Holiness Standards

Holiness Standards

Even that reference kinda bugs me. Holiness standards. Like a standard could possibly make us holy.

He is Holy therefore we are holy. See the cause and effect? Standards do not make one holy. Standards are supposed to be the fruit of the root. The root being Jesus and His holiness within us. Cart/Horse. Matt 23:17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

Every *standard* that we adhere to is not to make us Holy but rather to reflect His Holiness within us. Standards are to serve another. Every one of them. We dress modestly so we wont cause another to stumble. We give up some of the world so that we might bless and save others. We should orient every standard around Him and others. You shall love the Lord your God ........You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.

Too often we think that our outward holiness standards are what is saving us but in reality we will never be holy enough to earn His favor. Never.All our righteousness is like filthy rags.

Love and service are His standards and if we have Him in our hearts we will indeed bear fruits of holiness. The standard will manifest automatically. If we hang pretty fruit on a rotten tree that fruit will eventually rot.

The Pharisees held very high *holiness standards* they were religious, fasted, tithed, believed in God, they even walked around in long robes (sound familiar?) and yet Jesus rebuked that group of religious people more than any other group. He called them whited sepulchres which basically means that the outside looked good but inside was dead rotten flesh bones. Hypocrites!

I am not for one moment saying that we should not maintain a holy seperate life....I am saying we should be careful with our motives. Careful about love. Luke 11:42 For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, but you bypass justice and the love of God. You ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.