God’s standards are always lofty and worthy of Himself. The verse quoted above gives us His standard of sanctity, or holiness.
So lofty is it that He must Himself work to bring us up to it. So lofty, that it will only be reached in full perfection at the coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Still it is to be wrought out now. The whole man, spirit, soul, and body, is to be set apart wholly for God’s pleasure, and thus be blameless at the coming of the Lord.
This evidently is what God is pursuing now with all His saints. The question arises, Are we each pursuing it for ourselves? We hardly need stop to prove the point that God makes known to us His objective for us, in order that we may make it our objective.
Are we pursuing holiness? We make no attempt to answer the question in a broad, wholesale kind of way. We can only speak according to that which comes under our own very limited observation. Speaking thus, we have to say with reluctance that the pursuit seems to be slack.
We do not say that there is no pursuit of the things that are good. We believe that there is, and with some a pursuit of considerable diligence. We observe those who pursue an intelligent understanding of the things of God. They read the Word of God and understand it. We observe those who pursue the service of the Lord. They do not miss the occasions when the Lord gathers His saints together for the breaking of bread, or for worship, or ministry of the Word. They take part in it as may be suitable. They rejoice in opportunities for testimony in the Lord’s name, But is there a corresponding keenness as to personal holiness?
We wish we could give an unqualified “Yes” to the question. But we hesitate.
Where is our insatiable thirst after God — such as characterized the Psalmist (63:1)? Where, our yearnings after communion with Christ, our desires for “the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus” our Lord? Where, the deep abasement when sin has come in (see, Psa. 51)? Where, the fervent longings for deliverance from the workings of sin in the members, until the Deliverer Himself and the power of His Spirit are known?
In matters such as these we certainly seem to have slipped backwards during more recent years.
Let us bestir ourselves. The next verse says, “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” Thank God, He will do it! Blessed news this, but very serious also. Blessed, because this guarantees that the thing will be really done. Serious, because He will do it according to His call, even if we are quite slack about it; which means that we shall be dragged through discipline, even heavy chastening, to bring it to pass.
Is this the explanation of many of our trials and disappointments? We believe it is.
We hope that what may appear in the pages of our little magazine may be such as shall incite us in this direction, and lead us to “follow... holiness without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb. 12:1414Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: (Hebrews 12:14)).
Oh, beware of your own way. Follow the Lord fully. Take no path that conscience tells you is doubtful. If God’s smile is not on it abandon it Forever. Christians bring sorrow of heart upon themselves, darkness of soul and loss of peace, not so much by taking wrong paths as by taking doubtful ones.