Sermon Central
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The Importance Of Holiness Series
Contributed by Mike Hullah on Jan 10, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: God desires His people to be holy. In fact holiness is essential in those that minister to God, Church , and Lost. This study shows principles involved in this topic.
THE IMPORTANCE OF HOLINESS
A DEFINITION OF HOLINESS
To be different.
a. Separation to God
b. The conduct resulting from this state
THE IMPORTANCE OF HOLINESS
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
17 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:18 “You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base also of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. And you shall put water in it,19 “for Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in water from it.20 “When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the LORD, they shall wash with water, lest they die.21 “So they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die. And it shall be a statute forever to them—to him and his descendants throughout their generations.”
No ministry is acceptable to the Lord without cleansing. Every priest had to submit to the Word of God in this matter. To violate God’s order was to come under the penalty of death.
Before the priests could minister to the Lord in the Tabernacle, or minister to man at the altar they had to wash at the Laver.
THE LAVER
8 He made the laver of bronze and its base of bronze, from the bronze mirrors of the serving women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
Laver = kiyowr = a washbowl, a pot or a furnace
The root meaning mingles water and fire.
Greek for laver = immersion or baptism
Baptism is an outward symbol of inward repentance
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
Where did the water come from?
4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
The Laver was for cleansing, made of mirrors it speaks of the reflection and revealing of Gods word in our lives, as water it represents the work of the Holy Spirit cleaning us through the word of God, as bronze fashioned in the furnace of affliction (depression) it speaks of the tests of refining we go through.
The importance of Holiness is seen in the New Testament illustration in
27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
To violate Gods divine order was to come under the penalty of death.
Three aspects to self-examination
1. The Word as a mirror
2. The Holy Spirit as conviction
3. The right response to testing
The Priests before they entered into ministering to the Lord and for the people had to wash their hands and feet, this symbolizes the following:
THE HANDS
Speak of what we do
21 “The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands
He has recompensed me.
3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
6 I will wash my hands in innocence;
So I will go about Your altar, O LORD,
