The Way of Holiness # 2

The Way of Holiness # 2

And whatever holiness they may pretend to have in their hearts, whatever hypocritical pangs of affection they may have had, it is all to no purpose except it manifests itself in the holiness of their lives and conversations (James 1:26-27), "If any man among you seems to be religious, and bridles not his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this - to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." And in the second chapter, eighteenth verse: "Yes, a man may say, You have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." And in the nineteenth and twentieth verses, "You believe that there is one God, you do well - the devils also believe and tremble. But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" So that there must be a conformity of both heart and life to God, in order to true holiness.

Holiness is the image of God, His likeness, in him who is holy. By being conformed unto God is not meant a conformity to Him in His eternity, or infinity, or infinite power. These are God's inimitable and incommunicable attributes; but a conformity to His will, whereby He wills things that are just, right, and truly excellent and lovely; whereby He wills real perfection, and goodness, and perfectly abhors everything that is really evil, unjust, and unreasonable. And it is not only a willing as God wills, but also a doing as He does - in acting holily and justly and wisely and mercifully, like Him. It must become natural thus to be, and thus to act; it must be the constant inclination and new nature of the soul, and then the man is holy, and not before.

Second, Holiness is a conformity to Jesus Christ. Christ Jesus is perfectly conformed unto God, for He is God. He is His express image. Now Christ is nearer to us in some respects than God the Father, for He is our Mediator and is more immediately conversant with us; (John 1:18), "No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." Jesus Christ, He has been with us in the flesh and as one of us He appeared in the form of a servant, and we have seen His holiness brightly shining forth in all His actions. We have seen His holy life; we have a copy drawn, and an example set for us.

Now holiness is a conformity unto this copy: he who copies after Jesus Christ, after that copy which He has set us and which is delivered to us by the evangelists, is holy. He who diligently observes the life of Christ in the New Testament need not be at a loss to know what holiness is. Christ commands us to follow His example. (Matthew 11:29), "Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest unto your souls."

Have you ever read the four Gospels, and did you not observe in the life of Christ wonderful instances of humility, love to God, love to holiness; wonderful instances of zeal for God's glory; steadfastness in resisting temptations, entire trust and reliance on God, strict adherence to all His commands; astonishing instances of condescension, humility, meekness, lowliness, love to men, love to His enemies,charity and patience? Why, this is holiness. When we imitate Christ in these things, then are we holy, and not until then.

Third, Holiness is a conformity to God's laws and commands. When all God's laws without exception are written in our hearts, then are we holy. If you can go along with David in Psalm 119, where he speaks of his love and delight in God's law, in your own experience, when a man feels in some good measure what David declares concerning himself towards the law of God - then may God's law be said to be written in his heart. By God's law I mean all His precepts and commands, especially as they are delivered to us in the gospel, which is the fulfillment of the law of God. If you feel Christ's Sermon on the Mount engraved on the fleshly tables of your hearts, you are truly sanctified.

The new covenant is written in the hearts of those that are sanctified, of which the prophet Jeremiah speaks (31:31, 33), "Behold, the days come,says the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah. I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people."

The commands and precepts which God has given us are all pure, perfect and holy. They are the holiness of God in writing, and, when the soul is conformed to them, they have holiness of God upon their hearts; (2 Cor. 3:3), "Forasmuch as you are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in the fleshly tables of the heart." When the soul is molded and fashioned according to the image of God, the example of Christ, and the rules of the gospel - then it is holy, and not else.

2. Those that have not this holiness - are not in the way to heaven. Those that are not thus conformed to God, to Christ, and God's commands - are not in the way to heaven and happiness; they are not traveling that road; the road they are in will never bring them there. Whatever hopes and expectations they may have, they will never reach heaven except they altar their course, turn about, and steer towards another point; for the way is a way of holiness, and the unclean  shall not pass over it. Christ said that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for the rich man to enter into heaven, but yet he left it absolutely possible with God that it might be; but he said positively and without exception that except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. None but those that are holy are in the way to heaven, whatever profession they may make, whatever church they may be in; for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

~Jonathan Edwards~

(continued with # 3)