What is the best Gauge of Holiness?
Relationships are a Reflection of True Holiness
If you
were to study the concept of New Testament Holiness there is an undeniable
thread connected between our relationships with others and how this is the best
gauge of our relationship with God.
Holiness is verified by our relationships with others.
” Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the
Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of
bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.”
Liberals and Conservatives miss the Boat on this one. The Bitterness is what
destroys most of us. We use issues as our excuse, when really the problem is we
missed the boat on relationships, and what follows IS NOT HOLINESS! It is a
reason to break fellowship. Having right relationships is not the ONLY
sign of Holiness, but it is a clear indicator of the condition our spirit.
It is not an either or proposition, but even and also idea. Holiness,
Sanctified Living, YES. But we should prayerfully consider the other
side to the coin.
If
you don't love your brother, you don't love God.
If you don’t forgive and show mercy to your brother, God can't forgive and show mercy to you.
Our relationship with Ministry, Saints, and Sinners is a direct reflection of your relationship with God. If you are in conflict with JUST one aspect of these relationships, you are probably in conflict in another. Sure, we have difficult people, but usually in my observation, you get what you give, the World reflects your disposition. You smile, they smile back.
A lot of times difficult people claim and act real spiritual, while being anything but Christ like, and you wonder, "How do they do that?" I think it is they are no doubt worshiping; they are dancing around the golden idol of their own ideas and opinions. They have made a god of their wrongs and hurt feelings. They are spiritual, it can be defined as a "Bad Spirit". Spirit in relationship to humanity has the same connotation as attitude, so if you have a bad attitude, you have a bad spirit.
What does it mean to FOLLOW Peace?
Thayers dictionary for the greek work says that it means to run swiftly in order to catch a person or thing, to run after. To press on: figuratively of one who in a race runs swiftly to reach the goal, the goal is peace. to seek after eagerly, earnestly Endeavour to acquire.
Remember the Peace Makers? You make peace like you make vegetable stew. You prepare the ingredients and you focus your efforts to put all the right things in place in the right order and right temperature and you get get stew. If your the peace maker... if it doesn’t turn out,.... your recipe may have been off.
The point. We will have conflict... but 9 times out of ten we will have peace, if we are trying to have it. Too many have the attitude, "Forget you! I don't need you to get to heaven... and that demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of what Salvation is.
Ever heard of Reconciliation? Is that not what we receive in salvation? If we are Reconciled to God, we must in turn be reconciled to others.
2Co 5:17-21 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (18) And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (19) To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (20) Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. (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.
Look at the Next Chapter... Do we understand Context? It is all about Relationship? When we get made new... it affects everything, specifically our relationship with each other... with humanity.
2Co 6:1-10 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (2) (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (3) Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: (4) But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, (5) In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; (6) By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, (7) By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, (8) By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; (9) As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; (10) As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
Read the following versus.
2Co 6:17-18 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, (18) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
Say
Relationships... We cannot have and carry on relationships in the WORLD, or
continue dealing with people as the world does, but when we go the second mile,
we turn the cheek, we get along and MAKE PEACE... THIS IS A MARK, one of the
Marks of Separation.
If you
are always in conflict... you can be as HOLY LOOKING as you like, your spirit
tells others who your father is. Can you say Esau? Can you say Carnal?
I will season this a little. I know form personal experience there are people,
that are always in conflict with everyone. With parents, friends, ministry,
coworkers and neighbors. These people are simply reflecting their extreme need
for reconciliation to God. Their response to you and others is not at you, but
towards God. At some point, you may need to disengage for your own well being
and safety. Don’t cast your pearls before swine, lest they turn and rend you.
Some people, after you have been hurt and scorned by them so many times, it is
not about bitterness or un-forgiveness, but common sense. Don’t have a bad
attitude towards them, but you don’t have to be around them. When you see them
or talk to them, be Jesus.
Jesus did not chase those that were offended or walked away. Jesus also did not pick up and throw rocks. I believe he left the door open. We should not ever close the door, if someone wants to walk through it. We don’t read he ever mentioned people that left again. He accepted it, let them leave and let it go. We would all do well to follow that example.
Be ye reconciled.
If you are in conflict with your brother, it is time to understand that it very well be a reflection of our relationship with God.
!
I am always challenging people to step beyond their comfort zone in the area of race relations. I believe it is our job, especially those of us in the south to go the extra mile to make the connection and bring reconciliation. If we are the church, it is our job to do it. We have got to lose the excuses and do what we should do, no matter what we think will be the response. You can't use the problems in a community stop from addressing and cleansing the church of the overt and covert racism that has found refuge for too long in the church house. I honestly believe there are going to be a lot of disappointed people in hell over this issue. They had holiness on the outside, but hate in their heart toward people Jesus died for. It is our job in this day to be the church and clean this nasty unclean spirit out of our hearts, policies and prejudices. If you allow this and or wink at it, your as guilty as the one with it. You would not do this with adultery, lying or homosexuality, so lets get real about real issues and quit playing in the sand castles of issues, opinions and personal vendettas.
Be Ye Reconciled to God and your Brother, or
Follow Peace with ALL MEN and Holiness, without which no man shall see God!
In Him, By Him, Through Him,
Scott Phillips
Observations, Comments, Feedback?
Mat 5:22-24
(22) But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
(23) Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
(24) Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
1Co
3:3
(3) For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife,
and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
... You probably won't read this.. but this is so enlightening.
Jam 4:1-11
(1) From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of
your lusts that war in your members?
(2) Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye
fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
(3) Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon
your lusts.
(4) Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world
is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the
enemy of God.
(5) Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us
lusteth to envy?
(6) But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but
giveth grace unto the humble.
(7) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from
you.
(8) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye
sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
(9) Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning,
and your joy to heaviness.
(10) Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
(11) Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his
brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law:
but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.