Where Do You Stand?

I received an email from a Biblical scholar who emphasizes the Hebraic Roots of the Christian Faith. In that email, the learned Doctor stated the following: "'May Your mercy outweigh Your wrath,' pray the rabbis---and for very good reason. Who can stand before the Lord? 'A man with clean hands and a pure heart,' says David. And that leaves most of us looking in from the outside." As I read the email, the question occurred to me that how someone answers David's question could have very serious consequences. Where do you stand on the issue? How powerful is the blood of Jesus Christ in your life?

The Bible states in pertinent part in 1 John 3:8-9: "He that committeth sin is of the devil.... Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin...and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." Further, Acts 15:8-9 states: "And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith."

From the above Scriptures, it would seem clear the following:
1. There is a state of salvation that exists that enables the believer to live a life without committing sin on a habitual basis.
2. The believer can live a life that is characterized by not committing sin to such a degree that it is impossible for the believer to commit habitual sin.
3. There exists a state of a clean heart which is received by faith from the infilling of the Holy Ghost.
4. The state of a pure heart is maintained by faith.

The above Scriptures deal with two types of sin:
1. Sin as in acts; and
2. Sin as a principle.

The blood of Jesus Christ saves a believer who has faith in that blood from all willful sin after repenting from all known sin. This is known as justification. The justified believer lives a life free from intentional sin. That same blood has the power to cleanse the heart from the sin principle after the believer consecrates, i.e. surrenders all the past, present, and future to the perfect will of God. I adhere to what has been referred to as "The Death Route." The Death Route is a process of the believer surrendering one carnal trait at a time to the Lord. Now, God does not crucify them one at a time, but in one fatal act. In that act, the "Old Man" is killed dead. He is not wounded, nor just injured, he is killed and buried. This is known as entire sanctification. It is a glorious experience to know that the sin principle has been removed; that one is free from committing willful sin and that no friend to sin is found within the heart.

In answer to David's question, I can testify that I have "clean hands and a pure heart!" I'm not on the outside looking in! I'm on the inside enjoying the beauty of holiness! Where are you?