oliness. The meaning of holiness throughout the Old and New
Testaments is "separateness." The idea is that of a life separated unto
God, dedicated, consecrated to His service. Wherever the words "holiness,"
"sanctification," and their associated and cognate expressions are found,
the root idea is always that of separation rather than of purification. It
involves the whole-hearted and entire dedication of the life to God. The
cognate word "saint" does not strictly mean "one who is pure," but "one
who belongs to God."

The sphere of this holiness is to be in "your hearts." It is always to be
noticed that in Scripture the "heart" includes the intellect, the
emotions, and the will. In a word, it is the centre of our moral and
spiritual being; and when this is understood we can see at once the point
and importance of the heart being holy, for it is only another way of
saying that our entire being is to be separated from all else in order to
be possessed by, and consecrated to, God.

The standard of holiness is also brought before us in this
prayer--"Stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness." The Apostle prays
that they may be steadfast, not weak and vacillating. The great need was
for solidity and steadfastness, as it is in the present day, for it is
only when the heart is established by grace and in holiness that it can in
any true sense serve God. This emphasis on a fixed or stablished heart is
brought before us several times in Holy Scripture (cf. Ps. lvii. 7, cviii.
1, cxii. 7; Heb. xiii. 9).

And steadfast hearts will be "unblameable" hearts, hearts that are not
blameworthy. A clear distinction is to be drawn between unblameable hearts
and unblemished hearts. A little child may perform a task which in the
result is full of blemishes, though the child, having done his best, is
entirely without blame. In like manner, though the believer is not free
from blemish, it is nevertheless possible for him to live free from blame.
This is the meaning of the Apostle, and the reason of his prayer.

In all this we can see the close connection between love and holiness.
When our hearts are filled to overflowing with the love of God to us, and
of our love to Him, the inevitable result is holiness, a heart separated
unto God, "strengthened with all might," and "ready unto every good work."

Consider the _great incentive_ he urges--"Before God, even our Father, at
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints." The Apost