Our Holiness is only obtained when the Cosmic Ruler of the universe grants us His Holiness!
Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 1:
1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,
3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
After His resurrection, Jesus was seen by over 500 witnesses. Paul attests to this Truth as he wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1st Corinthians chapter 15:
3 For I have shared with you what I have received and what is of utmost importance: The Messiah died for our sins, fulfilling the prophecies of the Scriptures.
4 He was buried in a tomb and was raised from the dead after three days, as foretold in the Scriptures.
5 Then He appeared to Peter the Rock and to the twelve apostles.
6 He also appeared to more than five hundred of his followers at the same time, most of whom are still alive as I write this, though a few have passed away.
7 Then He appeared to James and to all the apostles.
8 Last of all He appeared in front of me, like one born prematurely, ripped from the womb.
There is absolutely no doubt to the historical accuracy of what Paul wrote. Jesus walked the earth exactly as Scripture conveys to us today. In 1971, I took a class in “The History of Science” at the University of Oklahoma. The Department Head Professor was teaching the class. This department was the premier “History of Science” department in the U.S. Its library of the history of science was second to none. This professor spent every summer traveling to the Middle East and participating in archaeological digs.
At the beginning of every class, we watched a slide show of various sites, paintings, and artifacts of photos taken by the professor. Many pointed to Jesus Christ or scientists acknowledging GOD as their inspiration. One day, a student asked the professor the question,” Did Jesus Christ really walk the earth at the beginning of the first century?”
The professor replied, “I don’t want to talk about religion, but I can say unequivocally that He did!” This testimony hit me like a rock, and I then had to deal with this Truth in my life. Later that year, I received the Baptism of The Holy Spirit. I was baptized in water at the age of 12, and FATHER was merciful toward me for the next eight years while I was groping around in ignorance.
Luke further recorded in Acts 1:
4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;
5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which The Father has put in His own authority.
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked steadfastly toward Heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,
11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into Heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into Heaven.”
How many witnesses do you need to establish Truth? Jesus was preparing the witnesses to receive The Holy Spirit Who has been given to us as a Gift! You cannot earn a gift, simply accept it.
Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 11:
9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?
12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will Your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Jesus was preparing the disciples AND us to receive The Holy Spirit.
Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Hebrews chapter 1:
1 God, Who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed Heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of His glory and the Express Image of His Person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty On High,
8 But to the Son He says: “Your Throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom.
9 You have Loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
Jesus sits at the Right Hand of FATHER and has taken His place as the Cosmic Ruler of the universe being King of kings, Lord of lords… Lord of all! By His authority, He sent The Holy Spirit to the ekklesia, the called-out ones, known as His church.
Jesus spoke in John chapter 16:
7 But here’s the Truth: It’s to your advantage that I go away, for if I don’t go away the Holy Spirit will not be released to you. But after I depart, I will send Him to you.
8 And when He comes, he will expose sin and prove that the world is wrong about God’s righteousness and His judgments.