got holiness?

For the last week, I've been mulling over some of the pages and pages of notes I took at our recent Holiness Conference here at the Evangeline Booth College. With Dr. Bill Ury, of the Wesley Biblical Seminary as our guest, we all had an incredible time of study, and deeper exploration of the doctrine anad life of holiness!

It's probably no surprise to you that the subject of holiness isn't a terribly popular one in most church circles. It's just not "jazzy" enough. Not one of the "trends du jour" in church-world. Oh, we'll wrestle and wrangle over shadow issues like music styles, standing vs. sitting for Scripture reading, and the merits or shortcomings of terms such as "seeker-sensitive." But when it comes to foundational, substance issues such as holiness of heart -- what can we or can't we expect the Spirit of God to do in our hearts -- well, we find all kinds of reasons to push it aside in favor of more popular matters.

As he spoke to us, Bill Ury observed:

"We like to complicate holiness, because if something is complicated, we can't really be expected to be held to it."

Man, doesn't that ring with truth?

For some reason, we've got holiness as complicated as rocket science! But check out how Commissioner Brengle lays it out as simply as possible:

“We do not say that it is not possible to sin, but we do say that it is possible not to sin.”

That's the point! Through the power of the Holy Spirit it is actually possible for the Christian to not sin and to live a holy life!

During one of his teachings, Bill Ury told about a Camp Meeting he had been preaching at and doing his best to get across the idea of holiness. After he had given it all he had, he told how a simple missionary lady from Mexico came to the stage to give her testimony. Part of her testimony included this question (I thought this was great...!). In her quiet, understated way, she asked the crowd, "What sin do you have to commit today?"

Exactly!!

And not only have we complicated the simple truth of holiness, we've also given it some bad press. In the minds of most, "holiness" conjures up images of some pretty severe-looking folks (like Charles Finney, pictured here). Joyless, somber faces, women's hair in a tight bun, and rigid lists of do's-and-don'ts. Holy cow...! With such a negative image, it's no wonder that holiness is misunderstood and neglected in the church.

Sadly, the problem's not just with other churches. Holiness isn't doing a whole lot better in Army circles.

General Clifton lines up this sad fact in his crosshairs in the first chapter of his book, New Love. He writes:

"The greatest threat of all today for Salvationism is a perceptable neglect of holiness teaching (the emphasis is Clifton's). Left unchecked, this has the potential to undermine Salvationism right at its very heart. We are less surefooted about it tan once we were. William Booth used to say there are few subjects of which we more frequently speak, or in which we more truly glory than that of holiness of heart and life. Is this still so? No, it is not... The blessing of a clean heart is no longer spoken about or witnessed to. Many (most?) Salvationists today would simply not know what we mean by the phrase, 'the blessing of a clean heart.'"

So how about you...? Do you know what the phrase means? Better still, do you know the experience of a clean heart -- a holy life? You can, you know... Just talk to God about it, and listen to what He has to say in His Word, and to your heart. He's the One who made it all possible.

Keep your altar ready and your fire hot...!

Willis