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That Saturday morning, it was strange that I would not attend my beloved-brother’s wedding. That was in the 70s, when the teaching on ‘holiness’ had taken the centre stage among believers in Lagos. We had been excited that one of us was going to wed, when he fouled the air by announcing that nobody should attend his wedding wearing shoes or coats. This dressing code, he stressed, was not for believers but for the worldly people! Human holiness!
“Be ye holy, for I am holy,” is God’s commands to the Scripture Union. One distinct feature of Christianity is its liberality for personal choice. There is a departure with holiness. God does not leave the choice to us. If an officer commands a soldier to shoot and his mum happens to be there, he has to obey. Holiness is not an appeal but God’s command to us, seeing that some of us have joined the world and it is difficult to differentiate us from them.
Those of us, who did not attend our brother’s wedding had reasoned that the command on what to wear and what not to wear was human law and not from God. “I wear suit when going to work and it is not sinful at all, why should it then be, if I do so during this wedding?” I asked myself. “Be ye holy” is not from man but from God. We must obey it.
I recall with pathos, how I would look sideways when my girlfriends were visiting, so that nobody would see me. In my ignorance, as an unbeliever, I did not know that I should have looked up for the big eyes that behold what man does. Criminals embark on their mission because they believe that they will not be caught. They are sold to crimes since they are sure of escaping justice through cult connection, bribery or using brilliant lawyers. If they know that they will be caught and punished, they will refrain from such. In our situation, we cannot escape justice since God sees and knows from the moment we are scheming how to disobey this command.
A soldier, who disobeys the command of his superior office will be put in the guardroom, court-martialled, dismissed or may face the firing squad. The penalty for disobeying God’s command on holiness is grave, “For without holiness, no man shall see God”. Serious! God told Moses, “This is the Promised Land. I have caused you to see it but you will not enter there”. And he did not! Imagine God saying, “Osondu, this is Heaven but you will not enter there! Me, not enter there? My fasting, self denials, denial of right by my company because of my faith, retreats, vigils… all, not to be remembered because of disobedience! God forbid! “Be holy for I am holy”. The gain of holiness is awesome – to be like Jesus and do what He did! He even said, that we will do ‘greater works’ (John 14:12). So, I can tell cancer patients on my healing line to meet their doctors to confirm their healing as Jesus did to the ten lepers – no prayer, not binding demons, no shouting as we do, and on their way, they will be healed!
An officer may not in error, tell his boys to open fire to civilians. If he does, due to human limitation, the all-knowing God does not. He gave our great union the order because we are His ‘obedient children’. Yes, SU is a peculiar ministry, where we stood for an election for the Area Chairman and a fellow contestant voted for me! Only in the SU! A Ministry, where two people tied during an election for the National Chairman and one of them told the Council that God told him that the other contestant would be the National Chairman. Only in the SU! SU, where a Regional Chairman made a point and a young TS ignored it during the last JARC! If you contest it, try your Bishop and see if you will still receive Holy Communion!
God might have known that the churches and ministries may not accept this command. He then looked at the ‘father’ and ‘grandpa’ of most of the churches and ministries, and felt at ease in giving us the order. The day I repented, the Guest Minister told the sick people to hold their ailing parts of their body. Though I did not believe her, I obeyed her, by placing my hands on my tummy because I had abdominal ulcer. She prayed and I was healed. Should I have been healed, since I did not believe her? God is merciful on young Christians. This is why we should not copy them, and the way they take God’s command on holiness. To who much is given, much is desired from him. God has given us much. He expects much from us.
What then is this holiness since it is not wearing or not wearing shoes and suits? Solomon calls it the conclusion of the whole matter, “Love God and obey His commandments” (Eccl.12:13). It is the transformation that results from the renewing of the mind (Rom.12:2). It makes us to stand for the truth, upholding the integrity of God’s Word. The threat of death by the king did not scare the three Jewish men in rejecting his god (Dan 3:14-18). Micaiah stood alone, after 400 false prophets had prophesied victory for Ahab (1Kgs 22:13-14). Holiness is speaking the truth, even if it hurts you. When settling any issue, before the other party accuses you, it is important that you confess what you did even if it is wrong, like slapping someone, if you did so! Holiness! But why should you then slap him? Holiness!
For further comment, please contact: Osondu Anyalechi: 0909 041 9057; [email protected]
