What is holiness??

[oworm]

Oworm,
Did you reach that understanding overnight?

No

Through mental, logical thought process?

As well as through scripture.

 

[IKTCA]

.

 

[endure]

iktca
yeah, its just that through his power in us, we can actually work holiness out in us, sin doesnt have to rule us. we can stop sinning, through his power.

your quote from romans 7 was not pauls fate or detiny, but it was a time in his life, if you read the end of romans 7 and beginning of romans 8 i think it is clear that he changed.
romans 6 makes it clear that we do not have to sin.
and 1 pet 4 does also.

 

[ydouxist]

No one is holy except God. Every piece of holiness belongs to him. Yet he wants us to be holy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You shall be holy, for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:16)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One starts out to obey this command with all his heart and mind. But he will eventually come to realization that he has no power to obey the command. He will prostrate before God and confess his utter failure. Lamentation of Paul – What a wretched man I am! I do not do what I want. And I do what I hate. – becomes his. That’s where his work ends and grace starts. God’s grace carries him to the fulfillment of command where he could not reach.QUOTE]

I believe Paul strived to attain Holiness. The "Thorn" in his flesh wasn't taken away so as to keep him humble. IMHO
Either we can be Holy or we can't. "Let God remain true and every man a liar"!
We must never have the attitude of we have no power to obey the command.We are not defeated. If we sin it's because we choose to.
Not because we don't have the option not to.
"To him that overcomes", what does that mean?
Is this easy? Heck no. But it will be worth it.

Peter said, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner". Notice Peter distinguishes between the two.

Accepting sin as part of life will only leave you frustrated and defeated. If satan can't kill you he'll try to render you as spiritually ineffective as he can.
His greatest weapon is our own guilt.

 

[Sunbeam]

Yes, I believe we need to be Holy.

I believe its possible, but yet there are not many examples in the christian world. Many people preach, do signgifts, teach, write books, but not many truly inspire in a deep way other than intellectual.

 

[oworm]

I think our ATTITUDE is what counts here, we all agree that in this life we cant actually attain holiness like in the way that God is holy but we can have an attitude which desires holiness and hates sin. I think Jesus summed up that attitude in the sermon on the mount:

MT 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.