THE SECRET OF HOLINESS

"And you shall be holy men to Me", Ex.22:31

Jesus warned us about how serious a matter it is that we find the narrow door which is not closed yet. It may still be found. However, many, instead of searching and finding it to walk it thoroughly the way it ought to be walked, apply force and emotion to try to break through the wall which is just too thick to break down. No sin will ever get through the walls of the New Jerusalem. And sin is strong enough to try to break the walls down. And because these walls are of iron and bronze, many, on the other hand, try to jump over it to get into the sheepfold. There is a reason why Israel thought the heavens were made of bronze and God just wouldn’t hear their many prayers anymore. Rejected people try harder to be accepted than any other people. But, they should instead be quiet and still enough to look around for the key hole of the secret to enter the door Jesus has closed to the non-pure and unholy. Accepted ones work hard on being abla to do God's will. There is a secret, however, where force and strength is a serious hindrance instead of a help. The secret is to see Jesus and, aftewards, have Him for real.

Many desire much to be holy. However, the desire is so great they start crying because they just see it as impossible. Their tears do not show they believe it possible. These tears cease only once their faith breaks through to take hold of whatever is possible through the Lord. It shows, however, the strength of the desire to be holy. Many cry for that reason. Jesus wipes such people’s tears by revealing the secret they easily skip or limp over by crying. Instead, they should be quiet enough to receive and to be able to see. Tears in the eyes blur our vision and darken our faith and expectancy. Mary did not see Jesus because she had been crying. It is not good to stab our hearts to try to show Jesus how much we would like to be holy. Such people do not believe or do not wish to believe it is possible to be like Jesus at all and that’s why they cry that much. Maybe they do not really want to stay away from sin and cry to be accepted without having changed for real. Many even believe they have changed when they haven’t. The flesh is strong in deceiving - it is deceitful above all things.

We should take a serious hold of the words of the Lord and we should take them simply for what they really mean to say. Why would the Bible use the word “transform” when it comes to salvation? An active change must take place inside any of us by believing it possible through Jesus. Tears show we would like to do it ourselves just as it shows we would like to be holy. Because we want to do it ourselves, we easily cry by facing the impossibility of being holy without Jesus and His grace.

It is time, now, to know we shall live by looking at and by seeing Jesus as He is. Not as we imagine Him, but as He really is. Paul says we should be “looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith” for a reason. He knows what he is talking about, especially because he has been such a self righteous man before he learned to enter that narrow secret of genuine salvation. All those who deeply desire to be genuinely holy from the heart, without masks and by denying biblical make-up forced down on them, should try to find and see Jesus personally. Unfortunately, many Christians believe to have found Him and they are mistaken. No one remains as indifferent as they are by meeting with Jesus face to face.

There is no other way to be changed but by seeing Him as He is. “But we all, with our face having been unveiled, having beheld the glory of the Lord … are being changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Lord Spirit”, 2Cor.3:18. Even John states “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is”, 1 John 3:2. We cannot become like Him unless we indeed see Him as He is. There is just no other way to be like Him. Unless we see Him for real, we shall die in our sins and shall not be like Him. Amen.

José Mateus