True Holiness Vs Feigned Holiness

True OR False Holiness?

BEWARE of a feigned "holiness" that excludes God Himself from the equation other than Him being Judge over all who aren't made holy. "True holiness" is a biblical term and will be transpiring in the life of every true disciple of Jesus and yet, only the LORD can bring "true holiness" about and be glorified in that matter.

You know when it's a feigned and false holiness when Christ is not truly being gloried and where men are rather relishing in their own supposed perfect execution of their own free will. "True holiness" would include full surrender and admission to our own unholiness and depravity outside of the present grace of God.

"If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and TRUE HOLINESS." Ephesians 4:21-24

The very fact that the Bible uses the term "true holiness" must mean that there is a counterfeit or false holiness.

There are misguided concepts that circulate about holiness and what it really is. God bless us to understand His kingdom truths according to His Spirit and wisdom. "True holiness" is a biblical term as we just read in Ephesians 4:24. There is also the counterfeit holiness best personified in the wolves of Christ's day, the Pharisees, who trained and steeped their converts in hypocrisy which was an abomination to the LORD (Matthew 23).

"True holiness" is that which comes from God Himself working in His saint. Holiness is the work of the Holy Spirit in the abiding saint.

"And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." Romans 1:4

Holiness is not a work of the flesh but rather the work of the only One who is "Holy, holy, holy." (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8)
Pray for the LORD's holiness, "the spirit of holiness" - that He would bring your whole being (spirit, soul, and body) under the authority of His Word and Holy Spirit. See Romans 1:4.
Sinful man is always looking for a way to steal the glory from God and in no more insidious place than to feign holiness by his own merit and "will worship." (Colossians 2:23).

Remember that holiness is the work of the LORD Himself in the life of the abiding saint as that disciples takes root downward and bears fruit upward (Isaiah 37:31). Any "holiness" that leaves God out is not "true holiness." Any "holiness" that is built on man alone is not of God. As the believer works out (not for) his salvation with fear and trembling, so the LORD Himself works in that saint both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Phil. 2:12-13).

True holiness comes by faith and walking in the Spirit as everything is received from God and not by a work of the flesh, where the person is left to boast in himself as Christ is cut out of His own salvation. That is antichrist.

Things to look for - What does "true holiness" look like?

JESUS had JOY, do we? Any "holiness" that doesn't produce JOY in the daily life is false. The self-righteous have no joy because only those who know Christ know joy.

In His dissertation about abiding in Him, Jesus tells us that joy will characterize such a relationship. Do we have the joy that proves we know Him?

"These things have I spoken unto you (about abiding in Him), that MY JOY might remain in you, and that YOUR JOY might be full." John 15:11

"But the fruit (evidence) of the Spirit is LOVE, JOY ...." Galatians 5:22-23

No Jesus, no joy. If we have joy it's because we are abiding with Jesus (John 15).

"The joy of the Lord is our Strength" - Including our strength or HIS strength to overcome! (Nehemiah 8:10)

Why do we never see religiosity and joy together? - Because they are mutually exclusive!

If we don't have joy beloved it's because we are not rightly abiding in our LORD Jesus. But today is a new day and God's blessed mercies are new and available to you and I today!

In this late hour many who feign to be Christians seem to be growing in self-righteousness as their hearts wax cold against Christ and His true remnant (Matthew 24:10-13). But the Bible tells us to "grow in grace" and to let our "hearts be established with grace." (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18; Hebrews 13:9) Are you growing in grace friend?

What else to look for - what's missing?

Upon looking back at people I was "friends" with long periods and yet they turned out to be self-righteous Pharisees, I see some blaring inconsistencies … things missing … one of them is edification of the body of Christ.

SATAN HATES edification. The enemy of Jesus hates and despises God's children edifying one another as the Word of God instructs. The word "edify" and "edification" appear 13 times in the New Testament. Are you edifying (building up) God's children?

"Let all things be done unto edifying." 1 Corinthians 14:26

Self-serving people do not get outside of their own lives. Why? Because their lives are all about them and no one else. This is an earmark fruit of someone who does not love the LORD and therefore does not have His love in them toward His beloved saints.

Edification and love are the absolute fruits of the true disciple.

"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him." 1 John 3:14-15

LORD Jesus, break me. Bring me this moment to an end of myself. Right now, if never before, I lay my life in Thy holy hands. Take over my life LORD Jesus. Fill and bless me to love you supremely and to lift up others above myself! Amen.