God is holy{specially recognized as or declared sacred by religious use or authority; consecrated: holy ground. 2.saintly; godly; pious; devout: a holy life.3.having a spiritually pure quality: a holy love.5.entitled to worship or veneration as or as if sacred: a holy relic}
I could be done with this before I began, if human beings didn't live for the steady flow of explanation. The Separation and Nonconformity Colloquy at Faith Builders revolved around the holiness of God and its shaping of history and present time. Anabaptism, that disciplined system to which many of us adhere, attempts to make the holiness of God practically manifest in us.
The clothes, the cars, the houses. "People say that they believe, but do not show it in their dress," Menno Simon wrote. Is this where it ends? Wendell Heatwole, Nathan Yoder, and Val Yoder, often addressed the wondrous state of transformation that every true new believer experiences. Dress is not the end of this issue. The change in our hearts, the unscientific and miraculous change wrought by the Holy Spirit when we call on Him, is the foundation for our separation from the world. Once this transformation is begun, the dress and conduct will follow.
Several brilliant points were made that Saturday, and one of them was the positiveness of separation. When we play word association with separation, we find division and isolation. It is vital, however, not to forget that Deuteronomy 7:6 speaks of separation unto God. We are holy people unto Him, not only away from the world. Romans 12:2 says, "...be ye not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind..." Transformation is the positive side of nonconformity. We really should call it Separation and Transformation. When transformation is taking place, separation from the world is inevitable.
Here's a hard idea, and I'm not saying it without crushing my own toes: If that transformation is taking place in our lives, we are recognizing our place as temples of the Living God(II Cor. 6:16-18), and attempting to demonstrate to the world human examples of God's holiness, then how do we struggle so fiercely against standards and disciplines that have been placed over our lives? We can expect our children to follow in our footsteps as we leave disciplines behind. Why is it so hard to give up earthly things and cover ourselves with things, when we are attempting to embody God's holiness? We can never do enough. When our own glory is the focus of our lifestyle, God's holiness is profaned. His temple is scandalously vandalized, and the world will scoff at His Name.
God didn't create us to torment us with our own inadequacy. He sent Jesus to set us free. Brother Val spoke on the beauty of holiness. Along with our salvation, God gives us the loveliness of holiness, and the freedom of a higher standard. No longer are we forced to search for fame, beauty, and short-lived pleasure. We are free from the world's mind-set. Our future dreams, our habits, the way we live our lives: these are all lifted to the level of the holy. We have the blessing of God, and when hardship comes, we have His everlasting arms on which to lean. This is what attracts nonbelievers to us, and precisely why I love to be an Anabaptist Mennonite. It's hard to live in this freedom and try to reach those still in bondage, but God makes it possible.They don't know why, but they see what they have. Mennonites are known for their families that last, modest women, respectful men, and obedient children.
And of course, nice houses. Something to work on, American Mennonites. :)
My point is, do you think these things are hereditary, without the passing on of disciplines? It's illogical to think that we can try to maintain the beauty of holiness without do anything that separates us from the world. We must not profane the temple of the living God, the only living God.
I challenge all of you. Reach for holiness. Ask God to show you how. Don't be ashamed to give up things that others think are fine, if you feel Him speaking to you. I don't know how it will happen individually, but we must clutch holiness if we want to retain our freedom. Look at teenagers in public highschools if you need motivation to protect your future children. Make decisions now that will keep your grandchildren searching for holiness. What you decide now, even before you're married, will change everything. Don't mess around with it, please. We don't have long on this earth to be like God. Make Him proud.
