Holiness: The Great Need of the Church

Hebrews 12:14 instructs us: “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” In chapter Hebrews 13: 12-13, the states: “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.” This brief article will put forth the proposition that something is wrong with the church in the USA. The charismatics seek signs and wonders. Methodists have rejected their past doctrine of entire sanctification. Most, but not all, Baptists say just repeat after me this prayer and you are eternally secure no matter what you believe or do. Presbyterians believe everything is preordained and are as dry and cold as a refrigerator. As a result, churches are powerless and ineffective. Pastors become CEOs and cease to be a messenger from a Holy God. The emphasis is on not offending people. Lets be inclusive and tolerant. Recently I preached a message on “Hating What Jesus Hates.” “On no preacher, Jesus doesn’t hate anything, He is Love.” Really? I will take the Word of God over the opinions of men. Read Revelation 2: 6 and 15.

But what about the holiness crowd? For some reason (and I suspect it is Satan that fears the truth of blood bought holiness and does his best to create dissension in the ranks), the holiness crowd wants to argue over just about everything. Unity in holiness churches is a struggle. I suggest to all the groups referenced above, that the answer to church issues can be found in the members getting to a place of one hundred per cent devotion to Jesus Christ, dying out to self, paying the price and becoming entirely sanctified. Church money problems, evangelism, discipleship, etc will look different when people die out to self, surrender their all, sign the blank contract and allow God to fill in the details. Too many people in the holiness crowd either tried to work their way into entire sanctification by obeying man made rules or were presumptuous and “took it by faith.” Understand that faith is the door into a life of holiness, but isn’t operative until one has died out and taken the death route. More on the death route in future articles.

I’m thankful I had a mentor Rev Herbert J Norton who explained and taught the truth about entire sanctification to me in the 1970s. Some say we are in the last days, whether it is true or not I don’t know, but I’m heading toward the end of my last days so I want to be ready. We that are blood bought sanctified Christians need to have the fire from above strike us again and get us red hot for Jesus. We need to check our consecration and make sure it is up to date. We need to love the sinner but not be tolerant toward the sin. We can’t do this on our own power for too long. We need the sustaining power of the Holy Ghost. The church needs entirely sanctified believers who are ready to go all out for Jesus. Are you in that crowd?