Third Direction for Obtaining Holiness

The third direction for Obtaining the experience of holiness is:
“Humble yourself under the hand of the Almighty. Spiritual poverty is the prelude to spiritual enlargement. ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit.’ Do not seek too easy a way. Be willing to die to sin. Endeavor to feel the deep, malignant, hateful nature of your depravity, and your need of purity.”

“If you have but little sense of need, you will make little progress. The feeling that is required is represented by the sensations of hunger and thirst. Our Saviour says, ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness.’ Your efforts in seeking holiness will be likely to harmonize with the strength of your desires. The necessary feelings of penitence, self-abatement, and of strong desire for holiness, may be secured by prayer, searching the Scriptures, meditation, and self-examination.”

It is very difficult for those in positions of church leadership to humble themselves to seek holiness if they obtained their positions of authority while unsanctified. The carnal trait of pride has been the downfall of many who refuse to acknowledge their need. I remember in the 1970s, asking Rev. Herbert Norton to dinner. I asked him did he have any dietary restrictions. His response, “I don’t like mustard or mayonnaise.” He was a very simple and humble man. When someone asked me later whether I had the great Bible scholar Rev. Norton to my house, my reply was that I didn’t think he knew he was a Bible scholar. He simply lived a life of complete surrender to Jesus Christ.

Years ago, I would say show me your checkbook and I can tell what is important in your life. Today, I would change that expression to show me your browsing history and I can tell what is important in your life. The point is you need to have a honest evaluation of your hunger for holiness. Start with your checkbook if you have one, and then on to your browsing history. It will reveal where your heart is. Are you more concerned with social media, or the Word of God and prayer. The good news is that you can change your diet today, and begin to focus on hungering and thirsting for righteousness. Now, we are getting to the root of the matter, the carnal root.