IS IT POSSIBLE TO LOSE HOLINESS

AND YET RETAIN JUSTIFICATION?

     As a rule sanctified souls do not fully realize it the moment they lose the witness to their cleansing. Carnality is so subtle that it enters, and perhaps the soul is not fully aware of it until, in after months or years, it suddenly manifests itself or breaks out into open sin.

     When one gives way and yields to outward sin, then it is customary to say, "That was the place I lost the experience of holiness." No! The fact is he became carnal and perhaps backslidden in heart long before, and now he has outwardly yielded.

     Many who assert that they have lost "the blessing" never were within a thousand miles of such a state of grace. Souls fall to discriminate between being backslidden in heart and backslidden in action. Nothing is imputed as sin only' that which has had the consent of the will. The moment you get the consent of your will desire or do that which you know is not pleasing to God, you become backslidden in heart, and the moment you yield, you become so in life. "But," says one, "can not a soul settle down little by little and lose holiness unconsciously? Do not souls unconsciously neglect certain duties which are not real clear to them, or fail to keep prayed through to victory, and in this way backslide, and hardly realize it?" Yes, doubtless many are backslidden who do not for the time being realize it, but surely they did not become so unconsciously. This would make God responsible for their condition. He is too righteous to withdraw His favor from those who are perfectly innocent up to all their light. Of course, no saved soul ever anticipates backsliding. Souls are already backslidden the moment they voluntarily desire anything that they know is not to the glory of God. It does not require holiness to save from the "want to" sin. Every truly penitent soul is so far along that he hates sin, and does not habitually commit sin.

     If a soul is clean, the only thing that can make him unclean is disobedience. All disobedience is sin. Therefore when one does enough to forfeit the witness to a clean heart, he does enough to forfeit divine favor also.

     "It is utterly impossible for either a justified or an entirely sanctified soul to forfeit either relation or state, other than by disobedience; and disobedience is sin."

     Now, to maintain that this "holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" Is of such an ethereal quality as to be lost or forfeited other than by sin, seems to be utterly absurd. For, if holiness be a state or condition, it is a moral state, hence its permanence as well as attainment is dependent on moral conditions fulfilled. This being so, its loss can result only from obligations violated, which implies sin. You may urge that unbelief is sin; yes, but unbelief always presupposes evidence maliciously or selfishly rejected.

     Seeking holiness is a normal state and not an emotional frame of mind, and its attainment and enjoyment are contingent on conditions met, it follows as a necessary sequence that it can be forfeited only by violated obligation which is sin. Therefore to forfeit holiness is to fall into condemnation.

     "But can not a soul 'doubt away' the experience of holiness and yet retain his justified relationship toward God? Can not a soul let unbelief enter and yet have saving faith?" We answer, "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Is it faith to doubt? Is it obedient to disbelieve? if not, then it must be sinful and any sinful attitude will separate from God. The fact is, many who testify to having doubted away their experiences never had the genuine thing. They were never completely delivered from that principle which at times became discouraged and looked on the dark side of things. Very often doubts have legs with which to stand upon and walk.

     Doubtless the reason so many believe it possible to lose holiness and yet retain justification is that they base their theory upon their individual experiences. After having professed holiness they gave way on some point and incurred the displeasure of God. They argue that they simply grieved the Spirit, but it was more serious than that. The truth was, they lost their grip upon God; they became lean in soul, the keen edge was taken from their experiences; no doubt they backslid in heart.

     Now they immediately confess and seek the approval of God which is freely given. Repentance is so thorough and forgiveness so quickly received that they think they have received a glorious victory over the supposed temptation. The fact is, they lost everything, but were reinstated and received back into divine favor so quickly that they imagined they only lost holiness and still retained saving grace. As a rule, when a man falls out of a tree he does not stop until he hits the ground. Some believe and teach that they regain the whole thing again by one act of faith.

     Not so. Carnality is not dislodged so easily as all that. When sin regains an entrance into the heart, there will be a tremendous fight before it can be dislodged again. Of course, those who begin the fight the moment they find out their true state need not be so long getting complete deliverance as one who has gone along for months, manifesting and giving way to all its dictates.