Text: Psalms 24:3-4
“Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.”
Psalms 15:1-5
(1) LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
(2) He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
(3) He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
(4) In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
(5) He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
The “hill of the Lord,” “His holy place,” “thy tabernacle,” and “thy holy hill,” all refer to the hill of Zion, or Mount Zion, which is where the Temple was built in Jerusalem.
It is a type and shadow of the Church. The Church is that body of Christ established in Acts 2, and the building Jesus built on top of the great mountain. So, we can also read the passage this way:
“Who shall ascend into the Church of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy Church? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.”
I want to draw your attention to that phrase: “nor sworn deceitfully,” and the flowing phrase found in Psalm 15, “speaketh truth in his heart.”
I am teaching tonight on this topic: The Voice of Holiness
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
(14) Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion [fellowship, partnership] hath light with darkness?
(15) And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
(16) And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
(17) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
(18) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
(7:1) Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Perfecting holiness is a lifelong process. There are no shortcuts.
Holiness is a continued work of sanctification, as the Holy Spirit of God perpetually prepares you for a holy purpose:
“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:15-16).
Holiness is an essential element of spiritual maturity and is measurable by our actions, thoughts, and speech in relation to what we know.
You are responsible for what you know, and that includes the principles related to holiness, which is why the satan want to keep you blind in order to keep you spiritually immature.
Spiritual maturity is measurable by your behavior and the habits that you develop according to your understanding of God’s Word and His principles.
Habits and conduct develop character. The spiritual character of Christ will not be formed in you if your conduct and habits are not developed in relationship to what is holy.
What you do reveals your true character.
For this reason, how you talk, your speech, is also an indicator of your spiritual maturity and holiness.
James 3:1-12
(1) My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
(2) For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
(3) Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
(4) Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
(5) Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
(6) And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
(7) For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
(8) But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
(9) Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
(10) Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
(11) Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
(12) Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
The Voice of Holiness
I remind you, “Holiness” means “a sacred place…dedicated thing…hallowed…holiness…holy…saint…sanctuary.”[1]
According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary, in the New Testament, there are two words for holy and holiness and each is important to having a full understanding of the perpetual work of holiness working in your life as the Holy Spirit of God prepares you for a holy purpose”
- Hagiasmos – “Holiness, which in most cases is rendered sanctification. It means separation to God.”[2]
- Hagiosune – “Denotes the manifestation of the quality of holiness in personal conduct. This, along with His resurrection from the dead, is what marked Jesus as the Son of God. He was without sin.”[3]
Hear that again: Holiness is “the manifestation of the quality of holiness in personal conduct.”
This includes your voice. The conduct of your tongue.
This is why the late Bill Sciscoe defined holiness as “the amount of the character of Jesus Christ displayed in you, and we’re all at different levels” of spiritual maturity.
Pastor Fairburn reminded me today that in Judaism there is an entire area of teaching regarding the sin of speaking evil, which is known as Lashon Harah.[4]
Part of this teaching says that you need to be careful about passing judgment on other because inevitably you be tempted in the same thing that you verbally judged and spoke of someone else doing.
One Jewish teacher, Rabbi Mendel Kessin, says that “lashon harah (speaking evil) brings prosecution by Satan and shortens one’s life.”
If this is true, then is not only wise to guard your tongue when tempted to speak, or judge someone else, but it may be healthy for you to just be quiet.
“Discretion is your friend.”[5]
“(5) If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (6) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed” (James 1:5-6).
Proverbs 8:12, KJV, “I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.” ESV, “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.”
Know when to speak and when not to speak.
The Voice of Holiness refuses to align itself with the devil by joining his prosecuting team as a fellow accuser of the brethren.
Revelation 12:10, “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”
Join the Advocate’s side: “(1) My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (2) And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (John 2:1-2).
“God casts a vote for you, the devil casts against you, but you cast the deciding ballot.”[6]
“Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth” (Romans 8:33).
Learn to be still…
Psalms 4:4, “Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.”
“…be still…” = “to be silent, be still, wait, be dumb, grow dumb”[7]
Try this: “Stop Talking!”
Study to be quiet…
1 Thessalonians 4:9-12, “(9) But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. (10) And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more; (11) And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; (12) That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.”
To labour and strive[8] to keep still, to refrain from meddlesomeness or speech, hold peace.[9]
It is not easy, but practicing The Voice of Holiness is well worth the effort when you see how it pleases the Lord and brings His peace into the situation.
Romans 14:10-13
(10) But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. (11) For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. (12) So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (13) Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.
Matthew 7:1-2, “(1) Judge not, that ye be not judged. (2) For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”
Luke 6:37-38, “(37) Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: (38) Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
1 Corinthians 11:31-32, “(31) For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. (32) But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”
Matthew 12:34-37, “(34) O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (35) A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. (36) But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. (37) For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”
Make sure that your speech today doesn’t judge you on the day of judgment.
1 Peter 3:8-12, “(8) Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: (9) Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. (10) For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: (11) Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. (12) For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”
Colossians 4:2-6, “(2) Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; (3) Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: (4) That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. (5) Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. (6) Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”
Living the principle of The Voice of Holiness will prepare for you an open door of utterance to reach people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Consider this…
2 Peter 2:9-10
(9) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: (10) But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. The word rendered “dignities” here, (δόξας doxas,) means properly honor, glory, splendor; then that which is fitted to inspire respect; that which is dignified or exalted. It is applied here to men of exalted rank; and the meaning is, that they did not regard rank, or station, or office – thus violating the plainest rules of propriety and of religion
[1] Strong’s. Brown-Driver-Briggs. H6918.
[2] PI. 8304 – Perfecting Holiness, Lesson 1 Notes
[3] Ibid.
[4] Aaron Fairburn. Notes from a series of text messages with him on 2/6/2024.
[5] Anita Kuntzman
[6] Elwood Fleming.
[7] Brown-Driver-Briggs. H1826.
[8] Strong’s. G5389.
[9] Strong’s. G2270.
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