HOLINESS OF HEART by G. W. Holt

Publishing Committee · Rochester, N. Y. · Aug 19, 1852

HOLINESS OF HEART.

By G. W. Holt

It is written, "Be ye holy for I am holy." 1 Pet. i, 16. The reason is here assigned why we should be holy. "The Great God of the universe is holy, and he sitteth upon the throne of his holiness." Ps. xlvii, 8. "God hath spoken in his holiness." Ps. lx, 6. God is holy in all his acts. His words are holy. His law and his commandments are said to be holy, just and good. Therefore our acts, our words and our thoughts should all be holy. "Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever." Ps. xciii, 5. It is written, "worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." Ps. xxix, 2. We are admonished by the apostle Paul "to follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." Heb. xii, 14.

1. Our outward acts should be holy. Do you enquire, in what should they consist to be holy? Says God, "If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant * ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." Ex. xix, 5, 6. Again he says, "remember and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God." Num. xv, 40. We see by these passages quoted, and many others that might be named, that if we would be holy we must outwardly observe all the commandments of God. All our acts should correspond with the commands of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ. We are to walk humbly and to deal justly with our neighbor, and all with whom we have to do. Our appearance should savor of holiness. Paul speaks after this manner: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 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. xii, 1, 2. We are not to be conformed to the world in the least respect.

Says John, "Love not the world neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." 1 John ii, 15, 16. We should show by our very acts to all around us that our affections are not on the world, but that our treasure is in heaven; for where our treasure is there will our hearts be also. If we are seeking to lay up treasures in this world, we show plainly that our heart is here, and not on things above. "No man can serve two masters * ye cannot serve God and mammon."—Matt. vi, 24.

It is written, "sell that ye have and give alms;" provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. By so doing, we show to the world that we are pilgrims and strangers here, and that we are seeking a better country, even a heavenly. We are to have no friendship with the world. It is said by the apostle James: "Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God. Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Says Jesus: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

2. Our conversation should be holy. Much is said in the scriptures relative to our conversation. Peter, in view of the burning day, says: "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness."

It is said by James: "Who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom." It is said by Paul: "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers, and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice."

It is evident from this scripture, that the Holy Spirit of God is often grieved away by light and vain conversation that does not minister grace. Every word that we speak should be seasoned with salt.—Says Jesus: "every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment: for by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." How careful then ought we to be to watch our every word.—If our hearts are holy, our words will be holy, agreeable to the word of God, which says, "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Our conversation should be in heaven from whence we look for the Saviour. One prevalent sin of the present age is filthy and idle conversation. This we meet with wherever we go, not only in the nominal church, and many of those who profess to be looking for the Lord, but even those who profess to be preachers of the gospel. If their preachers are light and vain, what may we expect of those who are looking to them for an example. Such, if they think they have the religion of Jesus, and hope for eternal life, in the end, will find themselves greatly deceived.

Jesus, our pattern, was a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief. An idle word never proceeded out of his mouth. I greatly fear that some of our brethren are deceived in this matter. My earnest prayer is that all among us, who are professing to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and are looking for the speedy coming of the Lord, and the resurrection of the just, will strive to overcome, and put away all foolish talk and jesting, which is not convenient. And let none deceive you with vain words, "for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them." Eph. v, 6, 7.

We had much better take heed to these words of our dear Saviour who died for our transgressions to redeem us from all iniquity: "Let your communication be yea, yea; nay, nay: for whatsoever is more, than these, cometh of evil." Also, the words of Paul: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." Col. iii, 16, 17.

3. Our thoughts and meditations should be holy.—If our thoughts are holy, our words and actions will also be holy. We should strive by fervent prayer and supplication, to bring our thoughts in subjection to the will of Christ. And to prevent evil thoughts we should, like the Psalmist, think of the loving kindness of God. For he says: "I have thought of thy loving kindness in the midst of thy temple." And again he says: "Cleanse thou me from secret faults." The thoughts of the wicked are vain, and God is not in all their thoughts. The thoughts of the righteous are in the law of the Lord. Says the Psalmist: "I hate vain thoughts, but thy law do I love." Again he says: "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." And again, "O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day." Again he says: "Blessed is the man whose meditation is in the law of the Lord night and day."

Dear brethren, let us seek for holiness of heart.—I fear the standard is too low. Let us think upon holiness. Let us meditate on holy things. Let us talk of a holy God, and the holy angels, and read of the acts of holy men and women recorded in the word of God. The New Earth will be a holy place. Holy beings will inhabit that clime. And if we would dwell with them there, we must be holy here. The great and holy God will soon roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation. Who then will be able to stand before his holiness, while the earth is reeling, and the mountains falling, and wicked men calling for the rocks and mountains to fall on them, to hide them from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne. Who, I ask, but holy ones will be able to stand and behold that dreadful scene?

Do you realize that the Lord himself will soon appear with all the holy angels. Oh, how can we stand before that holy throng, unless we are holy?