Following Jesus in the way of love and holiness

Introduction

To last week and over the next three weeks we will be discussing how we as disciples of Jesus become like Christ.

Last week - Take on the identity of Christ.

Next week Embracing Grief and Loss

And then the 28th -Living simple for the sake of others.

Today we are: Following jesus in the way of love and holiness.

Theologians fight/ Academics fight / pastors fight/ congregations fight.

Is God primarily Holy or Love?

Isaiah 43:14 NASB95

Thus says the Lord your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, “For your sake I have sent to Babylon, And will bring them all down as fugitives, Even the Chaldeans, into the ships in which they rejoice.

1 John 4:16 NASB95

We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

As modern people we love to break things down to the smallest denominator. It is how we master complex subjects.

Build a large passenger jet - hundreds of people building one small part.

Trying to understand a Greek word - Break it down to the root word (though this does not always work)

Understand how the human body works - break it down to the Atom -

oh wait -

Nucleus - protons - neutrons

electrons - photons - quarks - Higgs Boson (God particle), Dark matter.

You get the idea.

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God can not be broken down and studied in a lab -

There is no common denominator - He is the Alpha and Omega

So if we want to solve this argument we have to look no further than Jesus.

John 14:8–9 NASB95

Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

And that is exactly what we will do today.

If we want to become like Jesus then we must following him in the way of Love and Holiness.

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How did Jesus define holiness?

Say what? Jesus defined holiness?

Why yes he did.

So why are we arguing?

Because people seem to by-pass Jesus on these matters.

Matthew 22:36–40 NASB95

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

The law was the means for Israel to set themselves apart as God’s peculiar people.

In other words to be Holy to God or set apart for God.

Jesus says you can sum the law up in 2 principles.

Love Yahweh with all it is to be human - fully devoted in all aspects of life.

Love our neighbors (every human) as ourselves.

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Let’s look at how Love and Holiness work as one in the ministry of Jesus.

Luke 19:1–10 NASB95

He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

God’s Holy Love is relational Not Transactional -

Table fellowship was one of the most intimate customs in the days of Jesus.

Jesus fully holy and fully love sought out a relationship with Zaccheus .

We are not innately loving or holy. These are the attributes of God.

Therefore, a Holy and loving God enters a relationship with us, unholy and self centered humans.

But for what purpose?

God’s Holy Love Produces Love and Holiness in the hearts of those who receive Him.

Tax collectors were not known for their generosity but rather their theft.

Yet, the relational love of Jesus provoked an immediate change in the heart of this tax collector.

The law of cause and effect - God’s holy love recieved - Loving holiness in man is the affect.

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God’s Holy Love Can Appear Reckless -

John 8:3–11 NASB95

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. “Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

What is sin? A lack of love. Either towards God or our fellow man.

He sends her off and simply tells her not to sin anymore?

Where is the 50 point sermon on sin.

Why is he not getting onto her for her sin?

Reckless! This is absolute reckless behavior.

Yet, Jesus realized something we often forget -

Standing in love with someone often times has a greater impact than preaching at someone.

Divorced, bad marriage, dead husband, poverty and needs money - likely has to feed a kid or two.

She already feels condemned - She needed love - She needed to know God loved her not hated her.

The love of Jesus empowered her to go and sin no more.

Pastor Johnson Standing with Callie and I - Discipline yes - Love and having our back - MOST Definitely . AFFECT - Happy marriage, ministry for 23 years. God’s love through my pastor enabled Callie and I towards holiness.

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The last point I want to make today is this.

God Desires To Fill Us With His Loving Presence -

Romans 8:15 NASB95

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”

. God desires to pour His Spirit into you

Adopting you as His very own child.

So much so that you will be transformed and cry out to the God who breathed the stars into existence - Daddy - Father.

His love will never leave you, never forsake you.

Romans 8:35–39 NASB95

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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God’s Holiness and Love are inseparable.

His love is perfect - He never varies - He never changes - He is a God of Holy Love.

John Wesley said it far better than I can -

“The more any believer examines his own heart, the more will he be convinced of this: That faith working by love excludes both inward and outward sin from a soul watching unto prayer…” -The Great Privilege of Those That Are Born of God

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Have you experienced the real never ending Love of God?

Are you like the woman caught in adultry - filled with condemnation?

Today Jesus wants to stand with you and declare- I do not condemn you, I love you - now in my love go and sin no more.

Are you trying to earn God’s love through your own attempts to be holy?

Today will you simply open your heart to receive His Holy Love and acceptance.

Your struggle to please Him will turn into a joy to know Him deeper and better.

Maybe you have struggled with condemning others.

You have forgotten how far he stooped to be with you.

Today God desires to show you His love - A forgiving love - A love that will empower you to following Him in His Holy Love towards others.

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I am going to invite you all to join us up front today for this last song.

As you come for the communion - leave your cups on the table and stand up front.

During this time of worship if you would like prayer for any of these areas I mentioned or for anything else our elders will be here to pray for you.