“Oh, HOW GREAT IS YOUR GOODNESS, Which You have laid up for those who FEAR You, Which You have prepared for those who TRUST in You In the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in THE SECRET PLACE OF YOUR PRESENCE…” (Psa. 31:19-20) Your secrete place is a VERY HOLY PLACE LORD. You are so very good to us Oh Lord, our fear of the Lord fills us with an awesome respect for God, and makes us dread, above anything else, to offend you. “…let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness IN THE FEAR OF GOD.” (2 Corin. 7:1)
We know what holiness is. God alone is holy, and holiness is that which God communicates of Himself. Separation and cleansing and consecration are not holiness, but only the preliminary steps on the way to it. “…just as he who called you is holy, so BE HOLY IN ALL YOU DO; for it is written: “BE HOLY, BECAUSE I AM HOLY.” (1 Peter 1:15-16)
We need to have victory over sin to be holy. “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? CERTAINLY NOT! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it… our old man was crucified with Christ, that the body of sin might be done away with, that WE SHOULD NO LONGER BE SLAVES OF SIN…Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore DO NOT LET SIN REIGN (be in power) IN YOUR MORTAL BODY, that you should obey it in its lusts.” (Rom. 6:1-2,6,11-12)
HAVING BEEN SET FREE FROM SIN, YOU BECAME SLAVES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS...(Rom. 6:18)
-Bill Stockham