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How to Teach Holiness
by Commissioner George Scott Railton
Originally appeared in The War Cry, No. 36,
August 28. 1880.
Reprinted in the book ‘Holiness Readings’,
1883.
1. "In order
to make the meaning of sanctification clear to the mind it is
necessary first of all to go to the very root of sin's
disease, and let people see how it is that sin so plagues and
distresses those who are born again of the Holy Ghost. Those
who are only taught to look at that which is outward and
manifest are not to be wondered at if they fail to see
properly what they need, and what God can do for them, and
therefore only seek after and get deliverance from the outward
signs and manifestations of sin".
2. "Take the
greatest pains to show by Scripture and by all sorts of
illustrations, how man's nature has become, through the fall,
so corrupted as to be inclined towards evil, so that even when
men are saved and become fully devoted to the service of God,
their nature still leans in the direction of all that is
opposed to His will, so that between the spirit and the flesh
there is constant strife, each struggling at every turn for
mastery, and the world, assisted by the flesh. Describe this
battle particularly, showing just what passes within at
certain moments".
3. "Point out
the evidences of this depraved nature in the little child, and
show how the very same selfish and other evil tendencies which
as exhibited by the little ones are those which cause the
inconsistencies and inward conflicts of the saved man. Get all
to see that it is no use trying to make the fruit of the tree
good by care and pruning whilst there is a mixture in the
nature of the tree, causing it to produce fruits of the two
opposite kinds, but that the only sensible plan is to get the
tree itself made altogether such as you wish its fruit to be".
4. "Contrast
the fruits of the flesh and those of the Spirit, making all
understand that God just as absolutely requires that the
fruits of the flesh should cease to grow and that those of the
Spirit should be abundantly produces as if it were not natural
to men to bring forth the one and not to bring forth the
other. From the conflict which all are conscious of upon this
subject, and from the shame that is felt when the fruits of
the flesh are made manifest, you can convince them that only
the one sort of fruit should exist, and that they can never
have a truly peaceful and happy life till this is the case".
5. "The facts
of their heart experience must greatly weigh with them all.
All men desire to live at peace within; but the struggle,
whilst the heart is divided, is so violent and produces so
great discomfort that everyone longs for ease. It is then that
the prescription of any spiritual quack who offers a false
peace is valued. It is for you to show how a real enduring
peace can alone be had, by abolishing the force which was
against the Lord altogether, and thus leaving the heart free
to enjoy and to follow Him fully. Those who have been led into
the enjoyment of a mere superficial peace by means of what is
called a "moment by moment" faith, or "power over sin", cannot
in many cases be shown how they have been misled until the
breakdown of their system or their peace open their eyes. Yet
there are cases in which such persons become so painfully
conscious of the effort to keep believing that they can be
awakened to the face that the peace they have is not the
perfect peace of those whose minds are stayed not upon their
own faith, but upon Him who bears up the world".
6. "Explain,
in general and in all particulars, the Righteousness of God.
That it is ceaseless, certain, willing, conformity in
everything with His Will, which makes perfect service and
perfect freedom, pressing, especially, the grand principle
that the Will of God is to be done by me here, just as I shall
do it in Heaven, and that my will is to be as fully united
with Him therein now as hereafter".
7. "Make
everyone see that such a state of things can only be brought
about and continues anywhere by His being enthroned as the
actual, absolute and undisputed King. That His Will was not
done in Heaven fully whilst satan was there, and that which
hinders its perfect fulfilment in any heart is the fact that
the devil has some authority therein".
8. "This will
bring fresh assurance of God's will and power to cast out the
producing cause of evil within, and so to take full, absolute
and perfect possession of our whole being for Himself. The
depraved condition of the heart is one of the works of the
devil, which Jesus came on purpose to destroy forever".
9. "Point out
the fact that godliness, the being like God, is all through
the Bible continually regarded as a possible state for men,
and that whatever is not of God is classed together as
ungodliness, whether it be murder or one evil thought. That
everyone who is not godly is so far ungodly as they are unlike
God, and that God can only have perfect fellowship with those
who are living on His level of pure light and love. "But if we
walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship
one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son
cleanseth us from all sin". - 1 John 1:7."
"This fact
will show with what eagerness He must desire to make all men
godly. Indeed, every consideration of Him, His character,
position, power, authority, and glory, must convince anyone
who will look at it, that God cannot be willing for His
children to be kept in a state of partial division from, and
opposition to, Himself".
10. "Upon the
other hand, dwell upon the purposes, powers, and acts of the
devil, and show how the existence of evil anywhere favours his
plans, and its destruction defeats him. Describe his triumph
whenever any one of God's children is disgraced, or brought
into difficulty or sorrow through sin, and show that those who
do not receive all God intends for them aid satan's cause".
11. "In all
our descriptions of holiness, be careful always to keep to the
front the fact that what is meant is the separation for a
person from everything including themselves and their all to
God, so that they come as fully into His own possession as if
they were in Heaven. It is, of course, one consequence of this
that the holy person receives Heaven into himself".
"But it is
very necessary always to keep in mind that the benefit to the
man is a consequence and a secondary matter, not the thing to
be desired and sought after. The commonly received, selfish
theory of holiness is, that it is the getting of Heaven or of
God into your heart and life, and the disastrous result of
this sort of teaching is, that men take advantage of that
boundless generosity with which God does pour peace and
blessing into their seeking souls, and yet make no suitable
return".
"Now,
whatever those do who make holiness their speciality, who
occupy all their speaking time and strength with it, and will
scarcely stoop to what they call the lower work of saving men
from hell, remember that our business is not firstly to seek
men's happiness, but firstly to seek the kingdom of God, which
will bring everything also. Therefore be ceaselessly on your
guard against the subtle attempt of the great enemy to put man
first, even at this critical point, and do your utmost to make
all see that they are to seek for holiness not that they may
be benefitted, but that God may have them entirely in His
hands, to do His pleasure. Tell how for ages He has longed for
a people who should be peculiarly His own, as utterly
separated from sinners as Jesus was, and as perfectly in union
with Himself in every way. Tell of all His weary waiting and
disappointments, and of His longsuffering, patient love, and
long that He may have the joy at last of seeing some such
people".
12. "Never
lower the price of holiness. Point continually to the Cross,
and show how real devotion to God must bring everyone into
just such as position-suffering the loss of all things-a
separation both from Heaven and earth; from Heaven, because
they must lose much of even the quiet and spiritual enjoyment
they might have amongst saints to plunge down amongst the
lost; from earth, because they must be utterly hated "of all
men;" and upon all this, instead of brightness and success,
clouds and tempests and shame and apparent defeat. Bring
people to that and you will get some real saints that God will
delight in".
13. "Impress
continually upon those who love God the reality of the
Judgement Day, as far as their own treatment is concerned.
Amidst the general idea of being upon the right side, men lose
sight of the more special descriptions of that day, which all
point to the most careful and precise examination of each one
as to what they have done and the exact distribution of reward
and punishment according to men's deeds".
"It is, alas!
only too needful to remind the Lord's people that He is not
mocked, but that what a man sows that shall he reap. He that
sows sparingly, we are expressly told, shall reap sparingly.
Those who have largely sown to the flesh shall just to that
extent reap corruption-shall see their works burned up with
the King's indignation, and their names branded with
irrecoverable shame for having so carelessly and unfaithfully
served Him. God is no respecter of persons, and if He has
marked out for ever the sins of Noah, of Abraham, of Moses, of
David, and of Peter, let those who are so infinitely below all
these in the general tenor of their lives expect a far more
damaging exposure of all their impurities and faults before
all mankind. It is evident that every saint is as surely
preparing his own everlasting standing and destiny as every
sinner. There will be many of God's ransomed ones who will
meet Him not with joy but with grief. Press everyone as to how
they would like to be suddenly brought into God's presence out
of their present position-at home-at work-in the Army".
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