Master Keys to Holiness

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord”—Hebrews 12:14

Holiness as used in the above opening text is from the Greek word ‘hagiasmos’ meaning—Purification; that is, the state of purity. From scriptures, we understand that every believer in Christ Jesus is holy by the election of grace.

In other words, the believer is set apart or sanctified unto God. He is purified or consecrated unto God by redemption (see 1Peter 2:9 and Ephesians 1:4).

So by redemption, every believer in Christ Jesus is holy, set apart, sanctified, purified or consecrated unto God. This is the status and heritage of everyone believer in Christ Jesus by redemption…

But however, Christian holiness or sanctification doesn’t just end at the redemptive purification or consecration. All through scriptures, the Lord instructs us to pursue holiness as a lifestyle. He says without its pursuit, no man shall see him (see the opening text).

But the question that quickly comes to mind is: why would God tell us to be what he has already made us to be? The answer to that question is that he wants us to actually, be a practical reflection of what he has made us to be…

So we don’t become a reproach to him and ourselves. Why? Because it’s preposterous to see a clean sheep wallowing in the mire like a pig. It just doesn’t add up. The Lord having chosen us to be holy requires a practical manifestation of our status in our everyday lifestyle.

So in this article, we want to see some scriptural keys that guarantee to confer mastery to us, as we diligently set out to pursue holiness in our daily Christian lives as the Lord instructs us.

The Master Keys to Holiness

The pursuit of holiness is majorly a lifestyle of separating from or turning away from sin and turning to God. These biblical keys being delivered here will confer mastery over sin to you. They will at the same time, confer mastery in godliness to you for the ultimate glory of God.

These master keys to holiness are as listed below:

• Righteousness Consciousness: “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame”—1Corinthians 15:34
  
  The number one master key to a holy lifestyle, is awakening to the consciousness that you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21). That is, considering yourself to be dead indeed to sin and alive unto Christ (Romans 6:11). This consciousness is the foundational key to mastery in holy living.
  
  
• Faith of God: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” Hebrews 11:6.
  
  Faith in God and his words, especially his words concerning holiness is another powerful master key to holiness. Faith in God’s word such as:
  
  ‘the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death’ (Romans 8:2). ‘For sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law, but under grace’ (Romans6:14)…
  
  And other similar scriptures, guarantee to confer mastery in holiness to any believer. I can testify to this fact in my own personal walk with God. The besetting sins I struggled with, have been masterfully subdued by this key to a very great extent to the glory of God.
  
  
• Fear of God: “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God”—2Corinthians 7:1.
  
  As stated in the above scripture, the fear of God is the perfecting key to holy living. Walking in the fear of God as a lifestyle confers mastery over sin. Anyone that lacks the fear of God for any reason does have a loophole for continual sinning. Whether he agrees or not.
  
  
• Love of God: The love of God enables us gain mastery over selfishness, condemnational fear and unforgiveness. The love of God enables us to obey God’s commandments with delight. Especially soul winning. The love of God enables us to be more tolerant of our brothers and sisters in spite of how much wrong they do to us.
  
  And most importantly, the love of God helps us love the unlovable sinners. And it even prompts us to be touched by their state and makes us share the gospel with them and also pray for them.
• Wisdom of God: many a time, holiness is a function of being as wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove. In other words, discretion or cleverness (phronimos). Many a time, many a believer indulges in sinful acts and habits, as a result of lack of discretion and sometimes outright foolishness.
  
  For instance, it is foolishness for believers of opposite sex, that are not married or siblings to be meeting in secluded places. When people of opposite sex meet in secluded places, there is a great chance of them committing fornication or adultery. And the major wisdom—amongst others—required to flee from such act is to avoid meeting in secluded places with the opposite sex.
  
  The above is just an instance of how wisdom key can be engaged to masterfully subdue sin. Many sin or sinful habits, many a believer indulge in, can easily be overcome by the master key of divine wisdom (phronimos).
  
  
• Prayers: “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”—Matthew 26:41. Prayer, especially praying in tongues, is a principal master key to holiness. Just like the Lord remarked in the above scripture, there are many times when you are tempted to sin. When your spirit will be willing to overcome the temptation, but meanwhile, your flesh is weak…
  
  So you find yourself struggling. At such a time, prayer is the master key out of such a situation. When you find yourself in such a situation, just begin to pray. From my personal experiences, praying in other tongues silently has been more effective. So I will recommend that as well.
  
  
• Word Study and Meditation: “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.”—Psalm 119:9
  
  consistent, daily studies and meditation on God’s word (the scriptures) confers mastery in holiness to the believer. As we keep studying, meditating and confessing God’s word in our hearts on regular basis; in no time we are sure to emerge champions over sin.
  
  Like the above scripture says, taking heed to the undiluted word of God from scriptures has the supernatural power to cleanse us from our evil ways continually. Even our Lord Jesus says, the truth of God’s word can sanctify us (John 17:17). So engage the word of God for sanctification.

So the above seven points are the major scriptural master keys to mastery in your pursuit of holiness. Study them in more detail with your bible. And as the light dawn in your spirit, you are guaranteed become a champion in holiness in no distant time; in the mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Remain Blessed!

Emeke Odili

So which is it: "without holiness, no man shall see the Lord", or, "without the pursuit of holiness, no man shall see the Lord"?

They definitely aren't the same thing.

Well, one leads to the other. And one does not exempt from the other. My answer to your question under this context is -- both.

Without holiness, you can't see the Lord. Because it all starts from redemption. You can't see God without redemption first.

Then according to the opening text, the word of God also says without the pursuit of holiness (the sanctification) no man shall see God.

You would do well to look carefully at the grammar of your subject verse. The two concepts are mutually contradictory. They can’t both be true.

Perhaps if you can point out the perceived contradiction, it would help us better.

So please clarify. So I can know how to come in.

"Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord" contradicts "without the pursuit of holiness, no man shall see the Lord".

They cannot both be true. Either one must be holy, which is an absolute state ("Be holy, as I am holy"), or any intentional movement at all towards the state of holiness is sufficient. The NIV puts Hebrews 12:14 this way: "Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." There it is much more clear.

I like the conversation here: respectful, clear, and yet deep! Great going -- You are working hard at understanding one another, even if you don't agree exactly.

Well said brother Emekrus. In scripture, there is no contradiction.

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Cor. 3:18

and again, this is what Paul says..

Phillippians 3 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been perfected, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have laid hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.…

Now I get you...

And of course both of them are a required to see the Lord.

Like I wrote in the OP. We gain the state of holiness when we get redeemed. That is accept Jesus as our Lord and personal saviour. So every true believer is holy by election.

Then after gaining the state, we pursue it as a lifestyle for the sake of harmony. Else we can be disqualified by our non-pursuance as the opening text of the OP says. And that is in spite of the redemptive state of holiness.

So both are required to see the Lord.

You must be holy and at the same time pursue holiness to see the Lord.

The verse says to awaken from something into something else - awake from unrighteousness and sinning to righteousness and not sinning. Some of the Corinthians did not understand this, and like many in todays church, think that being unrighteous which is basically still sinning, is okay with God but it is not. That was Paul's message. The knowledge today is missing as was then, that God requires holiness in actuality not just as a position, is why the church is so backslidden.

I agree with you in this: in Christ we are redeemed; however, "redeemed" does not mean "holy". God is holy, but He is not "redeemed".

The text states clearly that holiness is required to see the Lord. It states so in the version you used as your key text, but it seems that you did not see it because of the awkward sentence construction. The "which" refers directly to "holiness", not to "the pursuit of holiness". Again, I encourage you to look at other translations of this verse.

Think of it this way: without being in Paris, I won't see the Louvre in person. I can see pictures, hear testimonies, even take a video tour, and get an understanding of what the Louvre is all about, but I am not "there". Being on a journey toward Paris with the intention of getting there is not sufficient; I won't see it until I'm actually there. Without being "in 'holy'", I won't see the Lord.

This in no way diminishes the need for the pursuit of holiness. Rather, it sets the standard extremely high, such that we cannot attain it on our own. One who is pursuing it does well to use the "keys" as you have explained them, and to return continually to Christ Who alone can make us holy.

To be holy is to be set aside by God accordioning to the good purpose of God. Mount Sinai is considered holy as that which was set aide to be used to represent the finger of God writing the written law of God.

It remains holy as a shadow of that time period. By like Christian's called saints as holy ones we have the power of Him who makes things holy in us but it is not of us. He that is holy is separated from his creation. He is not a man as us.

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Brother Dino,

I am blessed by your exegesis.

But let's consider the verse critically again.

And before the consideration. let me quickly add that I am more confident with the KJV translation than others.

Below is what the verse reads again...

Follow peace with all men, and holiness

Comparing the above part of the opening text with this statement below...

follow dog, and goat

Do you agree that the 'follow' applies to both the dog and goat in the statement above? Or will you say the 'follow' applies to only the dog and not the goat?

Your honest answer please.

That's fine, but you still must understand the sentence structure (and the meaning of the words as used in 1611) in order to interpret it correctly. Your error, as I see it, is in your misapplication of "which" to include "follow".

The "follow" part (pursue, in the NIV), applies to both peace and holiness ("dog" and "goat"). I have made no issue with this. However, the "without which" only refers to "holiness" and not to the pursuit or following thereof.

Sorry. But I wanted to know the yardstick for your assertion. That is, "without which" applies only to 'holiness' and not the pursuit or following.

Nice write up, if you haven't already study on the holy colours Blue, Scarlet, Purple, of the OT and how they represent and symbolize the NT.

With regard to English grammar, I was not able to locate a good online reference, but I did find this:

As a pronoun to refer back to one single noun or to a whole idea:
a. Referring to one single word:
A week ago I bought a cashmere sweater which cost $150. (The word which is “re-naming” the sweater.)

b. Referring to a whole idea or phrase:
In 2005, we took a vacation to Walt Disney World, which helped to bond our family members together. (The word which is referring to the taking of the family vacation.)
(source: https://www.jalc.edu/files/uploads/...nter_tutorials/48_the_proper_use_of_which.pdf)

"Without which" is a prepositional phrase, so we also must consider the proper use in this context. The same source has several examples. In every case the "which" refers to a single noun, not the whole idea.

In the case of your key verse, the "which" cannot refer to the whole idea. The reason for this is that the "follow" in the KJV precedes "peace with all men". Our "seeing the Lord" would then depend on us striving to be at peace with all men as well as pursuing holiness. "Which" must therefore refer only to the single noun that precedes it: holiness.

With regard to the Scripture itself, BibleGateway lists 59 translations in English; of these, 39 clarify that "without which no-one will see the Lord" refers specifically to "holiness", not to the pursuit of it.
(source: https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Hebrews 12:14).

Hebrews 12:14 - Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Now this does not mean that if we are not "holy enough" (sinless and absolutely perfect as some teach) then we will not be saved and see the Lord. The NASB reads - Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

To be "sanctified" is to be "set apart, made holy." Without justification, there is no sanctification. Our ongoing sanctification has no bearing on our justification. That is, even if we don't reach entire sanctification/sinless perfection in this lifetime (which we won't) we are still justified by faith in Christ (Romans 5:1).

Mr. emekrus can you explain how we can "rest in God's love"?