Fresh Water Series

• Holiness utilizes spiritual disciplines as a means not as the end.

It is easy to judge others and ourselves simply on the criteria of how little or much we studied our Bibles and prayed and worshiped.

• Holiness is not works righteousness.

You don’t earn God’s favor. You can’t work yourself into being holy.

• Holiness is sanctifying grace.

• Holiness is not perfection.

Being holy does not mean that I will never sin. If you believe that, then you believe a heresy. This doesn’t mean that I will sin all the time, every day either.

• Holiness is a bend toward righteousness not sin.

My heart will be oriented toward God’s directives. I will gravitate toward righteous living not sinful living. This means that I can be tempted just as much as Jesus was tempted in the desert. But it doesn’t mean that I am powerless over temptation.

• Holiness is an experience in grace.

It is moment when under conviction, I ask for cleansing from the Holy Spirit. It is asking God to fill me and experiencing the grace of God is personal and profound way.

• Holiness is growing in grace.

It is a moment by moment growing in God’s grace. It is growing more in love with Jesus day by day. It is being transformed from one degree of glory to another.

There is so much confusion about what holiness is. It has caused a lot of people pain. Does this help? If you have further questions, I would love to sit down and talk with you about them. Just give me a call.

During a trial, in a small Missouri town, the local prosecuting attorney called his first witness to the stand. The witness was a proper well-dressed elderly lady, the Grandmother type, well spoken, and poised. She was sworn in, asked if she would tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, on the Bible, so help her God.

The prosecuting attorney approached the woman and asked, “Mrs. Jones, do you know me?’” She responded, “Why, yes I do know you, Mr. Williams. I’ve known you since you were a young boy and frankly, you’ve been a big disappointment to me. You lie, cheat on your wife, manipulate people and talk badly about them behind their backs. You think you’re a rising big shot when you haven’t the sense to realize you never will amount to anything more than a two-bit paper-pushing shyster. Yes, I know you quite well.”

The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, “Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?”

She again replied, “Why, yes, I do. I’ve known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. He’s lazy, bigoted, has a bad drinking problem. The man can’t build or keep a normal relationship with anyone and his law practice is one of the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women. Yes, I know him.”

The defense attorney almost fainted. Laughter mixed with gasps, thundered throughout the courtroom and the audience was on the verge of chaos.

At this point, the judge brought the courtroom to silence, called both counselors to the bench, and in a very quiet voice said, “If either of you morons asks her if she knows me, you’re going to jail.”