“Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” Mark 4:41 (NASB95)
“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31 (NASB95)
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” John 14:15 (NASB95)
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36 (NASB95)
We seek to make disciples and to spread scriptural holiness throughout the globe.
Scriptural Holiness is the full appropriation of the atonement of Christ to the entirety of one’s life and to the entirety the local church’s life by the disciplined use of the means of grace.
The goal is holiness. By holiness, we mean that one might in any moment perfectly love God and love one’s neighbor to the end that he/she may be “complete in Christ,” possess “the mind of Christ,” and be “perfect” as the “Father in heaven is perfect.” (Col. 1:28; 1Cor 2:16; Matt. 5:48)
Holiness is “scriptural” in that in aligns with truth of the Bible. Holiness “scriptural” in that it is promised in Scripture. (See Wesley’s sermon: On Perfection, II.1, 2) Holiness is also “scriptural” in that Holy Scripture enables and effects this holiness. It is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. (Hebrews 4:12) Inspired by God, scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness; so that we may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
While we may say more, we dare not say less than this. Holiness is a life of freedom. Freedom is not a license to do whatever one wants. Freedom is a power to live as God purposes and enables us to live. True freedom is the holiness of obedience. The one who is holy is the one who continues in His word.
Mark 4 tells of Jesus and the disciples crossing the sea. Jesus, in the boat’s stern, falls asleep. He sleeps although the fierce wind begins to blow and the waves begin to fill up the boat. At verse thirty-eight, the disciples awaken Jesus and accuse him of not caring.
From our perspective, we know that the disciples were never truly at risk. They thought they were subject to the fury of the storm. They did not recall that when they answered the call to discipleship they had surrendered to a Lordship greater than frightening claims of the storm. Jesus, although sleeping, was Lord over the wind and the waves.
Arising, Jesus rebuked he wind and sea saying, “Hush, be still.” Everything became perfectly calm. Then he asked, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” To this, we read, the disciples became “very much afraid.” They asked, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him.”
The Gospel’s point is this, if the wind obeys Jesus, if the sea obeys Jesus, what ought the disciple do? Disciples obey.
Rev. David Banks
Conference Superintendent