Holiness For Today
Notes
Transcript
Holiness For Today
Has Holiness Changed
What is Holiness
Who invented the doctrine of holiness
Proving Holiness by the Bible
Proving by Early Church Fathers
Proving by Apostles
Proving by modern teaching
Holiness in parables
NT Holiness
Holiness in the OT
Holiness as seen by Paul, Peter, James, John,
Holiness in Hebrews
Can we go to heaven without Holiness
http://bible.org/seriespage/holiness-god#P642_174335
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=greek+words+for+holiness+in+the+Bible
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=The+holiness+of+God
Why I Believe in Holiness
Holiness - Meaning doctrine of Holiness and sanctification simultanously. Technically they are not synonomous but Holiness is the life following the crisis experience of entire sanctification. I will use them synonomously througout, trying to make it clear how I mean it.
I. Holiness is commanded by God
1. Commanded by God's Word -
A. 1 Peter 1:15-16 Be ye Holy; for I am holy
1. The phrase "Be ye Holy" is found 7 times in the Bible. 2 times in New Testament and 5 in the Old.
2. It means what it says. Be Holy. But what does that mean?
"Being holy involves dedicating our entire souls and bodies to doing what’s good in G-d’s eyes, today and in this world." FB post Mon. a.m. from the Temple Institute "A Call To Holiness"
A. The problem with this statement is that it leaves out the cross. To be holy, means our unholiness must be removed.
B. Heb. 12:14 Follow peace with all men and Holiness (hagiasmos) without which no man shall see the Lord.
1. Thayer defines Holiness in this verse as "The effect of consecration, sanctification of heart and life"
C. 1Th 4:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
2. Commanded by God's Holiness.
Biblical Holiness relies on the fact that God is absolutly holy. The Seraphims who as one minister called them are gaurdians of His holiness, cry "Holy, Holy, Holy," not only in Isaiah's vision but also John the Revalator in Rev. 4:8 saw something very similar.
“The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy, or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love, or mercy, mercy, mercy, or wrath, wrath, wrath, or justice, justice, justice. It does say that He is holy, holy, holy, the whole earth is full of His glory." R.C. Sproul The Holiness of God (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1985), p. 40
Even the Third person of The Blesssed Trinity, The Holy Spirit, conveys this thought.
When we use the word 'holy' in reference to God, we are not just adding another attribute to the long list. When we say God is holy we use it synonomously with His deity. It brings focus to the fact that all we know of God is holy, we would say, "God's love is holy, his justice is holy, his mercy is holy, his wrath is holy etc"
We can see this with
· Moses Num 20:1-13, 27:12-14
· Uzzah 2 Sam. 6:1-11
· Isaiah 6:1-10 - Inanimate objects moved when confronted with the Holiness of God. What about us?
A. Holy "signifies perfectly pure, immaculate and complete in moral character..." Webster
1. Holy comes from the Greek word hagios which comes from the root word hagos meaning "an awful thing)
A. Not a derogatory term but so holy it's frightning to our unholiness. Issaih's vision.
B. Sproul tells us that it comes from an ancient word meaning to seperate or cut, perhaps we could use the phrase "a cut above"
Charles Ryrie says, "Holiness is the absence of evil and the presence of positive right
"We know nothing like the divine holiness. It stands apart, unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible and unattainable. The natural man is blind to it. He may fear God's power and admire His wisdom, but His holiness he cannot even imagine. " Tozer Knowledge of the Holy p 104
In heaven the angels cover their faces to hide themselves from the holiness of God, Moses was hid and could only steal a glimpse of His holiness after he walked by, we are commanded to be holy because he is holy (notice not as he is) how can we ever attain? as A.W. Tozer says, "We must like Moses cover ourselves with faith and humility while we steal a quick look at the God whom no man can see and live.... we must hide our unholiness in the wounds of Christ as Moses hid himself in the cleft of the rock while the glory of God passed by. We must take refuge from God in God" Knowledge of the Holy 106-107)
God's holiness is not just my poorly grasped concept of holiness multiplied an infinite number of times, it is far beyond what we can even begin to understand. It is a holiness so pure that it cannot stand to look at sin, a holiness so powerful that the earth trembles and shakes whenever it come's near, a holiness so majestic that the seraphims bow before him all eternity declaring, "Holy, Holy, Holy"
3. Commanded By God's Redemption
1. Saves to Sanctify
2. The Whole purpose of redemption.
II. Holiness is provided by God
1. Provided in Christ's Death
A. He suffered without the gate that he might sanctify his people with his own blood.
B. His purpose in coming was to save; salvation or redemption is a two-fold process, Salvation from sin and Sanctification, the cleansing from the carnal nature.
2. Provided in Christ's Resurrection
A. We must take our cross and die so that we might live
1. Unless a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die
B. The plan of salvation would never have been accomplished if Christ did not rise from the dead.
3. Provided in Christ's ascension
A. If I go away I will send another Comforter.
B. Given at Pentecost
III. Holiness is promoted by God
1. By Pentecostal experiences
A. In lives of his disciples and apostles
B. Every child of God since must have it
2. By Types & Shadows
A. Types
1. Holy Days
2. Items (Garments, oil, incense, bread & Water etc)
3. Priests
B. Shadows.
1. Biblical Events
2. Parables
3. Miracles
3. By Ringing Bell Testimonies
A. Long paper trail
B. Pastor's Testimonies
C. Personal Acquaintances
Lev 11:44 For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and yeshall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Lev 11:45 For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to beyour God: yeshall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
Lev 19:2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.
Lev 20:7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.
Lev 20:26 And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.
1Pe 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
1Pe 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.