100% Holy

100% HOLY

Holy Ground Spirit Filled Church

Pastor: Joe M. Garza

8-22-05

Text: Hebrews 12:14

INTRODUCTION:

The text which heads this page opens up a subject of deep importance. That subject is practical holiness. It suggests a question which demands the attention of all professing Christians

----are we holy

----shall we see the Lord

*That question can never be out of season? The wise man tells us in:

Ecclesiastes 3:4, 7 (NLT)

A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time too grieve and a time to dance.[7] A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.

----there is no time, no, not a day, in which a man ought not to be holy

----now are we holy

I ask to be heard today about this question. How stands the account between our souls and God? In this hurrying, bustling world, let us stand still for a few minutes and consider the matter of holiness.

*I believe I might have chosen a subject not more popular and pleasant. I am sure I might have found one more easy to handle. But I feel deeply I could not have chosen one more seasonable and more profitable to our souls.

*It is a solemn thing to hear the Word of God saying, "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord"

I will indeavor (try; attempt), by God’s help, to examine what true holiness is and the reason why it is so needful. In conclusion, I will try to point out the only way in which holiness can be attained. Having considered the doctrinal side, let us now trun to the plain and practical application.

I. THE NATURE OF TRUE PRACTICAL HOLINESS

a. First, then, let me try to show what true practical holiness is: what sort of persons are those whom God calls holy?

----a man may go great lengths and never recieve true holiness

----it is not knowledge-----Balaam had that

----nor great profession------Judas Iscariot had that

----nor doing many things-------Herod had that

----nor zeal(strong interest;devotion) for certain matters in religion------Jehu had that

----nor morality and outward respectability of conduct------the young ruler had that

----nor taken pleasure in hearing preachers------the Jews in Ezekiel’s time had that

----nor keeping company with godly people------Joab and Gehazi and Demas had that

*Yet none of these were holy!!!!!

----these things alone are not holiness

*A man may have any one of them and yet never see the Lord

b. What then is true practical holiness?

*Let me, however, try to draw a picture of holiness, tha we may see it clearly before the eyes of our minds.

*Only let it never be forgotten when I have said all, that my account is but a poor imperfect outline at the best

A. Holiness Is The Habit Of Being Of One Mind With God, According As We Find His Mind Described In Scripture

----it is the habit of agreeing in God’s judgment

----hating what He hates

----loving what He loves

----and measuring everything in this world by the standard of His Word

*He who most entirely agrees with God, he is the most holy man

B. A Holy Man Will Endeavor To Shun (to keep away from;avoid) Every Known Sin And To Keep Every Known Commandment

----he will have a decided bent of mind towards God

----will have a hearty desire to do His will

----a greater fear of displeasing Him than of displeasing the world, and a love to all His ways

*He will feel what Paul felt when he said in Romans 7:22 "I delight in the law of God after the inward man"

*Look what David felt

Psalms 119:128 (NLT)

Truly, each of your commandments is right. That is why I hate every false way

----we must love the because they bear God’s image and are the revelations of his will

*The way of sin being directly contrary to God’s precepts, which are right, is a false way

----those that have a love and esteem for God’s law hate it and will not be reconciled to it

C. A Holy Man Will Strive To Be Like Our Lord Jesus Christ

*He will not only live the life of faith in Him and draw from Him all his daily peace and strength

*He will also labor to have the mind that was in Him and to be conformed to His image

Romans 8:29 (NLT)

For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters

----it will be your aim to bear with and forgive others, even as Christ forgave you

----it will be your job to be unselfish, even as Christ pleased not Himself