True Christians are Holy

Intro:

A Christian:

Loves God

Loves Others

Today, we look at a third trait of true Christians: A true Christian is holy.

What is Holiness

We need to understand a few things about holiness:

· Holiness means to be different- in a good way!

· Holiness is more than do's or don'ts

· Holiness is visible

There are different aspects to holiness:

There are different aspects to holiness:

· There is a sense in which we are holy right now.

· Yet we are also presently growing in holiness.

· And one day we will be completely holy.

There are aspects of holiness which are totally up to God and there are aspects that call for our involvement.

God says "Be holy because I am holy." ()

God says "Be holy because I am holy." ()

How do we become holy?

Prepare Our Minds

1 Peter 1:13 ESV

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

KJV says to “gird up the loins” of our minds.

gathering ones robes when needing to move in a hurry

Here, it is saying get our thinking focused and not have loose ends distracting us.

Being mentally prepared is crucial

We must be focused on GOD and our thoughts conform to His thoughts.

Be soberminded

steadfast

self-controlled

moral decisivenss

Set our hope fully on God

Don’t conform

1 Peter 1:14 ESV

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,

After we have prepared our minds, we must leave our former passions.

Before knowing Christ, we lived as slaves to sin.

Even though we have been born again, we still have the sin nature

We must fight that nature.

We must NOT following our hearts.

Jeremiah 17:9 ESV

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Our heart will lead us to sin.

It is based upon our passions.

It is based in our lusts.

We must fight against our old self and lifestyle.

Be Holy

1 Peter 1:15 ESV

but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

Holiness defines our new nature

Our lives should be different because He makes us holy.

There should be a before and after to our story.

God’s nature becomes ours

It is due to His holiness that we can have any holiness.

Our conduct changes.

We obey and revere His Word

We bring Him glory by glorifying Him

1 Peter 1:16–17 ESV

since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,

Obey Him out of fearful reverence

Know that we will stand before Him and be judged.

GOD is the perfect judge and won’t make mistakes.

We will be held accountable to His book.

Did we keep it?

Did we live it?

Matthew 5:48 ESV

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

We are held to one standard:

IL: Standard units of measurement

The perfect rule by which we will be measured is God Himself.

Holy lit. means “set apart”

There is a distinct difference.

He is perfect

He doesn’t make mistakes

He is sinless

There is no

Exodus 15:11 ESV

“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

1 Samuel 2:2 ESV

“There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.

Psalm 86:8–10 ESV

There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.

Ps

Walk as God desires

1 Peter 1:14 ESV

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,

1 Peter 1:

1 Peter 1:17 ESV

And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,

All because of Christ

1 Peter 1:18–21 ESV

knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

It is all possible due to Jesus!

We were ransomed by Jesus

Bought with the price of His blood and nothing less.

Jesus greatest purpose and mission was to overcome our sin nature

Because of His holiness and sacrifice, we can be made holy.

The result:

1 Peter 1:22–25 ESV

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

1 p

Conclusion:

Be different- in a good way! Be like Jesus.

So be different- in a good way! Be like Jesus.