Holiness is essentially defined the same in the New Testament as in the Old Testament and embodies the idea of being set apart from the world—that which is profane, perverted, polluted, corrupt and evil.
In the book of Leviticus, we learn of external holiness, rather than internal holiness. Although, external holiness becomes manifest as a result of internal holiness, there is a difference between being holy, simply because one sets oneself apart from the ways of the world, and one being in the world but not belonging to the world. Consider the words of Jesus:
- I do not pray that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth. As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth. (John 17:15-19)
Sanctification in the truth is sufficient to separate a person from the world. The world is controlled by the spirit of deceitfulness. Many will not admit that this is the case, although we know otherwise. Liars are returned through the polls to places of power, even if they have to rig elections. This is the way of the world.
Whoever subscribes to the dictum that “lying is an elementary means of self-defense” has yet to learn the truth about being deceptive. For when people find out the truth is a lie, anger follows. Apparently, Mark Twain said, “When you tell the truth you do not have to remember anything.” Most surprisingly of all, Friedrich Nietzsche is attributed as having said, “I’m not upset that you lied to me; I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you.” Whereas, Al Pacino, still believes that when telling the truth, it will always be a lie.[1]
The Son of God distinguishes the liar:
- You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.But, because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? He who is of God hears the words of God; the reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”(John 8:44-47)
Certain denominations and religious movements concentrate upon external holiness and may insist on women having long hair and wearing hats in church, while men must have short hair and grow beards. For the most part, among Christians the doctrine of grace is taught in a majority of congregations, and it appears anything goes, unless one is a nun or a priest—but even they are suspect these days.
The book of Leviticus instructs an agrarian society what is required by God for the people to separate themselves from the nations of the Earth. These instructions were not only to emphasize the need to be holy, but also to teach people the weightier matters of the law: faith, justice, mercy and the loving-kindness of the Lord God. However, this was until such time as the Holy Spirit was given, which enables recipients to have more faith than that which comes from knowledge of the law. In fact the one thing the external rites could not do was impart the nature of God to human beings. This could only happen once the Spirit of God had been received. Those who receive the Spirit of God within their own person have a new nature, because they have become a new creation.
- So that the law was our custodian until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a custodian. (Galatians 3:24-25).
- On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39)
- No one born of God commits sin; for God’s nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. (1 John 3:9)
- Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. (Galatians 6:15)
Many people find this difficult to comprehend, because people, who claim they are baptized in the Spirit of God or have received the Spirit of God, and who are now regarded as new creations, are often caught telling lies. And we know the Bible informs us that lies are not of God but come the father of lies, the Evil One.
Yet Jesus says that those who are His are sanctified in the truth, even though they are in the world, and may not look any different on the outside, their behavior is different because they have been changed on the inside, just like a caterpillar becoming a chrysalis on its way to overcome its inability to fly.
In the Old Testament, holiness is evidenced as separation from the cultures of the world.
In the Old Testament, holiness is evidenced as separation from the cultures of the world.
In the New Testament, holiness is evidenced by overcoming the ways of the world, because one now has a new nature; a nature that is reflective of the Immortal God.
Footnotes
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