Holiness: The Heart God Purifies
By Nancy Leigh
DeMoss
Chapter 6 – The Pathway to Holiness: “Put on”—Say “Yes” to Grace”
Sin is a toxin that
contaminates to the core of the human soul.
When God saved us it was with the intent of cleansing us from every
vestige of sin. He does so through the
lifelong process called sanctification.
As we have seen, that process- the pursuit of holiness- requires
something far more radical than simple reform or renovation. It requires that we put to death- mortify or
“put off”- the “old house,” that is, the corrupt deeds and desires of our
flesh. However, that’s just the
beginning. God- the Master Architect and Builder- has drawn plans to rebuild
new, holy lives as we “put on” the Lord Jesus and His righteousness. To put-off without putting-on is like tearing
down a condemned house and thinking your work is complete before the rebuilding
is ever begun. Putting off sinful
practices isn’t sufficient to make us holy.
We must also put on righteousness.
Lord, how
many times have I tried to do a simple reform in my house…? I try to cover my sin with a pretty picture
and pretend that everything is fine… when what you want to do is completely
renovate my life, room by room, brick by brick, until every area is pure and
holy. May I not only allow you to remove
the corrupt sinful areas of my life but also stick around long enough to be
built up in Your image.
As with putting off
sin, putting on the heart of Christ doesn’t just happen. We have to be intentional about cultivating
new patterns of godliness. This can take place only by the power of the Holy
Spirit and the grace of God.
It is only
when we allow the Holy Spirit to be at work in our lives and we are intentional about cultivating new patterns of
godliness that we will see changes in our life. Lord, I want to “put on” the
qualities that were found in Christ – compassion, kindness, meekness, humility,
patience, forgiveness, love, peace, and thankfulness (Col 3:12-17). I want to be a reflection of You to the
world. I know that there is a lot of
work left to do in my life… be at work in me and help me to remain faithful to
the process.
God has provided
many different means of grace to help us in the process of putting on
holiness. These activities and
provisions are not an end in themselves-they are simply means through which we
can draw near to God to receive and experience His transforming grace in our
lives. I want to highlight six “means of
grace” that have been particularly significant in my personal process of
sanctification and spiritual transformation.
1) The Word
The Word of God is
one of the most vital agents of sanctification in the life of a believer. Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by Your truth.
Your word is truth (John 17:17). God’s
word has the power to protect us from sin and to purify us when we do sin.
David understood the necessity and value of the Scripture in his pursuit of
godliness. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to
your word… I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against
you.” (Psalm 119:9,11)
In addition to its
cleansing properties, the Word has the power to renew our minds, to transform
us into the image of Christ, and to infuse us with Christian graces. Reading,
studying, memorizing, and meditating on Scripture—these disciplines provide
weed control and fertilizer for the garden of my heart, guarding and purifying
me from sin and stimulating growth in grace.
No believer can
withstand the assault of temptation and the encroachment of the world apart
from a steady intake of the Word of God.
(Nor can we feed on a diet of unholy reading material and entertainment
and expect to have pure hearts or to grow spiritually.) Mark it down—your
progress in holiness will never exceed Your relationship with the Word of God.
Lord, may
Your Word become my life stream… the thing I long for when I get up in the
morning, what I look to when I need wisdom, what I crave throughout the day,
what my mind constantly goes back to when troubles abound… our minds can wander
so easily and I want to be so immersed in Your Word that when my mind begins to
wander it wanders to the various Scriptures I am meditating on. I want to get back into the habit of
memorizing Scriptures. I want to focus on verses that bring me hope when I am
worried. Lord, may Your Word cleanse me
when I have fallen into sin once again.
May it be my strength when I am tempted.
May it purify me and sanctify me so I can be a shining example of Your
love to the world. Lord, fill me up with
Your Word, give me a desire for Your Word… make it come alive again.
2) Confession
Though we don’t hear
a lot about this gracious provision in most of our churches, confession—humbly,
honestly acknowledging our sin to God and to others—is an essential ingredient
for anyone who wants to live a holy life.
We cannot sin and
just move on as if nothing had happened, without our spiritual growth being
stymied. “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who
confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13)
Not until David was
willing to step into the light and uncover his sin did David experience the joy
and freedom from being forgiven and clean once again. “I acknowledge my sin to you, and I did not
cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgression to the Lord,’ and
you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” (Psalm 32:5)
Many Christians are
bowed down under the heavy load of a guilty conscience, with its physical,
emotional, mental, and spiritual consequences—all because they do not regularly
confess their sin to God.
Biblical confession
is first and foremost vertical—toward God.
However, it also has a horizontal dimension. When our sin is against others, in addition
to confessing our sin to God, we must also acknowledge our wrongdoing and,
where possible, make restitution to those we have offended. “Confess your sins to each other and pray for
each other so that you may be healed.” (James 5;16)
Lord, if
there are any areas of sin in my life that I have not dealt with… any areas
that I have not openly confessed… any areas that I need to confess to another
to seek restitution, then I pray that You would open my eyes to those
areas. I do not want to live under the
burden of sin.
I lived
for years under its weight… bearing the consequences of my sins and the sins of
others. Trapped in the prison of
bitterness. It was a long road to recovery, and I do not want to go back.
I know
that I am not perfect… I know that I continue to sin… daily, sometimes every
hour, but I want to be in such close communion with God that when I do sin,
that I am just as quick to confess that sin (to God and others) and turn back
to the right path. Lord, give me a heart
like David’s… one that is so in touch with yours that I am quick to recognize
my own sins and turn from them.
3) Communion
The Lord’s Supper is
(or ought to be) one of the most vital and sacred practices in the life of the
church and in every believer’s life. It
is intended to be a time of corporate remembrance and proclamation of the
Lord’s death, which we are to observe “until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Scripture
cautions us against partaking of the bread and cup “in an unworthy manner”
those who do so are “guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord (v.
27). In order to avoid such a serious
offense, we are warned, “Let a person (first) examine himself (v. 28). The consequences of failing to do so can be
serious, or even fatal: “That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some
have died” (v. 30).
I can’t help but
wonder how many of the physical weaknesses and illnesses experienced by
believers are the direct result of God’s discipline. Even more sobering is the thought of how many
individuals have actually had their lives cut short because their hearts were
not pure before God. Only God
knows.
The point is that
the Communion service should provide a regular opportunity and a powerful
incentive for self-examination—making sure our conscience is clear before God
and others, and “judging ourselves” so we will not have to come under the
chastening hand of God (v 29-32).
The observance of
the Lord’s Supper has often been an occasion for needed introspection,
confession, and cleansing in my own life.
Lord, I
pray that You would open my eyes to my heart… is there an area in my life that
I need to seek forgiveness from another… is there an area that I need to offer
forgiveness to another. Lord, I want to
come before You with a clear conscience. I know that I need forgiveness from
You each and every day… for not putting You first in my life. Forgive me… forgive me for the many things I
let distract me from my relationship with You… forgive me for my blatant
sins. Lord, draw me close to You. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit… may I hear His
voice guiding me, pointing out the areas of my life that I need to change.
4) The Body of Christ
As Christians we
have not been left alone to deal with our sin.
God has graciously put us into a body of believers who are called to
look out for one another and to stand together against the enemies that would
threaten our holiness. This family—the
body of Christ—is a vital provision God has given to help us in our pursuit of
holiness. This is why it is essential
for every believer to be in a committed relationship to a Christ-centered local
church.
Being disconnected
from the local church, for whatever reason, is a dangerous way to live. Not only do these “lone rangers” miss out on
the blessings of functioning within the context of the body of Christ, but like
lone sheep away from the safety of the flock and watchful care of the shepherd,
they are vulnerable to predators of every sort.
Each of us in
accountable to God for our personal holiness.
At the same time, God never intended that we should battle sin
single-handedly. I frequently ask those
in my circle of Christian brothers and sisters for prayer or accountability in
areas where I know I am vulnerable to temptation or sin. Is that a sign of weakness? Yes, it is! The fact is, I am weak. And so are you. I need the body of Christ. And so do you.
Is it sometimes hard
to confess my need and ask for help? Absolutely! It requires that I humble
myself and acknowledge that I don’t have it all together. The very pride that
keeps you from taking off your mask and getting real is the same pride that
will cause you to fall into sin.
We also have a
responsibility to provide that kind of accountability and help to our Christian
brothers and sisters. We cannot stand by
on the sidelines when we see fellow believers who are trapped in sinful
practices.
This kind of mutual
encouragement and exhortation must take place on a daily basis. Why? Because it
takes less than 24 hours for our hearts to become hardened or deceived by sin
(Hebrews 3:13). No believer is immune to
sin’s lure. No believer can afford to be
without consistent, day in, day out accountability to other believers.
Lord, I need this
fellowship with the church. Thank you
for leading Matthew and I to a church where we both feel comfortable. Forgive me for taking so long to be willing
to leave Faith so that Matthew could have a place where He could
fellowship. Lord, I pray that You would
help me to develop friendships at Generational Hope. I need to build up a group
so that I can have this type of accountability… women who will be able to
support me, hold me accountable, lift me up when I am discouraged, pray for me,
etc. I also need to be able to provide
the same support to other women… this is what we were created to do.
5) Church Discipline
Scripture has so
much to say about the purifying, restorative effect of addressing sin corporately
that it merits being singled out.
Whenever a believer refuses to deal with his sin privately, his sin
becomes a public matter that requires the involvement and intervention of
others in the body.
In 1 Corinthians 5,
Paul instructed the church on how to deal with one of its members who had
committed immorality and was unrepentant.
By being excluded from the fellowship of believers, the man was
symbolically removed from God’s protection and was left vulnerable to Satan,
who could actually destroy his physical life.
The apostle Paul explained such extreme measures were for the good of
the man himself (“that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” v. 5). Further, they were absolutely necessary to
keep impurity from spreading like gangrene throughout the church: “Do you not
know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” (v.6). This passage
describes the most extreme step of church discipline, which is to be taken only
after all other routes have been exhausted and rejected. Matthew 18 provides
further explanation of that process, in which the offender is repeatedly urged
and given opportunity to repent.
I attended a church
recently that was exercising the final stages of church discipline with two
members of the congregation. As the situation
was addressed from the pulpit that Sunday, I was reminded of the seriousness
and the consequences of sin. I
experienced a fresh sense of the fear of the Lord and a renewed longing for God
to guard my heart from sin and make me holy.
The fact that so few
churches today practice the process of church discipline has made is possible
for immorality and ungodliness to flourish within the four walls of most of our
churches. How we need to reinstate this
means of grace—for our own sakes, for the sake of fallen believers, and for the
purity of the whole body.
Lord, may
I take the sin in my own life serious.
May it never come to the point that a Pastor need to bring it before the
entire congregation… but I do pray for a loving group to surround me and hold
me accountable… to lovingly show me the areas in my own life that I need to
change and allow the Holy Spirit to mold in me so I can become more Christ-like
and honoring to You. I want to live a
Holy life, I want to obey You, I want to hate sin and love righteousness.
6) Suffering
No one wants to sign
up for the school of suffering. But
suffering can be a powerful means of growing in holiness. In fact, the pathway to holiness always
involves suffering. There are no
exceptions, and there are no shortcuts.
When our lives are
all roses with no thorns or all sun with no clouds, we tend to become
spiritually complacent and careless and to neglect serious self-examination and
confession. Affliction has a way of
stripping away the stubborn deposits of selfishness, worldliness, and sin that
build up in the course of everyday life.
Our suffering may be
our heavenly Father’s loving response to our sin—sometimes called chastening
(Hebrews 12:5-11). Suffering may also
come in the form of pruning, as God cuts away unnecessary or unproductive
“twigs and branches” in our lives so we can bear more fruit (John 15:2). We may be required to endure pain for the
sake of the Gospel, or on behalf of others (2 Corinthians 1:6, 4:11-15). Or our
sufferings may simply be the unavoidable pain associated with living in a
fallen world that awaits final deliverance from the curse of sin (Romans
8:18-23).
Regardless of its
cause, affliction is a gracious gift from the hand of our heavenly Father who
loves and disciplines us in order to purge us from sin and sanctify us.
Lord,
help me to understand the benefits of suffering and to not allow it to make me
bitter. May I take time to see the work
that You are doing in my life and through me even in the midst of these trials
that Matthew and I have been enduring for years. I don’t want to live in the
clouds… to allow the constant suffering to make me a bitter, unhappy, sinful
person. Strip away my selfishness,
sinfulness, worldliness and mold me into the image of Your Son, Jesus. May I love Matthew and draw closer to him
through it all instead of trying to be his Holy Spirit. Please be at work in his life and his heart.
Making it Personal…
What are you doing
to cultivate a heart for holiness and to put on the character of Christ?
1) The Word
v Are you getting a steady, sufficient intake of the Word into your life?
v How has the Word protected you from sin in the past month?
v What passage(s)of Scripture have you meditated on in the past week?
v Are you getting more input from worldly sources or from the Word of God?
2) Confession
v
When is
the last time you consciously confessed your sin to God?
v
Have you
committed any sins that you have not confessed to God?
v
Is there
anyone you have sinned against to whom you need to confess your offense and
whose forgiveness you need to seek?
v Is there any sin you need to confess to other believers to humble yourself and so they can pray for you?
3) Communion
v
Do you
take the Lord’s Supper as a matter of routine?
Do you adequately realize the seriousness of this ordinance?
v
Before
partaking of the Lord’s Supper, do you examine your heart for unconfessed sin?
v Have you been partaking of the Lord’s Supper “in an unworthy manner”?
4) The Body of Christ
v
Are you
a committed, faithful member of a local church?
v
When is
the last time you asked another believer to pray for you regarding a specific
sin or temptation in your life?
v
To whom
are you spiritually accountable in matters of personal and moral purity?
v
Are you
consistently receiving exhortation from other believers regarding your spiritual
life?
v
Do you
know another believer who is trapped in some sinful pattern and needs to be
spiritually restored? What part does God want you to play in that process?
5) Church Discipline
v
Are you
under the spiritual authority of a local church?
v
Does the
spiritual leadership of your church know that you welcome accountability for
your personal holiness? Would they feel the freedom to confront you over
questionable or sinful practices in your life?
v
Is there
any practice in your life which, if your church knew, would be reason for the
process of church discipline to be initiated?
v
Is there
another believer whose sin you have justified or covered, rather than being
willing to confront the issue or to allow others to confront it as needed?
6) Suffering
v
How has
God used suffering as an instrument of sanctification in your life?
v Is there any area of suffering that you are resisting rather than embracing?
v Is there any area where you may currently be experiencing the chastening hand of God for your sin? How have you responded to God’s discipline?
Summary
v
Name one
or two of these six means of grace that you need to be more intentional about using
in your pursuit of holiness.
The Word,
Confession, and Suffering.
v
List two
or three steps you will take to allow God to use these means more fully in your
life.
The Word – I will
spend more intentional time in God’s Word and make it a priority in my life. I want to get back into the habit of memorizing
it and meditating on it throughout the day as well.
Suffering – Instead of
allowing suffering to push me away from God, I need to embrace it and allow it to
draw me closer to Him. I need to cling
to God and find joy during the trials… let this joy shine through me so that my
life can be an example to others.
v
Share
your response with another believer who will encourage you to follow through on
your commitment.
Lord, I pray that You open my eyes to who that would be. (I guess I am sharing them with all of you...) Hold me accountable!!!)
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