Question 78. Why is it impossible for believers to be made holy?

 

Question 78. Why is it impossible for believers to be made holy?

Answer. The reason why believers cannot be made holy is because they have the remains of sin in all their parts, and the flesh constantly lusts against the Spirit. Because of this, believers are often tempted and fall into various sins, and are hindered from all their spiritual services. So that even their best efforts are imperfect and defiled in the sight of God.

 

In this regard, theologians have viewed human identity as a mixture of spirit and flesh tainted by lust. Flesh has both body (soma) and fresh (sarka). It is not the flesh that is tainted by lust, but the flesh. Those who say that the flesh is tainted by sin do not understand human identity and are a sect tainted by gnosticism. The logic is that the flesh is tainted, but the spirit is clean. That is why they think that spirit and flesh are fighting. However, the flesh is nothing more than biological flesh.

The lust of the flesh is the body of sin that has been handed down from the first man, Adam. Since sin is contained in the body of sin, all people commit sin. Therefore, all people cannot become holy. The body of sin must die to be free from sin. Romans 6:6-7 "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin."

The doctrine says that believers cannot be made holy because they see with the eyes of the flesh. However, the Bible says that those who died with Jesus on the cross can be made holy. Peter is speaking to the saints who have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

1 Peter 1:15, “But just as He who called you is holy, you also be holy (gennedete: basic form is ginomai) in all your conduct.” Looking at this passage, it seems as if we should strive to be holy in all our conduct. However, if we translate the Greek Bible again, it says, (ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸν καλέσαντα ὑμᾶς ἅγιον καὶ αὐτοὶ ἅγιοι ἐν πάσῃ ἀναστροφῇ γενήθητε), “But just as He who called you is holy, you also be born holy in all your conduct.”

γενήθητε is derived from γίγνομαι (ginomai: to be born, to be produced). In John 3:5, “Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, unless one is born (gennao) of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’” The word gennao (born again) is a corruption of genos (generation, lineage), and the word genos is derived from ginomai (basic form gennede).

Holiness is achieved when we are united with the death and resurrection of Jesus on the cross. Those who are born holy are those who have received the life of resurrection. However, the fact is that in the soul of the saint, there is a new person who has the life of resurrection, but the old person also coexists. This is a spiritual war. The new person who is holy is born from heaven, and the old person is born from parents. The death of the old person means that identity is changed. The identity of the saint is in the spirit born from heaven.

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