Holiness

Introduction

Today we explore the fact that we are called to be Holy.

We are NOT called to be lukewarm,

partially in, or Sunday Christians

Today we discuss the Call to be Holy that is not popular in our world today

NOT popular with Christians or non Christians

We must prepare our minds,

setting our hope,

being obedient,

Reorient our thinking,

modeling Christ

and achieve the understanding that we will all be judged.

Because of this TRUTH we must live in fear of our Father, yet understanding that we are covered by the Blood of Christ.

Christ’s blood shed for YOU and for all humanity.

We were saved from the Laws of the Old Testament --- saved because our salvation, our righteousness was assured and settled by the Blood of Christ.

We became God’s children, adopted by Him

We learn to live in obedience, love each other because our hearts are becoming more and more pure.

We are the seed of Christ, the Word that remains forever.

This is the Gospel the message that we love because it is TRUTH, the very foundation that we stand on daily.

Preparing for Action

Open your Bibles today to 1 Peter 1:13-25

we have to keep last weeks message in mind on OUR LIVING HOPE

the main reason is Scriptural

WE MUST PAY ATTENTION TO THE THEREFORE

We are to set our HOPE on the Grace of Christ

Being Obedient Children

Insuring our Conformation to Living a Life that models Jesus

We are reminded today that we are COVERED BY THE BLOOD of Christ

That covering offers EVERYONE that ability to come to Jesus

to live as HIS Children in Obedience to Him to Love others and walk in assurance of our faith

Setting Our Hope

Our Hope is set on the Blood of Christ

God, who can not be in the presence of Sin, in who’s presence we must be HOLY

our hope is in knowing that Christ paid the price, and because OF and ONLY because of the Blood that was shed we are able to KNOW that God can NOW be in us.

Peter reminds the readers of this letter that the OLD way is GONE

The OT way to the Jews was to be born as the CHOSEN PEOPLE and then obey the LAW to be HOLY

The birth, life, death, and Resurrection of Christ

paid that PRICE IN FULL

there is GRACE installed in our LIFE and that we ONLY need to BELIEVE in CHRIST, PROCLAIMING HIM our LORD, and KNOWING that the RESURRECTION IS REAL

the work methodology of Leviticus was fulfilled in Christ

This can be a tough issue, God NEVER changed His commands HE COMPLETED THEM

The HOLY SPIRIT is now PRESENT in our HEARTS

We have the GUIDE, the INTERRUPTER, and TEACHER in our HEARTS

We NOW life a life where we DO BECAUSE OF and NOT FOR

This is the GOOD News --the GOSPEL

that the unpayable debt

IS PAID IN FULL

Obedient Children

Peter goes from the need to keep the GOSPEL in MIND

Preparing our minds

and setting our HOPE

to obeying HIM

We all love the GRACE and FORGIVENESS BUT it is the OBEDIENCE that we often CHALLENGE

Especially When HIS WORD is DIFFERENT than our WILL

BUT.....

John 14:15 “15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

because HE is our LORD and OUR SAVIOR

We obey because we acknowledge that CHRIST is LORD

not the ways of THIS world

not the leaders of this world who lead outside of the WAYS of CHRIST, THE ways of SCRIPTURE

FRIENDS --

YOUR church seeks to OBEY the WORD of the LORD

We obey CHRIST with the ways of the WORLD but never putting the WORLD ahead of CHRIST.

Conformed to Christ

DO YOU SEE THE WORDS AT THE END OF VS>15

IN YOUR CONDUCT

Some of us should be saying

OH MY!!

We all drop the ball here daily.

Christ sought the ways of GOD on this earth.

Christ knew the FEAR and REVERENCE to LIFE a HOLY LIFE

Christ never swayed or drifted

Christ lovingly challenged the WAYS of the WORLD

Christ never sought to balance the ways of the WORLD with HIS BELIEFS

Jesus is God we are not.

We must reorient our thinking!!

This is our GOAL in this teaching

We are called to be HOLY because HE was HOLY

CHRIST gave us a MODEL

EVEN IN STRUGGLE

EVEN IN PERSECUTION

Peter tells HIS flock to be HOLY.

We all fight understanding, we fight the ways of the WORLD, especially when we want something that is questionable

WE battle those times when our WILL wants something that GOD is clear is WRONG

We seek to shape GOD’s WORD

IT IS HARD AT TIMES

HARD AT MANY TIMES

THE struggle is REAL

but the STRUGGLE is UNDERSTOOD

by CHRIST, BY GOD and BY PETER

Holy He and Thee

1 peter 1:15-16 “15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.””

Peter is quoting the OT again.

LEV 11:44 “44 For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy...

The NEW TESTAMENT is written so that we can KNOW that WAY

We can read, learn and practice a LIFE that is honoring of HIM

We learn to not live by OUR WILL, BUT BY HIS WILL

We must seek to obey FULLY

the ways of IGNORANCE have PASSED

we live by HIS WORD, HIS SPIRIT

to OBEY HIS WILL

THE TRUTH IS IN VERSE 17

THE DEEP REASON

Vs 17

1 peter 1:17 “17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,”

The NIV says that “as Foreigners”

THERE IS THAT WORD CONDUCT AGAIN

We will be judged according to our actions our conduct.

Covered by Christ, but not living outside of HIS WILL

We are NOT Of this WORLD - BUT WE MUST STILL ACT LIKE LITTLE CHRIST’s

OUR SITUATION DOES NOT CHANGE HIS COMMAND OR OUR CHARACTER

Illustration:

we can go on vacation or read about Germany

we can care, and connect

but our TRUE connection is only on what connects in our LIFE, in our area, at our job, in our relationship

This truth is really important

WE ARE NOW HIS, HIS CHILDREN,

WHAT DEEPLY EFFECTS US MUST be the THINGS OF HEAVEN

THAT Is where our LIFE resides, it is where our TREASURES are held

HOW we walk here matters, BUT our ULTIMATE MISSION MUST BE TO THE LORD

OUR identity MUST BE FIRST TO CHRIST

NOT our career or our political beliefs

WE MUST be CHRISTIAN FIRST no matter the WHY or the WHERE

God’s the Judge

Friends

HERE IS SOME REAL TRUTH

We don’t obey the speed limit because of a sign or fear of a ticket

WE don’t speed because OUR LORD tells us to obey the LAWS for HE ordained them HERE

We pay what we owe

We don’t cheat and steal

We pay the taxes owed

BECAUSE as CHRISTIANS we are called to be HOLY

HOLY is LIKE GOD, LIKE CHRIST

HOLY is obeying, LOVING, and fearing GOD

NO COMPROMISE, NO EVIL INTENT

NO little white lies

NO justifications

JUST SEEKING TO FOLLOW and OBEY GOD, FEAR HIM FIRST

Reverent Fear

That is the point

WE FEAR GOD

we do the things that please HIM and DON’T do the things that will DISPLEASE HIM

Fearing GOD means OBEYING HIM because we are CONCERNED about STANDING in FRONT OF HIM

Covered By the Blood

Heb 9:14 “14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

We must NEVER FORGET WHO PAID THE PRICE and WHAT THE PRICE WAS

It is easy to remember Easter in APRIL, but HARDER TO REMEMBER it EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY

We learned that in our LIVING HOPE MESSAGE

our HOPE is every moment, our HOPE is not simply in ETERNITY

ETERNITY IS OUR ASSURED DESTINATION

BUT OUR DAILY LIFE IS CALLED TO BE HOLY

Purified By Obedience

Heb 10:28-31 “28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Love One Another

the Great commandment is to LOVE GOD and LOVE PEOPLE

We are purified BY OBEDIENCE

to HIM to TRUTH

Perishable Vs. Imperishable

Friends are time on this earth is short.

I have heard it called

SPACESHIP EARTH

it is not our permanent home, nor our eternal destiny.

we must endure the challenges of the ship, and of the people on it

BUT we are NOT THE WORLDS

BUT We are HIS

we are all like grass and like the flowers

we have our time and our season

BUT we will all fade away

and the LORD will REMAIN

I want you to chose to be WITH HIM

forever

Obeying HIM, encouraging others, loving others by understanding, by patience, by kindness, by gentleness

We love others as HE modelled LOVING US

THIS IS THE GOOD NEWS THAT WAS PREACHED TO YOU

AMEN