MULTIDIMENSIONAL HOLINESS

HOOK:

I was bad at basketball.

Performing well makes me feel good. When I score points, I feel like I belong, like I matter, like I’m a good son, like I’m somebody. I could build a whole life around that!

But if you play that out, let’s pay attention to what happens in the end, right? Let’s say you get good. Really good. You make varsity your freshman year. You set all the records at your school. You win a state championship. You get a scholarship to play in college, and eventually you join the NBA. That was LeBron James’ story! And he’s one of the best to ever play the game! He’s acheived all that you could hope to acheive!

And this year, LeBron James returns for his 21st season—one of only six players to do so!

LeBron James will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the greatest players in basketball history. His stats are consistently jaw-dropping, despite competing in a sport that is usually dominated by younger players.

His manager, Mav Carter, revealed… one of the reasons for LeBron’s consistent performance: he spends about $1.5 million a year on his body. Let that number sink in for a second: $1.5 million every year. That includes things like cryotherapy, hyperbaric chambers, exotic leg boots, exercise routines, diet, and much more. In other words: “He invested in his body, so he can still dominate at [38] years old.”

But at this point, even though LeBron has had one of the most successful NBA careers ever, in all likelihood He will retire before any of you graduate from high school. His career is coming to an end. He has spent a tremendous amount of time and money to prolong his career, to chase after the promises of the world, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t last forever.

This is such a good reminder for us: this world is all about being the best, trying hard, being successful, making money, being happy, being healthy, being satisfied. And for a time, it might work. But at the end of the day, the world can’t make good on its promises. LeBron’s body is going to deteriorate; he won’t be able to play the game he loves. And there’s something in that that’s true for our lives as well. So many things in our lives—from Fortnite to social media to boba tea—it’s all designed to make us happy, make us feel good, make us feel satisfied. And it might work for a time. But at the end of the day, it can’t make good on it’s promises.

How are followers of Jesus supposed to respond to a world in which everything is built to make us happy, comfortable, and satisfied; yet can’t make good on that promise?

BOOK:

1 Peter 1:13–16 “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’ ”

How should we respond? In short, we should set our hope fully on Jesus Christ, AND we should let that change how we live!

We should keep an eye out for all that God has in store for us! We should build our lives solely on the firm foundation of faith in Jesus Christ, and it should make a difference; and that’s where Peter goes next.

“Do not conform” — If your hope is fully set on Christ, it will change how you live in your daily life in two ways. In other words, you can show that your hope is fully set on Christ in two ways.

First, by (1) “not being conformed to the passions of your former ignorance.”

MSG, “Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now.”

There is tremendous pressure on you to just do what you feel like doing. Many people in the culture are trying to make it as easy as possible for you to do whatever you feel like doing. That’s basically what a smartphone is! It’s just a highway to whatever you want to do. But don’t fall into the trap! All it is is short term pleasure that that puts you to sleep spiritually. Just like with LeBron James, all the world can offer are short term solutions that create long term problems. It’s just a dead end. It’s like eating candy every day; it’s like procrastinating homework to get in a little more time for video games; it’s like using salt water to quench your thirst. It doesn’t work! In the end, you’re far worse off!

“But [instead]… be holy” -> In other words: you can show that your hope is fully set on Christ by (1) Not doing whatever it is you feel like doing apart from Christ, but instead (2) living a life of holiness.

But, what does holiness look like? What does holiness mean?

To be holy is to be set apart FROM sin, and to be set apart TO God; for His service.

Okay, so what does that look like? Who all is left handed? How many of you know that it’s impolite to shake someone’s hand with your left hand in India? Caleb Crowder going to India—a clean hand and an unclean hand. One hand was set apart… You keep your hand clean, and then you put it to use for the body. One hand to wipe with, and one hand to eat with.

In the same way, God wants us to keep ourselves clean from living in sin, and then to give ourselves to God, to be used by Him, to live like Him, to become like He is: Good, righteous, and loving.

Big Idea: We can show that our hope is fully set on Christ by being set apart from the pattern of this world, and by being set apart to God.

Now, what does that mean for me? It means that, if we claim to know Jesus, and to walk with Him, and to have our hope set on Him, then we should ask ourselves a couple of questions.

LOOK:

1. We are supposed to leave behind the pattern that the world is trying squeeze us into, and all these quick fixes that make me feel good now but in the end leave me worse off than when I started. So the first question we can ask is, “Have I set myself apart from the pattern of this world which is all about how I can feel good now?”

Or… Am I just living however I want? We need to recognize that if our hope in Christ isn’t making a difference in our lives, then it’s possible we haven’t really set our hope on Christ.

**But that’s only half the equation!

2. What makes us holy, is not simply that we say “no” to sin, but also that we say “yes” to God! So the second question we can ask is, “Is there any part of my life that I need to set apart to God?”

The Christian life isn’t all about what we’re saying “no” to—it’s also about saying “yes” to God! In some ways, this is the whole point! What’s the use in keeping the hand clean if you never use it?

3. There’s one more question, but before we get to it I want to bring up one more thing from the passage: The words “Since it is written.”

Peter isn’t writing anything new! And he’s trying to show why it is that we should be holy.

Q: Why should we be holy?

A: Because it is written! And that means it’s always been God’s plan! It’s always been what He wants, and He’s willing to make it happen. God wants His people to reflect His love and goodness to the world!

The important point is this: God wants us to be holy; and because He wants us to be holy, He will help us get there.

It’s so easy for holiness to become a burden to us.

If sin is all the stuff I actually want to do, but shouldn’t, then holiness will be a burden. And if life with Christ is something that’s all up to me, and that I have to do in my own strength, and if it’s something that I have to figure out on my own, then holiness will not only be a burden; it will be impossible!

But if sin is the stuff that is poison to my soul, and if its the stuff that makes me hate myself and hurt those around me; and if life with Christ is something that God wants, and something that He promises, and something that He will do in me as I spend time with Him in prayer and in His Word, then the only question is this: Will I let Him? Will I let Him have His way in my heart, and in my mind, and in my life?

God doesn’t want us to perform, or to pretend, or to try as hard as we can to be good. God doesn’t want us to play holiness in a part of our lives; He wants to transform us so that we’re holy in all that we do. And that is going to be a life long process.

And that’s okay! Our job is not to be totally perfect and to have everything together right now. As a matter of fact, God knows that we won’t have everything together right now. That’s why He sent Jesus Christ to die for our sins! But since Jesus died for our sins, we can now live our lives learning and striving and making it our aim to become more and more like Him; more and more holy; more and more set apart from sin to live life with God.

So now the final question is this:

Have I fallen into a pattern of pretend-holiness, or am I allowing God to work in my life so that I can be transformed from the inside out?

TOOK:

Dear Middle School Clay,

What we look forward to in Christ is worth it. It’s worth the investment. It’s worth striving after. It’s like cool water for the thirsty soul. It’s like a solid rock where everything else is sinking sand. It’s the only guarantee we have in life that comes with a promise. So, spend your one life chasing after God!

Don’t put it off until High school. God wants to work in your life right now, even in this very moment. Just tell Him, “Lord, have your way in me! I want to be like you. I want my life to mean something! I want my life to be hidden in you, today and forever.” And if you can pray that prayer this morning, and mean it, God is faithful! He will get His glory in your life. Because those He justified, forgiving the guilt of their sin, He will also sanctify—He will make you holy! And those He sanctified He will also glorify when Jesus returns.

So set your eyes on that day. Don’t give up. Keep running this race. Even when it gets difficult and it seems like “there’s no way I could ever be holy! There’s no way I can conquer this sin! There’s no way I can be like Jesus! I'll never be good enough!” You’re right! You can’t. But it’s not up to you! God is the One who is calling you, and He is the One who’s at work in you, and He is the One who will get the glory, so that one day when you’re 26 years old and you look back you can say, “Look what God has done! He saved me from myself! He’s been so good to me. He’s been transforming me! He’s been making me holy, and One day soon we will be together forever.”