# The best way to be holy



## Blueridge Believer (Apr 13, 2007)

The best way to be holy

(Thomas Brooks, "The Crown and Glory of Christianity,
or, HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness", 1662)

"Turn to the Lord with weeping and with mourning."
Joel 2:12 

The best way to be holy is to accuse, indict, arraign, 
and condemn yourself for your unholiness. Greatly 
lament and mourn over your own unholiness, over 
your own wickedness. Go to your closet, and fall 
down before the most high and holy God, and 
mourn bitterly over . . .
the unholiness of your nature,
the unholiness of your heart,
the unholiness of your affections,
the unholiness of your intentions,
the unholiness of your thoughts,
the unholiness of your words,
the unholiness of your life.

Oh, who can look upon sin . . .
as an offence against a holy God,
as the breach of a holy law,
as the wounding and crucifying of a holy Savior,
as the grieving and saddening of a holy Sanctifier,
and not mourn over it? 

Oh, who can cast a serious eye . . .
upon the heinous nature of sin, 
upon the exceeding sinfulness of sin,
upon the aggravations of sin--
and not have . . . 
his heart humbled,
his soul grieved, 
his spirit melted,
his mouth full of penitential confessions,
his eyes full of penitential tears, and
his heart full of penitential sorrow? 

The Christian mourns that he has sinned against . . .
a God so great,
a God so gracious,
a God so bountiful,
a God so merciful.

Oh, how should a sinner fall a-weeping when he 
looks upon the greatness of his wickedness, and 
his lack of holiness! As ever you would be holy, 
mourn over your own unholiness. 

Those who weep not for sin here--shall weep 
out their eyes in hell hereafter! It is better to 
weep bitterly for your sins on earth, than to 
weep eternally for your folly in hell. 

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they 
will be comforted." Matthew 5:4


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## Staphlobob (Apr 13, 2007)

Blueridge reformer said:


> The best way to be holy
> 
> (Thomas Brooks, "The Crown and Glory of Christianity,
> or, HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness", 1662)
> ...



Brooks was extremely insightful. 

Several years go the man who discipled me gave me a saying that is now my scrolling screensaver: "The sign of growing perfection is growing awareness of imperfection."


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## etexas (Apr 14, 2007)

Please don't stone me anyone but I must confess a thing, I think John Wesleys's emphasis on living out our faith in personal holiness was some good stuff......sorry. I mean really though you read some of John's sermons on true faith being a "good soil" for Holiness, there is stuff that will knock your socks off!


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## Tom Roach (Apr 14, 2007)

nice post. Thanks : )


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## Tom Roach (Apr 14, 2007)

May I add a good way to become more holy?

Be 100% honest with ourselves on every matter in our hearts.
Perhaps this is how we remove the large beam from our own eye
so we can remove the speck of wood from our neighbor's eye
Matthew 7:3-5


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## Staphlobob (Apr 14, 2007)

I follow Jesus said:


> Please don't stone me anyone but I must confess a thing, I think John Wesleys's emphasis on living out our faith in personal holiness was some good stuff......sorry. I mean really though you read some of John's sermons on true faith being a "good soil" for Holiness, there is stuff that will knock your socks off!



You're absolutely right. I've got many of his sermons and they're excellent.


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## etexas (Apr 14, 2007)

Staphlobob said:


> You're absolutely right. I've got many of his sermons and they're excellent.


Always happy to find someone else who s not ashamed of reading a little John Wesley.


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## bookslover (Apr 15, 2007)

I follow Jesus said:


> Always happy to find someone else who s not ashamed of reading a little John Wesley.



You're reading John Wesley? Wasn't he some kind of Commie, or something?


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## etexas (Apr 15, 2007)

Chuckle, I think he went to China and followed Mao for a while. That was before the Holy Club!


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