Sunday, January 3, 2010
am – Bellflower
How Can I Be Holy?
When we think of
holiness, what often comes to mind is God.
Truly He is HOLY. And
that is something we must understand if we are to be pleasing to Him.
But holiness is also an attribute every Christian ought to strive
to perfect in their lives.
In our lesson this
morning, we want to talk about the need for holiness and make some
recommendations to help us become holy.
With a New Year having just begun, as we examine ourselves, this
is a good time to give consideration of this point.
a.
Defined
– the word holy is from the Greek word, hagios, which means first,
revered or worthy of veneration, but after that it means to be set apart
for God. (Thayer). It also
has a common root with one of the words for purity, cleanness.
To help understand this word, it is interesting to note that the words
saints, sanctification and holy are all derivatives of this same word.
b.
In its
first definition, it has reference to God – Truly He is Holy!
He is to be revered -
Heb 12:28 says, “Therefore,
since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have
grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly
fear.” While the verse
does not use the term holy, it demonstrates His holiness.
Rev. 4:8 DOES describe His
holiness, which describes His throne in heaven and all creatures
worshipping Him and saying, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who
was and is and is to come”
Luke 1:49,
“For He who is mighty has done
great things for me, and holy is His name.”
Another consideration is that nothing Unholy can approach Him!
1 John 1:5 says, “This
is the message which we have herd from Him and declare to you, that God
is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”
c.
In its
second definition, it has reference to all that belongs to Him,
including us. It points to our
need to set ourselves apart as special (i.e. pure and clean) because we
belong to Him. In the same
way that an ambassador is to act dignified because he represents a
company or country, so we need to give consideration to HOW we live
because we belong to and represent God.
1 Peter 1:13-16, Peter
calls upon these brethren, “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’”
Since we are to be holy, we need to give thought to how our conduct
helps us set ourselves (i.e. sanctify) ourselves) apart for God.
Just exactly what is expected of
us is revealed in the pages of His word.
That is what we want to address in this lesson.
II.
How do I become holy?
a.
Sin
makes us unholy.
We cannot thoroughly examine the subject of holiness without an
understanding of the consequences of sin.
Isaiah 59:2 says, “But
your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have
hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”
1 John 3:4-6 says, “Whoever
commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in
Him there is no sin. Whoever
abides in Him does not sin.
Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.”
b.
When
there is sin in our lives, we must purify ourselves before God.
That is how we become holy.
To do that we must cleanse ourselves of our sins.
c.
If we
have never obeyed the gospel, we need to do so. Acts 22:16,
Galatians 3:27.
d.
If as a
child of God, we have been overtaken by sin, then we must again make
ourselves right in His eyes.
This is done through repentance (Acts 8:22), confession of our
sins and prayer to God (1 John 1:9).
a.
Our focus
in this lesson addresses HOW to remain holy in the midst of this unholy
world. Let us consider some
things we should think about and do that can help us in this.
b.
The first
thing that will help us is to
recognize what leads to
unholiness. When
we speak of unholiness we are noting lives corrupted by sin.
i.
1
John 2:15-17 speaks of the
three avenues of sin. The lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride
of life. It has been said
that this verse identifies the root cause of EVERY sin we commit.
James 1:12-15 speaks of
how we are enticed or tempted to sin.
We are familiar with these verses, but are there other things to
consider about what leads to unholiness?
What prompted me to prepare this lesson was this point.
Let us consider this for a few moments.
ii.
First, realize that such is usually a
gradual process.
It is rare that one is carried away by sin overnight.
It usually happens over time.
Hebrews 2:1 warns us of
this very thing, “Therefore we
must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we
drift away.”
We expect the world to sin (cf. 1 Cor. 5:9-10, 1 John 4:4-5, Eph. 2:2,
etc.), but sadly, Christians are often caught up in sinful behaviors as
well. They wander from the truth
(James 5:19-20) or are overtaken by sin (Gal. 6:1).
We grieve, especially when we have no choice but to deliver such
a one to Satan (1 cor. 5:4-5).
We wonder, HOW did it happen?
That really IS a good question that we need to ponder lest we
fall into the same trap.
Consider this application:
We know that if one sins there are going to be consequences (cf. Num.
32:23, 1 Cor. 4:5). But at
times we seem to get away with it.
We do something and there seems to be no consequence.
But is that really true?
Can we be sure? How do we know that no damage is actually done?
How do know that by committing a particular sin (and getting away
with it) has not weakened our resolve to do right?
Perhaps, our punishment is guilt.
We “repent” and move on.
But then we commit the same sin again and we are a little less
guilty about it than the last time.
Sometimes it is the subtle damage that is the greatest.
What usually causes a heart
attack? Maybe it is our
diet or failure to exercise.
It doesn’t happen overnight.
But in time, the damage builds up and then all of a sudden, you are in
severe trouble. Maybe you
die!
Friends, that is how Satan works.
He is subtle and sly in his actions (2 Cor. 2:11,
2 Tim. 2:26, Ephesians 6:11 speaks of the “wiles of the devil”,
etc.)
iii.
Some avenues of sin in our lives
– beside the obvious rebellious
actions, note some avenues through which we might subtlety get caught up
in sin:
1.
Our
own physical desires.
It is not secret that many sins feel good while we do them.
That is why it is described as bait in James 1:12-15.
Hebrew 11:25 speaks of “the passing pleasures of sin.”
The simple truth of life, both commission and omission is, WE DO
WHAT WE WANT TO DO! And we
live in a selfish society that says, “If it feels good, do it!”
So we do it.
2.
What others want me to do.
How often do we act out of a desire to conform?
How often do we find ourselves willing to compromise a little
just to “fit in”? Such is a
dangerous path to put oneself on.
1 Cor. 15:33 warns us about evil companions.
3.
The
influence of my own identity.
Perhaps you have heard the expression, “You are what you eat.”
The point is that the foods you eat will determine how healthy
you are (as a rule). The
same is true with those things we identify with – such as the music we
listen to, what we watch on television and at the movies, where we work
and spend our time, the types of clothing we wear, etc.
These are things that identify our character.
I ask how much do we let these things affect who we are?
Do they influence us for good or evil?
Is the music we listen to wholesome?
What is the content of what we let our eyes bring into our body?
Consider
1 Corinthians 6:12 where
Paul said, “All things are lawful
for me, but all things are not helpful.
All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the
power of any.”
4.
That which no one sees.
We live in a society where it is easier to sin in secret.
With all the good the internet can provide, it is also a cesspool
of evil. Pornography, idle
chatter and activities, gossip, hidden identities (people who are
completely different when they are online), online gambling, and other
things can make it sinful.
And it is possible you will not be seen by anyone else.
Therefore, “repentance is easy” (or is it?
See above). We must
remind ourselves, that God sees everything!
Heb. 4:13 tells us this.
5.
Intellectual arrogance –
how often does the Bible warn against sinful pride (Rom. 1:19-20)?
Often, we become too smart for our own good.
We begin to reason away our need to repent!
There are many who seek justification for their sins!
Some find ways around them (such as MDR, modesty, etc.), but
others seeks reasons to justify what they are doing.
Some say, “I can’t help it” or “It is in my nature”.
We seek sympathy for our “struggles” when we really don’t intend
to give it up. The New
Testament constantly addresses man’s wisdom as it reason’s away God’s
wisdom. Paul dealt with that
in 1 Cor. 1:18-30, etc.
iv. If we will think on these things perhaps we will take measures to avoid them.
To be continued in
our next lesson
Presented,
January 10, 2010 am
Last week a lesson
was presented asking the question, “How can I be Holy?”
In that lesson we identified different ways that the word holy is
used in scripture. Namely,
we noted it has reference to God as being Holy (worthy of great
veneration) and our need to live a life set apart from the world.
This is summarized in the statement, “but
as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:15-16)
I addressing the
need to be holy we noted that you become holy (pure in God’s eyes) by
having your sins removed, but then you must strive to STAY holy.
This means you must maintain a proper relationship with God.
We began that by noting that the first step is to realize what
leads one to an UNHOLY life.
We warned about the dangers of sin and how it is possible to drift into
an unholy state.
Today, we want to
conclude this study by noting some more things that will help us to stay
holy. Since this is a
continuation of a lesson presented last week, I have expanded it.
The text I would like for us to consider as an introduction today
is
1 Peter 1:13-16.
We just read vs. 16.
Let us now notice vs. 13-15, “Therefore
gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon
the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus
Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former
lusts, as in your ignorance, but as He who called you is holy, you also
be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am
holy.’”
a. Resolve to set yourself apart
i.
1
Peter 1:13 – “gird
up the loins of your mind, be sober…”
In this text Peter admonishes his audience to get their minds
ready. The NASU says, “Therefore,
prepare your minds for action…”
ii.
If you
want to be holy, you have to MAKE UP YOUR MIND to become holy and
stay that way. That is what
resolve is about. IF you really want to be holy, you will find a way to
do it. As the saying goes, WE DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO!
Romans 12:1-2 reminds us
that we are not to be conformed, but rather we are to be transformed by
the renewing of our minds.
iii.
Sanctify yourself means to set
yourself apart –
1 Peter 3:15 says, “But
sanctify the Lord God in your hearts…”
iv.
2
Cor. 6:17 calls for us to
“come out from among them and be
separate…”
v.
Purify
yourself – James 4:8, “Draw
near to God and He will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you
double-minded.”
i.
Deciding
that you want to go in the right direction is a good start.
In fact, it is the EASY part (all of us want to be better
people). But it will be
followed by the HARDEST thing to do – namely putting your words and
thoughts into action.
ii.
That means
you are going to have to give up ungodliness in its every form.
To say it another way, you have to LET GO!
iii.
Our text,
1 Peter 1:13-14 says, “Not conforming yourselves to the
former lusts…”
iv.
1
Peter 4:2-3 says that we
need to live for God and not ourselves.
We have spent enough of our past living in sin.
GIVE IT UP!
v.
I am
reminded of what our Lord told the rich, young ruler in Matthew 19:21, “If
you want to be perfect,
go, sell what you have and give it to the poor, and you will have
treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
The POINT – he needed to let go of whatever it was that stood in
his way of sanctifying himself to God.
In his case, it was his material prosperity.
vi.
1
Thess. 4:3-7 calls for us
to abstain from sexual immorality.
It is a passage that deals with our sanctification.
Vs. 7 says, “For God did
not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.”
vii.
This means
that holiness requires self-control.
The Bible speaks of self-control -
1 Peter 1:6 – it is a
“Christian grace”
Galatians 5:23 – it is a
“fruit of the Spirit”
It was taught by Paul as he sought to gain heaven –
1 Corinthians 9:25-27
which speaks of temperance and self-discipline.
i.
1
Peter 1:14-16, “As obedient children,…be holy in all your conduct…”
ii.
It is NOT
enough to resolve to give up the unholy things.
If all you do is quit the wrong things, you will still be empty.
You HAVE to replace it with the good things.
Sometimes Christians live miserable lives because they focus on what
they CANNOT do. Such is no
way to live. The true
quality Christian life is manifested by what he does.
VS. 15 calls for us to BE holy in our conduct – a POSITIVE command.
iii.
Matt. 12:43-45 tells of a
man whose soul had been cleansed of demons, he didn’t fill his heart
with anything worthwhile, so when the demon came back and found it
“clean and swept” he went and found wicked friends who made the man
worse than before.
THINK of a diet! You
need to loose weight and struggle to reach your goal.
When you do there is victory, but you have NOT truly won if you
haven’t changed the way you live your life.
iv.
Romans 6:19, 22 speaks of
how we have changed masters.
NEVER forget this!
v.
Heb. 12:14, “pursue
peace and holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”
vi.
Realize
who you belong to –
1 Cor. 6:19-20 – while dealing with fornication, the principle
needs to OCCUPY our lives.
vii.
Resolve to
love God with all your heart –
Matt. 22:37.
Anything LESS will not be sufficient.
viii.
For
example:
1.
We need to
pray and study – John 17:17,19 – His word can sanctify us.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
2.
Do good
deeds –
Titus 2:14, we are to be a
people, zealous for good works.
3.
Spend time
trying to reach the lost
4.
Whatever
God tells you to do in His word – DO IT!
That is what obedience is about!
Remember
Matthew 7:21-23
i.
Not
specifically mentioned in our text, it is another key to a holy life and
one of vital importance. If
you want to be holy, be around those who seek holiness in theirs and
your life. We cannot
emphasize enough our need to prefer one another over the world.
ii.
Romans 12:16 says, “Be
of the same mind toward one another.
Do not set your mind on high things,
but associate with the humble.
Do not be wise in your own opinion.”
iii.
Hebrews 3:13 says, “exhort
one another daily, while it is called today…”
iv.
Hebrews 10:24-25 calls for
us to consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.
i.
NEVER
forget the goal. It is to be
with God and Christ in heaven for eternity.
Our life DOES have a purpose.
There is a reason why we are here.
We as Christians understand this.
It is something that if we keep at the forefront of our minds
will help us strive for holiness in our lives.
ii.
Hebrews 6:19, we have hope
“as an anchor of the soul…”
iii.
Philippians 3:7-11, Paul
speaks of all he gave up for Christ and how he counted it as rubbish, “that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own
righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in
Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.”
iv.
1
John 3:3 says, “and
everyone who has this hope, purifies himself just as He is pure.”
v.
Let your
reward also be your motivation.