BLJ: We conclude today with the remaining answer to this question. The church needs holiness. Too many Christians today have left the ancient landmarks that the Scriptures provide and this has led to acceptance of many moral failures and confusion in the church. This includes the meaning of marriage, the sanctify of life, and the maintaining of moral absolutes.
7. You must read the Holy Scriptures daily.
The word of God is the voice of the Spirit. It is grieved when the truth is neglected or disobeyed. The Bible is soul-food. Perfect love will require nourishment daily. If you do not feed it with Bible truth it will die. Holiness furnishes a strong appetite for spiritual aliment. Those who have been the clearest in perfect love are those who have paid the greatest attention and deference to the word of God. The Bible is a well of living water. You will need to draw water daily out of
7. You must read the Holy Scriptures daily.
The word of God is the voice of the Spirit. It is grieved when the truth is neglected or disobeyed. The Bible is soul-food. Perfect love will require nourishment daily. If you do not feed it with Bible truth it will die. Holiness furnishes a strong appetite for spiritual aliment. Those who have been the clearest in perfect love are those who have paid the greatest attention and deference to the word of God. The Bible is a well of living water. You will need to draw water daily out of
this well of salvation; you can never drink it dry. The Bible is your chart and compass, and you will have occasion to examine it daily.
8. To retain the blessing of perfect love, you must constantly aim at growing in grace.
There is no standing still in religion. If we are not advancing we are retrograding. Many people have lost the witness of the Spirit by not pressing after a greater fullness. Christian holiness secures the best possible preparation for growth in grace; and there are heights and depths, and lengths, and breadths of the love of God, to which we must be constantly aspiring. If we do not press after them, we shall be likely to go backward and lose what we have before attained.
John Wesley wrote to Adam Clarke: "Last week I had an excellent letter from Mrs. Pawson, a glorious WITNESS of full salvation, showing how impossible it is to retain pure love without growing therein."
9. You must live constantly under a sense of the presence of God.
Always remember, "Thou, God, seest me!" You are watched and seen every moment by an eye a million times keener than the eyes of angels -- the infinite eye of the all-seeing God. If you knew that a legion of angels were watching you every moment, how careful you would be to act aright! Remember you are always in God's immediate presence.
10. You must lead a life of prayer.
You must be a man of prayer. Pray early in the morning, and, if possible, remain some time on your knees with God. This will prepare you for the day. Pray often, and then prayer will become a delight. Stay with God in prayer -- stay until he melts you, and then stay when you are melted, and plead with him, and he will answer, and you will be transformed, renewed, and strengthened.
11. You must labor faithfully for the salvation of sinners.
It is the nature of' perfect love to long for the salvation of souls; and if you do not go out with God for the salvation of men, your love will cool into apathy and indifference, and you will lose the evidence of entire sanctification altogether. When your heart yearns over sinners, go to God and pray; then go to sinners with manly sympathy, and you will find it an excellent means of grace t your soul. It will be a holy oil that will anoint you. You must also seek to lead saints into this grace.
Mr. Wesley says: "One great means of retaining what God has given, is to labor to bring others into this grace, and to profess it to all mankind."
12. To retain it, you must oppose sin of every name and kind, without any compromise.
Like your Lord, you are to show it no quarter, at any time, or anywhere, either in or out of the church. In respect to sin and holiness, it is eternally true that "No man can serve two masters."
8. To retain the blessing of perfect love, you must constantly aim at growing in grace.
There is no standing still in religion. If we are not advancing we are retrograding. Many people have lost the witness of the Spirit by not pressing after a greater fullness. Christian holiness secures the best possible preparation for growth in grace; and there are heights and depths, and lengths, and breadths of the love of God, to which we must be constantly aspiring. If we do not press after them, we shall be likely to go backward and lose what we have before attained.
John Wesley wrote to Adam Clarke: "Last week I had an excellent letter from Mrs. Pawson, a glorious WITNESS of full salvation, showing how impossible it is to retain pure love without growing therein."
9. You must live constantly under a sense of the presence of God.
Always remember, "Thou, God, seest me!" You are watched and seen every moment by an eye a million times keener than the eyes of angels -- the infinite eye of the all-seeing God. If you knew that a legion of angels were watching you every moment, how careful you would be to act aright! Remember you are always in God's immediate presence.
10. You must lead a life of prayer.
You must be a man of prayer. Pray early in the morning, and, if possible, remain some time on your knees with God. This will prepare you for the day. Pray often, and then prayer will become a delight. Stay with God in prayer -- stay until he melts you, and then stay when you are melted, and plead with him, and he will answer, and you will be transformed, renewed, and strengthened.
11. You must labor faithfully for the salvation of sinners.
It is the nature of' perfect love to long for the salvation of souls; and if you do not go out with God for the salvation of men, your love will cool into apathy and indifference, and you will lose the evidence of entire sanctification altogether. When your heart yearns over sinners, go to God and pray; then go to sinners with manly sympathy, and you will find it an excellent means of grace t your soul. It will be a holy oil that will anoint you. You must also seek to lead saints into this grace.
Mr. Wesley says: "One great means of retaining what God has given, is to labor to bring others into this grace, and to profess it to all mankind."
12. To retain it, you must oppose sin of every name and kind, without any compromise.
Like your Lord, you are to show it no quarter, at any time, or anywhere, either in or out of the church. In respect to sin and holiness, it is eternally true that "No man can serve two masters."
You must know no exceptions, either in high places or in low, in great things or little things, among enemies or friends. Your duty is plain --"ABSTAIN FROM ALL APPEARANCE OF EVIL."
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