Called to Holiness
Notes
Transcript
Preliminary:
Preliminary:
I know it’s Mother’s Day, I am so thankful for my Mother and am here due to her diligence, prayers, admonition, support, and most of all love.
I trust you will forgive me, however, for not preaching a Mother’s Day theme today -
Earlier this week I was drawn to a text and thought that I haven’t been able to get away from
I invite you to turn with me to 1 Peter 1
This morning I would like to talk to you a little about what it means to be Called to Holiness.
1 Peter 1
Read: 1 Peter 1:13-16
Read: 1 Peter 1:13-16
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
The organization I am ordained by and who owns the title deed to our church is known as The Bible Holiness Church.
Do you ever give much thought to what holiness is?
I find it interesting that we have to qualify it as “Bible” holiness- there is a reason believe you me and I may speak to that later.
Several years ago, as just a new pastor starting out I received a phone call from then General Superintendent Bro. Leroy Newport. He was asking if I would take the job of teaching the teens at General Camp. After prayer and thought I accepted and for several years did that. It was a lot of work but a lot of fun. And can I just say the BHC has some of the best kids and teens in the world!!!
One year I wanted to get a feel for what their thoughts on holiness were. So I gave them a little assignment - they were to write on a piece of paper whatever came to their mind when they thought of holiness. It didn’t have to be a logical flowing essay, just thoughts, ideas, words, and phrases.
Most were what you would expect, but I remember one jumped out at me and my greatest fear became realized. One had written, and I think I still have this paper somewhere in my files - I should have dug it out -
Their list included words like:
Harsh, strict, pharisaical, ignorant, unthinking, etc.
My heart sank as I realized the work that was cut out for me -
That young man as far as I know only came to those services a couple of times that year and I haven’t seen him in person for years.
What had happened? Raised in a Bible-holiness home (son of one of our ministers) that was not by any stretch of the imagination overly strict or radical.
I don’t have all of the answers, but what I do know is that his perception of what “Holiness” truly is was tainted by a misconception given by either I hope a well-meaning person or Satan himself.
Unfortunately, Satan has seen to it that the term “holiness” is seen as something that uptight, pharisaical, harsh, overly strict, radical people do.
Can I tell you what that is - it is a logical fallacy - it is a blanket statement that does not fit nearly the percentage of people we like to fit under it.
When you compare what the Bible has to say about holiness with what holiness is perceived to be you get two different ideas.
One of the reasons we are Bible Holiness people is just for that reasons - there are all kinds of ideas as to what holiness is and the danger is not all of it is true
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
The reason Paul says “true holiness” is because there is a false holiness.
Peter in our text is giving us a call to holiness
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Now our text does have some implications that I want to share today
Called unto holiness means we live differently (1 Peter 1:14)
1 Peter 1:14 “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:”
1 Thess 4:7 “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.”
1 Thess 4:3 “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:”
Those who are in Christ have a different worldview
Worldview: A comprehensive description of the way that human existence fits into the larger material world of our sensory perception, including the origins of that world of experience and ourselves, any meaning or lack thereof that our existence has.
An explanation for why the various features of our self awareness exists, and the nature of the good life, and how we can deal with issues such as evil and guilt.
Understood in this way, there are religious worldviews that are self-contained worldviews and there are non-religious views that back comprehensiveness but are really related constellations of views that must work together.
Ultimately every worldview entails and requires a “story” of some kind into which a person can encounter a description of the meaning of their lives, how they should live, and why.
Christianity as a whole has a worldview it should be, it is expected to be a Biblical worldview
While those who call themselves “Holiness People” however they define that are still expected to follow and have this Biblical/ Christian worldview
A worldview that is going to be different from those who are not Christian and who do not follow the Bible
It is a worldview that is all-encompassing and totalizing - by that everything is to be under it not just a part of our thinking and behavior
Some scriptures to show what I am talking about:
2 Cor. 6:17 “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,”
1 John 2:15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
I could go on but I trust you are getting the gist - when I speak of being called to holiness, I’m talking about an all-encompassing life
Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
1 Thess 5:23 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Notice the entirety of this “sanctify” and holiness. IN fact, this is the verse we get the term “sanctified wholly” or “entirely sanctified” from.
Being called unto holiness takes in all that we are - and means we live differently than the world - not just to be different, sometimes I think that is all some people are after - but NO!!! We are different because we are called to a Holy God, who wants a holy people
Called unto holiness In our living
We don’t run to the same excess as the world does
We aren’t to be chasing the same dreams as the world
We are as the old cliche says, “marching to the beat of a different drum”.
Called unto holiness in our giving
Holiness people are to be generous people but not just in money
in love - oh I could spend all day here - God give us a fresh vision and understanding of true love.
Being called to holiness is being called to live out 1 Cor. 13:1-7
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” (1 Cor. 13:1-7).
Called to holiness in our service to one another (part of love in reality)
Gal. 5:13 “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”
Called unto holiness means we live differently
Different Worldview and Ethic
Called to holiness in our
living
Giving (money, love, service)
Has God called you to holiness? I can answer that for you simply YES! I trust you are walking in that
Perhaps the Holy Spirit has spoken to you this morning - this is a good time to answer the call to holiness