One becomes holy through what Christ has already accomplished and continues to work in the believer throughout the process of sanctification. The holiness comes from Christ. It is expressed through holy living, not the other way around. If one attempts to become holy by behavior, one merely cleans up the outside (Matt. 23:25), but if one becomes holy by faith in the finished work of Christ, the resulting change in behavior will be an expression of the holy life within.
"Follow peace with all men, and holiness,
without which no man shall see the Lord"
Hebrews 12:14 (KJV) - Matthew Henry Commentary
"For I am the LORD your God:
ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy:
neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth"
Leviticus 11:44 (KJV) - Matthew Henry Commentary
"I tell you, Nay:
but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish"
Jesus Christ, Luke 13:3 (KJV) - Matthew Henry Commentary
"Repent ye therefore, and be converted,
THAT YOUR SINS MAY BE BLOTTED OUT,
when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
Acts 3:19 (KJV) - Matthew Henry Commentary
“But the FEARFUL, and UNBELIEVING, and the ABOMINABLE, and MURDERERS,
and WHOREMONGERS, and SORCERERS, and IDOLATERS, and all LIARS,
shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone:
which is the second death”
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;
ADULTERY (voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not his or her spouse),
FORNICATION (sexual intercourse between people not married to each other),
UNCLEANNESS (morally impure thoughts),
LASCIVIOUSNESS (driven by thoughts of sex, lust),
IDOLATRY (an exceedingly strong passion/desire of something or someone other than God),
WITCHCRAFT (sorcery, magic, the black arts, witchcraft, wizardry, the occult, occultism, enchantment, spell, incantation, necromancy, divination)
HATRED (intense dislike or ill will),
VARIANCE (the fact or quality of being different, divergent, or inconsistent, disagreeing or quarreling)
EMULATIONS (ambition or endeavor to equal or excel others (as in achievement),
WRATH (extreme anger, rage, fury, outrage),
STRIFE (conflict, friction, discord, disagreement, dissension, quarreling)
SEDITIONS (conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against authority),
HERESIES (any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with the Bible),
ENVYINGS (covetousness with regard to another's advantages, possessions, or attainments),
MURDERS (is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse),
DRUNKENNESS (all drinking of alcohol is drunkenness),
REVELLINGS (letting loose or going wild, noisy partying or carousing),
AND SUCH: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past,
THAT THEY WHICH DO SUCH THINGS SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;
but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,
BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE”
2 Peter 3:9 (KJV) - Matthew Henry Commentary
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