Present Truth - Holiness - Reconciliation

From: The Christian Shepherd: 1997 By: Henry Edward Hayhoe

• 2 min. read • grade level: 8

Holiness

Holiness is abhorrence of evil with delight in that which is good. We have three kinds of nature in Scripture: innocent—this was man before the fall; fallen—this is man’s present condition; and, holy—this is the true nature of God.

Holiness is not just separation from evil, but it is the nature of God in the believer that abhors evil, because we are “born of God” (1 John 5:1¹Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. (1 John 5:1)). Peter speaks of the family of faith as being partakers of the divine nature, thus escaping the corruption in the world through lust, by the possession of a nature that has God for its object and lives as one called to God’s eternal glory by Christ Jesus (1 Peter 5:10¹⁰But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. (1 Peter 5:10)).

Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:24²⁴And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (Ephesians 4:24) that the new man is created in righteousness and true holiness. All the exhortations in the Word are based on having our lives correspond to what we possess in Christ, not getting the thing by our own efforts.

May we so nourish this new life, that we have from God, that practical holiness may characterize our lives to His praise! “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling” (Heb. 3:1¹Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; (Hebrews 3:1)). “Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16¹⁶Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:16)).

Reconciliation

When man is in the mind of the Spirit, it means a change of disposition towards an object. When new creation is in the mind of the Spirit it means having the thing suited to God in His own nature. Reconciliation is always connected with the death of Christ, because it is only as possessing a new nature that we are reconciled to God.

Scripture never speaks of God reconciled. It is man that needs reconciliation. Second Corinthians 5:19 tells us that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, but man refused to be reconciled. He rejected God’s Son sent in grace.

Now the glad tidings of the blessed fact that He who knew no sin was made sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him is preached that through faith those who believe should be reconciled.

Philippians 2:10¹⁰That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; (Philippians 2:10) tells us that things under the earth (infernal beings) will bow. They will never be reconciled.

“Having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things [in heaven and on earth] unto Himself ” (Col. 1:20²⁰And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20)).

H. E. Hayhoe (Present Truth for Christians)

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