Introduction

Welcome, welcome, dear friends and family in Christ. We are gathered here today, not by chance or coincidence, but by divine appointment. Our heavenly Father, in His infinite wisdom and love, has brought us together to share in the joy of His Word, to grow in His grace, and to learn how we can live out His divine principles in our daily lives.

Today, we turn our hearts and minds to the profound words of the prophet Micah, nestled in the heart of the Old Testament, in Micah 6:6-8. These verses echo with the timeless truth of God's expectations for His people. They say,

"With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

How profound are these words! How they stir our hearts and awaken our spirits! They call us to a higher standard, a divine standard, that transcends the superficiality of mere ritual and penetrates to the very core of our being.

We are summoned to pursue personal holiness, to permeate social holiness, and to practice holiness in our daily lives. These are not mere suggestions, but divine commands, essential components of a life lived in alignment with God's will and purpose.

Charles Spurgeon, the great preacher of the 19th century, once said, "Holiness is not the way to Christ. Christ is the way to holiness." This is a profound truth that we must hold dear in our hearts. Christ is our pathway to holiness. He is our guide, our strength, our inspiration, and our ultimate example.

Let us pray.

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for this time together. We thank You for Your Word, which is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. As we study the words of Your prophet Micah, we ask that You open our hearts and minds to Your truth. Help us to understand what it means to pursue personal holiness, to permeate social holiness, and to practice holiness in our daily lives. May we be not just hearers of Your Word, but doers also. In Jesus' name, we pray, amen.

Now, let us proceed with our study, confident in the knowledge that the Holy Spirit will guide us and illuminate our understanding.

Pursuing Personal Holiness

In the heart of the prophet Micah's words, we find a call to a personal pursuit of holiness. This is not a casual endeavor, but a dedicated, intentional pursuit. It's a call to a higher standard, a divine standard. It's a call to align our lives with the will and purpose of God.

Understanding what holiness truly means: Holiness is not about perfection, but about being set apart for God's purposes. It's about living in a way that reflects God's character and love. It's about striving to live a life that is pleasing to God, not because we want to earn His favor, but because we love Him and want to honor Him with our lives.

Requires a deep commitment: It's not something we can achieve overnight. It's a lifelong process of growth and transformation. It requires us to continually examine our hearts and lives, to confess and repent of our sins, and to seek God's grace and strength to live in a way that honors Him.

Recognizing our need for God's grace: We cannot achieve holiness on our own. We are sinful and fallible. We need God's grace to cleanse us, to renew us, and to empower us to live holy lives. We need to rely on His strength, not our own. We need to seek His guidance and wisdom, not rely on our own understanding.

Requires humility: We need to recognize our own limitations and shortcomings. We need to acknowledge our dependence on God. We need to humble ourselves before Him, recognizing that He is the source of our strength and our righteousness. We need to submit to His will and His ways, trusting that He knows what is best for us.

Living out our faith in practical ways: Holiness is not just about what we believe, but about how we live. It's about how we treat others, how we use our resources, how we conduct ourselves in our daily lives. It's about living in a way that reflects God's love and grace to the world around us. This requires us to be intentional about our actions and decisions. It requires us to think carefully about how our choices reflect our faith and our commitment to God. It requires us to be mindful of how our actions impact others and how they reflect on our witness for Christ.

This pursuit is perseverance: The pursuit of holiness is not easy. It requires effort, discipline, and perseverance. It requires us to keep pressing on, even when the going gets tough, even when we face challenges and obstacles. This requires us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. It requires us to keep our hearts anchored in His love and grace. It requires us to keep our minds focused on His truth and His promises.

Not about earning God's love or favor: God already loves us unconditionally. He already accepts us as we are. The pursuit of holiness is about living in a way that honors God and reflects His character. It's about growing in our relationship with Him and becoming more like Him in our thoughts, words, and actions. It's about living a life that is pleasing to Him and brings glory to His name.

Permeating Social Holiness

As we continue to reflect on the words of the prophet Micah, we are drawn to the second part of the divine command: to permeate social holiness ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO