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RE: Living Holy Lives - 7/6/2009 8:23:40 AM
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DaveW
Posts: 3797
Joined: 4/12/2005
From: MD suburbs of Washington DC
Status: online
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So why is everyone talking about "holiness" but in reality are discussing rightousness?
_____________________________
Avatar is my daughter Laura and SIL David on their wedding 9/20/09 ====================================
Our CD is now available here:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/dswaggoner
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RE: Living Holy Lives - 7/6/2009 8:42:15 AM
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drmark
Posts: 4636
Joined: 7/10/2006
Status: online
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Because they are one and the same in Holiness doctrinal tradition! 
_____________________________
Jeremiah 31:31-34. The time is NOW, fellow saints!
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RE: Living Holy Lives - 7/6/2009 9:53:44 AM
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URForgiven
Posts: 521
Joined: 3/22/2008
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"It is not the nature of our activity that makes it spiritual, it is the origin of our activity that makes it spiritual. " Maj. Ian Thomas
This is the true and normal Christian life in a nutshell. Not the nature, but the origin. Two persons can be sitting next to each other, both doing exactly the same thing. And yet, one can be spiritual and one can be unspiritual. Because one is working in the energy of the Spirit, and the other is working in the energy of the flesh. It is not what we are doing that makes it spiritual, it is with whom that activity originates.
Another illustration. A person is sitting on a couch listening to music and tapping their fingers and moving their head in a rhythmic way. A deaf person walks into the room, thinks that looks like fun, sits down next to the other person and begins to tap his fingers and move his head in exactly the same way. Now, a third person enters the room. What does he see? He sees two people who appear to be having the exact same experience, because outwardly they are doing the exact same things. But the truth is that only one of them is actually responding to the music they hear, while the other is only pretending. It's not the nature, but the origin.
Unfortunately, what passes as Christianity, and what Christians are told, is to just act like the deaf person in that illustration, and then you will be holy. Clean up your act, and then you will be clean. They are not taught how to be holy, they are told how to act holy. As if looking like you are holy is the same as being holy. External, hypocritical conformity, instead of internal conformity being expressed externally.
The true Christian life is our response to the music of the Spirit of Christ within us. He is the cause. We are the effect. Not the other way around. Anything spiritual, anything holy that we do originates in and with Him, or what we do is not holy.
God does not relinquish any of His attributes, including His Holiness. God alone is Holy, and what God is, we are not. We are not God and we will never be God. Our being holy, our being "set apart", is determined by the Holy character of God. Not vice versa. Holiness in the life of the Believer is always derivative. It is the presence of the Spirit of Christ within us by which we are called "holy ones" (II Thess. 1:10). The Believers expression of holiness is always derived from God.
Paul exhorted Christians, in I Thess. 5:23-24, to allow "the God of peace to sanctify you"...and then concludes with this powerful truth..."and He will bring it to pass!" The responsibility of the Believer is dependency, in faith...being receptive to God's activity. It is God who does the "setting apart," and He does so on the basis of His holy character, and by the power of His grace.
It is not the nature of our activity that makes it holy, it is the origin of our activity that makes it holy. To be holy is to be set apart by God for that purpose for which we were created; to be the recipient and the vessel of a Holy God working in and through us as we present ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice. This is holy and pleasing to God.
...and this is our reasonable act of worship.
_____________________________
"Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit,
are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" Galatians 3:3
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RE: Living Holy Lives - 7/6/2009 10:35:19 AM
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drmark
Posts: 4636
Joined: 7/10/2006
Status: online
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quote:
Holiness is the state of being set apart for and to God's work. And what is God's work other than to be righteous and perform righteous acts!
quote:
Rightousness (both kinds - imputed and imparted) has to do with right-standing before God; being declared justified and cleansed by the work of the cross, and our own obedience to His word. And this imparted righteousness will result in holy living as we obey Him!
Yes Dave, I can agree with you that "holiness" (sanctification) and "righteousness" (imputed and imparted) are different semantic terms but in practice they are one and the same or they are only meaningless semantic terms!
_____________________________
Jeremiah 31:31-34. The time is NOW, fellow saints!
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