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Take Time To Be Holy - Part 1
Contributed by William Akehurst on Jul 31, 2023 (message contributor)
Summary: Be Holy, for I AM HOLY. How can we, who are of a sinful nature, be holy? Hint, it’s not about what we do, it’s what HE does IN us.
2023.07.30 SERMON NOTES. TAKE TIME TO BE HOLY - PART 1
William Akehurst HSWC
BIG IDEA: Be Holy, for I AM HOLY. How can we, who are of a sinful nature, be holy? Hint, it’s not about what we do, it’s what HE does IN us.
Scriptures: Titus 3:5-7, 1 Peter 1:15-16, Romans 12:1-2
5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
1 Peter 1:15-16 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.”
GOOD AND HOLY IN THE BEGINNING.
GOD’s CREATION was good and very good.
In traditional Hebraic Jewish culture, everything is meant to be holy.
God created the universe and declared it to be “good”, but after HE made mankind, HE declared it “very good”.
Genesis 1:25, 31
25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
In Genesis 3, the man and woman sinned, and we now live in a fallen world.
But GOD is very much involved in the redemption of everything HE made because HE still wants all of it to be very good.
SET APART TO BE HOLY
That is why HE made a covenant with the descendants of Abraham to be a Holy People, a Holy Nation.
TO SHOW HOLINESS TO THE WORLD
GOD spoke to all of Israel at Mount Sinai and through Moses gave them the commandments, which separated them from unholiness.
They were given instruction to separate various items, seasons, times and days, and even their physical character.
These separations were to show the world what is holy from unholy; clean from unclean.
And yet, the people continued to sin; so GOD gave them judges and kings to guide, rule, protect, and deliver this chosen nation.
And Ultimately, HE sent their Jewish Messiah, Yeshua-JESUS, to spiritually redeem not only them, but HIS whole creation of mankind.
LIVING THE HOLY, SEPARATED SPIRITUAL LIFE
One way to become separated was to hide oneself from the dark evil world.
As a result, this belief contributed to the time known as the Dark Ages around 450 AD when Church clergy and others turned inward with to a monk-like, solitary lifestyle.
SEPARATION RESULTED IN DARKNESS AS THE LIGHT OF GOD WAS SCARCELY FOUND.
While those who kept away from the world, living a separate kind of spiritual existence, their separation from society as well as each other didn’t line up with a “Down-to-Earth” Savior, who both communed alone with God and spent time with family and friends, fishermen, and even tax collectors and prostitutes.
YET FROM THE BEGINNINGS OF THE CHURCH, THE APOSTLES WERE VERY MUCH INVOLVED WITH SERVING THE PEOPLE
In the days of the apostles, we saw the formation of the elders and deacons of the church who would shepherd and teach others. Whose authority was well honored, and yet, they were not separated from the people. They were intimately involved in serving the people (Acts 6:1–6).
JESUS CALLED HIS DISCIPLES TO ENGAGE WITH THE WORLD, FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
AND WE WERE CALLED TO BE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
THEREFORE, A “HOLY-SEPARATED SPIRITUAL LIFE” MUST COINCIDE WITH THE PHYSICAL LIFE.
SO, WHAT IS THE HOLINESS OF GOD?
Psalms 99:9 Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His holy hill; For the LORD our God is holy.
THE BIBLE DECLARES GOD’S INCOMPARABLE HOLINESS.
His moral perfection, absolute purity, and immaculate righteousness.
