HOLINESS LOOKS GOOD ON YOU!

BIG IDEA: HOLINESS IS POSSIBLE FOR ALL BELIEVERS - BELIEVE DAT!

INTRO: WE KNOW WHAT LOOKS GOOD

DON’T YOU LOVE IT WHEN A FRIEND OR LOVED ONE TRIES ON SOMETHING THAT REALLY BRINGS OUT THEIR BEAUTY? IT CAN BE A DRESS OR A SET OF EARRINGS OR A TIE OR A WELL-FITTED SPORTCOAT...

AND HERE’S WHAT WE SAY: THAT DRESS SURE LOOKS GOOD ON YOU!

IT’S ALMOST AS IF THAT GARMENT WAS CRAFTED FOR THEM… AND AS A RESULT, THEY SEEMINGLY BECOME ONE WITH THE GARMENT - SURE LOOKS GOOD ON YOU!

AS WE STEP & PRESS THROUGH THIS REIMAGINE SERIES, WE’VE PARKED ON THIS TOPIC OF HOLINESS…HOLINESS!

TO BE DEDICATED TO GOD - SET APART FOR GOD’S USE - CHOSEN TO HONOR GOD! HOLINESS...

I WANT EVERY BELIEVER UNDER THE SOUND OF MY VOICE TO KNOW - BELIVE - AND RECEIVE THIS FACT: HOLINESS LOOKS GOOD ON YOU!

BACK IT: WHY HOLINESS? HOLINESS IS THE GOAL

PETER, WRITING TO THIS GROUP OF BELIEVING JEWS AND GENTILES, NEEDED TO “SURE THEM UP” ON THEIR FAITH! PETER NEEDED THEM TO KNOW THAT HOLINESS IS THE GOAL:

1 PETER 1:15 But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 2

4 As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God—5 you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 2

9 But you are a chosen race,,, a royal priesthood,, a holy nation,, a people for his possession,, so that you may proclaim the praises,, of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

IF YOU DOUBT THAT YOU’VE BEEN CHOSEN, THEN YOU’LL DOUBT THAT YOU CAN BE HOLY!

HOLINESS IS THE GOAL!

HOLINESS IS AN OUTWORKING OF OUR SALVATION!

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

THERE IS NO HOLY LIVING WITHOUT A HOLY CONVERSION - RECEIVING THE GRACE GIFT OF SALVATION IS FOUNDATIONAL!

THE TRAGEDY IS, FOR MANY BELIEVERS, CONVERSION IS WHERE WE STOP! WE STOP SHORT!

WE GET OUR TICKET STAMPED FOR HEAVEN, AND THEN CONTINUE LIVING AS IF WE’RE GOING TO HELL!

HOLINESS IS AN OUTWORKING OF OUR SALVATION:

2 Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word,, so that by it you may grow up into your salvation, 3 if you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (1 Pe 2:2–3). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

AS YOU GROW, HOLINESS WILL SHOW!

AS YOU DIGEST THE MILK OF GOD’S WORD, YOU’LL FIND YOUR LIFE BEING CONFORMED - RESTRUCTURED - REIMAGINED - TO THE IMAGE OF JESUS CHRIST! YOU’LL FIND YOURSELF LOOKING MORE LIKE THE ONE WHO DIED FOR YOU...

NOT ONLY IS HOLINESS THE GOAL, BUT EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT:

HOLINESS IS POSSIBLE!

I’VE REFERENCED THREE VERSES IN CHAPTERS 1 & 2 THAT SPEAK OF BELIEVERS BEING HOLY!

HOLINESS IS NOT PERFECTION! IF IT WERE PERFECTION, THEN PETER WOULDN’T HAVE CALLED US TO BE HOLY!!!

HOLINESS IS POSSIBLE!!!

AND I NEED EVERY BELIEVER UNDER THE SOUND OF MY VOICE TO KNOW THAT HOLINESS LOOKS GOOD ON YOU...

HOLINESS IS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE IT IS PRACTICAL! IN CHAPTERS 1 & 2, PETER LAYS OUT A SIMPLE PATH TOWARDS HOLINESS:

1) STAY CLEAR OF MESS (2:1)

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.

Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (1 Pe 2:1). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

2) STUDY HIS WORD (2:2)

2 Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word,, so that by it you may grow up into your salvation,

Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (1 Pe 2:2). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

3) STAND NEAR TO HIM (2:3-4)

3 if you have tasted that the Lord is good., 4 As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God—5 you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (1 Pe 2:3–5). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

IN VERSES 6 - 8, PETER DOES SOME HEAVY LIFTING:

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 2

6 For it stands in Scripture:

See, I lay a stone in Zion,

a chosen and honored cornerstone,

and the one who believes in him

will never be put to shame.,

7 So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving,

The stone that the builders rejected—

this one has become the cornerstone,,

8 and

A stone to stumble over,

and a rock to trip over.,

They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined for this.

I’VE ONLY GOT TIME TO FOCUS ON THE BELIEVERS IN THESE FEW VERSES, SO HEAR ME QUICKLY:

“YOU’RE NOT A STUMBLER - YOU’RE A STEPPER!”

PETER HAS CALLED JESUS A LIVING HOPE (VS 3) - A LIVING STONE (VS. 4) - AND A CORNER STONE (VS. 6)!

JESUS IS OUR FOUNDATION FOR EVERYTHING!!! WE ARE TO STAND UPON HIM!!! JESUS MAKES THE DIFFERENCE...

YES, SOME REJECTED, BUT NOT US!!

NOW, WE’VE MADE OUR WAY TO OUR MOTTO TEXT:

9 But you are a chosen race,,, a royal priesthood,, a holy nation,, a people for his possession,, so that you may proclaim the praises,, of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (1 Pe 2:9–10). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

REJOICE IN YOUR SELECTION!

YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN - SOVEREIGNLY SELECTED!! YOU’RE NOT AN ACCIDENT OR AN AFTERTHOUGHT…YOU ARE A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD

WE RESPOND WITH JOY WHEN WE’RE SELECTED: PICKUP GAME - I HAD SOME SKILLZ - I LOVED TO GET PICKED, AND NOT JUST SETTLED FOR!

REJOICE IN THAT! IF THAT DON’T MAKE YOU HAPPY...

RESPOND IN OBEDIENCE!

WE RESPOND TO OUR SELECTION BY BEING OBEDIENT: HOLY!!!

WE RESPOND IN HOLINESS BECAUSE WE BELONG TO A HOLY ONE!!

DON’T ALLOW WHAT YOU USED TO “LIKE” HINDER WHERE GOD IS TRYING TO TAKE YOU…DO WHAT GOD CALLS YOU TO DO!

RECITE HIS PRAISES (PREACH) - WE ARE BELIEVER-PRIESTS NOW!! WE STAND AS REPRESENTATIVES OF GOD TO THE CULTURE...

OUR CHOOSING HAS GIVEN US REDEEMING POWER -

OUR CHOOSING SETS US APART FOR GOD -

OUR CHOOSING HAS PREPARED US TO PROCLAIM - TO PREACH - TO RECITE GOD’S MARVELOUS WORKS IN OUR CULTURE...

FAMILY / BELONGING/ OWNED /

THERE is a guy named Billy Taylor. He is a junkyard specialist. Billy Taylor goes to junkyards to find stuff that other folk have thrown away, discarded, and considered no good or worthless. Billy Taylor brings it back to his garage and turns the junk into contemporary art pieces, which he then sells for upwards of five thousand dollars a piece. He goes and finds junk that is worthless in everybody else’s eyes and then turns it into a masterpiece. When Billy Taylor looks at the junk, he sees more than meets the eye. He sees a masterpiece in the making. He takes things that are worthless and makes them into something beautiful.

Well, you may have been worthless before you met Jesus, but once you meet Him, even if you were in the junkyard, He’s able to go into that yard, save you, and turn you into a valuable masterpiece. Because of His grace, you are now a divine design.741