At last Sunday night’s evening service there was a lot of powerful prayer ministry taking place. The presence of God’s Spirit was rich and thick. It was a wonderful thing to be part of it. People came with hearts really wanting to seek God’s face much more than wanting God to do stuff for them. It was a beautiful thing.
As always, on these Sunday worship nights, we have quite a loose structure so that we are able to experience the freedom to wait and listen for – and respond to – Holy Spirit. And so, often in that kind of environment, away from livestreaming consciousness, we encourage the freedom to bring words of knowledge, words of wisdom and, of course, prophecy. Some prophetic words were written down and used on the night, but one, in particular I felt was important to share with the whole church. It was a prophetic vision, and as soon as I read it I knew what it was about, and that it was to encourage the whole church in this really important prophetic season where God is calling us all to a richer, deeper, more powerful consecrated life.
The Vision
The vision the person saw was brief but quite rich in detail. It described a mine or cave scene. The cave was full of men with helmets, with lights attached and lighting up the darkness. The men were swinging their pick axes and slowly chipping away at the rock – it took a lot of strength and effort. Their faces were filthy dirty and their clothes covered in dirt. The person receiving the vision heard the words “gold rush”. The men were toiling and labouring, they were tired and dirty, but they were absolutely fixated on finding the precious gold. And so, they persevered with those pick axes without wavering or stopping for rest.
This prophetic image describes the extraordinary lengths people will go to in the pursuit of something precious – whatever that is. The scene is, of course, about the pursuit of something considered precious in worldly terms - gold. It is a scene of considerable work effort, of sweat and perseverance. So much effort is expended by people in the world who are pursuing what they think is precious and valuable – things, possessions and the like. God was showing us this in the vision, but not for information. The vision was received in the worship context as if to ask the challenging question of God’s people. Of worshippers. And that unspoken question goes something like this:
“Why cannot My people pursue holiness – pursue Me – with the same relentless energy as these miners to whom nothing else mattered?”
Indeed, that is the question for all believers, really. We pursue with energy and focus what we consider precious and valuable yet, in the end, it will all perish.
1 Corinthians 3:12-15 (NIV)
“If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved — even though only as one escaping through the flames.”
We build a life by what we pursue and build with. The apostle asks here, “Will what you have pursued and built with survive the coming fire?”
Holiness is not a commodity to be pursued by God’s people. It is far more valuable than any commodity. Commodities can be bought and sold, and can increase or decrease in value – holiness cannot. Holiness is in a unique and divine category unlike any other thing. Yes, sure it can be ‘acquired’ but only by means of the sanctifying work of God as we submit to Him and His wisdom. It’s a gift.
Leviticus 20:8 (ESV)
“Keep My statutes and do them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you.”
Acquired but not earned - and this does take time and effort. It is no easy thing to “take up one’s cross” to follow Jesus. And following after Jesus is not in order to become a nice, religious person. It is a life of continual surrender to God so that our salvation means we’re not just justified and made righteous, but we become holy. Holiness is the end of the work of the cross. Without holiness, though we are redeemed and justified, nothing changes.
The cross of Christ is about the complete work of God’s Spirit in us from redemption to being born again, to being holy - completely sanctified. Those who focus merely on the justification aspect of the atonement stop short of holiness. And there are consequences for that.
Hebrews 12:14 (ESV)
“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”
The apostle is clear. We need to become holy if we want to see God now, and in eternity. And so, holiness is vital. The pursuit of holiness is the one single pursuit of all those born again. It prioritises everything else. Like those miners relentlessly pursuing gold, we need to be pursuing holiness – and not be trying to earn it by doing religious things, but by surrendering up to God all those sinful things that need to be purged from our souls. This purging, this sanctifying work of God, is out of His love and grace towards us such that we are thereby made ready and able to be in His presence, and to serve Him as holy priests.
Holiness is a gift from God. It is something that can never be accomplished except by the work of Holy Spirit. Yet, it is our responsibility to strive for it – not in terms of trying to earn it, as I have said – but putting in the effort against our sinful flesh to yield to Holy Spirit.
Tim Challies offers this great illustration concerning our pursuit of holiness and how that works. “A farmer ploughs his field, sows the seed, and fertilises and cultivates – all the while knowing that in the final analysis he is utterly dependent on forces outside himself. He knows he cannot cause the seed to germinate, nor can he produce the rain and sunshine for growing and harvesting the crop. For a successful harvest, he is dependent on these things from God.” Again he continues: “… the farmer knows that unless he diligently pursues his responsibilities to plough, plant, fertilise, and cultivate, he cannot expect a harvest at the end of the season. In a sense he is in a partnership with God, and he will reap its benefits only when he has fulfilled his responsibilities.” I love that analogy!
Farming is a joint venture between us and God, in which we cannot do what God must do, and God will not do what the farmer should do. It’s the same with holiness. God will not bestow a life of holiness upon us the day we are saved. He requires that we pursue holiness with the confident faith that He will work with us and empower us to achieve the desire of our hearts – to be holy, as He is. God gives us the power to do what He requires and expects of us.
Philippians 2:12-13 (ESV)
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
There is no more valuable thing to have, than God’s holiness upon our lives. But, it is a joint venture.
Ps Milton
[Sources: “Challies” (website), a Christian BLOGGER, for the farmer illustration.]