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To: Jonty30
I define holiness as an awareness of consequences and abiding by them to live a good life, while improving society. The more holy a person is, the more the smaller consequences matter. For example, you might choose to not participate in premarital sex because her father will kill you if he finds out...because of the risk of a baby being conceived....because you don’t want to hurt her... because you want to leave her in a state that she can present herself as her best...Such a person can be said to be more holy than the previous people, even if he isn’t holy by definition.

Those are right motives, but that is not Biblical holiness, which goes beyond natural consequences as motivation, and even despite them, for it is ultimately driven by his relationship to God and what His will is. Joseph's response to a women who wanted his body was,

"There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:9)

Even if, like a king's son, one can commit sins without suffering earthly consequences, yet their is that which is eternal:

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. (Hebrews 11:24-26)

And ultimately the purest motive to live holy is not one affected by fear of negative consequences, but of love for God,

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)

Out of which we should be willing to go to Hell if that would give God glory, which the giving omniscient omnipotent God does not need, (Acts 17:25) but which is only right and what is best for man to seek to live for.

63 posted on 09/28/2023 8:18:37 AM PDT by daniel1212 (As a damned+destitute sinner turn 2 the Lord Jesus who saves souls on His acct + b baptized 2 obey H)
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To: daniel1212

I understand that there is an ideal standard, which is the biblical one. But nobody on earth starts out with the Biblical standard when they accept Christ.

It’s all a process towards the ideal. As you study and learn to pull back, you’ll make these considerations along the way until you might reach the standard one day.

God did that with the Israelites. He expected obedience, without explaining why they should obey and they eventually figured out that obedience leads to mindset and heart changes.


74 posted on 09/28/2023 3:55:41 PM PDT by Jonty30 (If liberals were truth tellers, they'd call themselves literals. )
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