Holiness
Holiness is an external separation from the world and dedication to the service of the
Lord. Holiness is the chief attribute of God and a quality to be developed in His
followers. Holiness is a cutting off or separation from what is unclean and a
consecration to what is pure.
Men and women, created in the image of God are called to imitate God’s holiness in
their lives (Leviticus 19:2; Numbers 15:40), the New Testament says in Ephesians (5:
1).
The New Testament talks more about inner holiness (Mark 7:6-12). With the coming
of the Holy Spirit, the early church saw that holiness of life was profoundly important
and that it should guide our relationships. Since the Spirit comes from God, and
shows us His holy character, and accomplishes God’s holy purpose in the world.
In the New Testament, holiness also characterizes Christ’s church. The apostle Paul
taught that Christ loved the church and died for it “that He might sanctify her, having
cleansed her by the washing of water with the word” (Ephesians 5:26). Peter
addressed the church as a holy people, separated from the unbelieving nations and
consecrated to the Lord, the church is “a holy nation” (I Peter 2:9).
Believers in Christ are frequently designated as “saints”, literally meaning “holy
ones”, since through faith God justifies sinners, pronouncing them “holy” in His sight.
God does declare believers to be guiltless. Holiness is received by faith, just like you
receive all the fruits of the Spirit. As you believe you have received, you will walk in
holiness, remember “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).
Jesus didn’t ask God to take believers out of the world, but instead to use them in the
world. Because Jesus sends us into the world, we should not try to escape from the
world, nor should we avoid all relationships with non-Christians. We are called to be
salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16) “you are the salt of the earth, but if the salt have lost
its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is therefore good for nothing, but to be cast
out, and to be trodden under foot of men. You are the light of the world. A city that
is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a
bushel, but on a candlestick, and it gives light to all that are in the house. Let your
light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your
Father which is in heaven”. We are to do the work that God sent us to do. Jesus
prayed for all who would follow Him, including you. He prayed for unity, protection
from the evil one, and sanctity (holiness) in John 17, knowing that Jesus prayed for
us should give us confidence as we work for His kingdom.
The New Testament, however, places great stress upon the reality of practical
holiness in the Christian’s daily experience. The God who freely declares a person
righteous through faith in Christ commands that the believer progress in holiness of
life. In God’s plan, a growth in holiness should accompany believing. God graciously
provides the spiritual resources to enable Christians to be “partakers of the divine
nature” (II Peter 1:4).
The God of Israel and of the Christian church is holy, He sets the standard for
morality. He is a God of mercy and justice who cares personally for each of His
followers. Our holy God expects us to imitate Him by following His high moral
standards, like Him, we should be both merciful and just, like Him. Holiness means
being totally devoted or dedicated to God, set aside for His special use, and set
apart from sin and its influence. What makes us different is having God’s qualities in
our life. Our focus and priorities must be His.
We cannot become holy on our own, but God gives us His Holy Spirit to help us obey
and to give us power to overcome sin. After people commit their lives to Christ, Peter
tells us to be like our heavenly Father, holy in everything we do (I 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 to 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 has called you is holy, so be you holy in all manner of conversation.
Because it s written, Be you holy, for I am holy”. To be holy, we are told to “be led by
the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16) “this I say then, walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill
the lust of the flesh”. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 12:14-15 “follow peace with all
men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Looking diligently less
any man fail of the grace of God, less any root of bitterness springing up trouble you,
and thereby many be defiled”.
Holiness is a gift of God’s grace. God chose Israel, not because of anything they
had done, but in His love and mercy He chose Israel to represent His way of life, to
teach His word, and to be an agent of salvation to the world. “all the nations of the
earth” would be blessed through Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 18:18). Through
the nation of Israel, the Messiah, God’s chosen Son, would be born. God chose one
nation and put it through a rigorous training program, so that it could be a channel
for His blessings to the whole world.
Holiness comes from wholehearted obedience to God (Romans 6:17-19,22) “but God
be thanked, that you were the servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart
that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, you
became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of
the infirmity of your flesh, for as you have yielded your members servants to
uncleanness and to iniquity to iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to
righteousness to holiness. But now being made free from sin, and become servants
to God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end everlasting life”. Your distinctive
mark should be their holiness, not wealth or prestige. This holiness comes from a
sincere desire to obey God and from wholehearted devotion to Him.
The follower of Christ becomes sanctified (set apart for sacred use, cleansed, and
made holy) through believing and obeying the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12), he has
already accepted forgiveness through Christ’s sacrificial death, but daily application
of God’s Word has a purifying effect on our minds and hearts. Scripture points out
sin, and motivates us to confess our sins, renews our relationship with Christ, and
guides us back to the right path. Paul prayed in I Thessalonians 3:12-13) “and the
Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all
men, even as we do toward you. To the end, He may establish your hearts
unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ with all His saints”. In 4:7 he says “for God has not called us to
uncleanness, but to holiness”. So let us pursue holiness with all our hearts.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: June 6, 2008
Holiness is an external separation from the world and dedication to the service of the
Lord. Holiness is the chief attribute of God and a quality to be developed in His
followers. Holiness is a cutting off or separation from what is unclean and a
consecration to what is pure.
Men and women, created in the image of God are called to imitate God’s holiness in
their lives (Leviticus 19:2; Numbers 15:40), the New Testament says in Ephesians (5:
1).
The New Testament talks more about inner holiness (Mark 7:6-12). With the coming
of the Holy Spirit, the early church saw that holiness of life was profoundly important
and that it should guide our relationships. Since the Spirit comes from God, and
shows us His holy character, and accomplishes God’s holy purpose in the world.
In the New Testament, holiness also characterizes Christ’s church. The apostle Paul
taught that Christ loved the church and died for it “that He might sanctify her, having
cleansed her by the washing of water with the word” (Ephesians 5:26). Peter
addressed the church as a holy people, separated from the unbelieving nations and
consecrated to the Lord, the church is “a holy nation” (I Peter 2:9).
Believers in Christ are frequently designated as “saints”, literally meaning “holy
ones”, since through faith God justifies sinners, pronouncing them “holy” in His sight.
God does declare believers to be guiltless. Holiness is received by faith, just like you
receive all the fruits of the Spirit. As you believe you have received, you will walk in
holiness, remember “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).
Jesus didn’t ask God to take believers out of the world, but instead to use them in the
world. Because Jesus sends us into the world, we should not try to escape from the
world, nor should we avoid all relationships with non-Christians. We are called to be
salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16) “you are the salt of the earth, but if the salt have lost
its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is therefore good for nothing, but to be cast
out, and to be trodden under foot of men. You are the light of the world. A city that
is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a
bushel, but on a candlestick, and it gives light to all that are in the house. Let your
light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your
Father which is in heaven”. We are to do the work that God sent us to do. Jesus
prayed for all who would follow Him, including you. He prayed for unity, protection
from the evil one, and sanctity (holiness) in John 17, knowing that Jesus prayed for
us should give us confidence as we work for His kingdom.
The New Testament, however, places great stress upon the reality of practical
holiness in the Christian’s daily experience. The God who freely declares a person
righteous through faith in Christ commands that the believer progress in holiness of
life. In God’s plan, a growth in holiness should accompany believing. God graciously
provides the spiritual resources to enable Christians to be “partakers of the divine
nature” (II Peter 1:4).
The God of Israel and of the Christian church is holy, He sets the standard for
morality. He is a God of mercy and justice who cares personally for each of His
followers. Our holy God expects us to imitate Him by following His high moral
standards, like Him, we should be both merciful and just, like Him. Holiness means
being totally devoted or dedicated to God, set aside for His special use, and set
apart from sin and its influence. What makes us different is having God’s qualities in
our life. Our focus and priorities must be His.
We cannot become holy on our own, but God gives us His Holy Spirit to help us obey
and to give us power to overcome sin. After people commit their lives to Christ, Peter
tells us to be like our heavenly Father, holy in everything we do (I 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 to 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 has called you is holy, so be you holy in all manner of conversation.
Because it s written, Be you holy, for I am holy”. To be holy, we are told to “be led by
the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16) “this I say then, walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill
the lust of the flesh”. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 12:14-15 “follow peace with all
men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Looking diligently less
any man fail of the grace of God, less any root of bitterness springing up trouble you,
and thereby many be defiled”.
Holiness is a gift of God’s grace. God chose Israel, not because of anything they
had done, but in His love and mercy He chose Israel to represent His way of life, to
teach His word, and to be an agent of salvation to the world. “all the nations of the
earth” would be blessed through Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 18:18). Through
the nation of Israel, the Messiah, God’s chosen Son, would be born. God chose one
nation and put it through a rigorous training program, so that it could be a channel
for His blessings to the whole world.
Holiness comes from wholehearted obedience to God (Romans 6:17-19,22) “but God
be thanked, that you were the servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart
that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, you
became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of
the infirmity of your flesh, for as you have yielded your members servants to
uncleanness and to iniquity to iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to
righteousness to holiness. But now being made free from sin, and become servants
to God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end everlasting life”. Your distinctive
mark should be their holiness, not wealth or prestige. This holiness comes from a
sincere desire to obey God and from wholehearted devotion to Him.
The follower of Christ becomes sanctified (set apart for sacred use, cleansed, and
made holy) through believing and obeying the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12), he has
already accepted forgiveness through Christ’s sacrificial death, but daily application
of God’s Word has a purifying effect on our minds and hearts. Scripture points out
sin, and motivates us to confess our sins, renews our relationship with Christ, and
guides us back to the right path. Paul prayed in I Thessalonians 3:12-13) “and the
Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all
men, even as we do toward you. To the end, He may establish your hearts
unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ with all His saints”. In 4:7 he says “for God has not called us to
uncleanness, but to holiness”. So let us pursue holiness with all our hearts.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: June 6, 2008
