Category: Holiness

Subject: Holiness

Sermon: Sanctification and Sexuality

A sermon detailing God’s plan for human sexuality, the violations of that Pattern, and what God expects of His people. 

<<———><><———>>

Sermon: Sanctification and Gender Issues

The concept of Sanctification requires that we as Christians address issues of Gender in accord with His will, rather than societal influences.

<<———><><———>>

“And Be Separate”

In Deuteronomy 23:3-4, God punished the Ammonites and Moabites for their opposition to Israel by denying any of them entrance into the assembly of God. At the time of Nehemiah, the remnant in Israel read from the Book of Moses, and rediscovered this decree. Nehemiah 13:1 reads, “So it was, when they had heard the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.”

Under Moses’ law, Israel was the chosen people of God. Their consecration secured the genealogy of the Savior, and prepared the world for the fulfillment of God’s scheme of redeeming man. As Paul wrote in Galatians 3, “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”

Today it is the Christian who is chosen by God, and separated from the world. Paul refers to Christians as inward Jews, whose “circumcision is that of the heart” (Romans 2:29).

Although Christians can come from every nation, it remains important that we separate ourselves from the world, through holiness. God’s promise remains, this time to us, as Paul instructed us, “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord… and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:17-18).

 

Sermon: God Resists the Proud (1 Peter 5:1-7)

God calls us to holiness. This is a primary theme of 1 Peter. One primary way this holiness is shown is through humble submission in accord with God’s will.

Sermon Powerpoint View and Download:

[doc id=14391]

<<———><><———>>

Who Is This King of Glory?

In Psalm 24, David testified to the glory of the Lord —  the earth and all that is in it belonging to Him.  In verses 7-10 he proclaimed:

“Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory” (Psalms 24:7-10).

In establishing that the earth belongs to God, and His is the “King of glory”, the question is who will be accepted by Him?  Who will have a place of honor in the kingdom of the King of glory? This question was actually answered by David earlier in the Psalm, which in turn gives us a clear understanding of God’s values.  “Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully” (Psalms 24:3-4).

God requires loyalty and purity from those who He will allow to approach and serve Him. His own righteousness requires the same from us. We are to be holy, because He is holy! (cf. Leviticus 11:44-45).

Mining the Scriptures: 1 Peter 1:17-19

The text continues the call for righteous living by noting that each person is treated the same way by God.  He judges “without partiality”, and “according to each one’s work.” This is imminently fair.  God does not play favorites.  Your standing before Him is a result of appropriate rules He has established that are the same for all men.

So, our sojourn on this earth should be characterized by a respect for the rules of God. Anarchy or rebellion is not acceptable, and will be judged harshly.  The gift of grace is much too precious to be treated with disdain.  How precious? Our redemption is purchased with something far greater than worldly treasures.

Our redemption is purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ.  He who lived perfectly died a sacrificial and vicarious death.  He died for us!  Isaiah wrote, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (53:5).

 

The New Man Compared to the Old

 

In discussing the characteristics of the old man of sin, which accurately described the Colossians at one time, the apostle then told them in Colossians 3:9-10, “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.”

The old man is described  as one guilty of:  fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, covetousness, disobedience, anger, wrath, blasphemy, filthy language, and as seen in verse 9, lying. Continue reading “The New Man Compared to the Old”

Put to Death Your Members Which Are on the Earth

In Colossians 3:5, the apostle Paul told the Christians there to “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry.” The reason for this admonition? “Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience…” (vs. 6).

The phrase “members which are on the earth” is an interesting one. These things “members” are aspects of a person that precludes him from serving God acceptably. Specifically, while these things could be considered sinful themselves, they are also the attitudes and characteristics that lead a person to sinful actions. These “members” are characteristic of a lustful, lascivious, hateful and greedy person. So, Christians should “put them to death.” Continue reading “Put to Death Your Members Which Are on the Earth”

Three Qualities of Those Faithful to God

The qualities of godliness, righteousness and holiness characterize and identify those who please God.

Sermon Minute: Put Off the Old Man

The Call to Holiness

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7). God called us in holiness.  This is the big picture that explains why Christians are to live as they do.

This is a sentiment that is expressed throughout the Bible.  For example, the apostle Peter quoted from the book of Leviticus when he wrote, “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy(1 Peter 1:13-16). Continue reading “The Call to Holiness”

The Patternists: Be Reconciled to God

chain links

In 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul makes an impassioned plea for holiness on the part of God’s people, as the proper response to the gift of grace they have received from God. This plea was necessary because of the failures the Corinthians had already experienced in their walk. These failures were clearly enumerated in his first epistle to them.

In chapter 5 of his second epistle, he speaks of the assurance of the resurrection. “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (1). He notes the reality of judgment. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (10). He affirms that Christ “died for all” (15). That God “has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ…not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (18-19).

Continue reading “The Patternists: Be Reconciled to God”

Holy

holy

The Greek term hosios is found in Titus 1:8, as one of the qualifications for elders, and is translated holy. This is one of 8 times the term appears in the New Testament manuscripts (Acts 2:27; 13:34,35; 1 Timothy 2:8; Hebrews 7:26; and Revelation 15:4; 16:5). As Vine notes in his definition of the term, it is used to refer to God, Jesus, certain Messianic promises to David, and to the character of Christians. It is found 41 times in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (Septuagint).

In Titus 1:8, the reference is to a character trait that must be present in those who would serve as elders. Strong defines it as proper, right, pious, hallowed. Thayer says it refers to those pious toward God, with a special and preeminent sense in which it refers to the Messiah Himself. Vine states that it refers to being religiously right, holy (as opposed to that which is unrighteous or polluted).

All Christians should have this character trait. When we consider that Jesus is perfectly holy, as His disciples we seek to be as He is. This requires us to acknowledge His authority, and to seek to submit to His definition of rightness and piety.

It is not enough to be religious. We must be religiously right. It is not enough to be pious, our piety must be toward God and His will. It is not enough to act as others see to be proper. We must act as God determines is proper. Then, and only then, are we holy. “Because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I [the Lord] am holy’” (1 Peter 1:16).

Click below to…

Image

Sermon: The Burning Bush

The Burning Bush

In Exodus 3, Jehovah spoke to Moses from the midst of a bush that burned, but was not consumed. A number of important lessons can be learned from that occasion.

Sermon: Chosen: The Stone & His People

CHOSEN

An exegesis of 1 Peter 2:4-10, establishing the attributes of both Jesus Christ, as the living, chief cornerston, and those who are his, living stones making up the Lord’s house.