Many are the lines of thought carried over from Old Testament days into the Gospel story to teach the need for a holy life. Indeed, for the Church of Christ, since Pentecost, the need for a deeper sense of holiness has been more pronounced, for the simple reason that the day of types and shadows has given place to the day of realities. Concerning many of the items of the Aaronic system of ceremony and services the Epistle to the Hebrews says that they were "imposed...until the time of reformation" (Heb.9.10). This time of reformation has no connection with the period of church history covering the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth centuries of our era, but is located in the apostolic days. Moreover it is not Church reformation which is thus indicated, but Israel's reformation. The first of the great realities being come - in the person of our Lord Jesus, that is, a new and better High Priest being come with the first of the better sacrifices, God began to reform and remould the instrument He designed to use in accomplishing world deliverance from sin. This reformation is intended eventually to affect the whole regathered nation of Israel, when their days of scattering are over, and when they are ready to enter into a new and better Covenant with their waiting, long-suffering God. The clay which was once marred in the hand of the Potter will be moulded again another vessel as it will seem good to the Potter to mould it. (Jer.18.4).

In preparation for that great day the great Master-craftsman has been reforming and remoulding the Priesthood. This is the first stage of God's Reformation, and the whole of this Gospel Age has been set aside for it. It began by the supersession and removal of the Aaronic House of Priests and in the installation of the Christian priesthood (Heb.9.12-15). One feature of this Reformation was that the principle of taking one whole tribe (with its further division into Levites and priests), was abolished, and the earlier system of counting the first-born as the family's priestly member, was reintroduced - but on the higher spiritual level. This priestly privilege was the firstborn's true relationship to the rest of the family at the time that the Old Law Covenant was made, and this relationship is to be restored in readiness for the establishment of the New and better Covenant. In harmony with this thought we find that the first-fruits unto God (the first-born class, the 144,000 of Rev.14.3.) are not represented as coming from Levi alone, but as though gathered from all the tribes of Israel. (Rev.7.4-8) This is in keeping also with the thought in Hebrews that the followers of the Lord Jesus are called "the Church of the first-born" (Heb.12.23). This is in accord, too, with the position in Egypt, when the destroying Angel spared the life of every first-born sheltering beneath blood-sprinkled lintels, irrespective of tribal lineage. The first-borns of every tribe alike were in danger that fearful night, and in their "passing over" they were hallowed unto the Lord.

A further feature of this reformation was that the essential things belonging to the new day were to be "real", not shadowy. It would not now be enough to follow a course of ritual and ceremony, no matter how elaborate the ordinance may be. Instead of "incense, beaten small", the odour and fragrance of a consecrated life would be acceptable through Christ to God (2 Cor.2.15), The blood of bulls and goats was no longer acceptable to God. Thus the whole system vested in Aaron and "his house" which endured from Sinai till Jesus came, was swept away, and the whole nation for whom they served was set aside to wait until the reformation of the "First-born" should be complete. When the first-born class has been made complete the remainder of the Israel family will be brought in ("All Israel shall be saved." Rom.11.26) and be formed anew - reformed - and made another vessel, as it will seem good to the Potter to make it.

If then God spake so earnestly to the "shadow" priesthood of Israel, beseeching them to walk before Him in such holiness as was then possible, with how much greater emphasis has God spoken to the Christian Church to walk worthily before Him, perfecting holiness in His sight, from day to day. How greatly He desires that they shall shape their lives so that His Will in them shall have free course! How ardently He wants the innate qualities of His own great heart to be reproduced in them, so that they can be the first and chief portion of that long-purposed Seed, through which His Love can flow to heal the sin-sick nations of the earth. "Be ye holy - for I am holy," - how intensely these words reflect the longing of Almighty God!

What is this holiness? What does it mean to be a saint? Does it denote a state of easy recognition to one and all? Do worldly minds understand it when it is in their presence? Do even Christian minds realise what it means? Does it mean the cultivation of a "goody-goody", sentimental "holier-than-thou" attitude among men? Does it require the wearing of distinctive dress, or the possession of some special title? Can the Church make saints at will? Holiness is a word usually associated with religious life and experience. We have an equivalent in the word "Saintliness". Our modern English word "Holy" comes from an old Anglo-Saxon word, "Hal". Holiness comes from a kindred word - "Halig". In the less-developed language of our forefathers' day these words did not have the almost exclusively religious meaning which the modern word has, but were applied to various physical and mundane things too. We have several kindred words today which spring from the same roots. One such "hel" - a word denoting good sound health. Another such is "hell" - to make sound or well. Still another is "whole" - (or "wholly") meaning "entire", "complete", "nothing lacking".

Our modern word "Saint" comes from the Latin "Sanctus", and means "one set apart" - i.e., one wholly devoted to a purpose, usually a religious purpose. The words "Holy", "Holiness" and "Hallow" (used instead of holify) and "Saintly", "Sanctification" and "Sanctify" are synonyms for each other respectively, and stand, almost without exception, in our English Bible, as the equivalents of one Hebrew word (Qadash or Qodesh) in the Old Testament and one Greek word (Hagios) in the New Testament. How accurately the Greek "Hagios" corresponds to the Hebrew "Qadash" may be seen by the fact that the Septuagint translation (a Greek version of the Hebrew Scriptures) uses that word exclusively to pass over into the Greek tongue the old Hebrew thought of holiness. This is of great advantage to us, and helps us to carry forward Old Testament thought into New Testament days. It affords us additional advantage also to have two sets of English words by which to define that ancient Hebrew thought.

Holiness is usually taken to mean sinlessness, undefiledness - an equivalent thought to absolute purity. Under present conditions this can mean different things to different men, according to the creedal conceptions employed. For instance, some Christians believe they have not sinned for months and years. They claim to have kept unbroken all the Ten Commandments. They claim to have forborn to steal, to lie, to covet, etc…, and on this ground claim sinlessness of life - i.e., they thus advance a claim to holiness. All Christians do not agree to this claim because they do not accept that definition of holiness.

Others, mindful of their sins, confess them freely, and while telling of God's forgiving grace, strive to promote feelings of deep emotion, leading to tears of contrition or songs of praise. The flow of deep emotion is understood by them to be a state of deepening holiness - a deepening of heartfelt revulsion for sin, and appreciation of unattained purity. True holiness is neither the one nor the other of these states. To seek to attain to holiness by keeping the ten commandments constitutes a "throwback" to the Jewish Age. It tells of retrogression to the lowly Israelitish level, to an attempted holiness of the flesh, and shows that the would-be observer of such commandments is in bondage to the "letter" of a law. It seeks to attain "subjective" holiness at the very low level of the "types" and like Israel, it obtains not what it seeketh for. It forgets that Israel was not made sinless by keeping those commands, but was accounted so by the shedding of blood. Cleansing blood, not works, is the primary essential to holiness among men.

Another body of Christian thought fails to take holiness at its proper value, and dwells, with tears, upon its desperate and perverse unholiness, and of its constant need for grace and mercy. It lives the Christian life on its penitential side alone. It dwells in one room only of the Christian's abiding-place, forgetful or unknowing that the house is large and wide. Repentance unto tears, in proper place is right; but repentance is not the whole of the Christian's life and standing.

Holiness in man begins first with God. It is a standing-ground before God conferred by Him for a purpose. Of His own Will, God took Abraham's seed to be His people, notwithstanding their defects. By His own hand He separated them from other men - and that not for their deserts but to serve His own designs. This was the first step in their sanctification and arose purely out of His grace.

This is where holiness begins in the Christian's life. Of His own Will God still takes hold of Abraham's seed, but in these days it is a spiritual seed, and God takes them notwithstanding their defects. Again it is not for their deserts, but purely of His grace - to serve His own designs.

Delivered through the Red Sea, God next offered terms of cooperation and service. He gave them statutes and commandments to educate and advance them, the observance of which, had they been taken to heart, would have refined and elevated them high above the nations around. By slow degrees this would have wrought a change of heart in them - akin to that evinced by those rarer souls outlined in Hebrews 11, - and taught them a love for their neighbour nations within the spirit of that gracious promise which told of a blessing for all the families of the earth. Especially should this have been accomplished in the priestly tribe, who had been called into such close association with the holiest things?

God offers to the responsive believer in His Son "If ye will...then…" (Matt.16.24-27). But now the terms mean sacrifice and submission to His Will. It is not enough to have been separated from a world of sin. Separation "from" must be followed by separation "to". Having left the world, it is necessary to live with God, walking thus with God, the Word of Truth made active by His Spirit's power will work a change within. The inborn taint of sin will need to be removed, and as God adds grace to grace, the heart will be healed and made sound and whole; made ready for the resurrection change when that which is perfect will be come.

Thus the holiness which begins in us objectively - that is with God's great object in view - comes to completeness by the healing (or haling) of the sanctified believer's heart. The grace that invited and accepted us to co-operate in the achievement of its plans will win our heart's most loyal compliance, till our own hearts beat with the spirit of that great purpose. The love that won us from the ways of sin, so that through us it may win a world from sin, can so infill our hearts with its own radiant warmth, that we shall ardently desire only those things which God desires. Holiness in us means Godlikeness and Christlikeness, co-operating with God and Christ in the fulfilment of His plans.

This twofold aspect of holiness runs through many New Testament Scriptures, exactly as it did throughout Old Testament records. Let us note a few passages first which speak of holiness from without - holiness coming through a channel outside ourselves.

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us...sanctification…" (1 Cor.1.30).

"...such were some of you: but...ye are sanctified...in the name of the Lord Jesus…" (1 Cor.6.11).

"...both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one." (Heb.2.11).

"Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling." (Heb.3.1).

"By which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ…" (Heb.10.10).

"...the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified…" (Heb.10.29).

"...that he might sanctify the people with His own blood". (Heb.13.12).

We then have another list of Scriptures which show the vital necessity for the inward change of heart.

"..yield your members servants of righteousness unto holiness." (Rom.6.19).

"...and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness." (Rom.6.22).

"let us cleanse ourselves...perfecting holiness in the fear of God."(2 Cor.7. l).

"Follow...holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." (Heb.12.14).

These Scriptures will suffice as a sample of their kind to show the absolute necessity of that growth in grace and Godlikeness which is characterised as subjective holiness - holiness within.

Thus far, then, God's reforming work has gone. That which was shadowed forth by linen robes and holy ground and sacred instruments stands forth on its higher plane as purity of heart and life - a love for all that is right and true, balanced by hatred for all that is sinful and wrong. And because God's great objective is to set up for evermore the right and overthrow the wrong, each day the consecrated believer lives he grows more ardently desirous of working together with God to accomplish His great design.

TH