Why We React to Holiness
There have been occasions we have experienced or heard about from others where people in the church (both in authority and in pews) have reacted adversely to the preaching of holiness.
To recoil at the thought of holiness indicates the presence of unbelief in someone. Unbelief is a source of deception. There are two aspects to this unbelief. The first is the attitude that holiness is boring and a bondage. The logical extension of that attitude is that God is also boring and takes away our freedom as God is holy. The second aspect of that unbelief is the attitude that some sin, flesh or the world is needed to make things exciting or interesting.
Holiness and sinfulness are obviously mutually exclusive opposites. There can be no overlap. Holiness has to do with being separated to God for His use. It speaks of having pure motives and an inner purity. In Psalm 29:2 it is referred to as beautiful. Holiness is not severity, legalism, judgementalness, joylessness or isolationism. Those things are religious counterfeits.
Sin on the other hand is ugly and according to Jesus brings into bondage. (John 8:34) True freedom is not being enslaved to sin. It is not casting off restraint (Gal 5:13) or being unaccountable. They are lies Satan tries to sell us. True freedom is being as far as possible from sin and the things of the world and the flesh, not as close as possible. It means not having any addictions or compulsion to sin.
Holiness is therefore true freedom and very enjoyable. If holiness were truly understood it would be pursued relentlessly. In fact we are told in Hebrews 12:14 to do just that.
Laurence Webb From A Disciples Packet of Seeds.
KNOWING GOD
June 2001