Holiness

[Khristeeanos]

Holiness and Righteousness


Greetings, brothers and sisters in Christ! I want to discuss the question, "Is it possible to live a life pleasing to God." I want to stick to the conduct side of the issue and include Scripture as references, as well as personal testimonies. I will start off by posting a few verses and make a few comments afterwards.

• Ephesians 2:8-10
  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faithâ€â€and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of Godâ€â€not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Works have absolutely nothing to do with gaining or maintaining salvation, but they do have everything to do with spiritual growth. God tells us that we were created to do good works, but this can only come AFTER God's grace saves us. This is not a works salvation--nothing we can do will merit salvation. I am talking about works of faith. Our faith is the means by which God's grace is applied to us. Without faith, there is no grace, and therefore no salvation.

• Titus 2:11-14
  For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works.

According to Paul, God's grace, the grace that brings salvation, teaches us to abstain from sin while living a life that is pleasing to God and makes us eager to do good works for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! It must be possible!!! And note that Jesus gave His life so that we could be freed FROM sin! Matthew 1:21 tells us that His name is Jesus because He will save us FROM our sins! We don't have to sin anymore!

• 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.

Peter quotes Leviticus 11:44 and does so in terms of Christian behavior. What exactly does God mean when He commands us to be holy? Is this possible to live a holy and pleasing life to God?

• 1 John 2:1
  My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin...

John exhorted Christians to not even have one instance of sin. It must be possible--but how difficult! It could be because of two things--our unwillingness to submit to God fully, and our unchanged mind concerning sin.

But now is my personal favorite concerning this subject, which I will get to after I state that before 4:20 Paul is talking about people who are living in sin and are therefore unsaved. Now on to the text...

• Ephesians 4:20-24
  You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like God, in true righteousness and holiness.

I beg you to re-read Ephesians 4:20-24! Please read it one more time at least to let it sink in what is being said.

We can live a holy and pleasing life to God! But only if we make it our number one goal to live in obedient submission to God's commands. We can and must take off the old and put on the new!

It is why we were created!

• Romans 12:1-2
  Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world any longer, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Here is the key!!!

• Submit to God. I am not saying that you should say that you are saved and that is fine. I mean offer your whole life as though you don't exist for any reason except to bring God glory! [/*:m:1aa85]
• Change the way you think. I am talking about "take every thought and make it captive to Christ" and make it an obsession to think and "meditate on [His grace] day and night".[/*:m:1aa85]

What are your comments and thoughts about this?

 

[Lyric's Dad]

Isn't that exactly why Elijah was translated?

 

[PDoug]

Works have absolutely nothing to do with gaining or maintaining salvation, but they do have everything to do with spiritual growth. God tells us that we were created to do good works, but this can only come AFTER God's grace saves us. This is not a works salvation--nothing we can do will merit salvation. I am talking about works of faith. Our faith is the means by which God's grace is applied to us. Without faith, there is no grace, and therefore no salvation.

You guys just don't get it: your righteousness is worthless to God. Everything about you is worthless to God. Everything of value to God is given to you by God, including righteousness. And all these things are gained via having faith. Therefore to become very holy, a person needs to have faith a lot. But having faith is not the manmade notion of merely, directly believing in God: having faith are the steps Christ outlined in Mark 11:22-24. In short, having faith is the practice of asking God for things, and believing that you will receive them. There are however a number of caveats concerning having faith and gaining results. This includes the recognition that someone must persist at 'asking and believing' over what he wants, up to the point that he receives it. Also it is important to try and continually increase your capacity to do things by faith, and rely on having faith to get things done in your life. (You can read more on this subject here.)

It is the practice of having faith which drives or produces: the righteousness the scriptures say you should have; the intelligence the scriptures promise you will have; and every other godly quality seen in a person.

 

[Geo]

John exhorted Christians to not even have one instance of sin. It must be possible--but how difficult! It could be because of two things--our unwillingness to submit to God fully, and our unchanged mind concerning sin.

I have to honestly tell you that the Holy Spirit indwelling always convicted
me of new sins, and I still rationalized them away. What a perverted FOOL I was !

I tried to trample God's law unter my feet that says:

For the wages of sin is death
- It's valid forever and ever! -

For the wages of sin is death
- That's non-negotiable -

Every self-righteous thought that tells us otherwise is the Devil speaking,
explaining to us his version of the bible and his law of promoting and justifying sin

that's also the very beginning of the real understanding what it means to walk
with the real Jesus, it's valid IF we take up our cross and live a holy life.
Must be born-again AND die to self. Not once, daily. Not a done deal - a process

It's the Real Narrow Path - not the one the masses understand and choose

Forget our 'smartness' and proudness for 5 minutes and read this page s-l-o-w-l-y:
http://www.dccsa.com/greatjoy/osas.htm

it talks about the narrow path that is in tune with the Jesus of the Bible,
not the one of our imagination that rationalizes new personal sin in our life
as non-eistent. Forget it! For the wages of sin is death

We sin - we die. And that's the end of all foolishness. Someone said "the part
of me that is born-again will not sin" Ok, but your flesh will sin and your soul will die
as a result of it. However you try to rationalize it away, listen now: You will die.
Satan says you will not surely die - believe it and be deceived while thinking of
yourself being saved: Liar ! Master of all lies! how do think you will escape?

The Fear of God is the BEGINNING of all wisdom. Before that we are just deceived
in our own vainity and submit to deceiving devils that call white black, and black white.
Why are the fires in Hell burning forever? Exactly because of that: total corruption.

The true living God that is HOLY says: For the wages of sin is death
wake up to that reality and be born-again! If you have a religious spirit that makes you
feel spiritual and babble dead doctrines, yet make you break God's law of sin,
you MUST be born-again, again, because your spirit cannot keep the law of God.

The Holy Spirit can do it, yes it's possible. That's living faith.

 

[Lyric's Dad]

Bonsai,

I agree with you completely, but I don't know how you are going to convince opposers. They just have completely different ideas about Jesus.
It is hard to believe we are of the same Christianity.

You are completely right there.

 

[PDoug]

John exhorted Christians to not even have one instance of sin. It must be possible--but how difficult! It could be because of two things--our unwillingness to submit to God fully, and our unchanged mind concerning sin.

I have to honestly tell you that the Holy Spirit indwelling always convicted
me of new sins, and I still rationalized them away. What a perverted FOOL I was !

I tried to trample God's law unter my feet that says:

For the wages of sin is death
- It's valid forever and ever! -

For the wages of sin is death
- That's non-negotiable -

Every self-righteous thought that tells us otherwise is the Devil speaking,
explaining to us his version of the bible and his law of promoting and justifying sin

that's also the very beginning of the real understanding what it means to walk
with the real Jesus, it's valid IF we take up our cross and live a holy life.
Must be born-again AND die to self. Not once, daily. Not a done deal - a process

It's the Real Narrow Path - not the one the masses understand and choose

Forget our 'smartness' and proudness for 5 minutes and read this page s-l-o-w-l-y:
http://www.dccsa.com/greatjoy/osas.htm

it talks about the narrow path that is in tune with the Jesus of the Bible,
not the one of our imagination that rationalizes new personal sin in our life
as non-eistent. Forget it! For the wages of sin is death

We sin - we die. And that's the end of all foolishness. Someone said "the part
of me that is born-again will not sin" Ok, but your flesh will sin and your soul will die
as a result of it. However you try to rationalize it away, listen now: You will die.
Satan says you will not surely die - believe it and be deceived while thinking of
yourself being saved: Liar ! Master of all lies! how do think you will escape?

The Fear of God is the BEGINNING of all wisdom. Before that we are just deceived
in our own vainity and submit to deceiving devils that call white black, and black white.
Why are the fires in Hell burning forever? Exactly because of that: total corruption.

The true living God that is HOLY says: For the wages of sin is death
wake up to that reality and be born-again! If you have a religious spirit that makes you
feel spiritual and babble dead doctrines, yet make you break God's law of sin,
you MUST be born-again, again, because your spirit cannot keep the law of God.

The Holy Spirit can do it, yes it's possible. That's living faith.

Once again, the current creed of advocates of the justification by works doctrine: a man is not saved by works ... but he needs works to be saved. You all pick and choose the scriptures you want to follow, and ignore the ones that make all the difference in your interpretation of the bible. Suit yourselves.

 

[Lyric's Dad]

John exhorted Christians to not even have one instance of sin. It must be possible--but how difficult! It could be because of two things--our unwillingness to submit to God fully, and our unchanged mind concerning sin.

I have to honestly tell you that the Holy Spirit indwelling always convicted
me of new sins, and I still rationalized them away. What a perverted FOOL I was !

I tried to trample God's law unter my feet that says:

For the wages of sin is death
- It's valid forever and ever! -

For the wages of sin is death
- That's non-negotiable -

Every self-righteous thought that tells us otherwise is the Devil speaking,
explaining to us his version of the bible and his law of promoting and justifying sin

that's also the very beginning of the real understanding what it means to walk
with the real Jesus, it's valid IF we take up our cross and live a holy life.
Must be born-again AND die to self. Not once, daily. Not a done deal - a process

It's the Real Narrow Path - not the one the masses understand and choose

Forget our 'smartness' and proudness for 5 minutes and read this page s-l-o-w-l-y:
http://www.dccsa.com/greatjoy/osas.htm

it talks about the narrow path that is in tune with the Jesus of the Bible,
not the one of our imagination that rationalizes new personal sin in our life
as non-eistent. Forget it! For the wages of sin is death

We sin - we die. And that's the end of all foolishness. Someone said "the part
of me that is born-again will not sin" Ok, but your flesh will sin and your soul will die
as a result of it. However you try to rationalize it away, listen now: You will die.
Satan says you will not surely die - believe it and be deceived while thinking of
yourself being saved: Liar ! Master of all lies! how do think you will escape?

The Fear of God is the BEGINNING of all wisdom. Before that we are just deceived
in our own vainity and submit to deceiving devils that call white black, and black white.
Why are the fires in Hell burning forever? Exactly because of that: total corruption.

The true living God that is HOLY says: For the wages of sin is death
wake up to that reality and be born-again! If you have a religious spirit that makes you
feel spiritual and babble dead doctrines, yet make you break God's law of sin,
you MUST be born-again, again, because your spirit cannot keep the law of God.

The Holy Spirit can do it, yes it's possible. That's living faith.

Once again, the current creed of advocates of the justification by works doctrine: a man is not saved by works ... but he needs works to be saved. You all pick and choose the scriptures you want to follow, and ignore the ones that make all the difference in your interpretation of the bible. Suit yourselves.

Actually it is the manmade creeds of today that take away from the Word of God and design convenient ways of getting rid of the need to obey God.

Let's look at some of those scriptures that just don't say anything about the need for us to be obedient in the eyes of todays creed christian;

Psalm 62:11-12

11God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.

12Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.


Matt 7:21

21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven



Matt 16:27

27For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.



Acts 10:34-35

34Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

35But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.



Romans 2:6

6Who will render to every man according to his deeds:



Romans 2:13

(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified



2 Corinthians 5:10

10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad



Titus 3:8

8This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.



James 1:22

22But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.



James 2:19-20,26

19Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?....26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.




1 Peter 1:17

17And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:



1 John 3:18

18My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.



Revelation 20:12

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.



As you can see if you choose to, works are a part of the entire counsel of the Bible. Yes, it is only grace that can save us but part of the covenant struck between sinner and the Christ is that we will do our best. Why the word works is such a problem for some is beyond me. If you truly love the Lord you will want to do good things.

And let's see what those works truly are.....

We are told to

Have faith

Repent

Be baptized

Endure till the end.


What is the problem with these works? They are commanded of our Savior to us. I think that is a pretty low expectation for all we are going to be given.

 

[PDoug]

Once again, the current creed of advocates of the justification by works doctrine: a man is not saved by works ... but he needs works to be saved. You all pick and choose the scriptures you want to follow, and ignore the ones that make all the difference in your interpretation of the bible. Suit yourselves.

Actually it is the manmade creeds of today that take away from the Word of God and design convenient ways of getting rid of the need to obey God.

Let's look at some of those scriptures that just don't say anything about the need for us to be obedient in the eyes of todays creed christian;
.
.
.
As you can see if you choose to, works are a part of the entire counsel of the Bible. Yes, it is only grace that can save us but part of the covenant struck between sinner and the Christ is that we will do our best. Why the word works is such a problem for some is beyond me. If you truly love the Lord you will want to do good things.

And let's see what those works truly are.....

We are told to

Have faith

Repent

Be baptized

Endure till the end.


What is the problem with these works? They are commanded of our Savior to us. I think that is a pretty low expectation for all we are going to be given.

Please read this message, this message, and the rest of the thread.

 

[Khristeeanos]

Change the way you think.

Does anybody think that changing the way you think (the power to) is part of the grace of God?

 

[Khristeeanos]

Change the way you think.

Does anybody think that changing the way you think (the power to) is part of the grace of God?

That's a good question, bonsai. No, it is not. God does not control what we think. that is our responsibility to change our mentality.

What I am saying (I think) is that we can ask God to take over our thinking process.

• 2 Corinthians 10:5
  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

 

[PDoug]

Change the way you think.

Does anybody think that changing the way you think (the power to) is part of the grace of God?

(New Living Translation)

Philippians 2

13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.

(New Living Translation)

Jeremiah 31

33 "But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day," says the LORD. "I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
34 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their family, saying, `You should know the LORD.' For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will already know me," says the LORD. "And I will forgive their wickedness and will never again remember their sins."

Apart from Jeremiah 31:33 saying that God will put His laws within their minds (i.e. make them think about His ways and how he wants them to behave), Philippians 2:13 indicates that it is God who gives you the desire to obey Him. But the desire to obey God takes the form of thoughts, which are eventually acted out. Therefore it is God who changes the way you think (provided you have legitimate faith), so that you may do what He wants you to do.

 

[Geo]

Once again, the current creed of advocates of the justification by works doctrine...

I take no pride in being falsely accused, however receive great joy
if someone actually would understand what I said, and accuse
me based on that.

Reminds me of my wife. She was an unbeliever once, yes it's true,
you may think: do not be unequally joked - and you are right. However,
I married her based on faith, because I met her after a prayer
asking for a wife from God.

In the beginning when I prayed for myself and met her after that
she attacked me for no obvious reasons out of nothing. It's a spritual
thing, her old mind homies smelled the fear and make her attack me to
the point that furniture and other hardware was flying through the house.

Jesus spreads his love that enables us to pull through and confront the
enemy even in our own house. Today she's one of the most faithful believers
you can imagine, God does make our path straight if we confess him.
She is a good confessor too, slowly turning more and more of her relatives
to come to the Lord. Even the kids ask their parents if they could become
Christians after spending a few days during holidays with her.

Do you know this kind of Love?

---

 

[PDoug]

Once again, the current creed of advocates of the justification by works doctrine...

I take no pride in being falsely accused, however receive great joy
if someone actually would understand what I said, and accuse
me based on that.

The following is what you said in your previous message:

John exhorted Christians to not even have one instance of sin. It must be possible--but how difficult! It could be because of two things--our unwillingness to submit to God fully, and our unchanged mind concerning sin.

I have to honestly tell you that the Holy Spirit indwelling always convicted
me of new sins, and I still rationalized them away. What a perverted FOOL I was !

I tried to trample God's law unter my feet that says:

For the wages of sin is death
- It's valid forever and ever! -

For the wages of sin is death
- That's non-negotiable -

That is not true. If you have real faith, the Holy Spirit never convicts you of 'new sins'. Only spirits allied with your sinful nature do that.

Romans 8

1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

The only thing the Holy Spirit does, is encourage you to continue to have faith - consistent with Mark 11:22-24. Why? Because the more you have faith, the more you are able to overcome the deeds of your sinful nature via the Spirit (Romans 8:9, Romans 8:13).

The problem with what you said, is that you suggested that sinful behavior in a person will cause that person to die - even when he has faith. (This is justification by works doctrine.) But that is not the case. If someone has faith, he will be reckoned by God is being righteous because of his faith.

Romans 4

1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter?
2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast aboutâ€â€but not before God.
3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.
5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 "Blessed are they
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man
whose sin the Lord will never count against him."

Therefore I did in fact have grounds for suggesting that you are an advocate of the justification by works doctrine.

 

[Khristeeanos]

Let's please not turn this thread into a works/faith debate. I just want to discuss what I was talking about in the original post.

Does the Holy Spirit of God direct us to live holy lives once He is in our lives?

 

[Geo]

That is not true. If you have real faith, the Holy Spirit never convicts
you of 'new sins'. Only spirits allied with your sinful nature do that.

See, that's why I cannot call you even a babe in Christ.
You think it's sin that convicts of sin.

Does the Holy Spirit of God direct us to live holy lives once He is in our lives?

Yes, by convicting us of sin. Sin stands between us and holiness.
God is holy. There is no sin in Him. Neither is there ANY sin in heaven.
Nor can there be.

 

[Geo]

The NT essentials of: Righteousness and Holiness

Matthew 5:6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:
for they shall be filled.

Matthew 5:20  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed
the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into
the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you.

John 16:8  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness,
and of judgment:

Acts 10:35  But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness,
is accepted with him.

Acts 13:10  And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil,
thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

Acts 17:31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in
righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance
unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Romans 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith:
as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Romans 3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood,
to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the
forbearance of God;

Romans 5:21  That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through
righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:13  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin:
but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members
as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Romans 6:16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey,
his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience
unto righteousness?

Romans 6:18  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

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.

Romans 6:20  For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

Romans 8:4  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 8:10  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin;
but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

1 Corinthians 15:34  Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the
knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

Galatians 3:21  Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there
had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have
been by the law.

Galatians 5:5  For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

Ephesians 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness.

Ephesians 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on
the breastplate of righteousness;

Philippians 1:11  Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ,
unto the glory and praise of God.

2 Timothy 2:22  Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity,
peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

2 Timothy 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2 Timothy 4:8  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only,
but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Titus 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to
his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Hebrews 1:8  But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever:
a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

Hebrews 1:9  Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God,
even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

Hebrews 12:11  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous,
but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness
unto them which are exercised thereby.

2 Peter 2:5  And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person,
a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

2 Peter 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of
righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment
delivered unto them.

2 Peter 3:13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens
and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

1 John 2:29  If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth
righteousness is born of him.

1 John 3:7  Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness
is righteous, even as he is righteous.

1 John 3:10  In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil:
whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

Revelation 19:8  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.

Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he
that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth
judge and make war.

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 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.

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.

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.

Ephesians 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness.

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.

1 Thessalonians 4:7  For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

Hebrews 12:10  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.

Hebrews 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man
shall see the Lord:

 

[lovely]

Bonsai,

I agree that we can grow in Holiness as we grow in God and His Word. I think that there is a lot we need to do...commands to follow...like praying without ceasing, hiding God's Word in our heart, putting on God's whole armor, taking captive every thought, thinking on the things in Phillipians, running with patience the race God has set before us...these things, and more, we do because we love Christ. These things require an attitude of the heart that loves the law of God, and His righteousness. Psalm 119 is an example of this in David's heart, a man after God's own heart. His love for God was the motive for obeying God. "If you love me keep my commandments", but they also serve as a protection for us from the mindset of the flesh. They serve to keep us from false, carnal, teaching. They serve to help us do things like, love our enemies...things that we do not have the power to do in our own strength. These are building blocks in the life of a disciple of Christ, but each one of us will build them differently...in different orders, and at a different pace.

Staying in the Word, and thinking on the things of God, renews our minds daily. In this mind, in the Spirit, we can walk in Holiness...but not perfection. (David's life also exemplifies this) The fullness of this righteousness is found only in an eternal life with our Lord, then are we free from the flesh that we are still bound in, and all that it entails...emotions, feeling, sickness, etc. Once we die, our flesh is free along with our soul, praise God!

Loving His law, applying His Word, walking in obedience, and stiving for Holiness, this does not void God's grace, but rather is the fruit of it. This desire is rooted in the Spirit in us. The more we are pruned, nurtured, fed, watered, etc, the more we grow strong in the light of His love, the more fruit of the Spirit we have. We should desire this because it glorifies God, and our lights shine bright in the darkness of this world. The Lord bless you.