Luke 11:13
"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
Crime is rampant in the cities where our children play and study. Our families are torn apart by hate and resentment. Even the church is plagued with the cancer of mistrust and grapevine lies. Is there a way that all might see that God wills holiness for all who will ask?
Imagine with me a church that has discovered the miracle of redemption and is striving diligently to grow a fellowship of believers that is committed to the perpetuity of virtue. A hundred new born creations of God washed from the guilt of personal sin. Energized by their new birth they rush through the land preaching the grace of pardon. Our world is full of such churches thriving on the celebration of pardon. The problem is, where the blessing of purity of heart is not taught, pursuit of virtue becomes the goal of our salvation.
Un-sanctified believers adapt to the inner voice of a sinful nature by learning to control the urges of carnality. They constantly wrestle with recurring memories of past pleasures. The longer the history of sinning the more arms needed to constantly suppress the marmots of carnality. Living in the plain of virtue is difficult because the pursuit of goodness is no substitute for purity. Purity can only be achieved by a divinie eradication of the root of sinfulness. It is Gods' intention to lead us up the winding path to holiness. He will remove the root of sinning and replace it with the out pouring of His love. Like Moses you too will encounter the "Burning Bush of God". Holy ground that gives you assurance of his presence. Believers that spend a lifetime in suppression, like multi-legged spiders ever pushing down the critters of the past, are aimlessly wandering in a world of guilt and shame. The plain of virtue is travelled by many do-gooders trying to earn their salvation.
Bill Bennett, in The Book of Virtues would like to draw all people together in pursuit of goodness. It is his premise that if the Moslems and Christians and Jews would just draw on the things that we have in common like justice, truth, kindness and peace, the world will be healed and goodness will reign. The weakness in this theory is that all men are sinners and are helpless without the grace of God. Believers are also helpless to bear the fruit of holiness without the eradication of the earthly nature. They are so busy trying to suppress sinful thoughts they are unable to bear fruit unto holiness. God wills that we leave the plain of virtue and climb the winding path to entire sanctification. We must move together toward the baptism with the Spirit which will purify our whole being.
At conversion we are enabled by God to live in righteousness because our personal acts of sin are pardoned. Righteousness is conformity to the law of God. Holiness is conformity to the nature of God. Daniel Steele in Jesus Exultant describes the kingdom of God as a palace with three levels.
1. Righteousness ( sevanthood)
2. Entire sanctification (sonship)
3. Maturity and growth ( fellowship)
Steele describes the passage from righteousness to sanctification as follows:
"The broad staircase leads into the apartment of peace; while the Lord of this castle is inviting those below to ascend and exchange the place of servants for that of sons."
We must never assume that those who have not received light of the second blessing are not servants of the king. The great tragedy is that those who live in the world of servanthood never know the joy of perfect peace.
Sons, heirs to the kingdom, working not out of obedience and duty but because of our love and affection for the king. Can you see the contrast in motives? The pursuit of virtue for virtue's sake is empty discipline. Holiness is the nature of God flowing through us into a filthy world. To spend a lifetime as servants when He wills that we be sons is to deny His ability to complete His promise. John 1:12 " Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God"
Luke 11:13 " If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" So ask Him. What about those who have not heard?
The holiness church that condemns others for not seeing the second grace are cursing their own family. The doctrine here is light. We must do all that we can to introduce any who will listen to the gospel of entire sanctification. Condemnation is the work of the Spirit. He will convict; ours is to preach. God will hold preachers who refrain from holiness preaching responsible for restricting the entrance of believers into the throne room. We must continue to tell the whole truth. God will lead the hungry to the feast.
Argument is for earthly courts of opinion. There are plenty who will listen. Let us not waste our time trying to debate the theology of grace. "Do not cast your pearls before swine" seek those who are searching for purity of heart. Jesus is the light of the world He will reveal the darkness of inbred sin. Those who hear His voice and enter His light will answer the call to holiness. Jesus never issues a call to reclaim the system. The unsanctified believer will remain barren. It saddens the heart of God that they will not be able to bear fruit unto holiness.
We are called of God to be holy as He is holy. He offers His nature in exchange for the depravity handed down by Adam. Christ is the second Adam who paid the price for our pardon as well as our purity. Take it. Devote your whole spirit, soul, and body to Him and He will give you a pure heart.
Jesus explains the Father's intolerance of not forgiving:
Matthew 18:32-35
"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. [33] Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' [34] In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
[35] "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
We cannot know perfect fellowship with God unless we rid ourselves of the hateful burden of resentment? Although it hurts we must go past our pain and forgive those who have hurt us. In so doing we offer the promise of eternal life to those who have sinned against us. "Father forgive our sins as we forgive those who sin against us." Resentment will cause death to the victim as well as the perpetrator. We must stop the cycle of sinning and bring healing where only pain and suffering reign.
Justice will prevail in the end. You may be sacrificing the opportunity for entire sanctification because you will not surrender your resentment. Give it up and enter the world of the pure in heart.