The Holiness of God
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Introduction:
Wednesday night I shared with you regarding holiness for me and the how holiness has been woven throughrout scripture. This morning we will take a look at 1 Peter 1:13-15 which is a call to holiness.
God has called every Christian to a holy life.
So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.” For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.
Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.
You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.
For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the Scriptures say,
“People are like grass;
their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades.
But the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.
Holiness is better than morality. It goes beyond it. Holiness affects the heart. Holiness respects the motive. Holiness regards the whole nature of man. A moral man does not do wrong in act; a holy man hates the thought of doing wrong. A moral man does not swear, but a holy man adores. A moral man would not commit outward sin; a holy man would not commit inward sin. And if committed, he would pour forth floods of tears.
Our text reminds us to live Holy because God has called us to holiness. He is Holy therefore we are to follow his example, His pattern for our lives.
Prayer
Called to Holiness
Called to Holiness
God has called every Christian to holiness, no exceptions to this call.
Illustration:
Taken from Francis Chan, Letters to the Church, David C. Cook.
The sun is ninety-three million miles away, and you are unable to stare at it. You obviously can’t touch the sun and live, so how is it possible that we are currently attached to the One who shines brighter than the sun? High angels cover themselves with their wings in His presence (Isa. 6:2), yet you are a member of His body. Why would Someone so extraordinary choose to care for you like His own arm?
This call to holy life is based on the fact that God Himself is holy!
Because God is holy, He requires that we be holy. Many Christians have what we might call a “cultural holiness” this is where we adapt to the character and behavior pattern of Christians around them.
We need to remember that we have not been called to blend in!
God has not called us to be like those around us. He has called us to be like Him.
Holiness is known as conforming to the character of God.
In scripture we see words that decribe His holiness:
majesty
purity
moral perfection
God’s holiness is as necessary as His existence. God knows what is right and therefore only does what is right.
We ourselves do not always know what is right, what is just and fair. At times we agonize over decisions having moral overtones.
What is the right things to do?
His perfect knowledge precludes any uncertainty on what is right and wrong.
But there are times even when we know what is right there is a reluctance on our part to do it.
The right action may involve sacrifice, or a blow to our pride or some other obstacle. This is never an issue with God.
God never wavers. He always does what is just and right without the slightest hesitation because He is Holy!
Perfect Freedom from Evil
Perfect Freedom from Evil
God’s holiness is perfect freedom from all evil.
Illustration:
We say a piece of clothing is clean when it is free from any spot.
Gold is pure when it has been refined from any impurity.
This is the manner in which we can think of the Holiness of God.
He is the absolute absence of any evil in Him.
He has no trace of evil in Him.
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
John is telling is that God is absolutely free from any moral evil and that He is Himself the essence of moral purity.
The holiness of God also includes His perfect conformity to His own divine character. All of His thoughts and actions are consistent with His holy character.
For us as we grow and mature we do not always act consistently with our character.
We tell a lie or get trapped in a series of impure thoughts etc. Then we get overwhelmed with ourselves because of these actions because they are inconsistent with our character. This never happens to God.
He is consistent and always acts consistent. He is steady and unwavering.
This example of holiness found in Him should bring a level of assurance and comfort to us that we have someone in our lives that exhibits this level of consistency.
His actions toward us are always perfect and just.
We are often tempted to question God and His actions, complaining that He is unfair in His treatment of us. This is a lie from Satan and he fed that same lie to Eve.
“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
It is impossible for God to be unfair because it goes against His very nature. He is holy and all His actions are holy.
We therefore must accept by faith the fact that God is holy even when circumstances make you think or appear otherwise.
Do not complain against God.
To complain against God is in effect to deny His holiness and to say He is not fair.
“he that saith God is not holy speaks much worse than he saith that there is not God at all” - Stephem Charnock.
When we complain may we be reminded of a lesson from Job.
Illustration:
I remember when I felt called to full time ministry it was a time when it was not easy to find a ministry placement because there were more pastors than there were churches. I remember applying for many positions and not being successful. I remember complaining and being upset because I felt called to full time ministry and my hearts desire was to serve here in Newfoundland and Labrador. I remember being angry, upset and questioning my calling. Then I had someone in my life who reminded me of Job, so I read this passage of scripture.
Is he not the One who says to kings, ‘You are worthless,’
and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’
who shows no partiality to princes
and does not favor the rich over the poor,
for they are all the work of his hands?
I felt terrible for complaining and questioning His holiness and got on my knees and asked for forgiveness and continued to wait on Him and His perfect timing.
Not only did He open the door of opportunity to ministry in a full time capacity but I was able to pastor in that church for 5 years, during that time I got married and I had my first child. You see not does He bless us but He goes above and beyond what we were hoping for.
There are times when we think He doesn’t now care and we get discouraged and ready to quit and get full of complaints may we tap ourselves on the shoulder and remember His holiness, think about the fact that is not even possible for Him to be unfair.
Acknowledge His Holiness
Acknowledge His Holiness
By doing this it is considered one of the ways we are to praise God.
According to John’s vision of heaven described in Revelation 4
Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“ ‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’
who was, and is, and is to come.”
The seraphim in Isaiah’s vision of God’s glory also uttered this three part ascription of God’s holiness in Isa. 6:3
And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
Moses was praising God for the deliverance of the Israelites from Pharoah’s army he also sang of God’s holiness
“Who is like you among the gods, O Lord—
glorious in holiness,
awesome in splendor,
performing great wonders?
Who is there like You?
And who else would give their life for me?
Even suffering in my place
And who could repay You?
All of creation looks to You
And You provide for all You have made
Who is there like You?
And who else would give their life for me?
Even suffering in my place
And who could repay You?
All of creation looks to You
And You provide for all You have made
So I'm lifting up my hands
Lifting up my voice
Lifting up Your name
And in Your grace I rest
For Your love has come to me and set me free
And I'm trusting in Your word
Trusting in Your cross
Trusting in Your blood and all Your faithfulness
For Your power at work in me is changing me
We need to wake up and realize He is holy and attribute this to Him and give Him that glory!
God is often called in scripture by such names as the holy one or the Holy one of Israel.
Holiness is God’s crown.
Imagine for a moment that God possessed omnipotence (infinite power) omniscience (perfect and complete knowledge) and omnipresence (everywhere present) but without perfect holiness. He would no longer be desribed as God.
Holiness is the perfection of all other attributes: His power is holy power; His mercy is holy mercy; His wisdom is holy wisdom. It is His holiness more than any other attribute that makes Him worthy of our praise.
Ilustration:
Only once in sacred Scripture is an attribute of God elevated to the third degree. Only once is a characteristic of God mentioned three times in succession. The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy, or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love; or mercy, mercy, mercy; or wrath, wrath, wrath; or justice, justice, justice. It does say that he is holy, holy, holy, that the whole earth is full of His glory.
R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God, Tyndale.
God demands more than that we acknowledge His holiness.
for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
God rightfully demands perfect holiness in all of His moral creatures. He cannot for one moment relax His perfect standard of holiness.
but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
You are of purer eyes than to behold evil,
And cannot look on wickedness.
Why do You look on those who deal treacherously,
And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours
A person more righteous than he?
Because God is holy He can never excuse or overlook any sin we commit, however small it must be.
Sometimes we try to justify to God some of our actions when our conscience bothers us or calls us into question.
God’s holiness does not make allowance for minor flaws or shortcomings in our personal character.
Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
We are being reminded that because God is Holy we are to be holy. God hates sin. Hate is such a strong word and I do not like using it. But when it comes to God’s attiitude towards sin, only a strong word such as hate conveys the degree behind the meaning.
Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor;
And do not love a false oath.
For all these are things that I hate,’
Says the Lord.”
We should not compromise our stance toward sin. We must be obedient to God’s standard on this matter.
The more we grow in holiness the more we hate sin.
I gain understanding from your precepts;
therefore I hate every wrong path.
Conclusion:
We often say God hates the sin but loves the sinner this is true but too often we rush over the first half of this statement to get to the second. We don’t like to talk about this first half. Is it because we feel holiness and that standard is just too impossible to obtain?
We cannot escape the fact that God hates our sin. Therefore every time we are doing something God hates, we need to be gripped by the fact that God hates all these things. We need to get it out of our lives and not grow acustom to washing over it like its not a big deal. It is a big deal and it matters to God and therefore our standard should not be lowered!
We need to cultivate in our own hearts the same hatred of sin that God has. We must cultivate Joesph’s attitude when he was tempted:
There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
How could I do such a wicked things and sin against God?
God hates sin wherever He finds it, in a Christian and non Christian alike. He is consistent with this level of hatred He has for sin.
And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;
As Christians we must remember we know the difference, we have been called out of that way of life and therefore we must work hard to ensure we keep that standard high in our lives. God may judge the sins of Christians more severely than those of the world.
David was a man after God’s own heart yet after His sin against Uriah he was told the sword will never depart from your house - 1 Sam 12:10.
Moses in one act of unbelief was excluded from the land of Canaan despite many years of faitful service.
Jonah for his disobedience was cast into a horrible prison the stomach of a giant fish for three days and nights so he would learn not to run from the command of God.
We often think we can do something then later ask God to forgive this way of thinking is dangerous God’s judgement is without partiality.
We need to think about the holiness of God and His hatred of sin and let that be a strong deterrant for us to stay away from it at all costs.
Illustration:
Union with Christ fundamentally and irrevocably changes our relationship to sin. Our old self has been crucified (Rom. 6:6), and sin has no dominion over us (v. 14). This doesn’t mean a part of us called the “old nature” has been replaced with a different substance called a “new nature.” Paul is not talking about parts. He is talking about position.
The old man is what we were “in Adam” (cf. 5:12–21). Death, sin, punishment, transgression—that’s the “in Adam” team. But we died to that team. The contract was revoked. We now wear the “in Christ” jersey. Union with Christ is like being placed on an NFL football team through no talent of your own. Though you didn’t earn your way on to the team, now that you wear the jersey you want to play like a real football player.
Taken from The Hole in Our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung, © 2012, pp.103-104.
And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.”
Our time here on earth is temporary therefore the level/standard of holiness of God must be something in the forefront of living our lives.
Life is to be lived as one of pilgrimage or exile because Christians are exiles during this time that they must spend away from our heavenly home.
God accepts us solely through the merit of Christ, God’s standard for our character, attitudesn and actions is “Be holy, because I am holy” We must take this seriously if we are to grow in holiness.