ABSENCE OF HOLINESS (Part 1)

KEY VERSES: “THUS YOU ARE TO BE HOLY TO ME, FOR I THE LORD AM HOLY; AND I HAVE SET YOU APART FROM THE PEOPLES TO BE MINE” (LEVITICUS 20:26).

“MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO LIVE IN PEACE WITH EVERYONE AND TO BE HOLY; WITHOUT HOLINESS NO ONE WILL SEE THE LORD” (Hebrews 12:14).

In 2011, research done by the Barna Group revealed some new insights into a huge issue facing the church – youth leaving Christianity. The details are found in a new book called You Lost Me. Here are some highlights from their website:

° 1 out of 9 (11%) lose faith in Christianity

° 4 out of 10 (40%) leave the church but still call themselves Christians

° 2 out of 10 (20%) disconnect from church and express frustration about “church culture”

and disconnects with society

° 3 out of 10 (30%) stay involved in church

° In 2017, of young people surveyed between the ages of 18 and 22, 66% of those

surveyed said they stopped attending church.

Why do you think our youth are leaving Christianity? I believe the reason is that the “Church,” [I capitalized church because I’m speaking of the Church universal – the Body of Christ – not the brick-and-mortar church.], is its own worst enemy. I speak this from the viewpoint of the American Church because that’s my focus and that which I have the most experience with. It’s my firm conviction that the American Church is permeated with “Christians” who bear little resemblance to Jesus Christ. Is it any wonder that people don’t find the Christian message attractive? Everywhere Jesus went crowds followed. They were attracted to him - the way he lived, the words he spoke, and the miracles he performed. Ephesians 5:1-2, (Phillips) says this: “As children copy their fathers you, as God’s children, are to copy him. Live your lives in love—the same sort of love which Christ gives us and which he perfectly expressed when he gave himself up for us in sacrifice to God.” If we as the “Church” were true imitators of, and participators in, the divine nature of Christ (2 Peter 1:4), those who don’t know him would be attracted to the true gospel of Jesus Christ expressed and lived out through us. As it is, for the most part, they see a minimal difference between us (the Church) and the world.

My contention is that the reason that the Church looks so much like the world is fourfold:

1.) When’s the last time you heard a message on repentance? I believe a large majority of churches in America today very rarely preach or teach about repentance.The precursor to Jesus’ ministry was the ministry of John the Baptist and he came preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:1-2). As recorded in Matthew 4:17, when Jesus began to preach the first word out of his mouth was “Repent…”. I love what one of my favorite preachers, Tim Dilena, pointed out in one of his messages. “Jesus’ first message was about repentance and his last message to the church at Laodicea (Revelation 4), was about repentance.” When thinking about this the Holy Spirit reminded me that the first message Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, when the Church was born, was on repentance. We are very near the end of the Church age, and just like Jesus, the Church’s message in these last days should be repent. “The church’s problem today is in the misconception that we can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin. It is a change in belief without a change in behavior. It is revival without reformation, and without repentance” (I Surrender – Patrick Morley)

2.) The American church, for the most part, has abandoned any teaching or emphasis on holy living. It has been said, “Christianity is not about a list of dos and don’ts; it is about relationship.” If you are familiar with 20th century church history, then you have probably heard talk about Christian “legalism”. Holiness was defined as not “engaging in social practices perceived as contrary to a Christian witness, such as gambling, dancing, consuming alcohol, enjoying secular entertainment, or wearing immodest clothing…” (en.m.wikipedia.org). As a result holiness became synonymous with legalism. We need to remember what God told Samuel when He told him to go and anoint one of Jesse’s sons in place of King Saul. When Samuel saw Eliab, Jesse’s firstborn, he thought, “Man, this has got to be the one. He’s really impressive” (my interpretation). But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). It’s still true today. It’s a matter of the transformation of the heart, not just appearance. [The majority of my thoughts on holiness follow in Part 2.]

3.) In order to distance itself from “legalism” the message of the church became all about grace. I am a firm believer that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone. Not of works lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9) If you listen to most altar calls, in churches that still have them, they go something like this: “If you believe that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God and you confess Him as your Savior, you will be saved.” (Based on Romans 10:10) That is doctrinally sound but, if that is all there is in an invitation to sinners to respond to the message of salvation, there is an essential truth missing. James points this out in James 2:19 (NKJV), when he writes, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” But does that save them? No. That brings me to my last point.

4.) In mentioning the altar call in point 3 above I believe there is one word left out that needs to be greatly emphasized. It is found in Romans 10:9 and that word is LORD. Everyone wants a Savior, but it’s safe to say that there are few who want a Lord. More than likely you’ve heard it said of Jesus, “He must be Lord of all, or He’s not Lord at all.” It’s against our human sin nature to relinquish control of our lives to someone else, especially here in America, the land of the FREE and the home of the brave. And yet that is what is required of every born-again believer. We must sacrifice all of our rights, give them up completely, and surrender complete control of our lives to Christ, if He is to truly be THE LORD of our lives. Jesus gave up all of His divine prerogatives to become an obedient servant to God the Father’s great plan of salvation, that He might save all who called upon His name. If He gave up everything for us - how could we do any less for Him? Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live…”. Dead people have no rights. We have no right to our money. It’s all His. He could take it back if He wanted it and you couldn’t stop Him. All He requires of His people is ten percent. That’s far less than our government demands of us. People say they have a right to be happy to justify their adultery or fornication, but does God make an exception for our happiness? Nope, don’t think so. Paul, writing to Timothy (2 Timothy 3:2-9), says that in the last days “Men will be lovers of themselves…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” Jesus taught us that we must deny ourselves and put others first. Just a couple more examples. We have a right to be angry with God. How could He allow that to happen to us? We have a right to not forgive that person(s) because of what they did to us. The one thing Satan wants to remind us of is our rights – rights that we don’t have as dead people.

Some of the most horrible words found in the Scripture’s for me is what Christ said in Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV): “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ On that day there will be millions of people who have heard powerful teaching and preaching, experienced His wonderful presence, sang in the choir, given the Lord’s tithe, taught Sunday school class, sat on the church board, cast out demons and performed many miracles; and they will hear those awful words, “Depart from me, I never knew you.,” because “…without holiness no one will see the Lord.”

My prayer for anyone reading this is that you pray the prayer David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24 (AMPC) : "Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."