The BIBLICAL Interpretation of Holiness

ALL CHRISTIAN TRUTH must be based on the teaching of the Bible. God has spoken in the Scriptures and has made known to us both His will for our lives and His provision for our needs.

No important Bible truth depends on scattered and iso­lated proof texts. One man is said to have claimed that he could prove atheism from the Bible. He offered the text, "There is no God." What he did not say was that the context reads, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God" (Ps. 14:1).

The doctrine of Christian holiness is based upon the total thrust of the Scriptures. It is not merely a thread or line of truth running through the Word of God. It is rather a network of teaching which is an essential part of the fabric of the whole.

Holiness has its proof texts-although it would be more correct to call them data-evidences which support the con­viction that sanctifying grace is real in human life. They should not be ignored. But even more important is the mes­sage of the whole. Behind clichés and stereotypes based on a few isolated passages is the rich and varied teaching of the Bible itself.

Before turning to the biblical presentation of holiness, it should be noted that there are two sets of English terms in the King James Version used to translate a single Hebrew word in the Old Testament and a single Greek word in the New Testament.

One of these sets of English terms comes from the Ger­manic roots of our language. It includes the verb "to hallow, make holy," the noun "holiness," and the adjective "holy."

The other set of English terms is derived from the Latin roots of English. It includes the verb "to sanctify," the noun "sanctification," and the adjective "sanctified."

Theologians sometimes make distinctions between these two sets of English words. For example, sanctification is sometimes defined as the act or process whereby a person or thing is made holy; and holiness is defined as the state or condition resulting from the act or process of sanctification. But since the two sets of words from which sanctification and holiness come are alternative translations of single terms in the original biblical languages, it is better to regard as equivalent expressions the verbs "to sanctify" and "to make holy," the nouns "sanctification" and "holiness," and the adjectives "sanctified" and "holy."

I

The Bible is an amazingly realistic Book. It describes with great faithfulness the sorrows and sins, the struggles and hopes, the weakness and pain of the men and women who walk its pages. Yet through it all there shines a light of redemption and victory, the light of that "holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14).

In swift strokes, the early chapters of Genesis paint the picture of creation and catastrophe, holiness given and holi­ness lost.

Genesis 3 tells us of the source of that corruption of our moral natures for which sanctification is the divine cure. Created in the image of God, but using the freedom which was part of that image to seek to "be as gods" (Gen. 3:5) themselves, Adam and Eve brought upon their descendants the corruption that comes to a branch cut off from the source of spiritual life in the Vine (cf. John 15:1-6).

The man created in the image of God "begat a son in his own likeness, after his image" (Gen. 5:3) whose "every imagination [yetzer, tendency, propensity, direction] of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Gen. 6:5; 8:21). The sinful condition of the race is due to the depravity that comes from "deprivity," that is, human nature apart from the life of the Spirit.

Yet such is the marvel of God's love and patience that the very scene of human rebellion was the occasion for the first promise of divine redemption, of One who at the cost of His own suffering would crush the serpent's head (Gen. 3:15; Rom. 16:20).

Through long centuries of preparation, the fact of God's holiness was revealed in a dozen different ways-by His wonderful works, by the awe men felt in His presence, by the ritual and sacrifices of Tabernacle and Temple, as well as by the prayers, aspirations, and proclamations of those men to whom God made himself known. God was seen to be, in Isaiah's favorite phrase, "the poly One of Israel" (1:4; 5:19; 10:20; etc. ). Holiness was seen to be the very inward­ness of God's being. It is His nature, His "Godness."

Equally strong was the call for men who walked with God to be like Him in moral character. In the Old Testament, the familiar biblical term "sanctify" (102 times in various forms) often has the meaning we have come to attach to "consecrate." This is clearly true when men are told, as they frequently are, to sanctify themselves; to sanctify places, garments, altars, vessels, days, priests, and people to the Lord. The meaning is to separate or set apart as dedicated to God.

This is not the whole story, however. Present from the beginning, and growing stronger through the centuries, was the recognition that people who belong to God are not only consecrated but are to be different in a real and personal way. Ritual purity is symbolic of moral purity. The repeated command, "Ye shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy" (Lev. 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:26), makes no distinction be­tween the holiness of God and the holiness of His people, and is set in the context of moral conduct in 1 Pet. 1:15-16.

It is clear, certainly, that the holiness possible to man is not a property of his own nature. It is God's gift. But even before the finished work of Christ on the Cross, it was pos­sible for inspired writers to describe Noah as one who "found grace in the eyes of the Lord ... a just man and perfect in his generations" (Gen. 6:8-9); to record God's command to Abraham, "Walk before me, and be thou perfect" (Gen. 17:1); and to speak of job as "perfect and upright" (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3).

II

The sacrifices and ceremonies that make up so much of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy had a dual purpose. They were object lessons in the need for a blood-sprinkled way into the "holiest of all," the redemptive presence of the Lord God. And they pointed ahead to the Cross-the coming of the Lamb of God, who was to bear away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

The Psalms give us one of the best measures of the piety of the Old Testament, the type of character possible to men who walk with God. There are many insights into the nature of God's holiness and its demands upon those who worship Him (15:1-2; 24:3-4). The Psalmist distinguishes between his sins and transgressions-the iniquities he has done (51:1, 3-4, 9)-and the disposition behind the deeds, the inward "sin" for which the only remedy is the purging blood and the washing that brings a clean heart (51:2, 5-6, 10).

Old Testament teaching about the godly life came to full flower in the prophets. There was Isaiah, already a prophet (1:1 in comparison with 6:1), who experienced the taking away and purging of his "iniquity" or "sin" (note the singular), and who pointed the way to the age of the Spir­it which was to come (6:1-8; 32:15, 17; 35:8-10; 44:3; 59:19, 21; 62:12-with the solemn warning of 63:7-10).

There was Jeremiah, who wrote of the "new covenant" (31:31-33; cf. Heb. 10:14-22); Ezekiel's promise of the cleansing to come from the "new spirit" within (36:25-26, 29); Joel's famous prediction of Pentecost (2:28-29); Zecha­riah's vision of the "fountain ... opened for sin and for un­cleanness" (12:10; 13:1, 9); and Malachi's prophecy of the Messiah's refining fire to purify and purge and make pos­sible "an offering in righteousness" (3:1-3).

While holiness in the Old Testament did not come up to the full-orbed truth of the New Testament, the ideal is clear and the promise is sure. Its fulfillment in Christ and the age of the Spirit is the apex of the new covenant.

III

The Gospels present God's purpose for His people in two ways: in their record of the Life that must forever be the ideal for Christian aspiration, and in the teachings of Jesus and the inspired men who recorded His words.

Jesus spoke of the blessedness of the pure in heart (Matt. 5:8). He called the children of God to perfection of love (Matt. 5:43-48; 22:35-40; Mark 12:29-31; Luke 6:40). He taught that the source of evil is the depravity of a carnal heart (Mark 7:21-23) in contrast with the emphasis on the outward or cultic holiness of the scribes and Pharisees.

Christ promised the Holy Spirit as rivers of living water to those who believed (John 7:38-39), the Father's Gift to those of His children who ask (Luke 11:13). He spoke of "another Comforter" to be given to those who love Him and keep His commandments, a Bestowment whom "the world cannot receive" (John 14:15-17).

Jesus prayed for His own (John 17:9) and for those who would believe on Him through their word (17:20) that God would "sanctify them" (17:17)-so that His joy might be fulfilled in them (17:13); that they might be kept from the evil (17:15); that they might be made perfect in one (17:21, 23); that the world might believe (17:21, 23); and that they might be with Him at last and behold His glory (17:24).

Our Lord's parting command was to tarry in the city of Jerusalem (Luke 24:49) until baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5) — a baptism which follows the water baptism that seals repentance (Matt. 3:11-12; Luke 3:16-17; John 1:33; Acts 11:15-16) and which empowers a consistent life and wit­ness (Acts 1:8).

The Book of Acts records the fulfillment of the promise and prayer of Jesus concerning the Holy Spirit. While the Jerusalem Pentecost of Acts 2 had an unrepeatable historical side to it as the beginning of the long-awaited "age of the Spirit," its deeper personal meaning is attested by the Sa­maritan Pentecost of Acts 8, the Caesarean or Gentile Pen­tecost of Acts 10, and the Ephesian Pentecost of Acts 19.

Few are disposed to dispute the spiritual power that comes with the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Its cleansing aspect has not seemed as apparent, despite the fact that one of the meanings of the Greek term for baptism is itself "cleansing."

The matter is settled beyond reasonable doubt, how­ever, in Acts 15:8-9. This is Peter's testimony as to what happened to Cornelius and the people of his household: "And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith."

Although there had been speaking in other languages in Caesarea as in Jerusalem (10:46), Peter did not mention this at all. When he was concerned to show the identity of the Gentile Pentecost with what happened in Jerusalem, the only "sign" he appealed to was the fact that God purified by faith the hearts of those upon whom the Holy Spirit came.

IV

The Epistles of the New Testament, Pauline and Gen­eral, give full expression to the truth of Christian holiness. It must be remembered that the letters of the New Testa­ment are all addressed to Christians. They were written from within the context of faith, and directed to those who had been converted.

For this reason, there is no effort on the part of the writers to identify sanctification as a work of grace following conversion or the new birth. The readers are assumed al­ready to have passed from death to life. Whatever is urged upon them must, therefore, be understood as part of what follows the initial experience of salvation. God's redemptive work in its totality is the theme of the New Testament let­ters. It is expressed in many ways:

a. Christians must experience in reality what is implied in baptism and provided by the Cross (Rom. 6:1-7:6).

b. Both the law and human willpower are futile in dealing with inner sin (Rom. 7:7-25).

c. Only the Spirit of life can make the believer free from the fleshly or carnal mind (Rom. 8:1-13).

d. The very mercies of God call for His people to make of themselves living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1-2).

e. Spiritual infancy and carnal living rend the body of Christ (1 Cor. 3:1-4).

f. More excellent than spiritual gifts is the way of divine love (1 Cor. 12:31-13:-13).

g. The promises of God call us to cleansing from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Con 7:1).

h. The struggle between "flesh" and "Spirit" goes on until the "flesh" is crucified with its affections and lusts (Gal. 5:17-24).

i. Those chosen to be holy and without blame before God in love must put off "the old man ... corrupt according to the deceitful lusts," and put on "the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Eph. 1:4; 4:22-24).

j. Christ loved the Church and gave himself to "sanc­tify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word," that it "should be holy and without blemish" (Eph. 5:25-27).

k. There is no "perfection of glory" in this life (Phil. 3:12-14), but there is a "perfection of grace" (3:15).

l. Putting off the old man and putting on the new man must lead to life on a new and higher ethical plane (Col. 3:1-13).

m. God's will and call are to holiness, entire sanctifi­cation (I Thess. 4:3, 7-8; 5:23-24).

n. Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live holy lives in this present world, looking for the coming of the God-man, who gave himself both to "re­deem us from all iniquity," and to purify unto himself a people peculiarly His own, "zealous of good works" (Titus 2:11-14).

· The strong, practical emphasis of the letter to the Hebrews is the need for converts to "go on":

· to a sanctifying union with the Captain of their sal­vation (2:10-11)

· into the "rest of faith" (3:12-4:11)

· to become teachers of others (5:11-14) • unto "perfection" (6:1-3)

· to the reality of Christ's sprinkled blood (9:13-14) • into the holiest of all (10:19-22)

· following "holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" (12:14-17)

· with Christ without the camp where He suffered to sanctify the people of God with His own blood (13:12-14). The alternative to going on is the chilling pos­sibility of going "back unto perdition" (10:39).

p. The double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, is directed to purify his heart (Jas. 1:8; 4:8).

q. God's obedient children are to be "holy, as he . . . is holy" in every area of their lives (1 Pet. 1:14-16).

r. By the promises of God, we become partakers of His nature, and thus escape the corruption in the world through lust (2 Pet. 1:4).

s. If we walk in the light of God instead of the darkness of sin, we have fellowship with Him, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. To deny the need for such cleans­ing is to deceive ourselves (1 John 1:7-8).

t. In the perfection of love, there is boldness in the day of judgment (I John 4:17-18).

Putting all this together, one can hardly escape the al­most boundless optimism of the New Testament writers as they reflect the possibilities of grace. They are fully aware of the tensions involved in living godly lives in this present world in bodies that still await the full redemption of the sons of God. They know that it is through tribulation we enter the Kingdom. Yet they thrill to the reality of the resurrection life even in the stresses, partialities, and incompleteness of the present age.

One of the crucial issues in discussions of the “higher life” portrayed in the New Testament is always the nature and extent of deliverance from inner sin, the old nature. “Eradication” is a term sure to he questioned. We are told that it is not a biblical term—and indeed it is not, exactly in that form—although the idea comes through rather clearly in Heb. 12:14-15.

But is it necessary to contend for a term If anyone ob­jects to “eradication” —and there are some overtones to the word that say more than we mean—then why not just settle for biblical language and talk about crucifixion, destruction, mortification, putting to death, putting off, purging, cleans­ing, purifying, or making clean Really, it all comes out at the same place.

If we interpret Christian holiness biblically, we shall not concern ourselves with a single group of words—”holy,” “holiness,” “sanctify,” “sanctification.” We shall also stress the baptism with or fullness of the Holy Spirit; the risen or resurrected life with Christ; the righteousness of the law fulfilled in us; circumcision of the heart; salvation to the ut­termost—or in Luther’s sparkling phrase, “through and through”; the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ; purity of heart and power for witnessing; and so on and on.

We shall turn to other interpretations of Christian holi­ness. But all of them must finally rest back upon the teachings of the Holy Bible with its clarion call “not unto uncleanness, but unto holiness” (1 Thess. 4:7).