The Book of First John tells us that as Christ is, so are we in this world. We are to walk as He walked.

We may know something about righteous behavior. Now we must learn about holiness, about spiritual purity, about closeness to our holy God. "Be holy for I am holy," commands the Lord. "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." Why not? Because only the pure in heart are permitted to see God.

If we are to please God in the present hour we must return to the ways of holiness, no matter how much we are criticized by other Christians who are certain the grace of God excuses their conduct. They are ready to go to the beach and display their nakedness. They do not understand the holy God of Israel. They do not understand the ways of holiness.

Our dress should be modest. We are not to go to extremes in any direction. Our speech should be free from moral filth. The same is true of our actions. We are a chosen generation, a holy nation. Let us keep this in mind and dress, think, speak, and act accordingly.

Believers are not usually referred to in the New Testament as "Christians." The term employed by the Apostle Paul is saints. The term saint means "holy one."

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14—NIV)

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; (I Peter 1:15—NIV)

The Second Death

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. (Revelation 21:8—NIV)

There are eight behaviors over which the second death maintains authority:

Cowardice

Unbelief

Vile practices

Murder

Immorality

Sorcery

Idolatry

Lying

These eight behaviors bring the one who practices them to torment and eternal separation from God.

What Christians may not always understand is that the Lake of Fire, which is the second death, always maintains authority over these behaviors—even when they are practiced by a Christian.

Cowardice always belongs in the Lake of Fire.

Unbelief always belongs in the Lake of Fire.

Vile behavior always belongs in the Lake of Fire.

When we receive the Lord Jesus Christ as the atonement for our sins, the Lake of Fire is forced to withhold its claims for a season while the Lord seeks to assist us in overcoming the specified behaviors. Those who conquer these unlawful behaviors can no longer be tormented by the second death. The second death has no authority over them. They could walk on the Lake of Fire without being harmed.

But if we refuse to permit the Lord to remove such behavior from us, then we eventually will find ourselves in the Lake of Fire even though we profess faith in Christ. Divine grace provides us with the opportunity to be forgiven and delivered. But after we have been forgiven, if we do not bear the fruit of righteousness and holiness that God is looking for, then we are in clear danger of having our name blotted from the Book of Life and being thrown into the Lake that burns with fire and sulfur.

To be continued.