Imputed Holiness vs Practical Holiness

Devotion 7 – Imputed Holiness vs Practical Holiness

 

Isa.6:1-3 – “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!”

Rev.4:8 – “The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

The Hebrew language often uses repetition to indicate emphasis just like we do by italics, bold or underlining.  Jesus frequently says, “Truly, truly…” to give his emphasis on certain truth He wants to communicate. Thus, by employing this threefold repetition for his holiness, God is exalting His holiness to the highest measure.

Holiness is indeed required to remain in God's presence since God Himself is holy and has exalted His holiness to the highest magnitude. However, we need to differentiate between imputed holiness and practical holiness. The holiness of Christ-like righteousness is imputed to us the moment we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and saviour. However, practical holiness has to do with our daily walk with God.

We are righteous in Christ, but we are called to be holy as God is holy.

Matt.5:48 – Jesus says “be holy as our Father in heaven is holy”

Practical holiness is conformity to the will of God, and obedience to the Lord's command. It is the Spirit's work in the soul by which a man is made like God and becomes a partaker of the divine nature.

2 Cor.7:1 – “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

What promises are this scripture referring?

 

2 Cor.6:16-18 – “For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

 

The indwelling and working of the Holy Spirit in our life.

As people indwelt by His Holy Spirit, we should progressively become more and more like Him. Progressive holiness means that we continue to become more and more like Christ in our character and conduct. This holiness is a result of growth. We are to pursue holiness as an expression of our fear of him. The fear of the Lord in our hearts gives us the hatred for sin, the strength and motivation to depart from it and the desire to walk in holiness.

Proverbs 8:13 – “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil…”

 

Proverbs 14:2 – “He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is perverse in his ways despises Him.”

 

Take note, we are to “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit…”. Clearly, there are certain things God cleanses for us (our sin) and there are certain things God expects us to cleanse ourselves.

Aiming for perfection is not living by the law, it’s living by the Spirit. It takes more dependence on the Spirit to “perfect holiness”. Aiming for perfection is not the denial of grace but confirmation of His grace. We should not just receive and “rest” in grace and lose focus on how we’re growing in holiness.

 

Without Holiness, No one will see the Lord

 

Heb.12:14 - “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord…”

Does this scripture means that we are not saved unless we have God-imputed righteousness within us, or unless we lived a holy life? Just what do these words actually mean? Does our salvation, in the final analysis, depend to some degree on our attaining some level of personal holiness?

Hebrews 10:10 – “By that will we have been sanctified (make holy) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

So we see that our holiness before God depends entirely on the work of Jesus Christ for us, by God’s will. However, Heb.12:14  is not referring to this kind of holiness. At this point the writer speaks of a holiness which we are to strive after; we are to “make every effort…to be holy.” And without this holiness, the writer says, no one will see the Lord.

Scripture speaks of both a holiness which we have in Christ before God, and a holiness which we are to strive after. These two aspects of holiness complement one another. So the writer of Hebrews is telling us to take seriously the necessity of personal, practical holiness. When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives at our salvation, He comes to make us holy in practice. If not, then, at least a yearning in our heart to live a holy life pleasing to God. If our heart does not yearn for holiness, then we need to seriously question whether our faith in Christ is genuine.