4 Reasons Holiness Is Ineffective In Your Corp

Greetings fellow ponderers, how have you been? 
I wanted to write a brief article once again on the topic of holiness in an effort to help us realize that it is viable and necessary even though I wrote an article not long ago entitled: “Why the Holiness Movement is Dead” 

I want to clarify.
Although the movement of holiness has been halted in many ways through Church and its emphasis, the need of such a personal holiness is still important AND tangible.  We don’t need an organization, movement or church to enforce something that should be intrinsic within all believers:  The Holy Spirit working in and through us, ever refining, ever honing and guiding us in the direction of Christ-likeness. 

Even though we recognize that no organization, movement or church can dictate or enforce Holiness – it is still necessary for fellow believers to help guide each other along in the faith.  Instruction is needed for new believers to help them understand.  There is also accountability to all believers to help us all grow and cultivate this spirit of holiness within us.  Romans 12:5 says, “So we, though we are a number of persons, are one body in Christ, and are dependent on one another…”  

-We need each other to prod this development of holiness within us.  

So, without further adieu, let us explore the topic of the day: 
4 Reasons Holiness is Ineffective in Your Corps
(and as usually this is just a primer, and there are some that can relate and some who won’t…some who believe there is much more to this conversation, and some who think that this is too much, but here goes anyway...)  

1) Holiness isn’t Preached
This is probably an obvious reason why Holiness isn’t effective in your corps, perhaps it’s an obscure concept and never brought up in sermons, let alone the main conversation of a sermon.  Friends, we need Holiness preached in our pulpits!  Without holiness how are we to grow and mature?  What’s the purpose of new believers?  

2) Holiness isn’t Taught 
Teaching holiness is probably more important than any sermon an officer or local officer is going to preach from the pulpit.  Are there bible studies devoted to the conversation of holiness?  Do we treat this with importance or is it not even considered?  And if it is not considered, then why not?  Do we believe that the topic of holiness is too difficult for our people to grasp?  

3) Leaders Are Not Living-out Holiness
It is one thing to preach holiness, but it is another to live holiness.  We can preach about a certain topic of Christianity until we are blue in the face, but if we do not live it then how will our people see and understand?  How can we even presume to preach but not live?  Do we not see the hypocrisy in this?  But you might say, “well we cannot live it all of the time…it’s just too hard!”  I would say, even part of the time is better than none of the time…and then pray in your own life for that other part that is still lagging behind.  We need holiness preachers, but before that we need holiness people living it out-loud.  

4) Holiness is Considered an Impossibility – So Why Even Try? 
Have you heard people say this things like, “Well, I’ve heard about holiness, but it just can’t be done…it’s too complicated and unrealistic.”  What do you say to those who have this perspective on holiness?   How do we break people from this train of thought? Dare I say that even some officers have this concept, if that is the case what are we to do then? Does the Army hold to the vital importance of Holiness as we do to uniform wear or a soldier’s/Officer’s covenant?

If our corps people view Holiness as an impossibility or vague notion, how do we change that mindset? Let me answer that: practice what we preach and teach and make Holiness a reachable, tangible initiative in the lives of all believers! Make sure you set the record straight for those who deem Holiness impossible. Make sure they understand that Holiness isn’t perfection it is instead the maturing and deepening of our faith as we strive to be like Christ in every way!

Let’s make Holiness effective and vital again in our corps! To God be the glory!