Holiness and Zeal is the third part of a five-part series on Omissions — Things we don’t like to talk about.

fear - suffering - holiness and zeal - judging - jealousy

Holiness and Zeal

"Hyper-Grace" — an Attack on Holiness

Pharisaicalness Self-Righteousness "Performance" "Striving" "Judging"

Holiness Righteousness Consecration Passion Zeal

"Hyper-Grace" / Cheap Grace Lukewarmness "Compromise" "Comfort" "Tolerance"

In an effort to avoid being perceived as religious like the Pharisees, and to appear loving and gracious, we have vilified words like holiness, performance, striving, and judging, while making "tolerance" the new highest virtue. As a result, without a strong conviction for holiness, many have become lukewarm.

It's a twisted form of 'holiness' and 'zeal' that leads to self-righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:5 A proper understanding of holiness and zeal will lead to humility, love, joy, and peace.

It's a cheapening of God's Grace that leads to compromise. 2 Timothy 3:4 A proper understanding of God's grace will lead you to holiness without compromise, intolerance toward sin, and forgiveness towards others.

God isn't one-half Holiness and one-half Grace. It's not just a spectrum. He's completely Holy, and He's full of Grace. John 1:14

It's narrow-minded to try to resolve a perceived tension by having a one-sided understanding of God instead of a holistic appreciation of the true nature of the character of God as described plainly in the Bible. It's also diminishing to say He's some sort of centrist. God is not lukewarm.

Instead, we need to understand and appreciate both God's Holiness and Grace thoroughly. We need to turn up both knobs to the max. We shouldn't shrink from declaring the whole counsel of God! Acts 20:27

Allen Hood, the associate director of the International House of Prayer of Kansas City, described this very clearly in his message on June 29, 2014 entitled An Urgent Call to Prayer (particularly 0:52:45-0:55:00).

A very respected Christian Author, Dr. Michael L. Brown, is a strong opponent against Hyper-Grace teachings.

While we are warned against being religious hypocrites, we are admonished many times to be holy.

Matthew 5:19-20, 1 Peter 1:16, 1 John 2:1 etc.

Romans 6:1-2

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Ironically, if we worry about how people see us, we fall into the same trap as the Pharisees.

Matthew 23:25-26

Let us fear God, and pursue authentic holiness, rather than be concerned with how men perceive us.

People, get ready! Jesus is Coming!

Jesus wants to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish! Ephesians 5:25-32

He wants us to be ready when He returns, as He explains in The Parable of the Ten Virgins. Matthew 25:1-12

Be "All-In"

Imagine being in a poker game, and you have the royal flush.

No hand could beat you. To not go all-in would mean that you don't really want to win.

In Christ, we have the royal flush! In life, we should go all-in!

Romans 8:31

The Ultimate Price

While He does give to us freely (Matthew 10:8), it didn't come without a price:

God sent His very best — His only son — to pay the ultimate price — death on a cross — forgiving the debt of our sins, and setting us free from death, into everlasting life!

Being made holy by God is an exciting adventure!

It's not some works-centered ball and chain.

It's not trying to earn your salvation.

It's a beautiful response to a beautiful God!

Our prize is Jesus, and we are the joy that He endured the cross for. Hebrews 12:1-2, Ephesians 5:25-32

Jesus gave all of Himself for us, and He expects us to surrender all of ourselves to Him.

One of the greatest sins of our day is an attitude of entitlement. This generation of Americans is notorious for having this attitude. If we aren't vigilant, we'll enter into this presumptuous inclination, forgetting what should be obvious to us from the Word (that Salvation is a free gift Ephesians 2:8) and feeling like we deserve God's mercy and grace. Instead of having an immature posture of entitlement, we ought to respond with a wholehearted lifestyle of authentic repentance, thanksgiving, and worship. Matthew 3:8, Luke 3:8

Do not trivialize His sacrifice!

Repent!

1 Corinthians 2:16b

We have the mind of Christ.

Grace is the power to live holy — free from sin!

He empowers us with the grace to obey.

Biblically, love and obedience are inseparable. 1 John 5:2

John 14:15

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

1 Samuel 15:22b

...Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice...

Metanoia - μετάνοια - Strong's G3341 - a change of mind

Biblically, repentance means to do a 180° turn from sin, and follow Christ. It's not enough to merely change our thinking. We must agree with the mind of Christ! Jesus warned us that in the last days, the love of many would grow cold, and that there would be a great falling away. Matthew 24:12

Don't take this lightly. This warning is for all of us. We all need to take a "moral inventory" to prove that we stand with Christ.

David said "search me" in Psalm 139. God want's us to, like David, have a heart after God's own heart. (Acts 13:22) A legalistic take on repentance will only lead us to a list of "do's" and "don'ts" that we can not live up to, but the Spirit of Repentance is to fall in love with God so much that all you want to do is abide with Him — "to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord." Psalm 23:6, Psalm 27:4

When James describes what repentance for a double-minded Christian looks like, he's being literal. A large majority of modern Christian expression denies this depth of Biblical repentance with their nonchalant posture towards sin while maintaining a vigilant commitment to a "Hyper-Grace" ideology.

The level of humility that this repentant posture requires is an invitation to suffering with Christ, which will help to form His character in us.

"godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation" (2 Corinthians 7:9-11)

The Spirit of This Age

People to avoid, and/or sins to repent of: (2 Timothy 3:1-7, Romans 1:28-31, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

• unholy, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power
• lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
• lovers of self, proud, arrogant
• lovers of money, idolaters, envious, covetous, ungrateful
• without self-control, drunkards, adulterers, sexually immoral
• always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth
• gossips, slanderers, swindlers
• disobedient to their parents
• etc.

A discerning believer will know that today's definition of tolerance is essentially lawlessness.

It's been said that "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Recently, the Church has been bullied into being silent about our convictions, thus giving approval to sin — even to the point of whole denominations becoming apostate (PCUSA etc).

Click here to read more about The Spirit of this Age.

Jesus Raises the Bar

God's grace didn't lower the bar for sin — in fact, Jesus raised the bar.

Matthew 5:27-48

• Anger
• Lust (this includes porn)
• Divorce
• Oaths
• Retaliation
• Loving your Enemies
• "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Unforgiveness is dangerous! Matthew 6:12, 18:21-35

Holiness is impossible. It's literally impossible to be saved without God's supernatural grace.

"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27, Luke 18:27

"You shall be holy, for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:16

Being zealous is often looked down upon, but God want's us to be zealous for Him. Galatians 2:20

Colossians 3:23

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

The Spirit of Elijah

Malachi 4:5-6, Luke 1:17

John the Baptist was radical! He wore clothes of "camel's hair," and lived on "locusts and wild honey." He partially fulfilled Malachi's prophecy. Preceding the second coming of Jesus, we can expect the complete fulfillment.

Our generation needs to be like Elijah, and John the Baptist:

• Turning the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers
• Being completely sold-out, perhaps even to the point of looking crazy if that's what it takes
• Living in a high level of consecration
• Living in a grace for fasting and prayer
• Having an unprecedented measure of God's power with prophetic revelation
• Calling people to righteousness by calling them to repentance
• Preparing the Bride

• Proclaiming the coming of Jesus (a voice of one "crying aloud in the wilderness") Isaiah 40:3-5

Holiness Above Comfort

Just as Israel was called to be set apart from the surrounding peoples (Leviticus 20:26), believers are called to be set apart. Romans 12:2, 1 Peter, 1:16

Jesus called us all to go the extra mile. (Matthew 5:41) This is normal Christianity.

Within Israel, there were people called Nazirites (Numbers 6) who took a vow to not cut their hair, not drink alcohol, not eat grapes, and not even go near a dead body. Some examples of Nazirites are Samson and Samuel.

The extra mile for some of us is a similar level of consecration.

Giving up some temporal desires can be difficult, but having an eternal perspective makes it easier. Romans 8:18

I urge you to consider this kind of lifestyle:

• do extended fasts (not eating, and only drinking water for more than 3 days for example)
• Isaiah 58:7
• share your bread with the hungry
• bring the homeless poor into your house
• cover the naked

• give up meat and sweets for a few weeks, like Daniel did Daniel 10:2-3
• abstain from alcohol for a while, or maybe even for life
• serve in the community
• James 1:27
• to visit orphans and widows in their affliction
• keep oneself unstained from the world

• cancel your Netflix account — stop living your life in front of screens!

1 Timothy 6:6

But godliness with contentment is great gain,

Biblical Examples of a Few Expressions of Zeal

Usually, when people are zealous, they are met with opposition.

David - Joy

2 Samuel 6:12-23

When David went and brought up the ark of God, he celebrated and praised God and danced so zealously that his clothes started falling off, and Michal said "How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!"

Bartimaeus - Desperation

Matthew 20:29-34, Mark 10:46-52, Luke 18:35-43

The blind beggar cried out "Son of David, have mercy on me!", and many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.

Jesus - Anger

Matthew 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19, Luke 19:45-48, John 2:13-21

When Jesus cleansed the Temple, He was angry that the money changers were creating a barrier for people to get to God by charging people to buy animals for sacrifices. His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me." The Jews said to him, "What sign do you show us for doing these things?"

Effectiveness in Prayer

We need to follow Biblical examples of crying out to God.

Passionate prayer is not always impressive. High-sounding spiritual words or rhetoric may not be a part of this kind of prayer. Someone who doesn't know Christian lingo can still engage in passionate prayer. If people sense that they will be judged in these ways, they may shy away from praying aloud in a corporate meeting.

Having said that...

Effectiveness in Prayer Matthew 6:7-13, James 5:13-20, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22

• Seek His Face Jeremiah 29:12-13, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Matthew 6:33
• Thankfulness Colossians 4:2
• Steadfastness 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Acts 2:42, Romans 12:12, Luke 18:1, Colossians 4:2, 1 Peter 4:7
• Having Faith Matthew 7:7, Mark 11:24, James 5:15, 1 John 5:14
• Fervent prayer (literal crying out to God, with a raised voice) 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, Psalm 55:16-17, Hebrews 5:7, James 5:16-17
• Humble posture (literal physical body posture, even on your face at times, and heart posture) 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, Joel 2, James 5:16-17
• In the Spirit Romans 8:26-27, Ephesians 6:18, 1 Corinthians 14:14-15, Jude 20
• with Fasting Joel 2, Mark 9:29
• Supplication Ephesians 6:18

High Praises

We need to follow Biblical examples of praise worship.

God inhabits our praises! (Psalm 22:3)

I don't think we realize the implications — how exciting this really is!

Psalm 149:6

Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands

• Psalm 5:11
• "But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;" (All includes you.)
• "let them ever sing for joy," (Literally sing — out loud — using your vocal chords.)

• Psalm 47:1
• Clap your hands, all peoples! (Literally clap, using your hands.)
• Shout to God with loud songs of joy! (Literally shout — literally at a high volume.)

• Psalm 33:3
• "Sing to him a new song" (Spontaneously sing to God.)
• "Play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts" (God deserves skilled worship.)

• Psalm 150:4
• "Praise Him with tambourine and dance" (Literally dance, by moving your body.)
• "Praise Him with strings and pipe!" (A variety of musical instruments and musical styles are encouraged.)

Our purpose in life is literally just to Glorify God. He actually made us just so we would worship Him.

And it's supposed to be fun!

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