The expression that forms the general subject of our conference is found twice in Holy Scripture and is written in large capitals; this in itself, apart from anything else, emphasizes its importance. Large capitals are also used for the incommunicable name of God - YEHOVAH in Exodus 3:14, and for the Name of the Son of God in Revelation 19:16. A few other instances may be found in the Bible. In every case, truth of the greatest import is indicated.
"Holiness to Yehovah" was engraved upon a plate of
gold and bound upon the forehead of the high priest (Exodus 28: 36-38). Tat is
history; and Zechariah says that in the millennial day, "Holiness unto Yehovah
shall be upon the bells of the horses" - that is prophecy! The former
speaks of the godly ideal of priesthood, while the latter, under a symbolism of
bells and pots, tells of a day yet to come when this "holiness unto Yehovah"
will be a universally prevailing condition of the people of God - Yehovah;
there will be holiness in the street - "upon the bells of the
horses"; holiness in Yehovah’s house - "the pots in Yehovah’s house
shall be like the bowls before the altar"; and holiness at home - "yea,
every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto Yehovah of
hosts" (Zechariah 14: 20 and 21.
First, "Holiness" (hagiasmos), a word constantly
found in the A.V. but uniformly translated "sanctification" in the
R.V. It has the root idea of separation
to God - Yehovah, consecration to God - Yehovah; that which is devoted to God -
Yehovah and refers to a state or condition of being set apart for God - Yehovah. It comes from a word hagios, meaning
"separate from common conditions and use", or
"hallowed". It is used of
things, as for instance of the sanctuary, and of persons, such as the
saints. So, in Bible usage, the word
gives the idea of that which is set apart from a common use to a sacred use,
that is, to God - Yehovah.
It is right, I think, to say that the word is used in a
primary and secondary sense. Primarily
it refers to the sovereign act of God - Yehovah whereby he sets apart a person
or thing for Himself. In the case of a
believer, Yehovah sovereignly sanctifies him in the sense of setting him apart
for Himself. In a secondary use, it
refers to the character and the kind of life which is expected of one who is so
sovereignly sanctified.
Second, the call. We
are to consider the believer's vocation, by which I gather refer to his initial
call from God - Yehovah to Himself, rather than, as we say, his vocation in
life. The word in the epistles always denotes the effectual call of God -
Yehovah, that is, it includes both the call itself and the obedient response to
it upon the part of the one called.
An extract from Moule in his epistle to the Romans, in
characteristic and beautiful language, is as follows: "Compare the places
where the word is used, or where its kindred words are used in the epistles,
and you will find a certain holy specialty of meaning. 'Invited' is no adequate paraphrase. The
'called' man is the man who has been invited and has come; who has obeyed the
eternal welcome; to whom the voice of Yehovah has been effectual. . . . In the Gospels, the words 'chosen' and
'called' are in antithesis; the called are many, the chosen few, the external
hearers are many, the hearers inwardly are few.
In the epistles, a developed use shows the change indicated here, and it
is consistently maintained" (pp.19 and 20).
Having, cleared the ground as to the Scriptural meaning of
the terms used, we may now proceed to the several divisions of our subject.
(1) HOLINESS, OUR VOCATION
We shall now look at some Scriptures which speak of God’s –
Yehovah’s call to holiness; the context shows whether the word is used in its
primary or secondary sense. (i) Primary. 2 Thessalonians 2:13:
"But we are bound to give thanks always to God -
Yehovah for you brethren beloved of the lord, because God - Yehovah has from
the beginning, chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and
belief of the truth; whereunto He called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of
the glory of our lord Messiah Jesus."
This verse teaches that the eternal salvation of the Thessalonians had
been secured among other things, by the sovereign act of the God’s – Yehovah’s Spirit
in setting them apart for Himself 1 Peter 1:2: The believers to whom the
apostle Peter wrote, he describes as "Elect according to THE FOREKNOWLEDGE
OF GOD THE FATHER - YEHOVAH, through sanctification by the Spirit unto
obedience and sprinkling of the blood of the Messiah Jesus." Here again, the sovereign act of
God - Yehovah through His Spirit in sanctification is in question.
2 Timothy1:9: "(God - Yehovah) who has saved us, and
called us with a holy calling."
Brown and Fausset in commenting on this verse say: "The call comes
wholly from God - Yehovah and claims us wholly for Himself, 'holy' implies the
separation of the believers from the rest of the world unto God - Yehovah."
Romans 1:6 and 7: "Among whom are you also the called
of the Messiah Jesus . . . called to be saints – holy ones" (A.V.) or
"called to be Jesus the Messiah's . . . called to be saints – holy ones"
(R.V.).
"The saints – holy ones are those who belong to him, his
personal property, bought and paid for by his shed blood, when he gave himself
up to his God and Father Yehovah as a sin-offering sacrifice on the stake.
Thus, it is used habitually in the Scriptures for all followers of the lord
Messiah Jesus, supposed to be true to their name. Not an inner circle, but all bear the
title. It is not a glorified
aristocracy, but the believing commonalty, a called-out Assembly, members of
the body of the lord Messiah Jesus, not the stars of the eternal sky, but the
flowers sown by Yehovah in the common field; even in such a place of that field
as 'Cæsar's household' was (Philippians 4: 22).''
"Habitually, therefore, the Apostle gives the term
'saints – holy ones' to whole communities" (Moule, Romans, pp. 21, 22);
and to quote from Mr. Hogg and Mr. Vine from their exposition of the Epistle to
the Romans, p. 11: "The saints – holy ones are such by a divine
calling. They are not called to live a
holy life in order to be saints, but because they are so, as a result of the
sanctifying power of the Spirit of God - Yehovah. Holiness is a condition of separateness
to God – Yehovah by His call. To be
saints – holy ones is to partake of the character of God - Yehovah and so to
represent Him worthily. The character of
those who belong to Him is the outcome of their relation to Him. The word 'saint – holy one' in reference to
an individual believer is not found in the New Testament. In Philippians 4:21, where the singular is
used, the saints – holy ones collectively are in view." While the word
here speaks of a state into which all believers are called by the effectual
call of God - Yehovah, saintliness cannot be divorced from it. We are called to be saints – holy ones in
order that we may be saintly. And so, this brings us to the secondary use of
the term.
(2) Secondly 1 Peter 1:15 and 16: "But as He
which hath called you is holy, so be you holy in all manner of conversation;
because it is written, 'Be you holy for I am holy'." It seems to me very clear that the word here
is used in its secondary sense.
Archbishop Leighton says, ''The very outward vocation of those who profess
the Messiah Jesus, presets holiness upon them, but the inward vocation far
more. You were running to destruction in
the way of sin, and there was a voice which, together with the Gospel preached
to your ear, spoke unto your heart, and called you from the path of death to
the way of holiness, which is the only way of life. He has not 'called you to uncleanness but
unto holiness' (1 Thessalonians 4:7), therefore 'be you holy'. It is sacrilege for you to dispose yourselves
after an impure manner of the world, and to apply yourselves to any profane
use, whom God - Yehovah has consecrated to Himself" (Leighton, Peter, pp.
157 and 158).
Commenting on the verse in Thessalonians, Messrs. Hogg and
Vine say: "The effect of the Gospel in purity of life, presented a marked
contrast to the uncleanness that characterized contemporary pagan religions.
The thought is, that the follower of the lord Messiah Jesus is to live his life
in a holy atmosphere" (Thessalonians p. 120).
To sum up the effectual call of God - Yehovah is a
sanctifying call; He sovereignly sets apart the believer for Himself alone,
placing him among the company of the redeemed whom He calls "saints",
His holy ones. These, on their part are
expected to respond practically to the purpose of the divine call, the saint to
be saintly, the sovereignly sanctified to practical holiness and purity of
life.
Dr. W. H. Fitchett in his fine book, Wesley and his Century,
speaks of God's great servant in these terms: "He learned at last the
deep, eternal secret of religion; religion as a present and personal
deliverance; a deliverance verified in the consciousness and bringing the
redeemed man or woman into terms of sonship with God - Yehovah; religion with
its power over sin; it is a great gift of a morality set on flame by
love. And with that supreme discovery,
his life was transfigured."
(2) HOLINESS,
THEIR DISTINCTIVE MARK
This should indeed be true of everyone who "in relation
to a righteous God has been justified [pronounced not guilty], and in relation
to a holy God has been sanctified [set apart]." The requirement of this distinctive mark may
be considered in a number of ways, but four will suffice; the people of God - Yehovah are spoken of as “holy
brethren" (Hebrews 3: 1), "an holy priesthood" (1 Peter 2:5),
"an holy nation" (1 Peter 2:9), "an holy temple in Yehovah"
(Ephesians 2: 21; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17; 6:19, 20).
(1) Holy brethren (Hebrews 3: 1). "Holy brethren,
partakers of the heavenly calling."
This phrase speaks of relationship, the relationship of the people of
God - Yehovah to one another on account of their relationship to the Messiah:
"For both He that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one,
for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren" (Hebrews 2:
11). In this verse occur the two words
which occupied the thoughts of our introduction. (a) "holy brethren." "The epithet hagioi is social, not
personal, marking the ideal character, not necessarily realized
individually." (b) "the heavenly calling". "The followers of the lord Messiah
Jesus’ calling is heavenly not simply in the sense that it is addressed to man
from God - Yehovah in Heaven . . . but as being a calling to a life fulfilled
in Heaven, in the spiritual realm. The
voice from Heaven to Moses was an earthly calling, a calling to the fulfilment
of an earthly life" (Westcott). (c)
"partakers of a heavenly calling"; ''metokos” describes participation
in some common blessing or privilege or the like. "The bond of union lies in that which
is shared and not in the persons themselves" (Westcott).
So, the people of God - Yehovah are described as "holy
brethren"; holy because they are set apart for Him; brethren because of
their common relationship to the Messiah Jesus, and his, by the incarnation, to
them; and as such are sharers of a heavenly calling; they have been effectually
called to a life which is essentially heavenly, not earthly, holy, not worldly.
Although we are in the world, we are not to be of the world.
(2) A holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5). The people of God - Yehovah are also
described as "an holy priesthood". That was God's original ideal and
purpose for Israel, but when their failure made it necessary to give the
priesthood to the family of Aaron only, to represent the nation before Him,
that for Israel was a step down. But
God - Yehovah will not be thwarted in His purpose; if Israel fails, He will
find another people, all of whom He will consecrate as priests. This He has done, and the redeemed of the
Lord Jesus "out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation"
have been made "unto God - Yehovah, kings and priests" (Revelations
5:9 and 10). "Kings and
priests"; that is why Peter, a few verses further down, describes us as
"a royal priesthood" (v. 9).
But now we are to consider the distinguishing mark as "a holy
priesthood". "A holy
priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices." If the former expression "holy
brethren" speaks of relationship, this clearly speaks of worship.
Archbishop Leighton says: "The priesthood of the law
was holy, and its holiness was signified by many outward things suitable to
their manner, by anointings and washings and vestments; but in the spiritual
priesthood of the Gospel, holiness itself is instead of all those, as being the
substance of all. The children of God -
Yehovah are all anointed and purified and clothed with holiness and they are
all priests unto God - Yehovah."
(a) Anointed. Not
with oil, as with the Levitical priesthood, but with the Holy Spirit which was
symbolized by the oil; with the Holy Spirit that separates us and marks us out for the worship
of God - Yehovah.
John 4:24. "God is Spirit," said the lord Jesus,
"and they that worship Him, must worship Him in spirit and in
truth." It was almost with awe
that Moses spoke of the anointing of the priests with oil, e.g. Leviticus 10:7:
"You shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
for the anointing oil of Yehovah is upon you." It is truly an awesome thing to be anointed
with God’s – Yehovah’s Spirit and to be set apart for the worship of God -
Yehovah! And yet how few exercise the
priestly function of true worship!
(b) Washed. When the
priests of the former dispensation were consecrated, they were first of all
washed with water. Exodus 29:4:
"And Aaron and his sons you shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of
the congregation, and shalt wash them with water"; and thereafter, as they
went about their priestly service, they had continually to wash at the
laver. Exodus 30:17-21: "And Yehovah spoke . . . saying, You
shall also make a laver of brass, to wash withal . . . for Aaron and his sons
shall wash their hands and their feet thereat. When they go into the tabernacle
of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when
they come near to the altar to minister . . . so shall they wash their hands
and their feet that they die not, and it shall be a statute for ever to them .
. ."
And in John 13, the lord Jesus, the substance before whom
the shadows fled, yet once more symbolized our continuous cleansing when he
washed the disciples' feet. He said
(John 13:10): "He that is bathed, needs not save to wash his feet, but is
clean every bit" (R.V).
Ephesians 5:25-27:
". . . the Messiah . . . gave himself up for it (the Church) that he
might sanctify it [set it apart], having cleansed it by the washing (laver) of
water with the word." With the word
he cleanses his people morally and will, eventually, perfectly, that he may
present them to himself "a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or
any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Thus, as we go about our priestly service, it
should not only be clear and obvious that God - Yehovah has set us apart for
it, but in the continual application of the word of God to our lives, equally
obviously in measure at least, that we are undefiled. The woman of Shunem discovered holiness in
the very walk of the prophet Elisha. 2 Kings 4:9: "Behold now, I perceive
that this is an holy man of God - Yehovah, which passes by us
continually."
(c) Clothed. Thirdly,
the priests were clothed with garments suitable and fitting to their high
calling. Exodus 28:40, 41: "And for Aaron's sons, you shall make coats,
and you shall make for them girdles and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for
glory and for beauty. And you shall put
them upon Aaron your brother, and his sons with him; and shall anoint them, and
consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the
priest's office."
It seems to me at least possible that when Moses, the man of
God - Yehovah, uttered his memorable prayer recorded as Psalm 90, that he had
this in view, Psalm 90:16, 17: "Let
your work appear unto your servants, and your glory unto their children. And let the beauty of Yehovah our God be upon
us . . ." “A man is known by his
clothes" they say, and there is something to that. And we, when clothed with the garment of
salvation and the robe of righteousness, should certainly show forth the glory
and beauty of God - Yehovah. And we
certainly shall if we are continually beholding His glory, His glory in the
face of the MessiahJesus (2 Corinthians3:18; 4: 6).
2 Corinthians 3:18: "But we all, with open face
beholding as in a glass the glory of the lord [Jesus], are changed into the
same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the lord [Jesus]." In the place of "beholding" the
R.V. has "reflecting". Which
is the right translation? Perhaps both
words together can only adequately give the meaning; for it is surely only as
we are facing toward our glorious ord that we can ever hope to reflect his
glory.
(3) "An holy nation" (1 Peter 2: 9). This speaks of citizenship. Peter is clearly quoting from Exodus 19:6:
"And you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and an holy
nation." God’s – Yehovah-s charge
to Israel is worth pondering.
Leviticus 20:24-26: "I am Yehovah your God, who has
separated you from other people. You
shall therefore put a difference between clean . . . and unclean . . . you
shall not make yourselves abominable . . . and you shall be holy unto me, for I
Yehovah am holy and have severed you from other people, that you should be mine." Israel miserably failed and the charge has
been transferred to the followers of the lord Messiah Jesus, but have we kept
it? Can we in any practical sense call
ourselves a holy nation? Notice Revelation 21:27: ”But nothing unclean
will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only
those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.”
(4) A holy
temple. Ephesians 2:21: "An holy
temple in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17: "Know you not that you
are a temple of God - Yehovah, and that the Spirit of God - Yehovah dwells in
you? If any man defiles the temple of
God - Yehovah, him shall God - Yehovah
destroy; for the temple of God - Yehovah is holy, whose temple you are."
1 Corinthians 6:19, 20: "What? Know you not that your
body is the temple of the God’s – Yehovah’s Spirit, which is in you, which you
have of God - Yehovah, and you are not your own. For you are bought with a price, therefore,
glorify God – Yehovah in your body and
in your Spirit which are God's – Yehovah’s." This speaks of ownership; we are not our own,
we have been bought with the precious blood of the Messiah, we belong to God -
Yehovah, a temple of God - Yehovah. He
must therefore be glorified in us.
Holiness, then, should be the distinctive mark of the people
of God - Yehovah; and this for the four reasons which the Scriptures quoted
reveal. Because of our relationship to the
Messiah and through him to one another; because we are called to worship;
because of our heavenly citizenship, and because of his ownership of us. Still, two other important matters are to
occupy our thoughts, but these must be mentioned in few words.
(3) HOLINESS, THEIR GROUND OF SEPARATION
Because the people of God - Yehovah are holy, in the sense
of being set apart for God - Yehovah, it naturally follows that they should
practice separation. (1) Separation to
God. Hebrews 13:12 and 13: "Jesus
also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without
the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his
reproach. For here have we no continuing
city, but we seek one to come." (2)
Separation from the world. 2 Corinthians 6:14, 7:1: "Be you not unequally
yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship has righteousness with
unrighteousness and what communion has light with darkness? Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye
separate and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you . . . 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 -
Yehovah.''
(4) HOLINESS, THEIR AIM AND GOAL
Holiness should be the aim and goal of all the people of God
- Yehovah on every count; but is it generally? (1) The many Scriptures quoted are in
themselves an argument for this. Because
God - Yehovah has called us to Himself and separated us to Himself, the very
least we can do is to clearly see the goal set before us and to set out with
all speed and determination to reach it.
(2i) The example of godly men should be our spur, e.g., the apostle
Paul. 2 Corinthians 5:9 (R.V.). "Wherefore also we make it our aim,
whether at home or absent, to be well-pleasing unto Him." (3)
And the plain command of the Lord should be our irresistible incentive.
Hebrews 12:14.
"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which
no man shall see the Lord."
So, God - Yehovah, in infinite grace has called us to
Himself, to a state and condition of holiness; to a life and character of
holiness in the widest application of the term.
But "Who is sufficient for these things?
And if we feel our own failure and weakness and uncleanness,
let us remember that all provision has been made by God - Yehovah for our
holiness now and hereafter.
Having therefore these promises (and provisions) dearly
beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,
perfecting holiness in the fear – reverence of God - Yehovah" (2 Corinthians
7:1). Amen.
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