Lord, I Want To Be Holy

Lord, I Want To Be Holy

Scripture Reference: 1 Peter 1:14 – 16

Thesis: Because God is Holy, we who have come to Christ have been set apart from sin and set apart to God as a people of distinction and a people of difference. Therefore, we need to pursue holiness.

Introduction

A Man was sitting in his recliner when his youngest son walked in and asked if he could ask him a few questions. The Father said sure but he asked what is this for? The young boy replied, “It’s for a project at school.

We have to write a report about a role model in our life.” His father was touched, and said, “Son, I’m so pleased that you chose me to be your role-model. Why did you choose me?” The son said, “Yeah, well the kids next to me already picked Steven Segal and the Rock, so you were the only one left.”

So who is your role model in life? Who is it that you are trying to imitate in your daily walk. For most of us in our day and age, we have chosen the wrong role models. We pick our role models off whether they can throw a football, sing and dance, or shoot a quick jump shot. When people pick their heroes, holiness isn’t usually part of the requirements. Integrity and purity are left out of the equation.

So the question of the day is, “When you hear the word holiness, what comes to your mind?” There are many words from the Christian dictionary, the Christian church that has seemed to lose its value among this post-modern church culture.

You don’t hear words like sacrifice, suffering, self-denial, commitment, devotion, fasting, and patience just to name a few, and if you think those words seem to be lost then I can only image what you think about holiness.

For most Christians, “holiness” is a rather mystical and somewhat puzzling term. We’re willing to be holy, but we don’t quite know what holiness is. In days gone by, holiness was one of the main movements that brought Pentecostal churches out of obscurity. But later on, often times it slid more into the issue of the external practices rather than the inward purity of the heart.

Holiness has in days gone by and somewhat still today is connected with the super saint, the super church person, the super church lady, and the really spiritual one who doesn’t hold a lot of degrees in sin, the religionists, the charismatic pastor, the most revered saint, the polished deacon.

The unchurched called Christians “holy rollers” because of perceived fanaticism. And even Robin of Batman and Robin included the term in the expression, “holy Toledo.”

We sing to God in praise and worship:

You are holy, oh, so holy;

What a privilege and an honor to worship at your throne;

To be called into your presence as your own.

We sing to God in praise and worship:

Holy are you Lord;

Holy are you Lord;

You are high and lifted up;

Holy are you Lord.

We have sung in praise and worship to God:

Lord I want to be holy, set apart for you

Lord I want to be holy, a vessel tried and true

When I come into your throne room

I receive the strength that I need

To make my life a living sacrifice for you.

We have sung in praise and worship:

Holy Spirit, make me holy

Holy Spirit, make me holy

From this moment on, right every wrong,

Holy Spirit come and make me holy.

So you see we give a lot of lip service but do not reflect any life service. So what does it mean to be holy? I have read about it, sung about it, so tell me pastor do I really want to be holy? And if I do, how do I get there?

I want to unwrap the package on holiness this morning found in the Bible and I am going to do it through three points: 1) The Definition of Holiness; 2) The Case for Holiness; and 3) The Practice of Holiness.

I. The Definition of Holiness

1 Peter 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

The text states, “be holy.” So it is obvious that before I can be, I must know what it is. The word “holy” itself is used at least 549 times in the Scriptures. In the Hebrew (Old Testament) the word for holy is Qadash (kaw-dash’) and in the Greek (New Testament) the word for holy is Hagiazo (hag-ee-ad’-zo).

Don’t worry about the Hebrew and Greek words, just know this; they both have the same meaning. So what holiness is in the Old Testament is the same as what holiness is in the New Testament.