UNDERSTANDING HOLINESS & HOLY LIVING IN CHRIST

Holy living after salvation is not a personal achievement. It is a personal reality. It is not about you any more. You are suppose to be out of the equation. It’s Christ that lives in you and through you now.
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20).
Telling a believer to be holy is confusing, it’s carnality and a solicitation to carnality. Telling a believer to be holy is like telling a billionaire to be rich. The believer is already holy. He should be told he is the righteousness of God in Christ.
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Cor. 5:21
The believer should be told to remain dead to his own righteousness and see Jesus alone as his righteousness.
“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” Phi. 3:9
The believer should be told not to seek to be justified by the law again.
“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” Gal. 5:4.
The believer should be told he is holy since his body is the temple of the living God.
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Cor. 6:19)
The holiness of a believer is in his new nature and it’s a gift.
“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Eph.4:24,
The admonition is to put on what he already have in him. To put on is to be conscious of what he is 24/7. He is a new creature already.
God already made Jesus the holiness, sanctification and righteousness of the believer.
“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:” 1 Cor.1:30
Unholy living after salvation is not a conclusive evidence that a man is not born again. It only showed he has not understood how to walk in the spirit and he has not been renewing his mind.
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (Gal.5:16)
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Rom.12:2)
He need to be taught by teachers of the new covenant that can rightly divide the word, not of the letters that kills but of the spirit that brings life. It appears there are killers behind the pulpit misusing the word to kill people.
“Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” 2 Cor. 3:6
“Be ye holy, for I am holy” in 1 Pet. 1:16 is not a message of the New Testament for the believer in Christ. It is a Old Testament message lifted directly from (Lev. 11:44,45,19:2.) It was a reference, not an instruction.
That is why it started with the phrase “It is written” when it was used in 1 Pet. 1:16. The same manner Jesus always insert “It is written” in the account of temptation in (Mat. 4:1-4) whenever he quotes from Old Testament.
The message of the New Testament for a believer is “you are holy unblamable unreprovable” in God’s sight, Col. 1:22, “ye are a holy priesthood” 1 Pet. 2:5, God made Jesus your holiness and sanctification 1 Cor. 1:30, etc.
The call of a believer is to renew his mind and live out his true nature of holiness which he already have at new birth through faith in Christ.
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Rom. 12:2
May the veil of religious mesmerization covering the minds of many be removed in Jesus name so they can see the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.
“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2 Cor.4:4)