Apostolic Holiness: Part 1

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Today, I am going to paint with a broad brush, and teach biblically in the best way that I know how the basics of understanding holiness.

What Is Holiness?

The Bible calls followers of Christ to a life of holiness and teaches that it is a necessity.

Hebrews 12:14 NKJV

14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

This is something that begins with salvation, the New Birth!

It continues with sanctification. Sanctification is a process of progressively becoming more like Christ.

It finalizes with glorification, when we will resurrect with an immortal body and we will have sinless perfection.

SO - until we are received into His glory - NO ONE alive is yet complete in holiness.

How Holiness Is Lived

By His Grace

From start to finish, salvation is by grace through faith, and it leads to good works.

Ephesians 2:8–10 NKJV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

WE DO NOT PRODUCE OUR OWN HOLINESS; WE PARTAKE OF GOD’S HOLINESS.

Hebrews 12:10 NKJV

10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.

Christian Disciplines

Living for God is a daily walk of faith as we are led by the Holy Ghost.

Romans 1:17 NKJV

17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

Romans 8:14 NKJV

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

And if we remain in Christ, we have assurance of eternal life; nothing will be able to take our salvation from us.

Romans 8:1 NKJV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Romans 8:35–39 NKJV

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Hebrews 6:11 NKJV

11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end,

Hebrews 10:22–23 NKJV

22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

And so, we each strive to live for God to the best of our ability, and that includes progressing in holiness to the eventual perfecting of holiness.

Before we ever attempt to progress in intricate details of holiness in our own lives, we have to have disciplines in place.

Christian Disciplines

Prayer (Matt. 6:5-15; Eph. 6:18; 1 Thess. 5:17; Jude 20-21)

Bible reading and study ( Ps. 119:11, 16, 105; 2 Tim. 2:15; 3:14-17)

Faithful church attendance, worship, and submission to godly leadership (Ps. 100; 122:1; Heb. 10:25; 13:7, 17)

Giving of tithes and offerings (Mal. 3:8-12; Matt. 6:1-4; Luke 6:38; 16:10-12: 2 Cor. 9:6-7)

Fasting (Matt. 6:16-18; 9: 14-15; 17:21)

These are where holiness grows. If you want to find yourself in the greenhouse of holiness, give yourself to prayer, bible study, faithfulness, giving, and fasting!

The Pursuit of Holiness

God commands his people to be holy in all conduct because He is holy.

1 Peter 1:15–16 NKJV

15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

We obey this command in order to:

please God - because we belong to Him!

to communicate Christ to others.

to benefit ourselves, both now and for eternity.

Holiness means conforming to God’s character - thinking as He things, loving what He loves, hating what He hates, and acting as Christ would act.

Specifically, holiness is separation from sin and worldly values and dedication to God and His will.

Romans 12:1–2 NKJV

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

2 Corinthians 6:17–7:1 NKJV

17 Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” 18 “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

It’s very clear, here, that God desires (in the New Testament Church) that His people be separate (set apart) from the world.

Reasons To Desire Holiness

It’s Commanded

It’s