Sermon Tone Analysis

IF HOLINESS IS AN OPTION…

IF HOLINESS IS AN OPTION…

What does “holiness” have to do with “fellowship with God”?

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Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?

Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?

Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?

“sanctuary”= tent, a symbol for something transient and temporary—pilgrimage

“hill”== a symbol for something permanent.

True worship withers our roots down here and establishes our foundation up there.

Fellowship with God should be looked upon as being eternal.

Who May Enter?

The Answer:—Psalm 15:2-5

WORKS-

2 Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,

“Blameless”- perfect, upright—Imagine an Israelite wanting to bring a special burn offering to God.

He finds a full-grown ram, prized breeding stock, very best in his flock.

He runs his eyes over it to make sure there are no blemishes.

It is “without blemish”.

Our works must stand the scrutiny of God.

WORDS- 2b-3

vs2-speaking the truth from sincere hearts.

“truth”- first time it is used in Psalms.

God considers our secret words and also our innermost hidden thoughts.

vs3-Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.

4 Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts.

“backbiteth”-slander, gossip—the man who would be a guest at the Lord’s table must be marked by words that are restrained.

5 Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent.

Such people will stand firm forever.

WAYS-vs5

The man who is greedy of gain and who is not mindful of what he does to make money has no place in God’s house.

“Fellowship”- to ally oneself, to be coupled, participation; enjoyment of the presence of God by the believer, with sin confessed, obedience the prime goal and fruit the result.

Fellowship with God consists of:

-Knowledge of His will—

-Mutual affection—

-Mutual affection—

-Enjoyment of his presence-

-Enjoyment of his presence-

-Conformity to his image-

-Conformity to his image-

To regard wickedness is to cherish some sin, to love it to the extent that I am not willing to part with it.

I know it is there, yet I justify it in some way.

To regard wickedness is to cherish some sin, to love it to the extent that I am not willing to part with it.

I know it is there, yet I justify it in some way.

God does not require a perfect, sinless life to have fellowship with Him, but He does require that we pursue holiness.

We must grieve over sin in our lives instead of justifying it.

Read and explain—

If we claim that we have fellowship with God and yet do not live in the eternal life revealed by Jesus, we are lying and not doing the truth (i.e., we are not obeying God’s word).

The truth, in light of this context, is nothing other than the truth God has revealed in Jesus.

If we claim that we have fellowship with God and yet do not live in the eternal life revealed by Jesus, we are lying and not doing the truth (i.e., we are not obeying God’s word).

The truth, in light of this context, is nothing other than the truth God has revealed in Jesus.

After stating a negative theological maxim (aimed specifically against those who held to the Christological heresy John was addressing), John states its positive corollary in v. 7: It is those who live in the eternal life revealed in Jesus who have fellowship with God (and God with them) and are sinless in God’s sight.

The evidence of true mutual fellowship with God is one’s living in the fullness of life revealed by Jesus.

While those without Christ can only make false claims about having fellowship with God (1:6), Christians actually have fellowship with God and God with them through Jesus, who is the only Mediator between God and human beings.

The second effect in John’s reasoning indicates that the conditions necessary for fellowship with God are fulfilled by Jesus’ death.

His logic is thus: Those who live in the eternal life revealed in Jesus have every single one of their sins, which defile and make one unfit for fellowship with God, cleansed through Jesus’ atoning death.

Jesus Christ-

Jesus Christ-

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The “holiness” of Jesus was more than simply the absence of actual sin.

It was a perfect conformity to the will of His Father.

Technically, a believers fellowship with God is never broken because it is an eternal partnership ().

But because God is holy, sin destroys the joy of the believer’s fellowship.

If Holiness is an option…Fellowship is overrated!