Choice 2 H
H OLINESS LIVING (Standards Change)
1 Corinthians 3:18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness..." (NIV)
Since so much emphasis must be placed on God, then man must take his proper place. To believe oneself to be wise is really dangerous self-deception. A man cannot be wise in both the Aworld@(v. 19) and the Church. The world thinks Christian thinking and wisdom is foolish, and there is much that the world considers acceptable which is not acceptable to the Church.
At the heart of wisdom is the Cross. Either a person will despise it or cling to it. If he holds to it, he will gain much. If he despises it, he will lose everything.
As God looks at man=s wisdom from the viewpoint of its inability to discover and obtain salvation, He considers it utter nonsense. It has no value.
Verse 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"; (NIV)
God considers the wisdom of the world to be Afoolishness.@ More than that, God proves it is foolish. He intervenes and brings it to nothing. How is this proved? Look at Scriptures. Paul quoted first from Job 5:13
AHe catches the wise in their craftiness.... (NIV)
God catches the crafty and exposes them. They are brought face-to-face with the fact that His wisdom totally surpasses theirs. He can so expose the faulty roots of a persons thinking that it is seen to be deceit and trickery.
Paul also quoted from Psalm 94:11 with minor changes. But the though is clear.
Psalm 94:11 The LORD knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile.
1 Corinthians 3:20 "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile." (NIV)
The idea is of total knowledge. No thought, not even the most secret, is hidden from God. This is part of the reason the Lord can intervene in the plans of men. He knows their thoughts from the very beginning.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And that is what some of you were. But you
were washed,
1) of any kind of separation of one thing from another by which the union or fellowship of the two is destroyed
you were sanctified (holiness),
AV - sanctify 26, hallow 2, be holy 1; 29
1) to separate from profane things and dedicate to God
2) consecrate things to God (children, marriage, home)
3) to purify
3a) to cleanse externally
3b) to purify by redemption: free from the guilt of sin
3c) to purify internally by renewing of the mind (Rom 12:2)
you were justified
AV - righteous 41, just 33, right 5, meet 2; 81
1) in a wide sense, upright, righteous, virtuous, keeping the commands of God
2) used of him whose way of thinking, feeling, and acting is wholly conformed to the will of God, and who therefore needs no correction in the heart or life
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (NIV)
2 Corinthians 7:1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (NIV)
On the basis of these promises Paul had a new appeal for the converts at Corinth. It concerned the doctrine of sanctification. When you, as a new believer, accept what Christ did for you, you are immediately sanctified (1 Cor. 6:11). However, you have a continuous duty of perfecting (maintaining, completing) holiness in your life. You are under obligation to do so in the fear of God, with appropriate awe and respect for Him.
HOLINESS 1) undefiled by sin, free from wickedness, religiously observing every moral obligation, pure holy, pious = (God-fearing, believing, dedicated, devout, doctrinal, ethical, faithful, godly, holy, honorable, saintly, spiritual, worshipful).
Eph 4:20-24 Holy Unto the Lord
Ephesians 4:20-24 20 You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. 21 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (NIV)
This word Aholiness@ is found only two times in the New Testament. In Luke 1:75 Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, is filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesies (verse 67) that God would allow His people to serve Him Ain holiness and righteousness@ means living as one who belongs to God should, instead of serving God in fear (cf. verse 74).
In Ephesians 4:24 Paul urged believers to Aput on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.@ Again Arighteousness@ is linked with holiness, which in this context (verse 25) speaks of the holy life which is so devoted in piety to God that it refrains from the sinful deeds and habits of the former life.
1 Thess 4:1-12 Holy Living
1 Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
9 Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.
11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. (NIV)
(Music Team)
We are all at different levels of spiritual growth. Different not only from each other but different from where we were last year this time. We have grown. Thank you Jesus!
Holiness is living a moral life.
Holiness is right thinking.
Holiness is controlling ourselves.
Holiness is stopping our tongue from wagging.
Holiness is loving our brother or sister when we feel we have a right to not like them.
Holiness is minding your own business.
Holiness is hearing God call us back to himself when we have wronged him..
Holiness is feeling those sparks of tingling in our bodies as we ponder His forgiveness.
Holiness is being freed from some unimaginable curse because we have received Him.
Holiness is being perfected because he is perfect.
Holiness is being able to recognize your own salvation and rejoice in it.
Holiness is entering into His presence in prayer and feeling him there.
Holiness is expressing your love to him in worship and feeling His presence in your body.
Holiness is your ability to experience His gift of the Holy Spirit.
Holiness is being one with God the Father thru Jesus Christ the Son, in the Holy Spirit.