| Is holiness reserved for God alone? Was Jesus the only holy one to ever walk the earth? Let's explore what the Bible says about holiness and spend some time pondering what God expects from us in the area of holiness. There is another study on holiness here showing that holiness is, indeed, achievable. |
| Bible Verses Relating to Holiness | |
| Matthew 5:48 | "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." |
| John 5:14 | "Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." |
| John 8:11 | "She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." |
| John 15:4 | "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me." |
| Romans 8 | Read all |
| Romans 12:1-3 | "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. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." |
| 2Corinthians 7:1 | "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." |
| Galatians 5:16-26 | "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another." |
| Ephesians 1:4 | "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." |
| Ephesians 4:17-24 | "This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." |
| Ephesians 5:27 | "That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." |
| Philippians 3:15 | "Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you." |
| 1Peter 1:15-16 | "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." |
| 1John 3 | Read all |
| 1John 5:18 | "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." |
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Other
Sources of Information About Holiness Here are suggestions on how to buy the books that are mentioned. |
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Drive Out the Enemy
Joshua 16 The promises are in your grasp. I am a faithful God. You have been patient in receiving your inheritance. I hand it to you most eagerly. But, I still see the thing you cling to. The thing that will come back to haunt you. My children, you are failing to drive out the ungodly occupants of the land. You are accepting your shortcomings and weaknesses as fact. You and your territory are planned for a "nothing less than perfect" destiny. For I know the plans I have for you. My perfect will for you does not include settling for the "good enough." You must desire the same excellence I have purposed for all my children. Do not accept the road blocks. Do not accept the thing that slows you down. I have more than enough power and grace to help you defeat the enemy's persistence. You must open your eyes and recognize the lie he has embedded in your inheritance, your territory. Take the authority I have given you and drive the enemy out of your promise land.
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Bridal
Garments of Humility
Isaiah 62:4-5 - You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married…and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. One of the greatest, most breath-taking moments in a wedding is watching the bride promenade down the aisle, wrapped in the most glorious of garments. Crowds hush and all eyes are affixed for she has captured the room just by her appearance. Even today, Holy Spirit is training us in humility to rule and reign with Him as His Bride. If the Bride is to be equally yoked to the Bridegroom, she must wear the same wedding garments He wore. If Jesus, the King of Kings, chose a crown of thorns, how much more should we adorn ourselves in the beauty of meekness? If He forsook His divine robes of righteousness for earthly burlap robes, how much more should we wrap ourselves in a mantle of humility? At the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, each one of us will be wrapped in different garments, brilliantly embroidered with the fruits and rewards from our earthly lives. A stunning, colorful, tailor-made royal robe will be our portion. A Secret Testimony: In the Lord's great wisdom, it's as though the outer garment that covered each person was a simple burlap robe - a mantle of humility. Underneath that robe is the beautiful royal robe of our gifting. The Lord displays these at different times, but most of the time it is a secret testimony between you and the Lord. Walking in humility is a heart issue, a lifestyle, an attitude that is God-given. An impartation of humility is different than a decision of humility. You can't instantaneously grow humility in your heart. Rather, it is a journey of a lifetime of matching your heart with God's heart. Ask God to do whatever it takes to make you a pure reflection of His Son. Prayer: Lord, I give you permission to do whatever it takes to kill my pride. Help me to be the first one to run to the cross, humble out, and say "Yes" to you, Lord - always. I need Your help to forgive and always put other people before me, even as You sacrificed everything for me. I want to cloak myself in a garment of humility so I am a Bride that matches her Husband.
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You Cannot Face This
Battle On Your Own
You are facing many battles to which you cannot fight on your own. I Am your Commander-in-Chief. I Am the Almighty God who fights for you. You, My people, need to stay close by Me and know My ways, for when you know My ways, you will know first of all that I never leave nor forsake My own. For I am indeed the God of the breakthrough, and I am breaking through your situations and showing Myself mighty. You cannot sustain in the coming days on your own. You were never made to be the 'Lone Ranger' but you were made to submit. Many of you at this time are submitting to your circumstances in the natural. You have resigned and thrown in the towel saying, 'It is impossible.' I hear words like 'I have been down this road before and I keep getting the same results.' My children, if your faith and reliance is not found on Me, then is it no wonder that you have played 'musical chairs' in despair, discouragement and defeat. I say unto you to rise up above what you see, and see through My eyes. Look at your life and the coming days through My perspective. Examine your hearts today. What are you truly holding on to? Is it worth it to gain the whole world and lose your soul? And what is in the world that draws you back? Is it wealth and riches? Do you not know that millionaires have committed suicide despite their riches for lack of love? My people, you are Mine according to the covenant I made with you through the blood of My son. Do not lean on the world nor the ways of the world. Do not be drawn in by what the enemy puts before you, for remember you are soldiers of the Most High God. I have warned you through My Word not to entangle yourself with the affairs of this life, that you would please Me who enlisted you as a soldier. When the enemy throws his fiery darts, thrust out the shield of faith. I have not called you to complacency and to depending on yourself, but to rely on Me. Be holy even as I, the Lord, am holy. I am returning for you, My love, as spotless and without error. Endeavor to live worthy of My calling on you. Be encouraged and know that even as My hand is upon you, I will not allow you to slumber nor fall.
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| Changed by God "...let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." 1John 3:18 Scripture reading: 1John 3:1-17 God is looking for people in whom He can reveal Himself. I used to have a tremendous temper, going white with passion. My whole nature was outside of God in that way. God knew I could never be of service to the world unless I was wholly sanctified. I was difficult to please. My wife was a good cook, but I could always find something wrong with the meal. I heard her testify in a meeting that after God sanctified me, I was pleased with everything she served. I had men working for me, and I wanted to be a good testimony to them. One day, they waited after work was over and said, "We would like that spirit you have." There is a place of death and life where Christ reigns in the body. Then all is well. This Word is full of stimulation. It is by faith that we come into a place of grace. Then all can see that we have been made new. The Holy Spirit arouses our attention. He has something special to say: if you will believe, you can be sons of God, like Him in character, spirit, longings, and actions until all know that you are His child. The Spirit of God can change our nature. God is the Creator. his Word is creative, and if you believe, His creative power can change your whole nature. You can become "children of God" (John 1:12). You cannot reach this altitude of faith alone. No man can keep himself. The all-powerful God spreads His covering over you, saying, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes" (Mark 9:23). The old nature is so difficult to manage. You have been ashamed of it many times, but the Lord Himself offers the answer. He says, "Come, and I will give you peace and strength. I will change you. I will operate on you by My power, making you a 'new creation' (2Cor 5:17) if you will believe." Jesus says, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matt 11:29). The world has no rest. it is full of troubles, but in Christ, you can move and act in the power of God with a peace that "surpasses all understanding" (Phil 4:7). An inward flow of divine power will change your nature. "Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him" (1John 3:1). What does this mean? I have lived in one house for fifty years. I have preached from my own doorstep; all around, people know me. They know me when they need someone to pray, when there is trouble, when they need a word of wisdom. But at Christmas time when they call their friends to celebrate, would they invite me? No. Why? They would say, "He is sure to want a prayer meeting, but we want a party." Wherever Jesus came, sin was revealed, and men don't like sin to be revealed. Sin separates us from God forever. You are in a good place when you weep before God, repenting over the least thing. If you have spoken unkindly, you realized it was not like the Lord. Your keen conscience has taken you to prayer. It is a wonderful thing to have a sensitive conscience. When everything is wrong you cry to the Lord. It is when we are close to God that our hearts are revealed. God intends for us to live in purity, seeing Him all the time. Thought for today: Our human spirit has to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. Excerpt from Smith Wigglesworth Devotional, Whitaker House 1999 Smith Wigglesworth 1859-1947 |
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| The Need for Humility "Serving the Lord with all humility...." Acts 20:19 Scripture reading: James 4 None of us will be able to be ministers of the new covenant of promise in the power of the Holy Spirit without humility. It is clear to me that in the measure the death of the Lord is in me, the life of the Lord will abound in me. To me, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not a goal; it is an infilling that allows us to reach the highest level, the holiest position that it is possible for human nature to reach. The baptism of the Holy Spirit comes to reveal Him who is filled fully with God. To be baptized with the Holy Spirit is to be baptized into death into life, into power, into fellowship with the Trinity, where we cease to be and God takes us forever. Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Gal 2:20). I believe that God wants to put His hand upon us so that we may reach ideal definitions of humility, of human helplessness, of human insufficiency, until we will rest no more upon human plans, but have God's thoughts, God's voice, and God the Holy Spirit to speak to us. Now here is a word for us: "And see, now I go bound in the spirit" (Acts 29:22). There is the Word. Is that a possibility? Is there a possibility for a person to align himself so completely with the divine will of God? Jesus was a man, flesh and blood like us, while at the same time, He was the incarnation of divine authority, power, and majesty of the glory of heaven. He bore in His body the weaknesses of human flesh. He was tempted "in all points...as we are, yet without sin" (Heb 4:15). He is so lovely, such a perfect Savior. Oh, that I could shout "Jesus" in such a way that the world would hear. There is salvation, life, power, and deliverance through His name. But, beloved, I see that "the Spirit drove Him" (Mark 1:12), that He was "led by the Spirit" (Luke 4:1), and here comes Paul "bound in the spirit" (Acts 20:22). What an ideal condescension of heaven that God should lay hold of humanity and possess it with His holiness, His righteousness, His truth, and His faith so that Paul could say, "I go bound (v 22); I have no choice. The only choice is for God. The only desire or ambition is God's. I am bound with God." Is it possible, beloved? If you look at the first chapter of Galatians, you will see how wonderfully Paul rose to this state of bliss. If you look at the third chapter of Ephesians, you see how he became "less than the least of all saints" (v 8). In Acts 26, you will hear him say, "King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision" (v 19). In order to keep the vision, he yielded not to flesh and blood. God laid hold of him; God bound him; God preserved him. I ought to say, however, that it is a wonderful position to be preserved by the Almighty. We ought to see to it in our Christian experience that when we commit ourselves to God, the consequences will be all right. He who "seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it" (Luke 17:33). What is it to be bound by the Almighty, preserved by the Infinite? There is no end to God's resources. They reach right into glory. They never finish on the earth. God takes control of a man in the baptism of the Holy Spirit as he yields himself to God. There is the possibility of being taken and yet left--taken charge of by God and left in the world to carry out His commands. That is one of God's possibilities for humanity: to be taken over by the power of God while being left in the world to be salt as the Scripture describes (Matt 5:13). Thought for today: The way to get up is to get down. Excerpt from Smith Wigglesworth Devotional, Whitaker House 1999 Smith Wigglesworth 1859-1947 |
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| The Flood Tide of
Revival "Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?" Psalm 85:6 Scripture reading: Ps 85:7-86:13 Wherever Jesus went, multitudes followed Him, because He lived, moved, breathed, was swallowed up, clothed, and filled by God. He was God; and as the Son of Man, the Spirit of God--the Spirit of creative holiness--rested upon Him. It is lovely to be holy. Jesus came to impart to us the Spirit of holiness. We are only at the edge of things; the almighty plan for the future is marvelous. God must do something to increase. We need a revival to revive all we touch within us and outside of us. We need a flood tide with a deluge behind it. Jesus left 120 men to turn the world upside down. The Spirit is upon us to change our situation. We must move on; we must let God increase in us for the deliverance of multitudes; and we must travail until souls are born and quickened into a new relationship with heaven. Jesus had divine authority with power, and He left it for us. We must preach truth, holiness, and purity "in the inward parts" (Ps 51:6). Thirst for more of God. Jesus treaded the winepress alone (Is 63:3), despising the cross and the shame. He bore it all alone so that we might be "partakes of the divine nature" (2Pet 1:4), sharers in the divine plan of holiness. That's revival--Jesus manifesting divine authority. He was without sin. People saw the Lamb of God in a new way. Hallelujah! Let us live in holiness, and revival will come down, and God will enable us to do the work to which we are appointed. All Jesus said came to pass: signs, wonders, mighty deeds. Only believe, and yield and yield, until all the vision is fulfilled. Thought for today: Jesus was not only holy, but He also loved holiness. Excerpt from Smith Wigglesworth Devotional, Whitaker House 1999 Smith Wigglesworth 1859-1947 |
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| The Life of God
Within Us "All things were made by him...." John 1:3 Scripture reading: Galatians 3:1-4 All was made by the Word. I am begotten by His Word. There is a substance within me that has almighty power in it if I dare to believe. Faith goes on to be an act, a reality, a deposit of God, an almighty flame moving me to act, so that signs and wonders are manifested. Are you begotten? Is faith an act within you? Some need a touch; some are captives and need liberty. As many as Jesus touched were made perfectly whole. Faith takes you to the place where God reigns, and you drink from God's bountiful store. Unbelief is sin, for Jesus went to death to bring us the light of life. His life is manifested power overflowing. We must decrease if the life of God is to be manifested. (See John 3:30.) There is not room for two kinds of life in one body. Death for life--that is the price to pay for the manifested power of God through you. As you die to human desire, there comes a fellowship within, perfected co-operation, you ceasing, God increasing. God in you is a living substance, a spiritual nature. You live by another life, the "faith in the Son of God" (Gal 2:20). As the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus, He is real--the living Word, effective, acting, speaking, thinking, praying, singing. Oh, it is a wonderful life, this substance of the Word of God, which includes possibility and opportunity, which confronts you, bringing you to a place undaunted. Jesus have give us power over all the power of the Enemy (Luke 10:19). He won it for us at Calvary. All must be subject to His power. What should we do to "work the works of God?" (John 6:28). "This is the work of God, that you believe" (v. 29). Whatsoever He says will come to pass. That is God's Word. We must remain in a strong, resolute resting on the authority of God's Word. We must have one great desire and purpose: to do what He says. We must live in this holy Word, rejoicing in the manifestation of the life of God on behalf of the sick and perishing multitudes. Amen. Thought for today: I have a living faith within my earthly body. Excerpt from Smith Wigglesworth Devotional, Whitaker House 1999 Smith Wigglesworth 1859-1947 |
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| Delight to Do God's
Will "How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?" 2Cor 3:8 Scripture reading: 1Pet 1:13-25 May the Lord help us to understand His word. I see the truth as it was brought to the Israelites in the law. Paul had something to glory in when he kept the law and was blameless, but he said he threw that to one side to win Him who is even greater than that (Phil 3:8) Now we come to the question: what is in the law that isn't glorious? Nothing. It was so glorious that Moses was filled with joy in the expectation of what it was. But what is ours in the excellence of glory? It is this: we live, we move, we reign over all things. It is not "Do, do, do"; it is "Will, will, will." I rejoice to do. It is no longer "Thou shalt not"; it is "I will." "I delight to do Your will, O my God" (Ps 40:8). So the glory is far exceeding. And, beloved, in our hearts there is exceeding glory. Oh, the joy of this celestial touch! Oh yes, the glory is exceeding. The glory is excellent. When Peter was describing that wonderful day on the Mount of transfiguration, he said, "Such a voice came to Him [Christ] from the Excellent Glory" (2Pet 1:17). And so we are hearing from the Excellent Glory. It is so lovely. If I were to say to you, "Whatever you do, you must try to exercise self-control in order to be holy," I would miss it. I would be altogether outside of His plan. But by the Holy Spirit, I take the words of the epistle that says, "Be holy" (1Pet 1:16). For when you lose your heart and Another takes your heart, and you lose your desires and He takes the desires, then you live in that sunshine of bliss that no mortal can ever touch. Divine immortality swallows up all natural mortality. It is lovely to walk in the Spirit; then we will not fulfill any part of the law without the Spirit causing us to dwell in safety, rejoice inwardly, praise God reverently, and know that we are an increasing force of immortality swallowing up life. Hallelujah! Thought for today: It is as easy as possible to be holy, but you can never be holy by trying to be. Excerpt from Smith Wigglesworth Devotional, Whitaker House 1999 Smith Wigglesworth 1859-1947 |
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| From Glory to Glory "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2Cor 3:18 Scripture reading: Psalm 34 There are glories upon glories, and joys upon joys, exceeding joys and an abundance of joys, and a measureless measure. Beloved, when we get the Word so wonderfully into our hearts, it absolutely changes us in everything. As we feast on the Word of the Lord, eat and digest the truth, inwardly eat of Him, we are absolutely changed every day from one state of grace to another. Look into the perfect mirror of the face of the Lord, and you will be changed "from glory to glory." You will never find anything else except the Word of God to take you there. So you cannot afford to put aside the Word. I implore you, beloved, that you do not come short in your own lives of any of these blessed teachings we have been sharing. These grand truths of the Word of God must be your testimony, must be your life, must be your pattern. You must be in the Word; in fact, you are of the Word. God says to you by the Spirit that "you are an epistle of Christ" (2Cor 3:3). Let us see to it that we put off everything so that by the grace of God we may put on everything. Where there is a standard that hasn't been reached in your life, God, in His grace, by His mercy and your yieldedness, can equip you for that place. He can prepare you for that place that you can never be prepared for except by a broken heart and a contrite spirit, except by yielding to the will of God. If you will come with a whole heart to the throne of grace, God will meet you and build you on His spiritual plane. Amen. Praise the Lord! Thought for today: Give Him all; let Him have all: your heart's joy, your very life. Let Him have it. He is worthy. He is King of Kings. He is Lord of Lords. He is my Savior. He died to deliver me. He should have the crown. Excerpt from Smith Wigglesworth Devotional, Whitaker House 1999 Smith Wigglesworth 1859-1947 |
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You Have an Anointing
"But ye have an unction [anointing] from the Holy One...." 1Jo 2:20 Scripture reading: 1Jo 2:15-29 Another of the roles of the Holy Spirit that is necessary for today we find in John 14:26:
Jesus said something very similar
in a later chapter: "He will take of what is Mine and declare
[reveal] it to you" (Jo 16:14). Everything that has been
revealed to you was first taken. So, first, the Holy Spirit takes of
what is Christ's and reveals it to you. Then you come to the place
where you need another touch. What is it? In the necessity of
your ministry, He will bring to your remembrance everything that you need
in your ministry. That is an important thing for preachers. God
will give us His Word, and if there is anything special we need, He will
bring that to our memories, too. The Holy Spirit comes to bring the
Word to our remembrance.
Excerpt from Smith
Wigglesworth Devotional, Whitaker House 1999 |
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| Be Perfect "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." James 1:4 Scripture reading: Matthew 27:27-54 Is it possible for patience to make us "perfect and complete"? Certainly, it is possible. Who was speaking in this verse? It was the breath of the Spirit; it was also the hidden man of the heart who had a heart like his Brother. This was James, the Lord's brother, who was speaking. He spoke very much like his Brother. When we read these wonderful words, we might very likely be encountering a true kindred spirit with Christ. James had to learn patience. It was not an easy thing for him to understand how his Brother could be the Son of God and be in the same family as he, Judas, and the other brothers. (See Matthew 13:55.) It was not an easy thing for him, and he had to learn to be patient to see how it worked out. There are many things in your life that you cannot understand, but be patient. When the hand of God is upon something, it may grind very slowly, but it will form the finest thing possible if you dare to wait until it is completed. Do not kick until you have gone through the process--and when you are dead enough to yourself, you will never kick at all. It is a death we die so that we might be alive unto God. It is only by the deaths we die that we are able to be still before God. Jesus said, "The cross? I can endure the cross. The shame? I can despise it." (See Hebrews 12:2) He withstood the bitter language spoken to Him at the cross: "If You are the Christ, come down, and we will believe." (See Matthew 27:40,42.) They struck Him, but He "did not revile in return" (1Pet 2:23). He is the picture for us. You cannot tell what God has in mind for you. As you are still before God--pliable in His hands--He will be working out a greater vessel than you could ever imagine in all your life. Thought for today: Jesus knew that when He came to the end of the Cross, He would forever save all those who would believe. Excerpt from Smith Wigglesworth Devotional, Whitaker House 1999 Smith Wigglesworth 1859-1947 |
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| Be Perfect Hindrances to Discernment "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." Hebrews 2:1 Scripture reading: Hebrews 2 You will never be able to discern or deal with evil powers as long as there is anything in you that the Devil can touch. Before satan can bring his evil spirits, there has to be an open door. Hear what the Scriptures say: "The wicked one does not touch him" (1John 5:18), and "The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul" (Ps 121:7). How does satan get an opening? When the believer ceases to seek holiness, purity, righteousness, truth; when he ceases to pray, stops reading the Word and gives way to carnal appetites. Then it is that satan comes. So often sickness comes as a result of disobedience. David said, "Before I was afflicted I went astray" (Ps 119:67). You will never be able to reach out your hand to destroy the power of satan as long as there is the vestige of human desire or attainment in you. It is in the death of the death that you are in the life of the life. Don't fool yourself; don't mislead yourself. Never think that God overlooks sins. Sins have to be dealt with, and the only way God ever deals with sin is to absolutely destroy its power. You can be made so clean that the Devil comes and finds nothing in you. (See John 14:30.) And then you have power by the power of God over the powers of satan . Discernment is not mind or eye. Discernment is an intuition. Your heart knows exactly what you are dealing with, and you are dealing with it because of your heart purity against evil and uncleanness. God continues to purify me. I can safely say that unless the power of the Spirit purges me through and through, I cannot help you. First of all, before I can give any life to you, the life must be in me. And remember that the Scriptures are very clear: death works in us so that life may work in you. (See 2Cor 4:12.) Now, the death that is working is all carnal, evil, sensual. Don't forget the remarkable thing in the Scriptures that leads us to this; there are sixty-six evil things listed in the Bible, such as murder, covetousness, evil propensities. But I am here to say by the power of God that one fruit will destroy every evil thing. "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matt 6:33). Thought for today: You are only able to do what God desires for you to do as you have come into the depths of death to self, so that the supernatural life of Christ is abounding in you to destroy the powers of evil. Excerpt from Smith Wigglesworth Devotional, Whitaker House 1999 Smith Wigglesworth 1859-1947 |
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HUMILITY Amid temptations to impatience and irritableness, to hard thoughts and sharp words that come in response to the failings and sins of fellow-Christians, the humble person carries the oft-repeated injunction in his heart and shows it in his life: "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, even as the Lord forgave you." (Col 3:13) He has learned that in putting on the Lord Jesus he puts on the heart of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and long-suffering. The one infallible test of our holiness will be our humility before God and others. Beware, lest we make a profession of holiness, delighting in beautiful thoughts and feelings, in solemn acts of consecration and faith, while the mark of the presence of God--the disappearance of self--is obviously missing. Flee to Jesus and hide yourselves in Him until you are clothed with His humility. That alone is holiness. Every Christian who seeks to advance in holiness should remember this: there may be intense consecration and fervent zeal, and if the Lord Himself does not step in, there may be unconscious self-exaltation. Let us learn the lesson that the greatest holiness comes in the deepest humility. Excerpts from Humility, The Journey Toward Holiness by Andrew Murray 1828-1917 Bethany House, 2001 |
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