ORSBORNAGAIN (19)
A devotional series by Major Rob Birks
ORSBORNAGAIN is meant to introduce the poetry of the first Poet General, Albert Orsborn (1886-1967) to a new audience and to reintroduce his works to dyed-in-the-(tropical)-wool Salvationists.
These are not new songs.
However, the lyrics are jam-packed with new life, which may be missed during corporate worship. Re-examined through scripture and experience, Rob Birks intends through an examination of these scared songs to renew the spiritual fervor of believers, and point seekers to their Savior.
Believe him! Believe him! the holy one is waiting
To perfect within you what grace has begun;
God wills for this people an uttermost salvation;
To sanctify you wholly the Spirit will come.
Surrender! Surrender! Reject the gift no longer,
But say: Blessed Master, thy will shall be done.
I cease from my striving, thy love shall be the conqueror;
To sanctify me wholly, make haste, Lord, and come.
Salvation! Salvation! O tell to all the story,
The thraldom of evil is broken and gone!
My sun and my shield, the Lord gives grace and glory;
He sanctifies me wholly; the Spirit has come.
Albert Orsborn
698 Our Response to God – Holiness, Wholeness
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16).
You know that show “MythBusters”? It’s pretty cool, right? The idea of taking something many people believe to be true, and putting it through a series of tests to either verify or debunk it is appealing to me. In fact, I think I’ll give it a go here.
“We don’t preach holiness anymore in the Army.”
Have you ever heard someone say that? Maybe I should ask how often you have heard someone say that? Let’s see if it’s the truth, or a myth that needs some bustin’.
The Salvation Army has a set of 11 beliefs/statements of faith/doctrines. The 10th states: “We believe that it is the privilege of all believers to be wholly sanctified, and that their whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
That’s a whole lot to unpack, but I know you’re up for it. Simply put, The Salvation Army believes in holiness. That explains it, right? No? Maybe some of these terms, which have been used over the years as synonyms for holiness, will help—sanctification, entire sanctification, full salvation, infilling of the Holy Spirit, baptism of the Holy Spirit, second blessing, blessing of a clean heart, perfect love, pure love. That’s still not a clear picture? Maybe we don’t preach holiness anymore in the Army. Or, maybe, we don’t give or hear explanations of what the term holiness means to those of us in this movement of holiness.
Here are some words The Salvation Army’s Handbook of Doctrine (chapter 10, surprisingly) uses to describe holiness: “set apart,” “victory over sin,” “mature Christian living,” “becoming like Christ,” “discipleship,” “fellowship with God,” “trust,” “obedience,” “dying to the old self,” “transforming commitment to love for God,” “reflecting Jesus,” “fulfilled human life,” “wholeness in Christ,” “Spirit-led journey,” “freedom from the power of sin.” Have you ever heard any of those topics mentioned in sermons? Of course you have (or you haven’t been listening).
So, maybe we don’t hear a lot of sermons on the doctrine of holiness. But I submit that if the preacher is preaching total love for God and total love for OTHERS, if the preacher is preaching victory over sin and Satan, if the preacher is preaching radical obedience to the words of Jesus, if the preacher is preaching Christlikeness (my favorite term for holiness), then she or he is preaching holiness. If none of that is happening in any sermon you hear, run away! Better yet, start studying your Bible and preaching holiness sermons.
MythBusted, thanks to all the officers and soldiers who are preaching biblically.
I’ve gone a long way to say that this song is about holiness. We know that, of course, because the section of the song book where it can be found is called “The Life of Holiness.” We can also tell from Orsborn’s awesome description of a holy God, who desires (and expects) his people to be holy, and has graced us with his Spirit, since he knows we can’t make it there on our own striving. What’s required from us? A belief that God can make us holy, and a full surrender to the Holy Spirit.
To borrow more lines from the second Poet General, John Gowans:
To be like Jesus!
This hope possesses me,
In every thought and deed,
This is my aim, my creed;
To be like Jesus!
This hope possesses me,
His Spirit helping me,
Like him I’ll be.
(SASB 328)
Two more quick thoughts on holiness:
- Holiness is not a list of rules; it’s not reserved for an elite group, or an excuse to be a boring believer.
- Holiness, like all of God’s good gifts, is to benefit OTHERS, not just ourselves.
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31).
For a more comprehensive explanation of holiness, I suggest Chapter 10 of The Salvation Army’s Handbook of Doctrine and Colonel Richard Munn’s article, “Time To Be Holy” (Journal of Aggressive Christianity, Issue 69, armybarmy.com/JAC/jac69.html).
BTW—thraldom = bondage, slavery