But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Some believers have confused holiness for righteousness, assuming that there's no difference between both. Though often used by many interchangeably, holiness is not the same as righteousness and the difference between the two needs to be clear.
Holiness is a place in God; a condition. When God sanctifies something, whether it's a place, a person or a thing, it becomes holy. That person or thing becomes separated from all others unto God. It includes two aspects. Firstly, the Lord separates you or sets you apart; and then secondly, He separates you to Himself. It is one thing to separate anything or anybody to other things, but that doesn't mean you've separated that thing to yourself. But in this connection, God separates you from others to Himself; for His sacred use, thus you're holy!
As God's children, we've been sanctified by the Spirit of God. So we're called holy. That's our condition. Also, when God's presence comes upon someone or when God's presence comes to a place, like it did on Mount Sinai in the Old Testament (Exodus 24:16) it becomes holy. The temple in the Old Testament also was called holy because the presence of God was there, and God had separated that place for Himself.
Righteousness, on the other hand, is a nature. It's the nature of God that describes His rightness; His ability to do, and be right. He is never wrong, He's always right. Whatever He does is right. When He imparts this ability to be right and do right into your life, you automatically become righteous. This also gives you right-standing, which means you can stand in His presence without a sense of condemnation, inferiority or guilt.
Righteousness is your nature now; it's the character of your spirit. You're not the only the righteousness of God in Christ, as the scripture says in 2 Corinthians 5:21, instead, you're both righteous and holy (1 Corinthians 3:17). In Hebrews 3:1, we're called holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling. You share the same life and nature with the Lord; His nature of righteousness and holiness have been imparted to your spirits; you're one with Him now: "For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren" (Hebrews 2:11).
CONFESSION
I am the temple of God and God's Spirit lives in me, therefore, I am holy, as He is holy. By virtue of Christ's death, burial and resurrection, I've been declared righteous, justified and sanctified unto God, therefore, I live and walk daily in the nature of God that has been imparted into my spirit. Praise the Lord!
Rhapsody of Realities November 25, 2011
--Pastor Chris Oyakhilome
YOU MADE A VERY GOOD AND CLEAR PRESENTATION PLEASE GO A LITTLE DEEPER TOUCH THE AREA WHEN SOMEBODY SINS, 1) WILLFULLY 2)CONTINUSLY 3)INTENTIONALLY
ReplyDeleteThe post above was taken from a Rhapsody of Realities, by Pastor Chris(unless you're asking this of him directly in the event he might come across this).
DeleteThere are those who preach grace as though it only means "unmerited favour", so they assure people that they can continue to live life of sin (example, a man with a skewed identity as a homosexual, living that way.
Believe it or not, I actually heard a "pastor" hock a book he wrote[on grace regarding what Jesus never condemned], and on the television soundbite he said "Jesus never said anything about a practicing homosexual!").
They ignore the fact that Jesus said "...Go on your way and from now on SIN NO MORE"(John 8:11 AMP).
The people who preach "unmerited mercy while continuing a filthy behaviour without planning to end it" ignored Jesus' follow-up statement when He said "I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the Light which is Life". Did He make that statement because He likes to talk or was that statement borne out of the event of sinners still sinning, wanting to stone another sinner? They were all dwellers of darkness; the stoners and the potential stonee(ok, I made up those words regarding "stones", but you get the idea).
The substances of darkness doesn't mix with light. On the cross Jesus cried out to God "Eloi Eloi lama sabachthani?"which is translated, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"(Mark 15:34), this was a result of taking on the sins of humanity. God doesn't look on sin.
In that same chapter, i.e John 8, [after the Jews argued He's into self-aggrandizement], Jesus made another statement that the "preachers" missed: "Jesus answered them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Whoever commits and practices sin is the slave of sin."(John 8:34)
We know that a person who is enslaved is next to powerless, lacking the ability to use their own will.
What the leaders of people need to be teaching, is empowerment, which is the true meaning of grace. Divine enablement. "God brought you out of that situation to bring you into power over situations like that."
When Satan's messenger was sent to buffet Paul, he cried to God and was told that God's grace, which is the power of Christ, is sufficient(2 Corinthians 12:7-9).
In Paul's letter to Titus he tells him "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;"(Titus 2:11-12).In essence, saying that grace of God teaches and shows-- much like what Jesus said about the Spirit of Truth, guiding you into all truth...
Just wanted to make sure my point is clear-- whomever you minister to, as a teacher, you show them their true identity, one that looks like Yeshua Hamashiach(Jesus the Christ). Jesus isn't only our restorer, he's also our blue-print.
ReplyDeleteThe devil's tactic from the start was to mess with a person's vision of himself/herself and his/her relationship/trust in God. The serpent messed with Adam & Eve's perception of themselves, and he tried to do the same with Jesus after God said "This is my beloved Son in whom I AM well pleased."-- Tried planting this question "if you are the Son of God then..."
When a person goes through life enslaved by the demonic (i.e living in sin-(willfully?)) and the 'representative of God'/teacher endorses their behaviour instead of showing how they're being railroaded out of their inheritance, that pastor is deceiving that person!
Show the strategies of the devil and how to triumph and keep him under their feet.
Fellowship with God is what we're after; through this communion a person is unstoppable, but how can a slave to the demonic fellowship with THE LORD?
In his first epistle, John said "...God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:5-7)
thank you
ReplyDeleteThank you for an interesting discussion, but unfortunately, your definitions of holiness and righteousness are exactly backwards.
ReplyDeleteIt is righteousness that is a condition, our right standing before God, by imputation from the work of Christ.
Holiness is the nature that we strive for and is infused in us through the work of the Holy Spirit.
BIBLICAL REFERENCE PLEASE??
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DeleteAnonymous you are correct. I was thinking the same thing too.
ReplyDeleteDifference between righteousness and holiness has really confused me a lot. I pray God will rescue my from this confusion. More help on that topic please.
ReplyDeletePsalms 145:17 defines it for me: God is righteous in all His ways (nature/essence/standing: as we are clothed in Christ’s righteousness) AND God is holy in all His works (the product/out working of His internal Righteousness). God’s inherent nature is righteous; I am accorded that righteousness when in Christ. God’s every work is holy because it is performed in/out of His righteousness. My take on Ps 145:17!
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