Sermon Tone Analysis

*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