOT OR WRINKLE
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs; Chapter 7, Verse 1.
A wise man fears the Lord and seeks to please Him by cleansing himself from “all filthiness of flesh and spirit.” In doing so he is being perfected (found complete) in the Holiness of God. We have a treasure (divine nature of Christ) in these earthen vessels which cleanses us from all unrighteousness as we seek to please Him and walk in His ways.
Several years ago my wife and I were attending a Watch Night Service on New Years Eve in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Church was experiencing an awesome time of Praise and Worship. As I stood worshipping the Lord, He opened my spiritual eyes and I saw there were so many Angels in parts of the Sanctuary that some of their wings were brushing together.
While I was standing in the back of the Church I saw a vision of a Bride next to the podium in front of the Church. She was wearing a beautiful long white wedding gown. Then Jesus appeared on the platform with her with His arms stretched toward her as if to say “Come to me my beautiful Bride.” Looking again at the Bride, I noticed there were some spots on her beautiful white gown. The Bride of course was the Church. For a few moments Jesus let me feel the deep love He feels for His Bride, and His great desire to hold her in His loving arms. I do not have words that can describe those loving feelings I was experiencing. The Lord was also showing me that His Bride was not ready to come to Him. The spots which were on her Wedding Gown had to be removed BEFORE her Bridegroom could come for her.
The Bible tells us that “Jesus is coming back for a Church without spot or wrinkle.” Jesus was showing me that even though He was anxiously desiring for His Bride to be with Him, the Church was not ready for His return. The Bible is clear concerning the fact that Christ is not going to return for a Church that has not prepared herself for His return.
Husbands love your wives just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of the water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be HOLY and without blemish. Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verses 25-27.
Jesus gave His life for the Church to sanctify, cleanse and make her Holy. He did this in order to present to Himself a glorious Church that was Pure and Holy in His eyes. He is coming back for a Bride without spot or wrinkle.
The word “blemish” means “free of imperfections.” If we have any spot, wrinkle or blemish, we are not ready for the Lord’s return. It also means that Holiness has eluded us and we cannot stand before and honor God as pure vessels.
Some Christians will argue that no one can be Holy, so why even try? If that is so, why did God tell us to “Be Holy even as He is Holy?” Apparently God believes we can be Holy or He would not have given us the command to be Holy.
I do agree that we cannot be Holy without the cleansing power of the Blood of Christ. If I am going to be found Holy, then I must seek Christ to cleanse me from all unrighteousness and filthiness of flesh. I must allow Christ to “cleanse me with the washing of water by His Holy Word.” I can be whatever God says I can be. I can do whatever God says I can do. I must seek to honor each and every command He has given me so I can be pleasing to Him--Holy and acceptable in His sight.
Many people fall into the traps many Ministers set which says: “you are going to have to sin every day.” I cannot tell you the amount of times I have heard Ministers of the Gospel (sic) use this terminology. However, this is a trap of the enemy to keep people’s eyes on sin and not the One who cleanses us from ALL sin. There is no scriptural basis for this ungodly doctrine. As a matter of fact, the Bible tells us that we have been “set free from sin by the Blood of Christ.”
If I thought I HAD to sin every day, I would not want to get up in the morning. If I thought I had to sin and grieve my Lord every day, I would not want to live anymore. Jesus did not die on the Cross so that sin could have dominion over us, but so we could have DOMINION over sin. If we have to sin every day we cannot be “Holy even as He is Holy.”
Am I saying that as Christians we will never sin? Absolutely not. I am saying, however, that we DO NOT have to sin every day. “IF” along the way we do sin, we have an advocate with the Father. “IF” we do sin we can ask Him for forgiveness and He will be “faithful and just” to forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
CONTENDING FOR REVIVAL
Revival will not take place just because people cry out for Revival. Many people want Revival, but they do not understand what true Revival will cost them or what the end result will be. Many of those crying out for Revival do not understand the purpose of Revival. All they know is that Revival can be a lot of fun. They can meet a lot of people, and have a good meal or two.
True Revival comes when God’s people repent of their sins and iniquities and come to Him with a contrite heart and a broken spirit. They cry out to God to purify and cleanse them from all unrighteousness. True repentance sanctifies God’s people and sets them apart from the World in order that they can “do the work of the ministry.” If there is no true repentance, there can be no True Revival.
We must develop a HOLY HUNGER for the Power and Presence of Almighty God. We must become prayerfully desperate to enter into the “Secret Place of the Most High” so we can dwell in His bosom in the Holy of Holies.
Some Denominations teach that people are sanctified when they accept Christ and are born again. Others teach that sanctification is a process, and can take years to accomplish. However, the litmus test that proves one is truly sanctified is when we can truthfully say that “we have died to self. “If the “old man” has not been crucified, then we cannot say we are truly sanctified. If we are not “picking up our Cross daily and following Jesus,” we are not completely sanctified.
Kathryn Kuhlman said on several occasions, “I know the day that I died.” If the “old man” has died, we will know it. When we have put to death the “deeds of the flesh,” the old man is DEAD and we will be able to live a life of HOLINESS. I heard one preacher say, “You know when you have died to self when you no longer care about what people say about You.”
If we are going to experience a New Pentecost which will bring in a Great Harvest of souls, there must be a Revival of Holiness. We MUST seek to be “HOLY even as He is HOLY.” The Outpourings in Camp Creek, Topeka, and Los Angeles were a result of men and women gathering together, repenting of their sins, and seeking the Holiness of God. Repentance always precedes Revival.
If we are going to experience the fullness of the Spirit and the awesome presence of God’s LOVE, GRACE, LIFE and POWER, we must have another Upper Room experience like the 120 did in Jerusalem. God is looking for pure vessels who will be Holy conduits of His love, grace, peace and power in the days to come so the World can experience a NEW OUTPOURING of Pentecostal Holiness.
If we are going to experience the fullness of His power and anointing in the same way the 120 did in the Upper Room, the Church must have a new fervor and zeal for the Lord. A new Revival of Holiness is coming. A new Pentecost is coming. A great Harvest is coming. If we want to be a part of this next great movement of God, we must ask ourselves:
1. “Are we preparing our hearts through prayer and fasting for this new movement?”
2. “Are we being cleansed by the WASHING OF THE WATER BY THE WORD?”
3. “Are we seeking to be HOLY AS HE IS HOLY?”
4. “Do we care about souls?”
When we can honestly answer “yes” to these questions, we are headed down the right path. If we cannot answer “yes” to these questions, we must do some deep soul searching. Whatever we do, we must do it quickly for the time is short and the HARVEST IS GREAT.
If we truly desire to serve God with our WHOLE HEART, we must seek Him with our WHOLE HEART. If we are failing to live a life of “Holiness,” we are missing the MARK of the High calling of God in Christ Jesus, and we will surely fail when perilous times prevail.