Living A Life God can Bless
Holy People • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Holiness and sanctification are distinctives of the Church of The Nazarene.
We recognize that God calls us to be a holy people.
In our day there is an urgency to study and teach on Biblical holiness.
Holiness is missing in the preaching and teaching of many churches.
Yet, “We must face the fact that we have a personal responsibility for our walk of holiness.” (Jerry Bridges The Pursuit of Holiness).
Don’t miss understand me; in this series I will talk about Sanctification and Holiness but I am not talking about sinless perfection.
We need to call sin “sin.”
Not putting degrees on it, because God’s word forbids it!
Neither are we to categorize sin if we are to live a life of holiness, a life God can bless!
A sin is a sin, because it is a violation of a known law of God!
If we are truly are a holy people we must take personal responsibility for our sins.
As we do we become dependent upon the grace and forgiveness of God.
Then comes the moment where we lay our life on the altar before God as an act of spiritual worship.
It was quite the journey that moment came for me — try hard, do good, fail!
Time and time again, over and over! Repeat!
The problem I did not let the spirit move in my life!
I finally realized that I needed to obey God in all areas of life no matter how insignificant I might have thought it was.
I needed Him to come in, so I needed to surrender.
This brings us to our passage for today: Hebrews 12:7-14
7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11 For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
12 Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is impaired may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
14 Pursue peace with all people, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
Are you ready for the message God has for us today?
Cool let’s dig in!
The Biblical Teaching
The Biblical Teaching
What did the author mean at verse 14 — “without the holiness no one will see the Lord?”
Notice first the word “the holiness”
The writer says “The” Holiness — the definite article meaning there is only one!
“The holiness” — also can be translated sanctification both are understood as becoming more personally dedicated to God.
The words holiness and sanctification are interchangeable.
They speak of the same thing. The process by which we can live a life God can bless.
Especially by becoming more distinct and devoted to God.
At first glance you may think it is on us to work toward this.
The author tells us to “pursue” — to go after, we do this pursuit by study and growth with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Two important things to consider:
We do not merit salvation through our personal holiness.
Scripture is clear about the best we can do!
6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our wrongdoings, like the wind, take us away.
Our best works are stained and contaminated with sin
we need to be washed in the blood of the Lamb
We are taught in Scripture about the obedience and righteousness of Christ
18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
Holiness is a pursuit
Holiness is a pursuit
We pursue holiness having been called to live a holy life by God.
7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in sanctification.
Through Christ we are made holy in our standing before God, and called to be holy in our daily lives.
The author of our text in Hebrews is telling us to take seriously the necessity of holiness.
Initial sanctification or holiness — When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives at the moment of salvation.
It is the holiness or sanctification which recognizes a calling or separation from the world and commitment to God.
In another sense sanctification or holiness is also progressive, This is where we recognize that sanctification begins at conversion and continues on through out the life life of the believer.
4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,
5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
6 whom He richly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Holiness or sanctification is the process through the Holy Spirit we grow toward Christ likeness.
When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives at our salvation, (or initial sanctification), He comes to make us holy in practice (progressive sanctification, or holiness).
Holiness and Hebrews 12
Holiness and Hebrews 12
How does all of this happen then?
How does this work?
Let’s put the cookies on the table!
Part of the process of holiness or progressive sanctification is the discipline of God.
7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
Discipline is a Greek word meaning — the imposition of painful consequences or other disadvantages for their disobedience as part of a process of improving someone’s character or actions.
It’s training or learning To make us disciples
“God does not require a perfect, sinless life to have fellowship with Him, but He does require that we be serious about holiness, that we grieve over sin in our lives instead of justifying it and that we earnestly pursue holiness as a way of life” (Jerry Bridges Pursuit of Holiness).
The purpose of God’s discipline is to become more Christ like.
It is the teaching of His discipline, holiness, and changed lives that is is missing from the teaching of progressive Christianity.
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
Part of the discipline of God comes as as we confront the sin in our life.
The passage of 1 John reminds us that the blood of Christ constantly and continually flows to cleanse us, as we confront sin we are led to confess our sin before God, who is faithful and just to forgive us.
What is interesting is the word “forgive” is past tense.
When we confess God has already forgiven us, because of the constant flow of the blood of Jesus over our lives.
Conclusion
Without holiness then we will not see God.
Without holiness or sanctification we are not living a life God can bless.
As I look into the teaching and preaching of progressive Christianity the element of godly sorrow is also missing.
The knowledge of sin should produce godly sorrow
10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.
Think about the person who, after realizing the harmful effects of their actions, decides to make a change for the better.
Instead of dwelling on self-pity, they take the constructive steps towards rectifying their mistakes.
This genuine repentance leads to a transformed and fulfilling life, a life of holiness, a life God can bless.
That is why without holiness no one will see God!
This is not in the teaching of progressive Christianity.
But it is the plain teaching of God’s Word.
An old song from our Hymnal — Once I was bound by sin’s galling fetters; chained like a slave, I struggled in vain, but I received a glorious freedom, when Jesus broke my fetters in twain. Glorious freedom! Wonderful freedom! No more in chains of sin I repine! Jesus, the glorious emancipator now and forever He shall be mine!
So what are you going to do based upon what God has said today?