Holiness is Not and Option
The Pursuit of Holiness • Sermon • Submitted
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Holiness is Not an Option
Holiness is Not an Option
14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
SLIDE: Means holiness is a REQUIREMENT
But there is a problem...
SLIDE: Even the best Christians cannot earn salvation with their own holiness
But there is also a solution...
19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
Illus. Golf tournament ban
One bad apple spoils the bunch!
Slide: It also only takes one perfectly holy man to cover the sin of the world
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
Slide: Christ lived out two types of obedience
His ACTIVE obedience was fulfilling the law (living a holy life)
His PASSIVE obedience was paying the penalty for sin (death on the cross)
This means He paid the price for our sins
AND
His righteousness is credited to our account
10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Sanctified means “made holy” — so we have already been “made holy”
However, our story doesn’t end there
14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
This isn’t referring to the holiness supplied by Christ...
This is a holiness to be STRIVED FOR!
What does it mean to “strive for?” YOU have to try!
Slide: We have two types of holiness:
A holiness we have in Christ
AND
A holiness we are to strive after
These two types complement each other
Slide: HOLINESS IN OUR LIVES IS NEEDED FOR 3 THINGS
7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.
1thes 4:7
Slide: 1. Our ASSURANCE of salvation
The book uses NIV, says:
7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
What does this all mean?
Christ’s holiness has brought you salvation, and you are called to live a holy life in response.
The book says this, “If there is not, then, at least a yearning in our hearts to live a holy life pleasing to God, we need to seriously question whether our faith in Christ is genuine.”
Sounds like it’s saying salvation is through works, but it’s not
Think of it this way:
When Christ saved you, you are not only free from the PENALTY of sin
You are also free from it’s RULE over you!
We still have flesh, but we are not in bondage.
If sin no longer has dominion, I assume that holiness should be in our lives!
If it’s not, I wonder if sins dominion has been lifted...
As the book says, “Holiness is not a condition of salvation, it is a part of it.”
That is because we have the Holy Spirit
Holiness is not a condition of salvation, it is a part of it
The Holy Spirit creates our faith within us
And He creates a desire for holiness
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
We see the Holy Spirit doing 2 things:
1. The Holy Spirit creates our faith within us
2. And He creates a desire for holiness
Slide: 2. For FELLOWSHIP with God
Because we serve a holy God, our holiness is needed for one more thing:
1 O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?
Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
and speaks truth in his heart;
3 who does not slander with his tongue
and does no evil to his neighbor,
nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
but who honors those who fear the Lord;
who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 who does not put out his money at interest
and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.
1 O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?
Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
and speaks truth in his heart;
Slide: HOLINESS IN OUR LIVES IS NEEDED FOR 3 THINGS
David is saying that if we are to FELLOWSHIP with God, we must be holy!
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
The book says this, “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.”
If you are not, God will discipline you!
The book tells a story about being in a minor accident and not reporting it
Here’s an example...
Illustration: Hitting Matt’s brick wall
You could tell it hot Matt as certain way
He hit a brick wall!
Remember what Matt said this morning about reaping what you sow!
He left that story out of the sermon...
Don’t tell him! I asked him if I could share that...
Slide: 3. For EFFECTIVE SERVICE to God
21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
A holy person is useful to God, an unholy one is not useful
11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.
12 “When you come to appear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17 learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow’s cause.
is
15 When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.
If you live out your salvation in an empty way, God hates your actions
11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.
12 “When you come to appear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
QUICK RECAP!
11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.
12 “When you come to appear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
We need two types of holiness!
Jesus’ holiness (life for law AND death for payment)
For our salvation
Personal holiness
Assurance of salvation
Fellowship with God
Effective service to God
