“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Titus 3:5.

The concept of holiness to me when I was much younger, was the way in which the women from the holiness Churches that I had visited dressed; their heads were wrapped with a white cloth, and they wore long floor length dresses; no make-up or jewelry; to my understanding at the time was to signify one who was holy, and it denoted a “clean” and sinless lifestyle.

In the New Testament, the word for holy is “hagios” and means set apart, reverend, sacred, and worthy of admiration. This word applies to God because God Himself is totally other, separate, sacred, transcendent, reverend, and set apart from everything that He has created; so how do we become set aside, and develop clean hearts to walk this Christian journey? Titus 3:5 state “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

The Holy Spirit makes the human spirit holy, He empowers us to be right or constant, fixed, and submissive to the will of God; Romans 3:23 tells us “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” we all inherited sin from our first parents, Adam, and Eve…but the amazing grace of God extends salvation and has cast away the penalty of sin which is damnation and total separation from Him forever.

When we become new creatures in Christ, the power of God gives us the ability to overcome the spiritual and physical war that rages within. The Apostle Paul stated it like this “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.” Romans 7:15.

Let us take a look at David, He was a man after God’s on heart and yet he prayed “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10. He recognized that He had first sinned against God…sin is the willful transgression of God’s laws.

The first step to deliverance and repentance is to agree with the Holy Spirit that we have sinned; and then seek forgiveness from God; David understood that he was born with this sin nature…  and that only God has the creative power to renew and cleanse his heart.

We must also remember that it is who lives within us and not what is on the outside that molds, changes and cleanses us from all unrighteousness; God sees who we really are…we can dress to impress many people, but God knows what is deep down in the soul.

Praise God that every born-again believer has the power to live victorious and holy by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; we are set aside, separate, and holy by His power-let us walk this journey of life in the assurance that God will faithfully cleanse our hearts that we may follow Him! “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.

Give me a clean heart

So I may serve thee

Lord, fix my heart, so that I

I may be used, used by thee!

God blessings and peace by with you all.