“True holiness is bestowed only upon those who ‘are doers of the word,’ and ‘not hearers only.’ ”
The Signs of the Times, September 24, 1896
Holiness is Like the Wind
Jesus used the wind in the trees to help Nicodemus understand what it means to have holiness in the heart. We can hear the wind but cannot tell where it comes from or where it will go. We cannot see the wind, but we can see its effects on the things around us—the rustling of the leaves, flattening of the grass if the wind is strong enough, whitecaps on the water, your hair blowing in your face, the clouds moving swiftly across the sky. We cannot see the holiness inside, but we will see the effects of holiness in the outworking of the life. People do not see holiness but are affected by it, both the one who is made holy and those who witness it.
“But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’ ” 1 Peter 1:15, 16. The Bible tells us that if we respond to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and seek to be like Jesus in character, our thoughts, words, and actions will demonstrate that we have accepted the in-working power of the Holy Spirit to make us genuinely holy.
“ ‘For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy.’ ” Leviticus 11:44
“Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14
Without Holiness
I will not be in heaven if I am not a holy person.
The most common English word used to describe a holy person is saint. The word saint [hagion] comes from the same Greek root word hagios meaning sanctify [hagiaso] and sanctification. In Hebrew, the word is qadosh, meaning “a holy person.” “ ‘The court shall be seated [the court was seated in 1844], and they shall take away his [the anti-Christ’s] dominion, to consume and destroy it forever. Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’ ” Daniel 7:26, 27. The kingdom, dominion, and all its greatness are for the saints or God’s holy people, but if a person has not been made holy, they will not be one of God’s people, nor will they receive the kingdom.
The Characteristics of a Holy Person
A holy character is recognized by its specific characteristics, and becoming holy is a process that does not happen in a day, a year, or ten years. We all have unholy traits. We are born with them as a part of our sinful nature, making us naturally inclined toward unholiness. Responding to these inclinations develops an unholy character. It is these unholy habits that must be resisted and changed.
“The formation of a right character is the work of a lifetime and is the outgrowth of prayerful meditation united with a grand purpose. The excellence of character that you possess must be the result of your own effort. … Wishing, sighing, dreaming will never make you great or good. …
“True character is a quality of the soul, revealing itself in the conduct.
“A character formed according to the divine likeness is the only treasure that we can take from this world to the next. … And in heaven we are continually to improve.
“A good character is a capital of more value than gold or silver. … Integrity, firmness, and perseverance are qualities that all should seek earnestly to cultivate; for they clothe the possessor with a power which is irresistible—a power which makes him strong to do good, strong to resist evil, strong to bear adversity.” My Life Today, 267
“Now is your golden opportunity to form pure and holy characters for heaven.” Lift Him Up, 305
“The nearer we live to Jesus, the more will we partake of His pure and holy character; and the more offensive sin appears to us, the more exalted and desirable will appear the purity and brightness of Christ.” Sons and Daughters of God, 62
“The people of God are in constant warfare to maintain their peculiar and holy character, and under no condition or circumstance is the cross of Christ to be shunned or laid aside.” This Day With God, 294
Let’s look at some holy character traits and how we can recognize if we possess them.
Living a Life of Service
A holy person does not desire to be first. That was Lucifer’s problem. At first, he wasn’t satisfied with being the highest-created being in heaven. He wanted to be equal with God’s son. Then, the more he nurtured the need to be first, the more he wanted to be “like the Most High.”
The disciples also had this problem. The mother of James and John had petitioned Jesus to appoint her sons to the highest positions possible in His kingdom—the temporal kingdom they were all hoping for. Naturally, the other ten apostles took exception to the request. “When the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brothers. But Jesus called them to Himself and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.’ ” Matthew 20:24–28
Jesus said, “I do not seek My own glory.” John 8:50. So if we want to be like Him, we will not seek to be first.
Being a Team Player
A holy person will not seek to be independent. Individual independence was a problem in the Corinthian church. “For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, … that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, ‘I am of Paul,’ or ‘I am of Apollos,’ or ‘I am of Cephas,’ or ‘I am of Christ.’
“Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. …
“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.” 1 Corinthians 1:15, 17
The devil has worked to divide families, friends, and churches for 6,000 years, and he’s become very accomplished at it. “For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” 1 Corinthians 3:3
Holy people do not work independently of each other. “Now he who plants and he who waters are one … . For we are God’s fellow workers … .” Verses 8, 9, first part What a privilege to be a fellow worker with God. He could have sent angels to do His work on earth. He could have raised up stones to do it. But He wanted to make us coworkers with Himself and prayed that we would be united, in harmony with Him and one another, and He promised to make us fit—holy—for the work.
Not Self-seeking
Have you ever encountered someone—at work, home, or church—who feels superior to everyone else?
John wrote about just such an experience. “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.” 3 John 1:9, 10
Seeking control over others is what the devil has been doing since the beginning of sin. “Sin originated in self-seeking. Lucifer, the covering cherub, desired to be first in heaven. He sought to gain control of heavenly beings, to draw them away from their Creator, and to win their homage to himself.” The Desire of Ages, 21. Jesus Christ was and is the commander of the heavenly host, but Satan stirred up strife seeking to gain the authority and control that belonged to Jesus. And we all know how that ended—expulsion from heaven with a third of the angels in rebellion. The desire for preeminence is the devil’s spirit.
Willing to Stand Alone
A holy person will remain faithful to the truth even if it means he must stand alone. Paul wrote, “That from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. … that the man of God may be complete [perfect], thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:15, 17
A time is coming when everyone around us—our family, friends, coworkers, and church family—may refuse to obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to His truth. Still, His holy people will stand alone under the banner of truth no matter the cost.
The Bible contains many examples of those who stood alone for their faith. Joseph, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-Nego, the Waldenses, Martin Luther, and many others prove that God can change sinful hearts, recreating a person into His holy child.
“The greatest want of the world is the want of men [and women]—men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.
“But such a character is not the result of accident; it is not due to special favors or endowments of Providence. A noble character is the result of self-discipline, of the subjection of the lower to the higher nature—the surrender of self for the service of love to God and man.” Education, 57
Intercedes for Others
Have you ever been in trouble and wished someone would speak on your behalf? Abraham interceded for the people of Sodom. Moses interceded for the children of Israel more than once in Egypt and the wilderness. Esther risked her life to intercede on behalf of her people. Just about every father and mother who has ever lived has interceded on behalf of their children. And of course, Jesus interceded on behalf of the whole world on the cross.
Satan’s hold on the people of this world is unbreakable, and most of the time, they are unaware that they are in bondage and need help. That is why they need someone to intercede on their behalf. Jesus is our Mediator in heaven, pleading before His Father on our behalf. But here, in this world, we know that prayer can change things. Only power from heaven can break the devil’s hold on a person, and intercessory prayer may be our most effective way to work as colaborers with heaven on behalf of those we love and respect here.
No Vengeance
“Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; their foot shall slip in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things to come hasten upon them.” Deuteronomy 32:35
A holy person does not repay evil for evil. They will be kind to others, sharing the love of God, serving others, and living peacefully with all (Romans 12:17, 18).
It hurts when we are slandered and treated unkindly and unfairly—particularly for reasons that are beyond our control, like our race, heritage, or color. As sinful human beings, our first response is to lash out at the perpetrator, to seek to strike out, to avenge our bruised pride. Vengeance and avenging are attributes of pride. Pride must be eradicated from the heart if we are to be made holy. Regardless of how the world may treat God’s people, He will, at His appointed time, dispense vengeance upon sin and the sinners of this world.
“The long forbearance of God had ceased, the figures in the books of God’s reckoning had been accumulating, the cup of the unjust was full. Mercy then ceased and justice took the sword of vengeance. …
“There was a shut door in Noah’s time. There was a shut door to the unbelievers in the destruction of Sodom but an open door to Lot. There was a shut door to the inhabitants of Tyrus, a shut door to the inhabitants of Jerusalem … who disbelieved, but an open door to the humble, the believing, those who obeyed God. Thus it will be at the end of time.” This Day With God, 235
“Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.’ ” Isaiah 35:3, 4
Hospitality
Abraham extended hospitality to the three strangers headed for Sodom. In so doing, he entertained heavenly angels and the Son of God Himself. Lot, for all his faults, had cultivated this holy trait. And when the angels sent to destroy Sodom came to the gate to enter the city, Lot offered them a meal and shelter, not only from the elements but from the evil decadence that held sway in the hearts of the Sodomites. (See Genesis 18, 19.)
Seeking God’s Will
A holy person does God’s will from the heart. Many Christians believe they are doing the Lord’s will but act and speak for show—much like the Pharisees in Luke 18:9–14.
“As a nation the Jews had been growing prouder and prouder. They had made great boasts of their righteousness. They made broad their phylacteries*, uttered long prayers in the marketplaces, and gave alms to be seen of men. Their religion was formal, consisting of ordinances and purifications, rites and ceremonies. It was not heartfelt.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 10, 153
But Paul tells us that a holy person will seek God’s will “not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.” Ephesians 6:6
Jesus came to reconcile all who are alienated from God because of sin. The man whose character is sanctified and holy is no longer alienated from God and works with Him to help others be reconciled.
Calmness
Both perceived and actual unfairness can cause a person to speak and act provocatively. Being provocative is an extension of pride. Perhaps to gain support or have others agree with him, a person will provoke or instigate trouble and stir up the feelings of those around him. Again, the example of Lucifer’s efforts in heaven comes to mind. He provoked or created circumstances that caused unrest and agitated the sensibilities of the holy angels. But a holy person will work instead to appease, soothe, and seek out the Lord for the calmness of spirit needed to face his trials.
Fellowship with the Saints
A holy person will seek out the fellowship of fellow believers. The Bible provides many examples of this (Ephesians 5; Hebrews 10; Galatians 2). Being holy, we will recognize the same holiness in fellow believers, and they will recognize it in us, making us brothers and sisters in Christ. We are welcome because we are no longer strangers in a foreign land but part of the family of God.
Also, this trait of fellowshipping with the saints means that we will not be in fellowship with the works of darkness.
“We are called to be the Lord’s special people in a much higher sense than many have realized. The world lies in wickedness, and God’s people are to come out of the world, and be separate. They are to be free from worldly customs and worldly habits. They are not to accord with worldly sentiments, but are to stand out distinct, as the Lord’s peculiar people, earnest in all their service. They are to have no fellowship with the works of darkness.” Our Father Cares, 243
Hates Evil
Even in Christ’s church, a Christian may still hold close to some beloved, darling sin. A holy person will abhor evil (Romans 12; 1 Thessalonians 5). The first angel’s message says, “Fear God.” Revelation 14:7. What does it mean to “fear God”?
“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil.” Proverbs 8:13. If I love a particular sin, I must take it to the Lord and ask Him for the strength to overcome it. Then He can change my heart, and I will hate what I once loved.
Is Selfless and Practices Self-Control
A person who practices self-will and selfishness and is quarrelsome, a gossiper and a busybody needs a change of heart. A holy person practices self-denial and self-control and does not gossip about his brother or sister (1 Peter 3). He will have a servant’s heart and be compassionate, especially with those in trouble (Colossians 3). He does not threaten other people (1 Peter 2). He is obedient to authority. He will be courteous (1 Corinthians 3).
Pressing Toward Perfection
Perfection does not come automatically; it is a daily process (Philippians 3). Paul writes to us about this process. “I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling that is in Christ Jesus.” Verse 14
Character perfection is completed here because everyone in heaven will be perfect. If I hold on to my imperfect traits of character, then I will not be in heaven.
The Lord promises that I can reach this standard of perfection. In fact, He tells me to be perfect. “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48
I must, as did Paul, choose to press on to perfection. One by one, I must throw off my unholy character traits. God provides the power; I surrender the will. The Holy Spirit will show me what must be removed from my life, one sin after another. Each victory prepares me for the next. God does not fail; if I surrender to Him, He will keep me from failing. That’s not to say that there will be no setbacks, but God has promised that as I commit to do His will, the work He begins in me, He will see it done (Philippians 1:6).
“Holiness is … an entire surrender of the will to God; it is living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God; it is doing the will of our heavenly Father; it is trusting God in trial, in darkness as well as in light; it is walking by faith and not by sight; it is relying on God with unquestioning confidence, and resting in His love.” Sons and Daughters of God, 155
First Corinthians 13—the love chapter—describes nearly a dozen holy character traits. Romans 12 outlines Paul’s sermon on holiness and is a tremendous additional read. A holy person will have all the characteristics contained in these chapters.
We must pray for each other. It is not so far in the future that the only people living in this world will be holy. How we think, talk, and act must be changed because no one who cherishes sin will be in that number.
True conversion is what we need. Once there was an unholy person in heaven and God cast him out with all who followed him, and He will not accept any unholy person back. But if you surrender your will to the Holy Spirit and are willing to be changed, He will change you. That is the Holy Spirit’s business—changing hearts and rebuilding ruined characters to reflect the character of Jesus.
He is waiting to change you. Will you let Him?
*Phylactery – two small square leather boxes containing slips inscribed with scriptural passages and traditionally worn on the left arm and on the head by observant Jewish men and especially adherents of Orthodox Judaism during morning weekday prayers. Source: merriam-webster.com/dictionary
Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at 316-788-5559.