The First Stages of Holiness
By: Dr. Bruce Wilkinson
Introduction
Sometimes things in the bible can appear to be confusing and even contradictory. I know I've had those feelings.
But after studying and teaching the bible for over Thirty years, I have never found one real contradiction and
have found that the confusion was always in my mind. Take this issue of holiness for a moment. How can the bible
say in some places that I am already holy and yet turn around and command me to be holy? And how can the bible
call so many people "saints" when they lived so unsaintly? The answer may lie in understanding The three
stages of holiness.
What the bible teaches:
The first stage of holiness can be seen in a most unusual event in the life of Moses, when he sees the remarkable
burning bush and hears the voice of God,
" And he said, Draw (Do not draw near this place) not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet,
for the place whereon thou standest on holy ground. "(Exodus 3:5)
Did the ground look any different than the "unholy" ground 10 meters from it? That desert sand was
not different than the "unholy" sand right next to it, that's why God told him it was "holy".
Remember that to make something "holy" means to separate it from something "common" and separate
it to something, "uncommon". That ground became holy, because God separated it for His purposes and revealed
His divine plan for the Nation of Israel to His new leader, Moses. The moment that revelation was complete, that
very same ground became" unholy" once again. Therefore, the change was not in the nature of the ground,
but in the mind of God who separated it in His own thinking.
The same kind of thing happened frequently with the tabernacle and the temple in the Old Testament. Priests would
take a normal kitchen knife and make it a "holy knife" by dedicating it to the Lord's service in the
temple. The primary thing that made that knife "holy" was the state of mind of the priest. You now have
the background perhaps to understand 1 Peter 2:9 more completely where God reveals a fact about all Christians
who He sees as a "holy nation."
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation....."
How can we be a "holy nation" when so many Christians are anything but holy? Only because the Lord
Himself separated all believers in His mind from all unbelievers. In the same manner, the Bible describes believers
by the word
"saints." In fact, if you read the first couple of verses in the books of Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians,
Philippians, etc., you would be immediately amazed that the Apostle Paul calls all of the believers in those churches
"saints." The same root word behind "holy" is the identical word translated "saints."
How could the Bible ever call people who didn't all live holy lives saints? In many New Testament books, all
the believers are called "saints" but many are not living "saintly" lives. Jesus read Colossians
3:8 where Paul strongly
exhorts the believers to "put off... anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language..." and only a
few verses earlier he described them as "holy and beloved!" How could this be? Only because this first
stage of holiness occurs in the mind and heart of God.
It's Up to You
Something must be utterly clear in your mind as we start these studies toward Personal Holiness in Times of
Temptation. Unless you have become "holy" in God's mind, you can never become truly "holy"
in your mind and behavior. Jesus Christ died on Calvary for this very purpose - to redeem you from your sins and
then give you the gift of eternal salvation. His death is your life. Instead of your having to pay eternally for
your sins, you choose to accept Christ's death on the cross in your place. At the moment you put your trust in
Christ's death and resurrection instead of your own works, God forgives you completely.
When God forgives you for your sins, He also separates you from the world and those who have rejected Him, and
separates you to Himself. He adopts you as His son, and places you supernaturally within the Family of God. He
transfers you from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of Light. He saves you eternal salvation.
Talk about a huge separation! That's why the Bible can call people "holy" or "sanctified" (which
is often that same root word as "holy") and "saints" when they don't live holy, sanctified,
or saintly lives. From the moment that you truly trust in Jesus completely for your salvation, then the Lord says,
"be holy in all your conduct!" In other words, don't allow your holiness just to be in the heart and
mind of God due to His separation of you as "His special people." Become a special person in your mind
and in your behavior!
But before we move on in this course, does God see you as His saint at this very moment? Has He adopted you as
His son? Has He forgiven you? Has He given you the gift of eternal salvation? If you are unsure, then make sure
at this very moment. Choose to trust in Jesus and not yourself. Nothing you can do can pay for the death penalty
God has decreed is the just and fair punishment for disobeying Him - no amount of good works can ever pay for the
death penalty! That's why Christ Himself had to do more than live a perfect life - He had to die.
So, heaven awaits your decision. If you've already trusted in Christ as your personal Savior, why not pause right
now and pray, thanking Him for that salvation. And if you haven't trusted Christ yet, perhaps you could pray this:
"Dear God, I want to become "holy" in your sight - and I desperately want my sins to be forgiven
and be saved from eternity in hell. I realize I am helpless to save myself and nothing I can ever do can pay for
what I've done against you. I believe you love me enough to send Jesus Christ to die in my place. Thank you for
such an incredible act of love. I now receive Christ's death for me and I trust in His sacrifice and ask Him to
be my Savior. In Jesus' Name, Amen."
If you have just prayed that, why not e-mail me or a friend and tell them! See you tomorrow, fellow saint!
Daily Bible readings:
Read each day for the next week.
Morning
1 Peter 1:13-19 "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace
that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves
according to the former lusts in your ignorance. But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all
manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without
respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch
as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received
by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot:"
Morning Prayer
Dear Faithful Father,
Good morning Lord! Your presence has guarded me all through the night. Your Glory radiates in the heavens and Your
Love is shed abroad in my heart. How I praise You for working in my heart and for strengthening me as I seek for
personal holiness.
I thank You for Your unending Faithfulness to me. It amazes me that You are so active in every part of my life
including my temptations! Thank you for putting Divine Limits on my temptations so that none are too strong for
me. Thank You for also making "the" way of escape for each temptation so I don't have to be trapped by
temptations. Thank You for making sure that I can "bear" every temptation without sinning. My heart sings
to You - How wonderful are all your ways to me.
Afternoon
Romans 11:33-12:2 "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable
are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been
his counselor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through
him, and to him, are all things: to whom be the glory for ever. Amen. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove
what is good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Afternoon Prayer
My Pure and Holy God,
You are never tempted! You will never tempt anyone - including me. Instead of tempting me to evil and harm, you
give me every good and perfect gift!
Lord, I confess that at times I have felt that my worse temptations were all Your fault. I have secretly blamed
You. How sobering to realize that my temptations ultimately were from the lusts of my own heart. If I didn't
lust, then I wouldn't be enticed to sin in that area. Lord, I fully accept my responsibility and no longer seek
to blame anyone or anything else.
Oh Holy Father, cleanse my lustful heart! Purify my thoughts and actions. I confess my sins and humble myself before
Your glorious holiness.
Evening
1 Peter 2:9-12 "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people;
that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: Which
in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained
mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the
soul: Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they
may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation."
Evening Prayer
Dear Jesus my High Priest,
You are my personal High Priest, Oh Jesus the Son of Glory! You left heaven to die for me and now you actively
intercede in heaven for me!
You understand all of my temptations because You were tempted in all points like me, yet You did
not sin. Forgive me for thinking You did not or could not understand my trials with temptations. Forgive me from
running from You when I needed Your help the most - right in the middle of temptations to sin! Therefore, I pledge
I will come quickly and boldly the next time I face temptations.
Lord, why do I rely on my own strength in temptations? Why do I not flee to Your face because you "aid those
who are tempted.: Oh Lord, I have sinned because of my weakness, but in my next temptation, I will seek Your aid.
Thank you for your death for me and now your life in me! Amen.
