By David Shelby Corlett

Chapter 4

HOLINESS IN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

God calls man to holiness. In addition to the scriptural statement used so frequently in these messages, "Be ye holy, for I am holy," there are other statements stressing this call, such as: "God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness" (I Thess. 4:7). "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" (Eph. 1:4). "God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth" (II Cor. 2:13). These scriptures emphasize a personal call to holiness, and they also state the purpose of God to make the individual Christian holy. The provisions of redemption which were considered in the last message are all personal -- He "loved me, and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20), said the Apostle Paul; and those who accept and believe in Christ are benefited individually. By heeding God's call and by accepting His provision of atonement in Christ man may now enjoy a personal experience of holiness.

In considering this personal experience of holiness, let us first think of the

Natural State Of Man or, the condition of the person whom God would make holy.

We may describe this natural state of man in different terms and view it from different angles, but none will present a pleasant picture. No matter where man is found he is naturally in a state of sinfulness.

The Bible considers the natural man as being spiritually dead, void of spiritual life and dead in trespasses and sins. Death is more than the absence of life, for with the absence of life there begins immediately an active process of disintegration or decay. This is true in the spiritual sense. The natural man is not only dead spiritually or void of spiritual life; but also, because of this absence of spiritual life, he has working within him an active principle of spiritual or moral disintegration, a state which the Apostle Paul recognizes as "sin working death in me" (Rom. 7:13). The inevitable result of this active principle of disintegration, or "sin working death in me," is actual sinning in practice -- a state called being "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1).

Looking at this natural man from another angle, man is a member of the human race and because he is human he inherits certain racial traits and tendencies which run back through a long history, yea even back to Adam, and therefore there exists within every human certain leanings, drives and instincts which tend toward evil. This evil state is not a physical defect, nor is it the addition to or subtraction from the nature of man of some faculty or entity; it is a disordered state, a state of lawlessness or lack of co-ordination of the powers of life in moral and spiritual living. "The powers are still there," says Bishop Foster, "they have only become disordered, playing wrong parts. Conscience is there and reason, but they are enslaved; they remonstrate, but they cannot rule; they cannot be hushed, but they are not respected. What is needed is, that right order should be restored, the abnormal be made normal" (Christian Purity, page 126).

The moral or spiritual deficiency of the natural man makes him sinful in nature, corrupt in heart, unholy in the very center of his life. A consciousness of this condition of the human heart made the old prophet cry out: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9). When considering the race as a whole, because of this sinful state, the inspired Apostle Paul seems to stand at the end of all human history, and looking back over the long line of its procession, he exclaims, "For there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:22, 23).

Man Not Abandoned

If man were abandoned to himself, the result would be utter disintegration of human personality; but he is not thus abandoned. There is in the very nature of man "the law written in their hearts" (Rom. 2:15) of which all normal persons are conscious. This law is present not as a power of life, but as a realization of what man ought to be; also it brings to man a sense of something lacking in ability to perform what he knows to be good or to do what he ought. This law written in the heart corresponds to the law of God revealed in His word. But this revealed law cannot produce righteousness, as Paul says: "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh" (Rom. 8:3); that is, the moral weakness of man keeps him from living up to the law as the standard of life.

Man has the power to choose and to follow the good to a degree. He has an appreciation for righteousness and a desire to live righteously. He possesses abilities to hold certain restraints and checks on the evil tendencies of his nature. He can become what men call morally good. But although he possesses vast capacities for good and recognizes the value of the righteous standard by which he should live, he lacks the one capacity to organize all of the powers and forces of his life around this righteous standard; he is morally or spiritually deficient. He has no power to deliver himself from the evil in his life, he cannot forgive himself or rectify the sins of his past, he cannot gain complete victory over sin's power in the center of his being, he cannot cleanse his nature of its impurities, he cannot make himself holy in the sense in which that word is understood in the Bible.

This is a dark picture; nevertheless it is a picture of man as God sees him, of man as God makes the requirement upon him to be holy, of man as God proposes to make him holy. There is a vast discrepancy between man as he is naturally and man as God would have him to become, or as God by His grace would make him -- a holy man.

In bringing man to the state of holiness which is pictured in the Bible, which God requires of man, God works through two distinct crisis experiences of grace; the one known by various terms, generally regeneration; the other known chiefly as entire sanctification.

Let us now consider

The Work Of God In Regeneration

The work of regeneration primarily has to do with what a man has done, with the sins of his life, their attendant guilt, condemnation and pollution. Through the provision of redemption and by faith in Christ the penitent sinner is justified before God, is forgiven of his sins, the guilt of sinning is removed and his acquired pollution resulting from his sinning is washed away by "the washing of regeneration"; all the records of his life of sin is settled, and by the grace of God he stands before God uncondemned. A vital change has taken place also within this man; he is regenerated or "born again" -- "born of the Spirit," -- hence he is a partaker of spiritual life and enjoys a definite spiritual relation to God. He is "in Christ," -- is a child of God, has a new sense of power by which he overcomes evil and conquers habits and sins which formerly defeated him, and has achieved a degree of inner victory over the disordered state of his nature. He is "no longer under condemnation because of being a member of a sinning race, for in Christ he is a member of a ransomed and redeemed race This carries with it the idea of transference of authority. A new loyalty springs up in the life -- Christ reigns" (G. C. Morgan).

This is a glorious and mighty work of divine grace. But as wonderful as it is, it is not the full salvation that God desires, it is not holiness in man in the full sense of the scriptural meaning of that word. Regeneration brings all of the life under the control of Christ, but it does not bring the heart into the full devotement to God required in holiness. Regeneration brings a clean life and introduces purity, but it does not bring the purity of heart required in holiness and provided by Christ in His death. Regeneration brings victory over actual sin, a victory stated by the Apostle Paul: "Sin shall not have dominion over you" (Rom. 6:14); and by the Apostle John: "He that is born of God does not commit sin" (I John 3:9); but it does not bring the inner life into a state of spiritual wholeness, nor does it free the heart from antagonism to the will of God. Regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit and in this work the child of God is brought into a definite personal relationship to the Holy Spirit, but he is not filled with the Spirit. Regeneration brings spiritual life and a definite moral relationship with God, but it does not bring a perfection of that moral relationship. The work of holiness is subsequent to the work of regeneration.

Some Biblical Examples

These facts are confirmed by the experiences of Bible Christians. No one can deny that the disciples of Jesus had a definite spiritual relationship with God before Pentecost. He had told them He was the Vine and they were the branches (John 15:5), an indication of the spiritual union which existed between them and Himself. He had assured them that their names were written in heaven (Luke 10:20), a statement signifying their acceptance of God. In His prayer He said that these disciples belonged to Him in a sense in which no other persons on earth at that time belonged to Him (John 17:6-14), they were His. On the night of the resurrection He came into the room where they were assembled and imparted to them some benefits of the resurrection as He breathed on them saying: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost" (John 20:19-22), giving them a certification of their sonship after the checkered experiences of His trial and crucifixion, and imparting to them an "earnest" of the Spirit, the fullness of which was to come later. Although all this is true, yet these disciples who enjoyed such a spiritual relationship to Jesus Christ were not pure in heart, they were not holy in the true scriptural sense of that word. It was at Pentecost, when they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, that, according to Peter's testimony (Acts 15:8, 9) their hearts were purified by faith; they were then made holy. Their experience of heart purity, of holiness, came as a subsequent experience to their initial experience of Christ in spiritual life -- their regeneration.

Another biblical example is found in the Christians at Thessalonica. An indication of their spiritual state is given in the first letter of Paul to this newly organized church. They were definitely related to Christ, they were examples of Christian believers, they were a pattern of good works, they had been delivered from the wrath to come, they were then not backslidden but were in a good state of grace; but even though they enjoyed such a fine state of grace, still they were not entirely sanctified. In that letter Paul told them: "This is the will of God, even your sanctification" (ch. 4:3); "God hath . . . . called us unto holiness" (ch. 4:7); and, "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly" (ch. 5:23). That these people were regenerated is evident; that they were not entirely sanctified or made morally holy is also evident from this letter of Paul written to this church. The work of entire sanctification was yet to be done in them by the God of peace. It is a work of grace subsequent to regeneration.

Many other scriptural experiences could be cited, and abundance of evidence may be found in the experiences of Christians down through the ages that holiness or heart purity is a second work of grace; it is wrought by God in the heart of the regenerated believers.

In this connection it may be profitable to consider

The Mixed State existing in the life of the regenerated child of God.

This state is described in the Scriptures in different terms. James considers it as a "double minded" condition. Peter and John stress more the thought of impurities remaining in the heart which need to be cleansed or purged from the nature. Paul calls it a carnal state, where the carnal mind, which "is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Rom. 8:7), remains as the active foe of the spiritual life; and, he stresses the inner conflict existing in the regenerated Christians thus: "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" (Gal. 5:17). All of these writers consider this regenerated state as a mixed state or condition of inner conflict.

We must not overlook the fact that in every sense the regenerated life is a Christian life, a life in which the Holy Spirit is active giving victory over sin, assisting in the prayer life, giving assurance of acceptance with God, and manifesting to a degree the fruit of the Spirit in the life; but, also there exists conscious inner hindrances which keep the Holy Spirit from having full control of the life. There is a state of inner conflict, active more or less at all times: conflicting loyalties -the pull to walk after the flesh or after the Spirit; conflicting desires, conflicting affections, conflicting emotions. However by watchfulness and obedience, by prayer and struggle, and by the help of the Holy Spirit this inner evil condition is kept under and spiritual victory is maintained. There is existing an inner antagonism to the will of God in the active presence of the carnal mind. It is true that in the regenerated life this carnal mind or lawless element does not rule, but it exists and its presence and activity limits the Christian in his spiritual exercise and service; as Paul says, "So that ye cannot do the things that ye would."

This mixed state, the inner conflict between the flesh and the Spirit keeps the Christian from being the happy, joyous, victorious whole-hearted Christian he desires to be. It saps his spiritual vitality, deprives him of spiritual power and strength, hampers him in the warfare against sin, limits him in his spiritual service, and weakens him in the times of stress and battle. It also brings a dullness of spiritual sensibilities where one is not quick to catch the spiritual significance of things and where the spiritual vision is clouded.

A Longing For Deliverance

Yet, the dominant factor about the regenerated life is the manifestation of the power of God in the life, the consciousness of the mighty change grace has wrought in deliverance from sin and its bondage, and a true rejoicing of the heart in the victory God gives over sin. The carnal or mixed state is not the major factor, rather its presence is a source of grief and disappointment to the Christian, until there exists a great longing for a full deliverance from this sinful nature; a deep desire for holiness abides in the heart. The most natural thing for a regenerated person to desire is heart purity, the bringing of the saved life into a state of full devotement to God, an abiding fullness of the Holy Spirit, and a spiritual wholeness or soundness in the perfection of the spiritual relationship with God. God answers this normal desire of the regenerated heart with His demand, "Be ye holy"; and by His provision in redemption to make us holy.

This mixed spiritual condition cannot remain as the permanent state. This double-minded condition with its consequent inner strain cannot be the permanent rule of life. The person will consciously or unconsciously yield the rule of life to one or the other of these opposing forces; "the flesh" or "the Spirit" will become the dominating force of life. One force will rule to the exclusion of the other. Either there will be a full yielding of the whole life to the Holy Spirit, for His cleansing and fullness, or there will be a more or less unconscious drifting to the low level of fleshly living -- the living of a religious life void of spiritual life and power. The only possible hope of permanent victory is for the regenerated person to turn to God in full confidence that He is able to cleanse the heart from all that is carnal and sinful, and to fill that life with His Holy Spirit -- to make him holy.

It is the existence of this mixed state in the regenerated that makes necessary

The Work Of Entire Sanctification to which we now turn our thought.

A distinction has been made between entire sanctification and holiness, entire sanctification being the act of God's grace whereby the consecrated Christian is cleansed from all sin or made holy, and holiness being the state of life in which the entirely sanctified people live.

Let us consider the steps the Christian must take to enter into this experience of entire sanctification.

First, there is on his part a

Full Consecration To God

In a previous message it was stated that holiness in man meant primarily devotedness to God. It is therefore the duty of the Christian to dedicate or consecrate himself to God, or to give to God the devotedness which He claims. A consecration acceptable to God must be the gift from a loving heart of the costliest offering that the Christian is capable of presenting to Him. It must be a voluntary gift, a presenting of the whole life to God because the Christian's love will be satisfied with giving nothing less. It must be a complete consecration, embracing all we are, body, soul and spirit; all we have, possessions, talents, time and service; the whole of life now and as long as we live; a life contract with God which is substantial and abiding, something that God can count upon. It means a sincere realization in the depths of the consciousness that God claims us as His own, that we now acknowledge that claim and present ourselves to Him, that henceforth we are not our own, we have given ourselves t6 Him, that from the depths of our hearts we may say sincerely, "Not my will, but thine be done." It is a consecration for sacrifice or for service, for time and for eternity.

When love to God inspires the act of consecration it is not difficult to put all upon the altar for God, rather such a sacrifice will be the normal and glad spiritual service coming willingly from the heart of the child of God. Thus m consecration, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, the child of God gives to Him the fullest devotion and love he is capable of giving -- he is all the Lord's. This is the first step toward holiness as a personal experience.

The second step toward holiness is

Appropriating Faith

In our discussion of the provision of redemption we emphasized that God in Christ has made complete provision for the entire sanctification of the child of God, that in that provision all Christians were potentially sanctified when Jesus suffered outside the gate that He might sanctify the people with His own blood. The medium of receiving the experience thus provided in the atonement is faith, appropriating faith, a faith that lays hold of God and claims the experience provided by Christ in His death, a faith that appropriates the cleansing of the blood and without wavering believes that now "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth from all sin."

Such faith is not blind assumption, it is not an uncertain guess, it confidently believes that what God has promised He will surely perform; it rests on the assurance that what Christ has provided in His atonement He will now work out in the believer's heart; it this moment claims that God verifies His promise and that now the blood of Christ purifies the heart, that "the very God of peace" now sanctifies wholly.

Let us now consider the actual

Experience Of Entire Sanctification

Entire sanctification is the work of God within the heart of the Christian when He accepts the consecration given to Him and in response to the faith of the consecrated person cleanses the heart from all impurities. In this experience God delivers the Christian from that inner condition of lawlessness, that enmity against God remaining in the heart of the regenerated person, and thus the conflict between the flesh and the Spirit is removed. The life is brought into a full devotement to God, for there is no part of life over which God does not have full control. There exists an inner harmony and poise of soul which makes possible the free response of all powers of life to the one purpose of doing the will of God. The disordered state which existed in the natural man is now corrected and the sanctified heart is enabled to organize a satisfying and happy life around the one substantial center of devotedness to God; there is an inner unanimity to life, the inner strain is gone, and Christ rules without a rival over the whole of life. There is also a fullness of the Holy Spirit in the life, for when God accepts the offering, the temple which has been fully consecrated to Him, He fills with His Spirit. The abiding fullness and presence of the Holy Spirit brings a spiritual wholeness, a perfection of the moral relationship to God.

This work of entire sanctification is a definite experience, a mighty work of grace, wrought by God in the life of the Christian in response to his faith. It is an experience that marks a definite second crisis in the spiritual life, purifying the heart, filling the life with the Holy Spirit, bringing a spiritual wholeness to life and the heart into full devotedness to God. A wonderful, mighty, glorious experience, renewing the inmost character or nature into the likeness of God -- "in righteousness and true holiness" (Eph. 4:24).

The Final Goal

An experience is not the final goal of God's claim for holiness. He requires not only an experience of entire sanctification or holiness, but he looks for holiness in life -- "Be ye holy in all manner of conversation" (in all human relationships). Holiness must be the state of life in which the Christian lives, this is God's goal for man. The experience of entire sanctification removes from the heart those hindrances and evil dispositions which hinder the Christian in living the life of holiness.

It is therefore the Christian's privilege to walk with God in the enjoyment of His holy presence day by day, in the nurturing and maintaining of our relationship with Him in fellowship and obedience, to live "in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life" (Luke 1:75). Just as surely as it is the work of God to make man holy in the crisis experience of entire sanctification, so surely is it the work of God to keep him holy in the midst of the sinful conditions of life, and it is His grace alone which enables him to "live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world" (Titus 2:12).

God's call is to holiness, to the full devotement of life to Him, to a purity of heart, to a fullness of the Spirit, to a spiritual wholeness or soundness, to the perfection of the spiritual relationship with Him, to a life of holiness, to be "holy in all manner of conversation" (human relationships). His call primarily is not to pardon, not to a victorious life, not to heaven; His call is to holiness. Holiness is the element in which pardon, purity, victorious living, sacrificial serving, and heaven are found. To seek any of these is to miss the central call of God, His call to holiness.

"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" (I Peter 1:15, 16). That is God's requirement for holiness.

"Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate" (Heb. 13:12). That is God's provision for holiness.

"The very God of peace sanctify you wholly" (I Thess. 5:23). That is God's work in the personal experience of holiness.

That "we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world" (Titus 2:12). That is holiness in life.