Holiness – The Remedy for Apostasy

APOSTASY ALERT - By Sherry Neese - May 12, 2007 An Elusive Quality Revisited This topic usually brings up visions of self-righteous Pharisaical Christians or some unattainable level of piety to which the average Christian cannot relate. Nothing could be farther from the truth! We will explode these myths with a challenge to seek true holiness in the light of Scripture. We will track the fruitless pursuit of holiness that has resulted in error and confusion. J. C. Ryle, an Anglican bishop who went to his reward over 100 years ago, preached a powerful sermon on the topic of holiness. If he was alive today he would be appalled at the decline of his denomination and Christendom at large. We hear a lot of talk about corruption in political and worldly circles and how the culture has gone bad but the Bible says that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begins with us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God.? 1Peter 4:17. We, the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ are meant to be salt and light to a lost world. To be holy means to be set apart for service to the Lord. The evidence is all around us that the light of truth has dimmed, the salt has lost its savor. There are those who would dispute this and truly believe revival is on the horizon but the Bible predicts otherwise. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 The Word says, For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark and knew not until the flood came and took them all away. So shall also be the coming of the Son of man. Matt. 24:37-39 We as believers bemoan the fact that our culture is in the gutter, but have we considered that there could be a connection to the compromised state of Christianity? There are those who would emphatically deny that we are experiencing a "falling away" - apostasy. The very fact that they deny it is symptomatic of the problem. "The average Christian is so cold and contented with his wretched condition that there is no vacuum of desire into which the blessed Spirit can rush in satisfying fullness." -A.W. Tozer Born After Midnight 7 "We stink more of the world than we stink of sackcloth and ashes. A lot of contemporary churches today would feel more at home in a movie house rather than in a house of prayer, more afraid of holy living than of sinning, know more about money than magnifying Christ in our bodies. It is so compromised that holiness and living a sin-free life is heresy to the modern church. The modern church is, quite simply, just the world with a Christian T-shirt on!" -N. Cruz Holiness Is Not An Option! Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy. Leviticus 19:2 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 20:7 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 1 Corinthians 6:19 The Misguided Quest for Holiness Billions of Roman Catholics are working toward holiness through baptism, penance, good works, consuming and worshipping the Eucharistic wafer, or by cloistering themselves in a monastery or nunnery. The complicated history of the various aspects of the Protestant Holiness Movement runs the gamut from austerity in dress and lifestyle to falling into trances and barking like dogs. Surprisingly, the latter phenomenon did not originate with the "Toronto Blessing". The movement continues to evolve and we see history repeating itself in some respects. Satan never seems to run out of ideas or novel ways to repackage his old tricks. An apparent innateness exists within man to seek holiness in various ways, but those efforts fall short because they stem from a false premise. The Apostolic Restoration movement that is sweeping the nation and the world believes its so-called modern day apostles and prophets are uniquely holy and "soaking prayer" [1] [2] and other ecstatic experiences bring one closer to God. There is an overlap between this group and Dominionists who are convinced holiness can be achieved on a world-wide scale through ecumenical unity with no regard for doctrinal purity. Contemplatives believe they can reach a state of holiness through centering prayer, and spiritual formation techniques. Emergents with their "anything goes" mentality consider inclusiveness a virtue, so holiness is a non-issue. Seeker Friendly churches don’t talk about holiness - it might make people uncomfortable. Many well-meaning people erroneously equate high moral standards, works of charity and church attendance with holiness. True Holiness The humility, diligence and wisdom with which Bishop Ryle endeavored to define holiness should be a wake-up call to the Body of Christ. Leave it to a "dead guy" (actually a term of affection and admiration) speaking from the past to hit the nail squarely on the head. He has a lot to say and I recommend reading the entire message. [6] He addresses the need for purity in lifestyle, while avoiding the trap of legalism. True holiness comes from the inside out, not the reverse. "Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God…It is hating what He hates, loving what He loves, and measuring everything in this world by the standard of His Word." "He will have… a greater fear of displeasing Him than of displeasing the world, and a love of all His ways. He will feel…. what David felt when he said, Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way." Psalm 119:128 "He will dread all filthiness and uncleanness of spirit, and seek to avoid all things that might draw him into it. He knows his own heart is like tinder and will diligently keep clear of the sparks of temptation …. .. Few Christians are ever too watchful and too particular about this point." "He will desire …to esteem all others better than himself. He will see more evil in his own heart than in any other in the world. Holy Bradford, that faithful martyr of Christ, would sometimes finish his letters with these words: "A most miserable sinner, John Bradford." "He will endeavor to set his affections entirely on things above and to hold things on earth with a very loose hand. He will not neglect the business of the life that now is; but the first place in his mind and thoughts will be given to the life to come. He will aim to live like one whose treasure is in heaven and to pass through this world like a stranger and pilgrim traveling to his home. To commune with God in prayer, in the Bible, and in the assembly of His people—these things will be the holy man’s chief enjoyments." This quote from A.W. Tozer (another dead guy) is timeless. "The spiritual man habitually makes eternity-judgments instead of time-judgments. By faith he rises above the tug of earth and the flow of time and learns to think and feel as one who has already left the world …... Such a man would rather be useful than famous and would rather serve than be served. And all this must be by the operation of the Holy Spirit within him." Pursuit of God Chapter 4 Ryle continues, "I know a road may lead from one point to another and yet have many a winding and turn, and a man may be truly holy and yet be drawn aside by many an infirmity…….. But after every allowance, I cannot see how any man deserves to be called "holy" who willfully allows himself in sins and is not humbled and ashamed because of them. I dare not call anyone "holy" who makes a habit of willfully neglecting known duties and willfully doing what he knows God has commanded him not to do. Well says Owen, "I do not understand how a man can be a true believer unto whom sin is not the greatest burden, sorrow and trouble." He points out that sanctification of the believer is a process and none of us will achieve perfect holiness in this life, but that should be the utmost desire of our heart. "The Passion" Unmasked Pragmatism Practiced and Paganism Preserved True holiness slams the door on leaven and false teaching and stops wolves in their tracks because true holiness hates every false way. Sadly, the doors of many churches are open wide for the wolves to rush in! The "Passion of the Christ" movie is a Trojan Horse filled with counterfeit holiness. It was promoted with wild abandon by evangelicals while dissenters were given a deaf ear and even rebuked and ridiculed. The true motives behind the movie are now being revealed in a DVD set called "The Passion of the Christ: Definitive Edition". [3] It includes commentary by Mel Gibson, Catholic priests and a Roman Catholic apologist. Detractors of the film are being vindicated as it becomes clear that the movie was intended to promote Roman Catholic doctrine. Mel Gibson is indeed a great evangelist for the Roman Catholic Church, unwittingly aided and abetted by the majority of evangelicals. Wouldn’t it be wonderfully refreshing if evangelical leaders would acknowledge that they were duped by a slick marketing strategy orchestrated by Satan himself as part of the plan to bring the world "home to Rome" and to soften the stance on Catholicism? The booklet described below was written specifically for using "The Passion" movie to lead people to the false Gospel of Roman Catholicism. "Catholic Passion Outreach. has been established as a grassroots initiative to provide Catholic dioceses, parishes, apostolates, and individuals with practical resources to maximize the evangelization potential of Mel Gibson’s epic film, The Passion of The Christ. Believing that this extraordinary film offers Catholics a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share the Gospel with friends and family, we have published the definitive companion to the movie: A Guide to The Passion: 100 Questions About Mel Gibson’s The Passion of The Christ, a 70-page question-and-answer booklet that offers a scene-by-scene analysis of the film as well as explanations of its theological insights." [4] Priest Praises Passion Movie For Promoting Mysticism and the Roman Catholic "Gospel" Fr. Phillip Chavez’s book entitled Mystical Revelations In the Passion of Christ " [5] examines the celebrated writings of Catholic mystics concerning the Passion of Our Lord….reveals little known insights into the most important event in human history from Sacred Scripture and from the enlightening meditations of Anne Catherine Emmerich,……Such revelations of these chosen instruments help unlock the power of Jesus by opening new avenues of grace and growth for your spiritual life. Chavez’s writings "provide a helpful backdrop to better understand and appreciate….."The Passion of the Christ"……..The success of the movie has also revived renewed interest in the Gospel and the writings of modern mystics." These are some of the "highlights" of his writings: • Why the gifts of the stigmata, visions…manifest the depth of Christ’s intense love for souls. • How to approach mystical revelation to deepen your spiritual union with Christ. • Which scenes from "The Passion" were inspired from the mystics and how they can be reconciled with traditional Catholic theology • How our Lady intimately shared in the Passion of Christ according to the Bible and mystics. A Golden Opportunity It is my humble prayer that evangelical leaders who promoted "The Passion" will clothe themselves with sackcloth and ashes, and publicly confess they made a mistake by declaring it as a wonderful tool for evangelism. I pray they will exhort their flocks to destroy all copies along with the commemorative books with foreword by Mel Gibson that grace many an evangelical bookshelf and coffee table. I pray they would seek to rectify the harm done by pointing out the false doctrine in the movie because they feel responsible for the multitudes of men, women and children whose minds were contaminated by this masterfully manipulated propaganda piece. I pray they will mourn the fact that they helped finance Mel Gibson’s ongoing efforts to further the cause of Roman Catholicism. Dear Father God, please break hearts over all those who have been drawn into mysticism and the clutches of Rome through the vain philosophies of tragically demented women whose writings played a big role in the movie. Please let them see that this is the time to return to holiness and stand for truth. Convict their hearts and let them know that You would honor their obedience and humility. Impress upon hearts that there is a cost for holiness, just as You bought us with a price, and suffered rejection to purchase righteousness for us. Holiness is not a cheap commodity, it is more precious than gold. The Falling Away Is in Free Fall Purpose Driven and secular motivational philosophies have permeated the fabric of Christianity around the world. TBN and televangelism continue to thrive. The emergent church forges ahead at a lightning pace. Prominent Christian leaders are promoting unholy prayer practices that are eastern religion repackaged. Bereans are largely shunned and unwelcome. Generally the Church has gone its merry way with man-conceived pragmatic methodologies that seem to be working, false professions from a compromised "Gospel" that seem to be genuine. On the mission field, pagan religious practices are being "Christianized" to accommodate cultural traditions. Advocates of this false evangelism proudly declare that they are converting people to Christ but not Christianity, meaning "converts" can continue to perform their pagan rituals as long as they honor Christ in doing so. Is this holiness? Christian leaders continue to form unholy ecumenical alliances. The majority of shepherds are not teaching a proper concept of holiness because they are not practicing it themselves. Of course there is a remnant that continues to go against the flow, but the struggle intensifies. May God raise up men and women of God who will pursue genuine holiness in these last days. Hebrews 12: 14 says Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Achieving peace and not stirring up strife is important. However, peace and holiness are bound together, you cannot have true peace without holiness. Without holiness it is impossible to "see the Lord" and discern truth from error. Matthew 5:8 says The pure in heart shall see God. When holiness is sacrificed on the altar of unity, the ability to discern is clouded. True holiness is a safeguard against apostasy. A Moment of Truth is Soon Coming The day is fast approaching, a moment of truth, when all will be revealed. All believers will be held accountable at the Bema Seat for how we handled God’s truth and His command to be holy. Rewards will be lost as works fail the test. I fear it will be a sober day with many tears shed before we enter into the joy of the Lord. If we are to be commended for our walk as believers when we stand before our holy heavenly Father, we must exhort one another to seriously examine ourselves in this life and make holiness a desire of our heart. May we all join in the following petition to our holy and perfect Lord and God to Whom we owe all. Grant my mind and my affections Wisdom, counsel, purity That I may be ever seeking Naught but that which pleases Thee Let Thy knowledge spread and grow, Working error’s overthrow. Holy Spirit, strong and mighty, Thou Who makest all things new, Make Thy work within me perfect. Help me by Thy Word so true; Arm me with that sword of Thine, And the victory shall be mine. In the faith, oh, make me steadfast; Let not Satan, death, or shame Of my confidence deprive me; Lord, my refuge is Thy Name. When the flesh inclines to ill, Let Thy word prove stronger still -----Heinrich Held, Trans.--- From The Daily Sacrifice by Dr. Harry Ironside (Another of my favorite "dead guys") [1] http://www.christianitymagazine.co.uk/engine.cfm?i=92&id=330&arch=1 [2] http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/soakingprayer.htm [3] http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/history/spurgeon/web/ryle.holiness.html [4] http://aquinasandmore.resultspage.com/search?w=mystical+revelations+passion+of+christ&x=13&y=12 [5] http://www.worddistribution.com/products.php?mode=detail&pID=2583 [6]http://www.aquinasandmore.com/index.cfm/title/The-Passion-of Christ/FuseAction/store.viewCategory/Category/1443/index.htm Note: Emphasis Added ---------- Sherry Neese: The only child of an alcoholic father and abusive, mentally-ill mother who disowned her, Sherry received Christ through a radio broadcast as a child. He has been faithful to sustain her through many challenges in her walk of faith. She is a wife, mother and “Mimi” to her grandchildren. She is active in foreign missions and evangelism and has a special heart for those who are emotionally hurting, especially children. The Lord has given her a burden for the Church in these last days, to expose error and speak the truth in love to all with an ear to hear. Sherry Neese can be reached at Truth_and_grace@yahoo.com http://www.apostasyalert.org/Sherry/holiness.htm FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. 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