"Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." Nothing under heaven can be more
sure than this; "for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." And "though heaven
and earth shall pass away, yet His word shall not pass away." As well
therefore might God fall from heaven, as His Word fall to the ground. (Hebrews
12:14; Micah 4:4; Matthew 5:18).

No one who is not saved from their sin here can be saved from hell hereafter. 
No one can see the Kingdom of God above, unless the Kingdom of God be in him
below. Whoever will reign with Christ in Heaven, must have Christ reigning in
him on earth. And yet as sure as this is, and as clearly as it is taught in
every part of the Holy Scripture, among all the truths of God, there is
probably none which is less received by men.

Yes, many professing "Christians" invariably invent one way or another to get
to heaven without holiness. In the place of holiness, some have substituted
penance, pilgrimages, and praying to saints and angels. Thousands of
professing Christians have no doubt but that, by a diligent use of these
things--without holiness at all--they shall see the Lord in glory. 

However, other professing "Christians" will not be satisfied in that manner.
They are convinced that whoever leans on such things leans on a staff of a
broken reed. Yet, thousands of such "believers" also think that they too will
see God without holiness. How? By doing no harm, generally doing good, and
going to church. And many thousands are content with this, believing that are
on the high road to heaven. Yet, that is not much better than the hopes of the
first group.

However, other professing "Christians" recognize that such nominal
Christianity is not sufficient. They correctly say that such a "practice" does
not stand on the right foundation. However, they go on to say that Christ has
already accomplished and suffered everything for us. They say that His
righteousness is imputed to us; therefore, we need none of our own. Since
there is so much righteousness and holiness in Him, there needs to be none in
us. In fact, they claim that to think we have any holiness, or to desire or
seek any holiness, is to renounce Christ. That from the beginning to the end
of salvation, all is in Christ, nothing is in man. And that those who teach
otherwise are preachers of legalism, and know nothing of the Gospel.

What evasion! What has Satan done? He has persuaded these very men to "turn
the grace of God into licentiousness" (Jude 4). This is indeed a blow to the
root, the root of all holiness, all true faith in Christ. The whole design of
Christ's death was "to destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). But now
this is overthrown in one stroke.

The Fruits of Cheap Grace

For wherever this teaching of "easy grace" is received, it leaves no place
for holiness. It forbids all such exhortations as might excite a desire for
holiness. No, it makes men afraid of personal holiness, afraid of valuing any
thought of it. For they fear that any step toward holiness might be a denial
of the faith, and a rejection of Christ and His righteousness. So that,
instead of being "zealous for good works," (Titus 2:14),  good works are a
stink to their nostrils. In short, they are infinitely more afraid of the
works of God, than of the works of the devil!

Here is Satan's masterpiece! We are to believe that those who profess Christ
as Lord are holy, without a grain of holiness in them! Holy in Christ, however
unholy in themselves. They are supposedly in Christ, although they have not
one jot of the mind that was in Christ. They are "complete in Him," although
they are as proud, as vain, as greedy, and as lustful as ever. They think they
can continue in unrighteousness because Christ has "fulfilled all
righteousness."

O you people, do not be deceived! For as surely as the Lord lives, "neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulteress, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor
thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall
inherit the kingdom of God." "Such" indeed "were some of you. But you were
washed, but you are sanctified," as well as "justified, in the name of the
Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit or our God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). You are really
changed! You are not only accounted as righteous, you are made righteous!

The inward power of the Holy Spirit has made you free--really, actually
free--from the law or power "of sin and death" (Romans 8:2). This is liberty,
true gospel liberty, experienced by every true, baptized believer who has
obeyed the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:8; Mark 16:15-16;
Acts 2:36-41). This is not freedom from the law of God, or the works of God, but
from the law of sin and the works of the devil! See that you stand fast in
this real, not imaginary, liberty! Take heed that you "be not entangled again
in the yoke of bondage" to sin, from which you have cleanly escaped (Galatians 5:1)

I testify to you, that if you still continue in sin, Christ shall profit you
nothing. That Christ is no Savior to you, unless He saves you from your sins.
And that unless it purifies your heart, faith shall profit you nothing. Oh,
when will you understand, that to oppose either inward or outward holiness,
under color of exalting Christ, is directly to act the part of Judas, to
"betray the Son of man with a kiss?"

What? Make Christ destroy His own Kingdom? Set Christ against holiness? Talk
of Christ as saving His people in their sins? It is no better than to say, "He
saves them from the guilt but not from the power, of sin. Will you make the
righteousness of Christ a cover for the unrighteousness of man? So that by
this means, "the unrighteous" of every kind "shall inherit the kingdom of
God!" Stop! Consider! What are you doing? You did run well. Who has bewitched
you? Who has corrupted you from the simplicity of Christ, from the purity of
the Gospel?

You did know, "He that believeth is born of God: And whosoever is born of God
sinneth not" (1 John 3:9). O come back the truth, the pure, the old Gospel!
That which you received in the beginning. Come back to Christ, who died to
make you a holy people "zealous for good works" (Titus 2:14). "Remember from
whence you are fallen, and repent, and do the first works" (Revelation 2:5) For
"wilt thou know, O vain," O empty "man, that faith without works is dead"
(James 2:17)?

Do not stupidly and senselessly call holiness legalism--a silly, meaningless
word. Be not afraid of being under the law of God. Rather, fear being under
the "law of sin" (Romans 7:23). Love the strictest preaching best. That which
most searches the heart, and shows you wherein you are unlike Christ. That
which presses you most to love Him with all your heart, and serve Him with all
your strength!

Permit me to warn you of another silly, meaningless phrase: Do not say, "I can
do nothing." If so, then you know nothing of Christ. Then you have no faith.
For if you have faith, if you believe, then you "can do all things through
Christ who strengthens you" (Philippians 4:13). You can love Him and keep His
commandments; and to you His "commandments are not grievous" (1 John 5:3).
Grievous to them that believe? Far from it! They are the joy of your heart!

Holiness is Obedience

Show then your love for Christ by keeping His commandments, by blamelessly
walking in all His ordinances. Honor Christ by obeying Him with all your
might, by serving Him with all your strength! Glorify Christ by imitating
Christ in all things, by walking as He walked. Trust in Christ to live and
reign in your heart. Have confidence in Christ that He will fulfil in you all
His great and precious promises. That He will work in you all the good
pleasure of His goodness, and all the work of faith with power! Cleave to
Christ, until His blood has cleansed you from all pride, all anger, all evil
desire. Let Christ do all. Let Him who has done all for you, do all in you.

Exalt Christ as a Prince who gives mercy. A Savior both who gives remission of
sins, and who creates in you a new heart, who renews a right spirit within
you (Psalm 51:10). This is the gospel, the pure, genuine gospel; glad tidings
of great salvation. Not the new, but the old--the everlasting Gospel!

Adapted from John Wesley's tract, "A blow at the root"