"Where Has Holiness Gone?"

"Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you be in holy conduct and godliness?" (II Pet. 3:11) We think too much of our own thinking! Under the old covenant, God reminded His people over and over about His holiness and their pursuit of His holiness. Today many seem to dismiss this notion about pursuing holiness in our lives. It seems preachers and teachers have out-grown the Old Testament and we are much more sophisticated than they. We have progressed, especially in the church!

We know God doesn't dwell in buildings made with hands and the "church" is the people, not the building. Where does that lead us? We dismiss the talk of holy places, holy clothing and holy actions. It seems more and more are revolving their lives about acceptance of all beliefs with little conviction and warning about being a holy temple of God (I Cor. 3:16-17). To treat the Old Testament as a carnival of ceremonial actions with some good historical stories as illustrations in a sermon is demeaning to God, His holiness and our holiness.

Let me share this, not in any fashion to berate anyone but to illustrate how we need to be a people of holy conduct and godliness. Because we know the building isn't the church, we know the building isn't a special place and because we know it isn't a special place we have no special place. Then someone comes across with the notion that because the New Testament has little regard for special locations, there is no holiness pursued. Yet our holiness, founded upon the blood of Christ should lead us into His holiness. We have built into our building complexes places to make coffee, to play basketball or dominoes, to eat meals but where is our place of holiness? We have our places to make jokes, to talk about the weather, munch on our donuts but where is the place of holiness? Because we have driven out the notion of holiness, nowhere is holy. We are killing our spiritual well being by making our assemblies "consumer friendly", laid back while thinking we can just walk into the presence of God with little to no thought about who we are in our holy conduct and speech! We do need to celebrate in His presence but what about the rejoicing with fear and trembling? (Psa. 2:11) Where is the working out our salvation with fear and trembling? (Phil. 2:12) The grace of God, His loving forgiveness should make us all pause and take our breaths away, knowing what kind of people we ought to be in holy conduct and godliness.