Holiness, and Being God's Own

{Nov. 11th, 1878).

‘And ye shall be holy unto Me: for I have severed you from other people, that ye should be Mine.” — Lev. xx. 26.

I. What God would have us be — holy unto Himself. First step to holiness is seeing our sinfulness (Lev. xiii. 12, 13; Isa. vi. 5).

1. Need of holiness. “Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb. xii. 14,

21, 27).

2. Command. “Be ye holy, for I am the

Lord your God” (Lev. xx. 7). “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” (1 Pet. i. 15, 16).

3. Efiabling grace in Himself. “I am the Lord which sanctify you” (Lev. xxi. 8). Sevenfold (Phil. ii. 12, 13).

4. Promise and purpose. “For whom He did foreknow He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. viii. 29). “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification” (1 Thess. iv. 3). “‘Whom the Lord doth choose, he shall be holy” (Num. xvi. 5).

II. Three reasons for holiness.

1. Because He is holy. “Who is like Thee, glorious in holiness!” (Exod. xv. 11.) “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts” (Isa. vi. 3). Effect on Isaiah, ver. 5.

God the Father holy: “Holy Father” (John xvii. 11). God the Son: “Thine Holy One” (Acts ii. 27). God the Spirit: “the Spirit of holiness” (Rom. i. 4). Trinity: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come” (Rev. iv. 8).

Holiness is the dividing line between saints and sinners (Ps. xcvii. 10-12; Rev. xv. 4).

Wonderful that this holy God loves us and wants us to be holy, and will make us “partakers of His holiness” (Heb. xii. 10).

2. Because God has separated His people unto Himself. Israel a type of believer’s separation ( i Cor. x. II, rvitoi).

(i) Command. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord” (2 Cor. vi. 17).

(2) Promise. “And I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty’’ (2 Cor. vi. 17, 18). “Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel to bring you near unto Himself?” (Num. xvi. 9. ) “But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for Himself” (Ps. iv. 3). Illustration: The brave, the loyal, the soldiers of unswerving allegiance and obedience, are chosen for the royal body guard, “The Queen’s Own! “’

3. Because He wants us to be His own.
“Mine.”

(a) To be His people (Heb. vm. ic). I am your God (Lev. xx. 8).

(5) Servants (John xx. 10; Ps. cxvi. 16). Master (John xiii. 13).

(d) Bride (Hos. iii. 3). Husband (Hos. ii. 19, 20; Isa. liv. 5).

(e) Peculiar treasure (Ps. cxxxv. 4). Exceeding great reward (Gen. xv. 1).

(1.) To His “own.” Don’t only say, “We are Thine” (Isa. lxiii. 19), but “lam Thine” (Ps. cxix. 94). He replies: “Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine (Isa. xliii. 1). “For” price indeed (1 Cor. vi. 19, 20; 1 Pet. i. 18, 19; 2 Sam. vii. 21-24). Evidence given (Mai. iii. 16, 17). Have you not a word for Jesus? (Mai. i. 6.)

(2) But are you His own? Illustration: Forlornness of a child not belonging to anybody. Do you “belong to Christ”? If not, you belong to a secret owner whose slave you are (Rom. vi. 16). But

“Come to be Thine, yea Thine alone.”

(Of the touching tenderness of F. R. H.’s appeal no record can be given. )

Restored from a scan of the 1882 edition, with page headers and numbers removed and words rejoined across line breaks. Scan-derived text, still being proofread; compare the original scan before quoting.