The Pursuit of the Holy God - Church of God of Prophecy

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or human nature that forces us to sin and live an ungodly lifestyle. But he is not saying, we will in this flesh be freed forever from failing, making mistakes or even committing a sin; but, we now have the power to choose not to sin. As Christians, we want to have the faith to be a full partner or companion of Christ’s divine nature. Therefore, we need to understand that God’s power provides everything we need to live a godly life through a relationship with Jesus. This desire to be a ‘partaker’ or partner with Christ is expressed simply this way: The intense pursuit of holiness is to be the predominant priority of every Christian. Actually the pursuit of holiness is a spiritual mindset. The Greek word for pursuit (dioko) means “an intense or passionate effort.” If someone is Spirit-filled, there will be a burning thirst to experience Christ’s holiness in every corner of his being. 124 The Pastoral Call to Holiness When the Holy Spirit moved upon Zacharias, he prophesied that God was visiting His people and sending a redeemer that we “. . . might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life” (Luke 1:74-75). The writer of Hebrews said that “. . . without holiness, no one would see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14 NIV). From these and numerous other passages in the New Testament it is clear that holiness is an important doctrine regardless of the fact that many fear legalism on the one hand and fanaticism on the other anytime the subject is addressed. Nonetheless, even though the definition may be debated, the New Testament is clear that holiness is expected and required of all Christians. Biblical holiness has to do with the inner character or condition of the human heart. Righteousness which is rooted in holiness has more to do with ‘right conduct’ in an ethical sense of uprightness. Any right conduct which does not grow out of holiness can be a form of legalism. For example, the Pharisees were meticulous about tithing the tiniest herbs (right conduct) but neglected the holiness of the heart. Thus Jesus condemned them for washing the outside of the cup while leaving the inside full of corruption. His imperative to them was to first clean the inside of the cup or the heart (holiness) so that the outside of the cup (righteousness) would be clean also. A person may behave exemplary in many ways and yet have a rotten heart. For example, a person may be outwardly faithful to his/her companion and be an adulterer in the heart. Such a person would not be living a holy life even though appearances suggest otherwise. Thus one can live uprightly and not be holy, but one can never be holy and not also live uprightly. Therefore, we might add that holiness is not something that we humans can measure in one another because only God knows the heart (Jeremiah 17:9). Nor can we impose or force one another to obtain holiness. However, we can study the characteristics of holiness and encourage one another to hunger and thirst after it and thus to be filled. The psalmist states of God in 51:6, “You desire truth in the inward parts” and then in a few more verses he says, “Purge me….wash me….create in me a clean heart, O God.” These verses tell us what God desires in us is “a clean heart” and that a pure heart is a work of God. It also suggests that our role in the pursuit of holiness is to allow the Spirit of God to show us where we are inwardly untruthful or conflicted. For example, a person may be inwardly jealous of another individual and fail to admit such a thing to themselves or to God, let alone to anyone else. In fact, outwardly he/she may be very nice to that person, act kindly, and have only good things to say and, yet, be eaten up with inward jealousy. The God who desires truthfulness in the inward parts wants that individual to slow down and listen to Him in prayer so that He can reveal to him/her the cruel jealousy that has taken hold in his/her heart. Only then, after confession and repentance will God purge, wash, and cleanse that heart of jealousy. 124 Gregory R. Frizzell. Returning to Holiness. Memphis, TN: Master Design Ministries, 2000, pages 21-22. 50
APPENDIX The Controversy over the Three Blessings I. The Holiness Seeds of Pre-Pentecostalism a. Pietism, Moravians and the Methodists b. The Paradoxical Views of John Wesley and John Fletcher II. The Roots of Pentecostalism—A Divided Holiness Movement a. The Splintering of the Wesleyan Holiness Revival b. Instantaneous, Progressive or Both III. The Growth of the Schismatic Tree—Controversy Deepens and Spreads a. Distortions of Calvin and Wesley’s Doctrines b. The Influence of American Perfectionism and the Keswick Revival IV. The Controversy Blossoms and Propagates as the Latter Rain Falls a. Azusa and Seymour- Three Distinct Groups of Holiness Adherents b. Durham and the “Finished Work” Movement V. The First Blessing Theology a. Conversion and Sanctification b. “Oneness” Theology VI. The Second Blessing Theology a. Progressive or Ongoing Sanctification b. Baptism of the Holy Spirit as the Second Blessing VII. The Third Blessing Theology a. The Origin of Sanctification as the Second Definite Work of Grace b. From Instantaneous Sanctification to the Continuing Work of the Spirit Conclusion- “A Call for Essentials” a. The Danger of Dogmatism b. Essentials Versus Non-Essentials Introduction The intent was pure, the means questionable, the results divisive. The history of the Holiness movement, as well as the Pentecostal movement fits this ironic yet simple one-line description. Beginning with the Holiness movement that burst on the religious scene in the early nineteenth century and later when the Pentecostal movement awakened in the start of the twentieth century, there developed one central underlying issue that divided both movements regardless the amazing spiritual contributions that resulted for mankind. There is no questioning the intent of the major players, they wanted to promote and foster an increased spirituality within people (especially Christian believers). Yet their actions and doctrinal persuasions often became questionable. Whether the divisions that followed 51
Page 1 and 2: The Pursuit of the Holy God: Answer
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents Introduction ....
Page 5 and 6: character of God. YHWH would not al
Page 7 and 8: that Isaiah, Moses, the children of
Page 9 and 10: with them played the whore.” This
Page 11 and 12: of listening to God, man’s self-a
Page 13 and 14: This simple diagram illustrates thi
Page 15 and 16: In secular Greek hagiasmos conveyed
Page 17 and 18: The Scripture and observation revea
Page 19 and 20: Therefore, we must address ‘missi
Page 21 and 22: As it relates to sanctification, th
Page 23 and 24: as early as A.D. 70 while others su
Page 25 and 26: Augustine Augustine, a towering fig
Page 27 and 28: Ulrich Zwingli is the earliest theo
Page 29 and 30: sanctified.” 78 The end of the pr
Page 31 and 32: as though it were some unified enti
Page 33 and 34: If we take this in its utmost exten
Page 35 and 36: In order to obtain this experience,
Page 37 and 38: Most of those deities have sacred t
Page 39 and 40: The consensus of the council (“it
Page 41 and 42: The journey to a personal sanctific
Page 43 and 44: more we pray, the better we are, an
Page 45 and 46: forgetting those things which are b
Page 47 and 48: Washing of the Blood/Water/Spirit T
Page 49: Righteousness speaks of the orderin
Page 53 and 54: experience. 130 Much could be writt
Page 55 and 56: The First Blessing Theology Enterin
Page 57 and 58: doctrinal issues that cannot always
Page 59: L. Morris. The Gospel according to

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