Chosen To Live A Life Of Holiness

1 PETER 2:4-12

Chosen to live a life of Holiness

Before I begin this morning I would just like to let know that the constraints of the noon time clock may not apply this morning. I know that I have been pretty good in the past at beating the clock, but this message is so important to all of us, that I feel the Spirit will be moving so powerfully that you won’t even notice the time.

This is one of those sermons that may need a Surgeon Generals warnings, “Message may be hazardous to your sinful behavior”

The text that I will be sharing with you this morning is as you see in your bulletin is 1 Peter 2:4-12

When Pastor Steve asked me if I would mind preaching this morning he asked me if I would be able to share text that would compliment what he had preached in Isaiah 40, and I am so glad that God is providential, because the text that I had left off with the last time I preached almost 2 months ago is I believe very complimentary to what Steve said in his “Here is Your God” series.

We saw in Isaiah that God is beyond comparison and our lives should that kind of God. In my sermon this morning I hope and pray to show that.

Before I get into the text at hand this morning I would like to back up 3 verses and begin by reviewing the first three verses of this chapter. But I am going to read it just a little different than it reads in your bible this morning. Now that you have tasted that The Lord is good, rid yourselves of malice, lies, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind, be like a newborn baby, and crave spiritual milk, so that by it, you may grow up in your salvation. There are three phrases in these verses that are I believe very important for the Christian to see in order to achieve the character of Christ. The first phrase is “you have tasted that the Lord is good,” by a resounding Amen, could I just ask how many of us have tasted that The Lord is Good. Good now that we agree that He is good. The second phrase is “crave spiritual milk.” What is this spiritual milk? It is the Word of God, we should have a true craving to read it, study it, and meditate upon it. I am standing up here in judgment of you this morning if anything I am preaching this to myself. There are times in my life that I do not crave spiritual things, and that is why I feel that this message this morning is so important. I am sick and tired of the sin in my life and I want to have a greater fellowship with God. God gave me something I did not deserve and I know that I should be living a life that shows Him just how much I appreciate what He did. The third phrase is “so that you may grow up in your salvation.”

This definitely lets us know that the life of a Christian is a life of growth, a life of suffering, mistakes, and healing.

Now let’s get to the text at hand this morning.

I would like to do something a little different this morning though, I would like to ask you to read the text with me and I would like us to stand as we read.

READ TEXT:

PRAY:

The title that I have given my message this morning is “Live the life you have been chosen to live.”

In my message this morning I hope to share with you the reason we should live Holy lives, and the method by which to accomplish this great and difficult task.

I only have 1 reason as to why we should live a life of Holiness. And that is stated by Peter just a few verse prior to where I begin this morning.

Chapter 1:15,16 but, just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." This exhortation is not just for the Pastor and elders but also for all of us that say we know God, and have claimed Jesus Christ as our Savior.

Allow me to share with you the meaning of Holiness.

This is from the Dictionary of The Bible

The root idea of Holiness is that of “separation” or “withdrawal.” It is a divine quality, part of the intrinsic nature of God, but absent from a fallen world. The basic theological problem is that The Holy God of the universe desires to have fellowship with sinful humans living in a fallen world. Since God cannot become less holy in order to fellowship with us, we must become more holy, once we have gained this holiness, it may be lessened by our sinfulness. Our holiness can be regained by confession and repentance when we do sin.