Partakers of His Holiness
Hebrews 12:10 “For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.”
Let us consider “Holiness”, for there is a lot of confusion about this word.
Holiness when it speaks about God, is His sinlessness.
This attribute is the beauty and perfection of all His attributes, which are many. He is Good, Mighty, Powerful, Merciful, full of Grace, Purposeful, Wise, and much more.
But Holiness is the greatest attribute, for His purity of thought, will, and action is wonderful.
(Imagine a God who was wicked, or greedy, or impure. What a hell, created beings would be placed in, under him.)
But holiness, when it speaks about Christians, is when we are set aside to His use.
To send us where He wills. And to give us the circumstances of our lives, as He wills.
(In essence, it is the same as sanctification. Holiness is the noun; sanctification is the process of getting there.)
So when it says “that we might be partakers of His holiness”…..it means that we, by the Holy Spirit within, begin to experience God’s love of purity.
We begin to seek how to please Him, by the obedience of life and heart.
This is a process, which begins at new birth, and continues on, throughout our Spiritual lives.
When we fall down, He will correct us, and we get back up, to walk with Him.
Hebrews 12:11 “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grieveous: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”
It is for our profit…..that we might have the freedom of a life, lived in fellowship with Him.
Fellowship is what God wants to share with us.
(We go from the fellowship of children, knowing mostly His love and care….
to the fellowship of disciples, learning His ways and commands for “me”….
to the fellowship of friends, walking and sharing all He has for us….
and it continues on, and will forever!)
The Lord showed me this, very clearly once:
Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember thy sins.”
I was an alcoholic. And when I became born again, He removed the desire for the drink.
Praying about the great and wonderful grace He had given me….
…He said, “I didn’t pick you up out of the gutter, so you could be….”somebody”.
I picked you up, and cleaned you up, so that I could have fellowship with you.”
This was all for His own sake: And I praises Him for it!
Hebrews 12:12-13 “Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.”
Lift up the hands which hang down. Tired? Are you weary in well doing?
Then raise up your hands in thanksgiving and praise….
Remember the many mercies He has given you, and begin there.
Ephesians 5:19-20 “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”
Then the present gifts, of grace and peace will come to mind, and thank Him for them.
And most of all remember to thank Him for Who He is to you. Savior, Friend, Comforter, and King.
(Don’t you feel your heart being lifted, even now?)
And the feeble knees. Those things which should be holding you steady, are feeling weak?
Strengthen them by determining to stand in your place…the place in your life that He has given you.
And not someone else’s place… being like someone else, never makes you strong.
Sometimes it takes great determination to overcome the fear; but if you will determine, He will give you power to overcome.
And if you do not know God’s Will…….will to know and He will show you.
John 7:17. “If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
And make straight paths for your feet.
If you have been “wobbling” back and forth from the world’s plans,….to God’s will…….Stop! And give yourself to God, now…
(“A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James 1:8)
Has your experience been like the ship in a storm: up, one minute; and down the next?
He has stability and established strength for you (1 Peter 5:10). You can make straight paths for your feet.
This is to set in order before Him the purpose we were created for; and the means, or way that you should take.
Seek the Lord for just what you should do, each day.
Well, you say, I have to go to work, or school. Or today I do the laundry, or visit Aunt Mary.
What it means is that we are to bring all our plans for each day to Him, and seek guidance from Him for them….what ever they are.
It is not just where we go, but in the attitude we take with us.
I have visited many people, not because they were nice, or even because they wanted to see me….
But I went, because the Lord wanted me to.
Simple as that. And then, it was according to God’s Will. The Lord’s blessing could attend it.
I have gone to my job, with the same attitude; Because the Lord told me, I was not there as men pleasers; but “I serve the Lord Christ.”
Colossians 3:23-24 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”
This is to make straight paths for your feet. You will not stumble or fall, if you follow your Master, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Where He leads, He has gone before. When He stops us; it is so we will not fall off a cliff (even if we can not see it).
Yield to the Holy Spirit’s impressions within, and Christ’s guidance in His Word to us; and be “partakers of His Holiness”.
Isaiah 30:21 “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the Way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”
His Voice is in our ears, if we want to hear…
This way leads to joy,…and usefulness.