Holiness Series

INTRO: I remember before entering into the ministry I was going to get a degree in computers. I was taking COBOL (a business language). The proff would give you a problem to solve and you would have to write lines of code to solve the problem.

On one occasion I was typing several hundred lines of code and it disappeared, and I couldn’t get it back. So I reached up and hit the computer and the front half fell forward and the whole room turned to see what happened. The head guy walks over and begins to lecture me (rightfully so) and fixes the computer.

Computers are a wonderful powerful tool that can do marvelous things; but when you use them wrong, they don’t work at all.

This is the same principle with God. God can do anything if we do what he says.

TS: This morning I’m going to talk about a subject that is one of the most important, yet misunderstood, subjects today:

TITLE: What’s Expected – Pt. 1

TEXT: 2 Cor. 7:1

TS: This morning I’m going to talk about what God expects – a requirement that God expects of us.

I. The concept of holiness – I Peter 1:13- "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 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.

A.A lot of people don’t understand holiness – their concept goes like this:

1. It’s an external act (find out what’s popular in the world and I do the opposite because I’m not to conform to the world).

Ex...In the church of yesteryear, women were to put their hair in a bun, wear no make-up or jewelry, and wear long dresses down to their ankles to be proper and holy.

-But a woman can have her hair in a bun and wear no jewelry or make-up and a dress down to her ankles and have a seducing spirit up to her eyeballs.

Ex...A man can brag about not having a divorce but lusts after every woman who walks by.

POINT: Holiness is not just our outward actions. It’s not just to be a nonconformist.

B. Definition of holiness – is to be set apart

1. A lot of folks mistake purity for holiness.

Illustrate: A weight lifter wants to put on weight so he can bulk up. So, someone who is not familiar with weight training hears you need to put on some weight.

So he goes out and eats ice cream, candy, cakes or pies because these are fattening. He’s trying to put on weight.

The truth is weight lifters, when they talk about putting on weight, (they are talking about lean muscle mass through a high protein, no-fat, diet).

POINT: This is the mistake people make when they think about holiness as purity.

2.This is the mistake the church struggled with many years ago (called legalism). Ex...No make-up, long dresses, no jewelry, no movies, no card playing. -These were outward expectations put on folks to make them holy.

3.This was the problem Jesus had with the Pharisees. They made up all these rules and regulations dealing with outward behavior.

-Jesus rebukes them and says you have neglected the more important matters of the law (Matthew 23:23)

a.We’re in trouble when we major on the minors. Rather, we should major on the majors and minor on the minors.

TRUTH IS: If you truly have God living in your heart, you will not live like the world on the outside because God has changed the inside.

4.John Bevere – "The word holiness means to be separate, modern-day vernacular would be – it’s a cut above. When God is speaking of his holiness, he is speaking of his position with his creation. (I am an infinite cut above you).

-My thoughts are not your thoughts; my ways are not your ways.

-When God is telling us to be holy, he is literally saying come up to my level of thinking and living.

-Don’t hang around the turkeys in the barnyard when I’ve called you to soar with eagles"

5. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 12:14b, "without holiness no one will see the Lord." II. How are we to walk in holiness?

A. Difference between justification and sanctification

1.Justification – this is what happens to us when we received Jesus as our Savior. We repent of our sin and choose to follow Christ.

-God declares us righteous (by the blood of the Lamb). This is something God does instantly.

2.Sanctification – is working out what was done on the inside. It’s a process where you walk hand in hand with God to become holier.