Jesus Christ came to simplify things and all we couldn’t achieve by ourselves for us. He said,‘my yoke is easy…’ (Mt 11: 28-30).
A true understanding of Jesus and the word of God will really prompt us to cast our cares completely upon him ‘…for He cares for you’ (1Pt 5:7); including living a holy life. Remember He said, ‘… not by power but by my spirit’ (Zachariah 4:6).
Man cannot do anything of his own accord not even to live a holy or pure life,''For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not'' (Eccl 7:20); even when he doesn’t sin with his eyes, hands or mouth or has overcome sin and sinful habits, will he say he has escaped from presumption sin and hidden faults which equally defiles a man.
The kind of sin King David cried out to God to set him free from which besets every man descended from Adam and Eve,''Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults,Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression''.(Ps 19:12, 13).
Jesus emphatically said “you can do nothing without me…’’’ (John 15:5) and
“You can only be clean by the words which I have spoken to you which you have taken in by faith when you abide in me’’ John 15:3-4 (Paraphrase mine).
As profound as the scriptures above are, they are pretty straightforward.
The various acts of cleansing:
…By God
1. The act of cleansing by God:
The power of cleansing or making pure belongs to God and one of the ways He does it is through His words,''Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth'' (John 17:17),''Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool'' (Isaiah 1:18).
… By Jesus
2. The act of cleansing by Jesus:
Because, Jesus consecrated himself for our sake in truth. All believing followers of Jesus are automatically consecrated,''And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth'' (John 17:19).
…By the Holy Spirit
3. The act of cleansing by Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit cleansing is a triple action, it is an act of reassurance of what God the Father and the Son have both done in order that our hearts will not be troubled,''Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more'' ( John 16:10),''For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God''(Romans 8:15-16).
…By Man
4. The act of cleansing by man:
Is failure in the making and disappointment in the waiting. Any act by works or human strength and wisdom always fails, and keeps man struggling. God has made it easy for man, by just your demonstration of faith and hope in Jesus Christ, you would have made yourself holy or pure like your master Jesus,''And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure''(1John 3:3),''Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father''(John 14:12).
To buttress my summation, I will like to quote Apostle Paul on what he talks about how you are made holy and blameless by Jesus provided you continue in Faith in him,''In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister''(Col 1: 22-23). Faith is the keyword. It is the only law known in heaven to be applied on earth. The truth of the matter is: your faith in God and Jesus is what reckons, counts or makes you holy before God.
“And Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him as righteousness’’ (Genesis 15:6, Romans 4:3-9, 20-22).
Abiding in Jesus is Jesus’ (John 15:4) admonition to us to have faith, be committed, steadfast, loyal e.t.c to him; and bearing fruits are the promises to be fulfilled and blessings be given, including, holy living, purity, power and miracles when we do it(Galatians3:5, 9,14).
Finally to be holy or ‘be ye holy’ in God’s opinion is any or all of the following:
1. Have faith in God
2. Be committed to God
3. Be steadfast in God
4. Pursue/Strive to satisfy God
5. Wait on God
6. Obey God
REDEEMED PEOPLE: OPERATION Proclaim! What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs - JESUS CHRIST (Mathew 10:27).
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