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What Happened to Holiness?
by
Josprel
Something has happened to Holiness; she's gone! Search for
her! She must groom the Bride for the Bridegroom's coming!
Something has happened to Holiness! In the frenzy of our activities, we
don't see her around much anymore. Actually, it seems as if she left
quite awhile ago. She wasn't evicted by us. However, since we've only
recently noticed her absence, it is evident we neglected her. Yes, our
Holiness is missing.
Born Again appears alive and well. Even the Charismatic Gifts clan
makes an occasional appearance, but where is Holiness?
Our lamented Holiness is not that frowning-faced,
dark-colors-only, hems-to-the-ankle, legalistic impostor, who always
yells, "That's worldliness!" even at the healthy fun, laughter and joy
displayed by believers. That's not the Holiness we love and for whom we
seek. Our sweet, gentle,
tender-hearted Holiness graces the Bride of Christ with her vibrant
beauty. She encouraged the Bride to live as the Bridegroom lived in the
world. Her stabilizing influence assures the Bride that she soon shall
see her Bridegroom (Heb. 12:14).
Reliable sources reported that Holiness left when she felt stripped of
her Scriptural essence. Apparently, she felt we demoted to the inferior
status of a theological anachronism. She was grief-stricken over this,
claiming we considered her demeanor unsuitable to our contemporary,
integrated lifestyles. The reports conclude that, most likely, Holiness
will not return until she
again is elevated to her former status.
A general feeling of shocked dismay now is discernible among those who
once knew Holiness. They had not intended to demote her; they just took
her for granted. They now openly proclaim that Holiness is infinitely
appropriate to this generation and absolutely essential to its welfare.
They claim to miss her and wish to tell her so. They also want her to
know of of their assurance that God's Word still remains as immutable as
its Author.
Holiness must be informed of this development. She must be notified of
those who desire to lovingly embrace her - told of their understanding
that, without her, the Bride is in jeopardy of being asleep when her
Bridegroom appears. Those who comprise this group also realize that the
beauty of Holiness is essential within their churches; otherwise,
without her beauty, they descend to the mundane status of mere
organizations, a status
they hope to evade.
This group laments grievously when the Holy Spirit grieves over the
absence of Holiness. She is essential to the Bride's maturity (Rom.
6:19-23; Ep. 4:1-32).
Holiness always has pure intentions. She defines her mission clearly,
avoiding complicated theological jargon. Her task is to shield Christ's
Bride from the spiritual dangers of a debilitating, iniquitous world
and set her apart for the Bridegroom. Holiness evaluates the Bride's
maturity. She insists that only her beautifying care meets the requirements
for the Bride to appear before the Bridegroom's Father (Heb. 12:9-14).
As the Bride waits for the coming of her Bridegroom, the Spirit and
beauty of Holiness empowers her to triumph over the trials that are so
essential to her maturity
(II Chronicles 20:15-22; I Chronicles 16:27-29).
The departure of Holiness deprives the Bride of her spiritual
"beautician" (Gal. 5:19-26; Ps. 93:4-5; 96:6-9). The Spirit of Truth is
commissioned to purify the Bride for the coming of
her Bridegroom. Holiness is the agent He employs for this task. He
looks to her to beautify the Bride. This she accomplishes by applying her
beauty secrets. She cleanses, purifies and transforms the Bride into
conformity to the Bridegroom.
It is therefore vital that Holiness be immediately located! She must
resume her beautification of the Bride as only she can do. She alone
understands and can apply the process by which the Holy Spirit transforms
the Bride into the image of her Bridegroom. (II Cor. 3:17-18; Rom.
12:1-2).
What happened to Holiness? Where is she? The Bridegroom desires her
beautifying attributes in His Bride.
-30-
© Josprel (Joseph Perrello)
josprel@verizon.net
About the Author:
Josprel is an ordained evangelical minister who resides in
Western New York - just across the Niagara River from Canada. Though
brought up in a Christian family, he rebelled against the Lord at an
early age, finally enlisting in the U.S. Air Force. He served three years
in the Air Force, two and one half of them in the Far-East, as a
sergeant of operating engineers. Josprel was among the first Air Force troops
to enter Japan, after World War Two. Upon returning home, he accepted
Christ as his Savior and studied for the ministry. A prolific writer,
many of Josprel's stories and articles have appeared in print and on the
Internet. For some ten years, he pastored in Attica, New York, site of
the nation's worst prison riot. After the riot, at the request of the
Attica Prison administration, Josprel sponsored and conducted
three-hour-long weekly Bible studies for the inmates. He is the author of two
novels in progress, "Beloved Apostate" and "Kanfal."
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