Sermon Tone Analysis

Holiness, Holiness

Is what I long for

Holiness, Is what I need

Holiness, Holiness

is what you want, For me

Do you know that God desires for us to be Holy?

the harperCollins biblical dictionary gives this definition for Holiness

holiness, a biblical concept associated with separation from the ordinary or the profane, on the one hand, and connection with God or the divine, on the other.

God is supremely or definitively holy and people, things, and actions may be considered holy through association with God.

Holiness may also include the ideas of consecration to God and of purity from what is evil or improper.

knowing that God desires for us to be holy but how can we live up to such a life?

Can we?

Will we? or better yet would it ever be possible for sinful people to be holy as God is holy?

Well on our own, it is impossible so the answer is no.

But there is hope.

I know that it is good for me to know there is hope.

How about you, with the state of the world today, I need hope.

Our comes from Holy God who doesn’t expected you to figure it out all alone.

In the 1925 Baptist Faith and Message we are reminded:

Sanctification is the process by which the regenerate gradually attain to moral and spiritual perfection through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in their hearts.

It continues throughout the earthly life, and is accomplished by the use of all the ordinary means of grace, and particularly by the Word of God.

Sanctification is a doctrine of the movement of believers toward Holiness.

Those of us who have entered a relationship with Jesus, and who realized we were sinners and began this journey towards holiness.

But why is this important?

Why should we care?

when we follow Jesus as Saviour we need to begin to see a change in our lives.

The next verse that helps see the need to change.

God wants us to move closer in our relationship with him so we can know his original plan for us to be close to him.

But if we do not deal with sin that will never happen.

God through his holy spirit is help us to sanctify or make us holy as God is holy.

What does God’s Holiness look like?

first we must understand that God is not like any other god, deity, idol that is worshiped.

He has separated himself from all other gods.

Because of his actions and work nothing compares to him.

Thus he has separated himself from any man made god

Need further proof of this.

So if we are to be holy as he is holy.

We must understand that God is not like any worldly god.

He has set the bar much higher and has separated himself .

We ned to begin to separate ourselves from the gods of the world, if we are to move towards holiness in our lives.

We need to attach our lives to the one true God and separate ourselves from the gods in our life and make our lives holy unto God.

Your gods may not be idols of wood and gold, they may be different for you and I but the things that our more important than your relationship with God they are gods in your life and they will hinder your movement toward sanctification and life Holy as God is Holy.

if you love things of the world more then your relationship with Jesus I would say you have gods in your life that are keeping from the Holiness God is calling you too,

Why are we to be Holy?

or Why should we be moving towards holiness?

So we can be drawing closer to God.

Do you want to better understand this world?

Do you want to better understand God? Then your movement toward a holy God is a must.

We must separate ourselves from those things in the world that are not beneficial for you.

Love of money, love of fashion, love of adventure, love of things of the world, love of those things that get in between you and your walk with God.

That take you further away from God.

For me it could be sports, it could be family, it could be … The world and Satan don’t want you to grow closer and holy before God.

In fact Satan likes you right where you are or to move away from Holiness.

Another way of looking at holiness is to be consecrated to God.

Consecration.

Separation of persons, utensils, buildings, or places from everyday secular uses for exclusive dedication to holy or sacred use.

Often we think of this for pastors or missionaries.

But I think that is way to narrow a view.

As we move towards the holiness of God we can also do this as individuals but also things we have and I know of people who do this with their families.

I think it is a good indication of where you are in your relationship when you can say I am giving God all that I have to his purpose.

Turning all that I am and have for His purpose is a big step towards holiness.

Knowing that God desires for us to be holy how can we live up to such a life?

simple answer is Jesus.

This is how we move from the world into the Holiness of God.

Have you been following your idols?

You are living in the world.

Have you allowed the world to guide your thinking?

You are living in the world.

Are you letting your mind dwell on what the world says is important?

You are still in the world.

But God through the Holy Spirit and through the sacrifice of Jesus you can move away from this dying world.

Where is your heart?

Following and moving towards a Holy God?

I have tried to live in this world as a passenger.

Just here for the ride.

I have lived for myself, setting my goals, having my own purpose and i was not going to let anyone get in the way.

It did work out that well.

Education was an idol, peoples acceptance was an idol, living for my self was an idol and other things as well.

These idols didn’t help me, make everything work my way, they didn’t satisfy at all.

But there came a point in my life that I have let them go.

Now i know there is still others things that must go but the Holy Spirit continues to work in my life and I am on a trajectory that is moving me towards holiness.

Is it easy?

Nope, in fact sometimes it is very uncomfortable.

But each time God helps me and I am obedient it is much better.

More and more I let God drive my life and it’s true I still am a passenger but at the very least it is not like the movie Thelma and Louise, the car is not heading over a cliff.

Each day I separate out myself for a Holy God is such a blessing.

I am moving closer and close to a life that is sanctified.

God wants that for all of us.

Pray.... for us to move towards a holy God.