Holiness, liars, lunatics and Lords!

I've almost finished reading (again) the first volume of the official history of The Salvation Army by Robert Sandal when I came across the following quote. It's taken from the Christian Mission Conference Minutes 1877 (although still The Christian Mission the annual conference had already by then been renamed 'Council of War'.)

"Holiness to the Lord is to us a fundamental truth; it stands to the forefront of our doctrines. We write it on our banners. It is in no shape or form an open debatable question as to whether God can sanctify wholly, whether Jesus does save His people from their sins. In the estimation of the Christian Mission that is settled forever, and any evangelist who did not hold and proclaim the ability of Jesus Christ to save His people to the uttermost from sin and sinning I should consider out of place amongst us." (Volume 1 Page 209)

It's 7pm and I've cycled down to the hall for a time of prayer. This need for prayer was brought on by the realisation that had I been around in 1877 I wouldn't have qualified for the role of Evangelist in The Christian Mission!

Of course I believe in holiness... let me explain.

We've been doing 'SA 1010' at Dartford and last Wednesday evening we considered among other things C.S. Lewis's 'Christian Trilemma' that basically says:

Jesus claimed that he was God. If his claim wasn't true then either he lied or he was mad. However, if it is true then he is Lord! We only have three options – he is either liar, lunatic or Lord?

In the discussion during the session I took Lewis's logic a step further – if we say he is Lord and yet deliberately disobey him then we must be either liars or lunatics.

You see once we have settled the question of his Lordship then absolute unadulterated surrender must follow.

So I come back to the quote above – yes of course I believe in holiness but does my lifestyle prove my belief? I know the answer to that and it is a resounding no! So unless I want to go down in history as either a lunatic or a liar something has got to change!

I brought Booth's "Ladder to Holiness" to the hall with me and have just gone through it (again) during my prayer time. The corner I often seem to find myself in is getting tighter and tighter – I am like a pot-holer I can only go forward. I either wriggle on or I die a lonely death 20 meters beneath the surface!

To be honest I can't really see any other way to go?

So...once more...

"My all is in the Master's hands
For him to bless and break;
Beyond the brook his winepress stands
And thence my way I take,
Resolved the whole of love's demands
To give, for his dear sake."

Grace and peace, A