From dress codes to movie bans to hair length regulations, our religious world is rife with sincere but misguided attempts at personal holiness. Do we really think holiness is about external behavior, human effort, and religious rules? Apparently we do. Even though the Bible teaches the exact opposite.
Old Testament leaders were supposed to tell all the people to "be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy." (Leviticus 19:2) My quick comments on that verse...
1. BE HOLY... The Bible tells us to be holy, not to act holy. Holiness is a state of being. It is something we are, not something we do. Internal not external. Being not doing. Fish swim because they are fish. Birds fly because they are birds. Christians avoid sin because they are holy. Swimming does not make one a fish. Acting holy does not make one a Christian.
2. BECAUSE I AM HOLY... We are to be holy because of who God is, not because of who we are or who we want to become. When the motivation for our holiness is to win God's favor, relieve our guilt, or impress our pastor, it is not real holiness. Real holiness is God-centered not man-centered. It is about Him, not about us.
So, what am I trying to say? The same thing the Old Testament leaders constantly said: whether you have long hair or no hair, whether you watch or boycott movies, whether you wear a suit or shorts to church, you should be holy because God is holy.
Your comments pretty much reflect where I am at. This thinking however, grates against the whole religious system which seems enamored with the idea of obtaining favors from God through personal holiness and righteous acts. Some will believe in His finished work, others will continue to cover their lack of belief with fig leaves based on a list of rules. Like Publishers Clearing House, which sends out flyers indicating you "definitely might be a winner", many preach you "definitely might be saved"...if you persist maintaining your holiness list. I find the "definitely might" messages above, obnoxious. Jesus came to transform our heart attitudes, not to beat, drag and strangle us down the path with a dog's choke chain. Those who know that they cannot save or maintain themselves, willingly and "in love" follow the Master, without the choke chain of religious performance. Didn't Jesus already deal with this with those religious leaders 2000 years ago? Yet here we are again.
Posted by: Joel Lanier | July 16, 2012 at 02:10 AM