Un-Holy Christians and Holy Pagans

I have been a minister with the International Pentecostal Holiness Church for a while. It’s a good organization. http://www.iphc.org/home.html

I have never had a problem with the words International, Pentecostal, or Church. I have had a problem with the word Holiness.

I know all of the theological definitions. I know the concept from scripture pretty well. I don’t like the way it’s used in most of evangelical Christendom. Holiness defined as the absence of tobacco, fornication, lust, alcohol, drugs, swearing, and then by outwardly manifesting a whole set of other external behaviors that say, “I’m holy and you’re not, nya nya nya”. Look at those horrible people who do all those things. (….and such were some of you)

I know how to do it. I can be the best flesh driven Pharisee you ever met. I did it for years. I used fleshly suppression driven of my pride in MY disciplined ability to behave in a certain way. Talk about the ultimate works based salvation theology. Then I got sick of the hypocrisy. I rebelled against it; Maybe too much.

I don’t love Jesus any less. In fact I'm more passionate than I have ever been. I just refuse to jump thru hoops I don’t think have anything to do with living for Jesus on this side of the veil.

In the last couple days a magazine put out by the IPHC hit my mailbox. Experience. The cover story was on Holiness. I almost tossed it. Bun’s in the hair, no makeup, long dresses, crew cuts, the full catastrophe. Until I read it. Rhema hit.

It became clear from reading this issue that reality in holiness was more about living a life reflecting the presence of God in treating other people well, being a decent example, honesty, caring and lots of other things which should be part of any Christian’s life. Holiness is taking care of a sick person, putting the grocery cart back where it belongs, doing right even when no one is looking. Doing right because it’s who you are. I don’t think the hair buns, makeup issues, clothing and hair length has anything to do plus or minus in making a person holy. If doing so turns your crank have at it. I prefer my badge of holiness to be a little less ostentatious.

Holy Pagans
I have known some precious holy people who were lost pagans in every way. How about the Dahli Lama? Holy. I can name many people I have known who lived holy lives because they were unique from the world in their behavior towards others and in their exemplary life. They lived lives of goodness without God. I worked with a man by the name of Al who was kind, honest, and gentle. But he had no time for anything relating to God. He died lost in his sin. He was holy in every way but spiritually separated from the saving power of Jesus.
He was a HOLY PAGAN

UN-HOLY CHRISTIANS
On the other hand, I have known Christians who were correct in every way professing the love of Jesus and at the same time were as mean as a snake, crooked, selfish and greedy. I won’t name names but some you know. Some are even in the national spotlight in ministry.
Saved, heaven bound and completely UN-HOLY Christians.!

So what’s the difference?
A holy Christian reflects the character of Jesus in all he says and does and lives in the grace and confidence of his continuing salvation. It’s who he is because of Jesus, not because of his human ability to abstain from certain behaviors. It’s a process of spirit over flesh.

A holy pagan lives by the golden rule reflecting what is right by society and is well thought about by all around him. Good works abound. But he does it because it’s who he is. Just him. He is unmolested by the enemy because he is good, but lost.

It’s a crime to be the holy pagan. We need him to show us the way to live here and we need to show him how to live there.

It’s a crime to be the un-holy Christian. He is showing the wrong way here and he will know it over there. One little bitty rhinestone in his tiny crown.

Both are tragic.

Being Holy is living our life in a continual process of development until we attain the very likeness of Jesus. (…till Christ be formed in us). Not that we have already arrived, we press toward the goal of the high calling of God.

That’s Holiness I can embrace.