Old Fashioned Holiness, Where Has The Power Gone?

Here’s an off the top of my head guide to the holiness practices of the old timers.

1. Separation unto God; separation from false doctrines. one cannot  have holiness and be wrong in doctrine.
2. Separation between the birth of the Spirit and the baptism of the Spirit
3. Passion in one’s preaching: sanctification in the pulpit means revival in the pew
4. Conviction at the altar: Starting the meeting down before God in prayer at the altar
5. Attention to theology: To despise doctrine was to despise God!
6. Praying Through; fire in one’s prayer reveals a heart pure before God. Blessed are the pure in heart they shall see God
7. Standards: alcohol, divorce, cigarettes forbidden and preached against. Standards in dress and attire required. The Movie house seen and a place of darkness and forbidden. They also knew the standard of the Spirit!
8. Godly Leadership:  Called men with God’s call on their life. It was the entrance of unconverted men into the pulpit and the rejection of standards that caused the down fall of Methodism, to this very day.
9. Passion for the Lost. Preaching of the whole gospel
10. Scriptural Sanctification: Get rid of anger, pride, bitterness and arrogance:  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord… (Heb 12:14 KJV)

When I compare today’s church to that, I have to ask which do I prefer? Did they have more power with God and men? Who were the bigger influencers, them or us? Whose lives were more disciplined and ordered, them or ours? Whose lives pleased God the most, them or ours? Who had more peace with God, them or us?  Who shook the world, them or us? After all I havent seen a John Wesley around lately who rampaged two continents for God, have you?

… church may have changed, God’s demands have not!   ….looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many are defined (Heb 12 v15). Holiness works in any generation, providing it is God made and not man rules that make it.  The pure life still leads to the powerful life!
Paul.