Christians are called ‘saints’ in the New Testament because they are expected to be ‘sanctified ones’, men and women set apart to God. In other words, they are to walk in HOLINESS.
Zechariah 14:20-21. In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, Holiness unto the Lord; and the pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.
Beloved,, God your loving Father is reputed to be holy in nature and in everything about Him. See how the scriptures describe these gracious attributes of your Father.
Exodus 15:11. Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
Leviticus 11:44-45. For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
Leviticus 19:2. Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.
Leviticus 20:26. And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.
Psalms 47:8. God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.
Psalms 48:1. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.
Psalms 93:5. Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever.
Psalms 145:17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
Isaiah 57:15. For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Beloved , because of His unchanging nature of holiness, He revealed to Zechariah, His expectations from the Jews of his days , for Him to have unbroken and blessings driven relationship with them. As it was then, so He expects from you too, please don’t ever forget. See it. As you commit yourself to walking with Him in biblical holiness, His blessings here and hereafter shall be yours in Jesus name.
Zechariah 14:20-21. In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, Holiness unto the Lord; and the pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.
The Bible is repleted with this same expectations of the Lord, expressed through many other prophets. See some of them.
Exodus 28:36: ¶And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
Exodus 39:30: ¶And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
Exodus 19:5-6. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
Deuteronomy 26:15. Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
1 Chronicles 16:29. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
Isaiah 23:18. And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.
Isaiah 35:8-9. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:
Isaiah 63:15. Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained?
Jeremiah 23:9. Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the Lord, and because of the words of his holiness
Jeremiah 31:23. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; As yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity; The Lord bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of holiness.
Obadiah 1:17. But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
Beloved, His expectations have not changed, if you must walk with Him, then holiness as a lifestyle is: SINE QUA NON.
Deuteronomy 23:14. For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.
Dearly beloved, the scriptures revealed innumerable gracious attributes of our Lord Jesus Christ, which characterised His lifestyle. He did and taught what biblical holiness consist of, which believers of all ages and you in particular must cultivate to attain life eternal.
Acts 1:1. The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
John 17:19. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
See some of these gracious attributes and emulate them in your life henceforth.
Hebrews 7:26. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
Acts 3:14: But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
Acts 4:27: For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, anthe people of Israel, were gathered together,
2 Corinthians 5:21: For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
1 Peter 3:18. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
1 Peter 1:19: But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1 Peter 2:22: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
1 John 2:1. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
1 John 3:5: And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
Revelation 3:7: And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
Dearly beloved, see how the Bible reveals to you, what biblical holiness consist of and commit yourself to doing accordingly by His grace, till Christ comes.
1. You must be free from outward and inward iniquities as commanded by Christ.
2 Timothy 2:19. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
John 8:11. She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
John 5:14. Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
2. You must be blameless and harmless in your lifestyle as Christ.
Philippians 2:15. That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Hebrews 7:26. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens
3. You must be obedient to God in all things as Christ was obedient unto death.
1 Peter 1:14-16. As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 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.
Philippians 2:5-8. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
4. You must be teachable and be subjected to biblical reproofs.
Hebrews 12:5-10. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
5. You must have as a lifestyle and be guided by the spirit of holiness at all times.
Romans 1:4. And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
Romans 8:14-16 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
6. You must not be defiled in your body and you must put on the image of God lost by Adam at Eden.
Romans 6:19. 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.
1 Corinthians 3:16: -17. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
Ephesians 4:20-24. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
1 Thessalonians 4:7. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
7. You must be manifesting as a lifestyle, both the fruit of the spirit and fruit of holiness .
Romans 6:22. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Galatians 5:22-23. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
1 Thessalonians 2:10. Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:
1 Timothy 2:15. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
1 Peter 2:5: Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:9: But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
The grace of God is sufficient for you to attain these good works. So reach out to God for His grace to attain biblical holiness,, which is your requisite to see God or partake in the dawning rapture. The good Lord shall help you in Jesus name.
2 Corinthians 9:8. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
Hebrews 12:14. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
JESUS SINGULAR LIFESTYLE DURING HIS EARTHLY MINISTRY WAS BIBLICAL HOLINESS. BELIEVERS OF ALL AGES, ESPECIALLY YOU MUST BE LIKE HIM, TO BE RAPTURE READY.
Friend., praise God for your wise resolve to be part of the dawning rapture. But your resolution must be backed up with corresponding lifestyle. The Bible reveals that at the coming of our Lord in the sky,only those that have unblameable holiness shall be rapturable.
1 Thessalonians 3:13. To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
This is because heaven is a holy place. God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, the blessed Holy Spirit, the angels and saints that shall dwell in heaven must be holy through and through. No unclean or any defile being shall have access to heaven.
Isaiah 57:15. For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Revelation 21:27. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Holiness as a lifestyle is the prerequisite you must have should you desire to be part of the following:
1. Holiness qualifies you to see God
Hebrews 12:14. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
2. Holiness qualifies you to reign with God for all eternity.
Revelation 1:5-6. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 5:9-10. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
3. Holiness qualifies you to partake in the marriage supper after the rapture.
Revelation 19:6-9. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
4. Holiness qualifies you, to partake in the millennium reign of Christ.
Revelation 20:6: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Because of all these:
1. You must walk daily in holiness lifestyle till our Lord comes
Luke 1:73-75. The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
2. You must walk only on the way of holiness till our Lord comes.
Isaiah 35:8-9. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:
3. You must continually cleanse yourself from all filthiness till our Lord comes.
2 Corinthians 7:1. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
God’s grace shall avail for you in Jesus name.
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