Holiness - A Simple Overview

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

“May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.”

What a wonderful Scripture!

Today let’s talk a little bit about holiness / entire sanctification!

Let’s look at an illustration:

- You don’t have a car

Right now you’re just crawling in circles - going nowhere

You don’t even know you don’t have a car

You don’t know what a car is or why you would need one

You don’t know there is a place you need to reach

- Someone tells you that there is a place you need to reach and how important that destination is

They tell you what a car is and that a car is provided for you

You are invited to enter into this car

You feel an unexplainable inner urge to receive this free gift

You get in and turn the key, the engine starts and things have

changed

- You start driving but you’re still only going in circles

You live in a dry desert wasteland (describe)

Someone tells you of a better place (a promise land)

They show you a map and how to read it

They show you where the promise land is but it’s a long trip

You decide you want to go

- You are no longer driving in circles - you have a destination

In this case the car itself needs no gas or oil or air in the tires

The car itself is fully complete and self sufficient

You, however, need to eat and sleep on your journey

You need to stop for encouragement

You join with fellow travelers

- You travel for weeks, months, years

As you travel along you find others who need a car

You tell them about the journey and the destination

Finally, at the end of your life, you reach the destination!

OK. This little illustration may have some holes in it but I think it can be used to illustrate a holy, sanctified life. So, let’s review the scenario and see how it fits with the Bible.

- You don’t have a car

Right now you’re just crawling in circles - going nowhere

You don’t even know you don’t have a car

You don’t know what a car is or why you would need one

You don’t know there is a place you need to reach

This is the condition of most of our friends, co-workers, neighbors and even family members.

This is the natural state of humanity. Unknowing enemies of God.

They can be as “spiritual” as they want to be but in essence they are just crawling in circles in a dry desert where no true spiritual life can be found.

They don’t know that they are lost.

They don’t know that they don’t know!

This is the starting point for everyone.

- Someone tells you that there is a place you need to reach and how important that destination is

They tell you about a car that is provided for you

You are invited to enter into this car

You feel an unexplainable inner urge to receive this free gift

You get in and turn the key, the engine starts and things have

changed

When we’re lost we need to be told that we’re lost.

Romans 10:14 says,

“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”

In Acts 1:8b Jesus says,

“You will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

You are witnessed to by

The Holy Spirit

By a believer

You must make a decision if you wish to change your “mode of

transportation”

You come to Jesus for salvation

Back to the illustration …

- You start driving but you’re still only going in circles

You live in a dry desert wasteland (describe)

You are saved but living a life of spiritual struggle

Someone tells you of a better place (a promise land)

They show you a map and how to read it

They show you where the promise land is but it’s a long trip

Most of us, when we are saved, know that a huge change has taken place in our lives! But, still we struggle with sin just as much as before.

Part of us wants to continue in that life and part of us wants to follow Jesus.

2 Chronicles 16:9 says,

“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.”