Pursuing Holiness

[SierraNichole]

So, ive been thinking about this subject lately. God calls us to be Holy as He is Holy and to be blameless in Holiness, etc etc. Ive been wondering...doesnt God call us all to the same point of Holiness? No one is called to be less holy or holier than others right? We are all called to be Holy so shouldnt the standards be the same for everyone? I was speaking witha friend about this and said that if God says a movie isnt good for me, as a Christian, to watch isnt it the same for all Christians? Why would God put different standards on each of us if we are all called to teh same level fo holiness? Her response was, "Well, some ppl can handle certain things more than others. Maybe watching violence in a movie gives you nightmares but it doesnt affect me at all". And that just didnt strike me as true. If we are all called to Holiness then if God says something is not ok for one, isnt it not ok for the rest of us?

[Servant89]

So, ive been thinking about this subject lately. God calls us to be Holy as He is Holy and to be blameless in Holiness, etc etc. Ive been wondering...doesnt God call us all to the same point of Holiness? No one is called to be less holy or holier than others right? We are all called to be Holy so shouldnt the standards be the same for everyone? I was speaking witha friend about this and said that if God says a movie isnt good for me, as a Christian, to watch isnt it the same for all Christians? Why would God put different standards on each of us if we are all called to teh same level fo holiness? Her response was, "Well, some ppl can handle certain things more than others. Maybe watching violence in a movie gives you nightmares but it doesnt affect me at all". And that just didnt strike me as true. If we are all called to Holiness then if God says something is not ok for one, isnt it not ok for the rest of us?

The Bible defines sin as the breaking of God's law. Inventing new man-made laws, and being subject to them as if they now define sin, is really ugly before God.

We can not be made perfect by following laws. God tried that already, it is called the old testament.

Mk 7:18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;

Shalom

[episkopos]

So, ive been thinking about this subject lately. God calls us to be Holy as He is Holy and to be blameless in Holiness, etc etc. Ive been wondering...doesnt God call us all to the same point of Holiness? No one is called to be less holy or holier than others right? We are all called to be Holy so shouldnt the standards be the same for everyone? I was speaking witha friend about this and said that if God says a movie isnt good for me, as a Christian, to watch isnt it the same for all Christians? Why would God put different standards on each of us if we are all called to teh same level fo holiness? Her response was, "Well, some ppl can handle certain things more than others. Maybe watching violence in a movie gives you nightmares but it doesnt affect me at all". And that just didnt strike me as true. If we are all called to Holiness then if God says something is not ok for one, isnt it not ok for the rest of us?

Paul explains this....

Have you faith? have it to yourself before God. Happy is he that comdemns not himself in that thing which he allows. Rom 14:22


The balance is here...
"Those who have been born into God's family do not make a practice of sinning, because God's life is in them." (1 John 3:9,

[miepie]

The thing is that everybody is called to be holy, but what's holy for me may not be holy for you......

A good example are the prophets....... He did not have a standard procedure for prophets to follow to be holy........ He made one prophet (Hosea) marry a prostitute, while another prophet (Ezekiel) wasn't allowed to mourn when He took his wife away from him........

Getting back to that movie...... you might watch the movie because you love violence...... while I may watch the movie to see how I can prevent violence or help victims of violence...... the same movie, but two completely different reasons for watching it......

We're also not all at the same stage of our walk with God, one person may be able to handle more than another........

Hope this helps a little bit......

Love you,
Mieke

[Ninna]

Holiness is being set apart to be used by God according to His will for His glory. I don't see standards being different for different folks but He calls us to serve Him in different ways.

[Andrew315]

Well since we are on the subject of movies as well as holiness for the mommys and daddys out there. I have been hearing alot about this childrens christian movie called Lion of Judah. Its supposed to be really good and seems like a very cute movie! I will be watching it with my kids.
On holiness...i have to agree with miepie we are all at different stages of holiness in life and like ninna said he calls us to serve Him in different ways... So i think holiness can be different on all levels for all of us.... does that make sense?

[Dani H]

–adjective
1. specially recognized as or declared sacred by religious use or authority; consecrated: holy ground.
2. dedicated or devoted to the service of god, the church, or religion: a holy man.
3. saintly; godly; pious; devout: a holy life.
4. having a spiritually pure quality: a holy love.
5. entitled to worship or veneration as or as if sacred: a holy relic.
6. religious: holy rites.
7. inspiring fear, awe, or grave distress: The director, when angry, is a holy terror.

At baseline, holy is the same for everyone. Sacred. Of God. Spotless. Pure.

It's a character trait, God's own character trait that we're called to walk in because we belong to Him. God is too pure to look upon sin. We're supposed to be pure, blameless, always, before Him.

Now, how that plays itself out obviously in our lives means something different for each situation. Hosea was called to counteract his wife's adultery and wanton ways with steadfastness and faithfulness. Because marriage is sacred and God is faithful even when we're not, and Hosea was to show that to his wife.

We will not, cannot, walk in holiness until God has the rightful place in our lives. Where He is so sacred and pure to us (because that is what He is) that there are certain things we just flat-out won't touch.

Which doesnt mean we're not supposed to get our hands dirty to love people in their sin. It's the difference between living in the world, but not being of it. Because we're of God and we bring His holiness and purity into our daily situations that happen as we combat sin in people's lives and God uses us to show them what righteousness is all about.

However, we're all at a different place of maturity in our lives and so there's wiggle room there. That doesn't mean there's ever an excuse for sin, that just means that for example, Paul's faith was such that he could meat offered to idols because to him it was just meat, but for the sake of other believers who were weaker in their faith, he refused to do so in front of them. The closer we are to God and the more mature we are in our faith and the more we know, the more is expected from us even though we have more freedom, because then we're also called to consider the faith of the weaker ones and live accordingly and be protective of them.

If that makes any sense, and so there ya go.

[Servant89]

Here is we can be sinless...

Jn 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Shalom