hmmm...
I know very few people here. My comments are not directed at anyone in particular, rather, they are directed towards a spirit I see within Apostolic ranks.
Holiness starts in the heart but does not stop there. True holiness will manifest itself in the life and actions of the believer. Standards without the Holy Ghost makes a person a whited sepulcher. Yet, we are commanded to be holy...
Eph_1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that
we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph_5:27 That he might present it to himself
a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Col 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
Col 1:22 In the body of his flesh through death,
to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
Tit 1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
Tit 1:8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just,
holy, temperate;
1Pe_1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy,
so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
1Pe_1:16 Because it is written,
Be ye holy; for I am holy.
1Pe_2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
1Pe_2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,
an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
2Pe_3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,
what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
There were in the days of the Apostles men that "promised liberty" and Peter had some strong words for them:
2Pe 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
2Pe 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
2Pe 2:11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
2Pe 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
2Pe 2:13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
2Pe 2:14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
2Pe 2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
2Pe 2:16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
2Pe 2:17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
2Pe 2:18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
2Pe 2:19 While
they promise them liberty, they themselves are
the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
2Pe 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
2Pe 2:21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
2Pe 2:22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
There are those among Apostolic ranks that are not Apostolic. It was true in the days of the Apostles and it is true today. They are the Moabites of the church. The Moabites spoke Hebrew and had a simplistic understanding of who God was/is. They wanted to help the returning Israelites rebuild the temple and to worship with them (
Ezra 4). Sanballat is said to have been a Moabite ((JFB commentary) Nehemiah). Yet, Sanballat fought against the wall of separation from that HOLY CITY and the world (Nehemiah). They tried to join them. Many of the Israelites compromised and married them (
Ezra 9). Even the Levites compromised the standard of separation. Sanballat sought to stop the rebuilding of those walls of separation by first ridiculing and progressing to plots against the work. The Moabites and Ammonites both traced their roots back to Abraham because they were the children of Lot. To the untrained eye they appeared to be just like the Israleites. There were features that were the same. They used the same language. They professed the same lineage. yet, listen to the word of God:
Ezr 4:1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel;
Ezr 4:2 Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.
Ezr 4:3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.
Those that try to hinder the building of walls of separation are seen for what they are. They speak haughty words of emptiness and are nothing more than water-less wells... They promise "freedom" and call holiness conduct legalism but are themselves slaves of corruption.
Holiness begins in the heart and manifests itself in the life and conduct of the Christian. Some of the things I have seen "Apostolic" women wear grieves me. I will refrain from describing some of the garbage I have seen. I will just say this, if you need a shoe horn to get into a skirt you are not holy in conduct. When men act like women you are not holy in conduct. Whatever happened to come from among them and be ye separate?
I better quit for now.
Thank you for reminding us that Holiness begins in the heart but it does not stop there. That is the beginning not the end.
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