Stand Fast

Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved—Philippians 4:1.

Holiness must be carefully distinguished from righteousness. They are closely allied, for one is the fruit of the other; yet holiness is not really greater than righteousness, nor is righteousness greater than holiness. I think, however, that we are justified in speaking of holiness as a great advance upon righteousness in the sense that holiness must be the offspring of righteousness, and since no man can know what holiness is until by God’s grace he is made partaker of “the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.” Righteousness, says Dr. Horatius Bonar,* is legal perfection; holiness is spiritual character. Holiness is an advance upon righteousness,** for righteousness is declared

*God’s Way of Holiness.

**If this be true, it may puzzle some that we should read (Luke 1:74-75) that we are to be delivered from the hand of our enemies, that we may “serve him in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.” There holiness is placed before righteousness, but this word for holiness is ὁσιότης, whereas elsewhere, when we are enjoined to be holy, the word is ἁγιοσμός, ἁγιὁτης, or ἁγιωσύνη, the fruit. In Luke 1:74-75, we are simply called upon to be dedicated to God, and therefore are to be made righteous in our life, so that the righteousness of the law may be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. The holiness generally spoken of is the fruit of righteousness (Romans 6:22).