The Holiness Folks

When I was growing up long years ago, it was a common sight to see a big tent go up on the edge of town.  We all knew it was not because the circus was coming to town.  Instead, it was a revival tent.  As a boy I never paid any attention to who was sponsoring the tent revival, but I knew a preacher would show up and the whole town would hear his voice in the evening over that loud speaker system that blared out from the pulpit inside the revival tent.  Those of us who were laid back Methodists and comfortable Baptists spoke of those who met under the tent as "holiness folks."

 

What we said with some measure of derision is actually what we are all called to be.  In one of Peter's letters to the church he wrote, "...it is written, 'You shall be holy for I am holy.' "  (I Peter 1:16)  And in another place in the same letter the Apostle wrote, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people..." (I Peter 2:9)  While we may not like the moniker "holy " being used to speak of us and while we may even politely deny it, such is who we are called to be.  We are called to live holy lives.  We are called to be holy people.

 

Of course, what we have learned is that being holy is not something that is humanly possible.  It was never intended to be.  But, it is Holy Spirit possible.  What we cannot do ourselves is something the Holy Spirit can do with us if we are willing to be as an empty vessel in His hands.  When we come to the place where our heart's desire has nothing to do with what we want for ourselves, but is instead about what God wants for us, we have given the Holy Spirit a blank check on our lives and there is nothing then that is impossible for Him to do in us and through us.  By His power we can even become one of those holiness folks.