Called to be holy - part 3
1 Peter 1:13-17 (ESV) – page 1219
13 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. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 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,
· My subject again today is; ‘Called to be Holy!’
· Do you still have the confidence of last week’s message?
· Are you confident that your status does not change?
· The goal today is to improve on your confidence
· So that when you read, hear, or study passages like this that says; “you also be holy in all your conduct”, you can shout with confidence Amen, so let it be or I’m in approval of that!
· And even with this wonderful and amazing confidence that your status with God does not change,
· Your union with Christ actually takes you to another aspect of confidence you find in this walk of faith
· Here it is listen; not only does faith in Christ give you confidence that your status does not change, it also gives confidence that your ability does change. Amen!
· Status, no change, ability, does change
· Again prepare your minds for action and stay sober-minded
· Because this is illustrated in a human way within your own families
· Look at your child or your children, your nieces or your nephews
· It does not matter what age, what place, how old, how young, where they are or where they’ve been
· At the point of your looking you know that their status will never change, they will always be your child - Amen
· But in your looking at your child, you also realize that their ability does change
· Their responsibility has changed and their accountability has changed
· You expect both of these and you don’t usually give it much thought
· You need to be confident that this same concept holds for the elect in Christ
· On this first Sunday in June, listen again to Paul and as I read this don’t just hear it as Paul’s speaking but let the pronoun “I” refer to you.
· In other words put yourself into this passage;
Galatians 2:20 (ESV) – page 1170
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
· I, me, myself, and I, have been crucified with Christ!
· Do you believe that?
· Are you confident in that?
· It is no longer I, me, myself, and I who live.
· If I no longer live, then by definition, I’m dead!
· No change to status, but ability does change, but to get there you must realize, except, believe, and have confidence that you no longer live
· So why are these passions of your former ignorance still getting to you?
· Racial stuff, political stuff, economic stuff, social stuff, family stuff, and on and on
· Do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, why? Because
· It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me
· The Holy One of God lives in me – don’t lose it! Stay sober-minded, The Only begotten Son of God lives in me
· Me, myself, and I!
· The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, lives in me!
· Do you believe it?
· Are you confident in it?
· Can I get an Amen, New Hope?
· Then I can look at you, and you, and you, and say Jesus Christ lives in you!
· Paul goes on to say; “And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith (there it is!) in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
· And again; That Status Will Not Change!
· O, my brothers and my sisters, to fully embrace that by faith
· Why does the old stuff still get to you?
· The same stuff that use to get you upset still get you upset
· Still have hang-ups and hick-ups
· Still got issues
· Worrying about health, worrying about wealth, worrying about the good life on this side of glory!
· IT IS NO LONGER I WHO LIVE, But Christ who lives in me!
· Then he can say “and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
· Not only do you have Christ’s righteousness by virtue of your union with Him, but you also have His power.
· Are you confident in this?
· Therefore Christ’s life must be a substitute for yours in supplying your ability to please God, as well as supplying the righteousness that God accepts
· Today I want you to leave here confident that your ability does change and there are two area that help us get there. They are;
· Having faith in your new nature
· And having faith in the Holy Spirit
· Your new nature, a wonderful change has happen to you
· Pick the illustration that works best for you
· You have been rehabbed, you have been re-programmed, you have been rewired; Scripture says it like this
· First, what you were; in theology there is a term usually stated in Latin and it means in your former state you were “not able not to sin”
Ephesians 2:1 (ESV) – page 1175
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
· That summarizes it in a sentence
· Here is another
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”; Romans 3:23 – page 1134
· For the elect, that is what you were
· For you who have not embrace Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, that is what you are!
· Faith in your new nature, what have you become
· And yes there is another Latin term that states that.
· Through your union with Christ, you are able not to sin, able not do the wrong that the Holy Spirit has revealed to your conscience. Listen;
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) – page 1163
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Galatians 6:15 (ESV) – page 1173
15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
· I mentioned this last week.
· The question is; Do you believe it?
· Can you live by it?
· Is your ethics controlled by this theology and doctrine?
· Do you have faith in your new nature?
· A wonderful change has come over you!
· Are you confident in this?
· Now with the living presence of the ‘God of Creation’ in you, though you are still in the same bodies you are fundamentally different creatures
1 Peter 1:23 (ESV) – page 1220
23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;
· Faith in Your new nature
· So as He who called you is holy, as He who regenerated you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct especially since the new has come!
· Be holy in all your conduct!
· Your ethics are holy ethics!
· God has indeed regenerated you by His Spirit so that you, in your new nature, have Christ’s presence and power
Titus 3:5 (ESV) – page 1201 Tells us;
5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
· O, I want to jump to this point about faith in the Holy Spirit, looks like it will have to wait until next week, Lord Willing!
· Because, there is a need to understand this new nature of yours
· You must have this confidence in order to be confident that your ability does change
· It is with this new nature that all things are new
· You now have the ability to have new desires, set new goals, establish new priorities, and exercise new abilities
· Allow me to give more evidence from the Word of God; In Paul letter to the church at Rome;
Romans 8:5-11 (ESV) – page 1137
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
· The ability to have new desires, set new goals, establish new priorities, and exercise new abilities, these activities are done when you set your mind
· How did Brother Peter say it in this letter?
1 Peter 1:13-14 (ESV) – page 1219
13 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. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,
· The fact remains, that through your union with Christ you are able not to do the wrong that the Holy Spirit has revealed to your conscience.
· You are able to obey God, and able to say ‘no’ to sin
· Does this mean that you can become sinless in this life? No it does not!
· Your very humanity has limitations that prevent this and because of the sin nature, the resistance of your wills to the Spirit’s influence remain even now and until you are perfected in glory
· But the Scriptures helps you here also
1 John 1:8-2:1 (ESV) – page 1227
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin (you are able not to sin). But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
· Faith in your new nature enables you increasingly to discern and defeat the forces of evil in your lives
· Your ability does change
· Faith in your new nature reminds you and gives you confidence that there is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus
· Faith in your new nature also gives confidence that you have been set free from slavery to sin and are now slaves of righteousness, slaves of holiness
· And you are able not to do the wrong that the Holy Spirit has revealed to your conscience.
· Listen to this quote from a book titled “Dynamics of Spiritual Life”, by Richard Lovelace
“God’s gracious provision for our needs includes God’s grace for sanctification as well as justification. It is not enough to tell believers, “You are accepted through your faith in Christ.” We must tell them also, “You are delivered from the bondages of sin through the power of the indwelling Christ…”
In order to combat this sense of helplessness before the binding power of indwelling sin, believers should first be assured (I would add confident) that sanctification, like justification, is grounded in union with Christ. The power of sin to rule their lives has been destroyed in the cross of Christ; we have died with Christ, and have been raised up together with Him in newness of life. Therefore, we are not to set the estimates of our power to conquer sin according to past experiences of will power, but are to fix our attention on Christ and the power of His risen life in which we participate: for we have died and our life is now hidden with Christ in God… This power is accessible in our experience through faith, not through simple striving of the will.”
· Faith, confidence, in your union with Christ provides the double cure, ridding you of sin’s guilt and power. Because God has regenerated you as new creations, you can respond to the call to be holy with yes Lord, from the bottom of my heart to the depts. Of my soul yes Lord
· As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct
· You can say Amen
· Allow me to close this first Sunday in June with words from the Master.
· Listen at how He use a practical and simple illustration to teach this wonderful lesson of holiness, based on a relationship of being united
· I start it off with this question for you
· New Hope, my brothers and my sisters, are you confident of your new nature?
· Are you so confident that you can leave here today and look at yourself as ‘an abiding branch’?
John 15:1-11 (ESV)
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.