The June 7th episode of TBN featured a rare moment of sound biblical teaching from Milwaukee based Bishop Darrell Hines in an interview with Mark Chironna. Not rare for Hines, rare for TBN.

Thankfully, this was devoid of the gratuitous set ups that are usually the custom of stale TBN interviews. Chironna gave Hines liberty to express what was “burning in his heart” at that time. And what followed was 99.9% lean meat. It was clear that Hines was speaking truth because there were no perfunctory “clap right here” moments for the audience. Either the audience wasn’t accustomed to such strong meat or they were so enraptured they didn’t do the usual studio audience happy shout and dance at the “blessing and miracle” speeches.

Hines spoke clearly about the message and meaning of holiness. In his exposition he explained that holiness is an identity and our personal responsibility to reflect holiness. His very direct message: the church has an identity crisis.

Interestingly enough, Hines said the catalyst prompting his search for the true biblical definition of holiness was seeing the much talked about —albeit shameful— Tonex interview by Lexi.

“I was watching television, this interview that was being done by this one Christian singer, gospel singer… and I won’t call his name,  he had been to our church and had really blessed us but these were some years after, he was on television confessing to being a born again, homosexual believer in God, continue to pastor his church,  God loves him and he loves God and we just have to accept him like that . And something happened to me Mark.  I felt a real…sadness. There’s a whole generation of young people being influenced now by this music, but the lifestyle doesnt represent the music nor does the music and the lifestyle go together.”

That began an awesome exposition of holiness and the inherency of identity.

Bishop Hines understood and articulated what it at the root of the gross indecency (and the passive acceptance of it) of behavior: the church does not value holiness. I would even say the church has lost the true meaning and application of holiness. Thus, the problem with people like Tonex and the gay christian movement’s ideology he now champions, is an clear result of the church’s moving away from holiness.

Hines addressed a common fallacy used by some as a cloak to justify sin as well as the off track gospel music industry which is by and large is operating under the influence of religious homosexuals.

One of the more striking points he made is that love is God’s ability while holiness is his identity.

Hines said that he is encouraging pastors everywhere to return to preaching holiness. He’s probably seen enough of the tricks, gimmicks and hollow messages used to fill seats with false converts.

This is good, sound teaching that’s well worth your 15 minutes to watch, hear and heed. Yes, we really need a radical return to holiness.

Watch the full  June 7 broadcast with Bishop Darrell Hines. The interview begins at 1:05.