A HEART FOR HOLINESS

 

 

You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions. (Psalm 45:7)

We cannot love righteousness without hating wickedness—since these are mutually exclusive.  The outcome of such a heart for holiness is that God, by the Holy Spirit, anoints us with His joy.

Sadly, those who profess holiness are often caricatured as stern, with a perpetual scowl, and judgmental spirit.  Legalism will do that.  It is the mark of the hypocrite and not the holy.  Such have an external profession of righteousness, but not an internal disposition toward it.  The self-righteous have no deep love for God, and are warped to thinking that hating sin means hating sinners.  There is no true heart for holiness where that is the case.

Instead, the oil of gladness is on the holy man or woman of God.  It radiates from their countenance.  It is heard in the lyrics of their voice.  It is seen in the loving deeds they do.  This joy is the fruit of the Spirit that accompanies love—the right love—a love for God and a love for others.  This love for righteousness means we loathe wickedness.  Here is how the old Apostle John said it:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.  (1 John 2:15-17)

Psalm 45:7 is a Messianic reference, as noted in Hebrews 1:9, where it is quoted as being fulfilled in Jesus.  You note the capitalized pronouns in the text which indicate the author is speaking of Deity.  Jesus is the epitome of true holiness.  If we would be Christ-like, this must be our passionate pursuit, as well.  That is what the world needs to see.