Holiness to be God’s standard of living for His people.
The Word of God in 1 Corinthians 1:30 explains to us that Jesus is our sanctifier and without him we cannot be holy. Some Christians emphasize biblical standards of holiness. Some call this legalism, and unfortunately sometimes it is legalism. Firmer roots for personal holiness grow when we recognize that we are broken creatures, through and through. Even our vision of what makes for holiness is marred and twisted. We start growing in Christ by coming to understand that we are strangers to God’s ways. This leaves us no recourse but pray for the Spirit’s leading. Without the Spirit’s work, we not only cannot know God, but we also fail to discover our true selves. The Spirit, through the Bible, shows us what a God-pleasing life is, and leads us to want to live it and treasure it. Godliness or holiness comes only from God so only God can give it to you. It is ’earned’ in a sense, but only by what Christ did on Calvary and through the resurrection God gave it to you. The light shines on you, and from there it reflects onto everything else. Therefore, our obedience to Him helps put sanctification into practice in our lives so tonight I want to speak to you about reflecting God’s Holiness
REFLECTING GOD’S HOLINESS
I Jn. 2:3-6…. 1 John 23 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love[a] is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
INTRO. It is important to have true fellowship with God. It is possible to be saved and still not have a personal, daily walk with Christ. It is also possible for someone to "say" they have fellowship but not really have it. One way we will have our relationship with Christ verified is by the impact it has on our physical and mental lives. One who is in constant fellowship with his Lord will reflect the image of Christ in his daily life (I Jn. 2:5-6).
Is it possible to live a holy life in this day and age? Before you answer, remember, just because you may not do it...doesn’t mean it can’t be done. What would a holy man or woman look like?
I. PERSONAL HOLINESS DEFINED.
A. Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God….Let this same mind which is in Christ Jesus be in you.
B. It is the habit of agreeing in God’s judgement, hating what He hates, loving what He loves, and measuring EVERYTHING in this world by the standard of His Word.
C. See Colossians 3:12-17
II. WHAT HOLINESS LOOKS LIKE.
A. A holy man will endeavor to shun every known sin and to keep every known commandment. He will have a burning desire to do the will of God. (Rom. 7:22) - "I delight in the law of God after the inward man."
B. A holy man will strive to be more like our Lord Jesus Christ. He will work to develop the mind and attitude that was in Christ. He will strive to be conformed to his Lord’s image (Rom. 8:29).
He will forgive others.... be unselfish.... walk in love.... be lowly-minded and humble.... He will remember that "He that saith he abideth in Christ ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked" (I Jn. 2:6).
C. A holy man will follow after meekness, longsuffering, gentleness, patience, temperance, and control of his tongue. (Gal. 5:22-23)
D. A holy man will practice self-denial. He will crucify his flesh and curb his passions. He will restrain his carnal desires.
1. (Gal. 5:16, 24) -- "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." "And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affection and lusts."
2. See. Colossians 3:5-10
E. A holy man will practice brotherly kindness. He will abhor all lying, slandering, backbiting, cheating, dishonesty, and unfair dealing. (I Thess. 4:7) - "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness."
F. A holy man will have a spirit of mercy toward others. He will strive to keep his heart pure and avoid all things that might draw him into temptations. He will be faithful in the duties, relations, and obligations of life.
G. Finally, a holy man will be spiritually minded. (See Col. 3:1-2)
III. ARE WE THERE YET?
A. Seeing that we who comprise the church of the Lord Jesus Christ have been made holy by His blood and have been sanctified by His Word....this group should be above all reproach and blame.....RIGHT??
B. But sadly, the church has much to repent of:
1. Divorce is rampant among God’s children.
2. Pre-marital sex is not considered wrong anymore. Josh McDowell reports that almost one-half of the teenagers from Christian homes have experienced sex before the age of 19.
3. There is a shameful lack of evangelism among God’s people.
4. Racism is a can of worms we don’t dare open.
5. Wife abuse, greed, neglect, immorality, abortion, and so much more is being allowed into our lives and our churches. And God help the pastor or teacher who has the back bone to stand on the Word of God against such sin as this.
CONCLU. So, where does personal holiness begin in each one of us? If you have not yet accepted Christ as your Saviour, then anything else is a waste of time and energy. "Ye must be born again."
For those of us who are already saved, personal holiness begins with repentance.
(2 Peter 3:9) - "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
(2 Corinthians 7:10) - "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death."
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