100% HOLY
Holy Ground Spirit Filled Church
Pastor: Joe M. Garza
8-22-05
Text: Hebrews 12:14
INTRODUCTION:
The text which heads this page opens up a subject of deep importance. That subject is practical holiness. It suggests a question which demands the attention of all professing Christians
----are we holy
----shall we see the Lord
*That question can never be out of season? The wise man tells us in:
Ecclesiastes 3:4, 7 (NLT)
A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time too grieve and a time to dance.[7] A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.
----there is no time, no, not a day, in which a man ought not to be holy
----now are we holy
I ask to be heard today about this question. How stands the account between our souls and God? In this hurrying, bustling world, let us stand still for a few minutes and consider the matter of holiness.
*I believe I might have chosen a subject not more popular and pleasant. I am sure I might have found one more easy to handle. But I feel deeply I could not have chosen one more seasonable and more profitable to our souls.
*It is a solemn thing to hear the Word of God saying, "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord"
I will indeavor (try; attempt), by God’s help, to examine what true holiness is and the reason why it is so needful. In conclusion, I will try to point out the only way in which holiness can be attained. Having considered the doctrinal side, let us now trun to the plain and practical application.
I. THE NATURE OF TRUE PRACTICAL HOLINESS
a. First, then, let me try to show what true practical holiness is: what sort of persons are those whom God calls holy?
----a man may go great lengths and never recieve true holiness
----it is not knowledge-----Balaam had that
----nor great profession------Judas Iscariot had that
----nor doing many things-------Herod had that
----nor zeal(strong interest;devotion) for certain matters in religion------Jehu had that
----nor morality and outward respectability of conduct------the young ruler had that
----nor taken pleasure in hearing preachers------the Jews in Ezekiel’s time had that
----nor keeping company with godly people------Joab and Gehazi and Demas had that
*Yet none of these were holy!!!!!
----these things alone are not holiness
*A man may have any one of them and yet never see the Lord
b. What then is true practical holiness?
*Let me, however, try to draw a picture of holiness, tha we may see it clearly before the eyes of our minds.
*Only let it never be forgotten when I have said all, that my account is but a poor imperfect outline at the best
A. Holiness Is The Habit Of Being Of One Mind With God, According As We Find His Mind Described In Scripture
----it is the habit of agreeing in God’s judgment
----hating what He hates
----loving what He loves
----and measuring everything in this world by the standard of His Word
*He who most entirely agrees with God, he is the most holy man
B. A Holy Man Will Endeavor To Shun (to keep away from;avoid) Every Known Sin And To Keep Every Known Commandment
----he will have a decided bent of mind towards God
----will have a hearty desire to do His will
----a greater fear of displeasing Him than of displeasing the world, and a love to all His ways
*He will feel what Paul felt when he said in Romans 7:22 "I delight in the law of God after the inward man"
*Look what David felt
Psalms 119:128 (NLT)
Truly, each of your commandments is right. That is why I hate every false way
----we must love the because they bear God’s image and are the revelations of his will
*The way of sin being directly contrary to God’s precepts, which are right, is a false way
----those that have a love and esteem for God’s law hate it and will not be reconciled to it
C. A Holy Man Will Strive To Be Like Our Lord Jesus Christ
*He will not only live the life of faith in Him and draw from Him all his daily peace and strength
*He will also labor to have the mind that was in Him and to be conformed to His image
Romans 8:29 (NLT)
For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters
----it will be your aim to bear with and forgive others, even as Christ forgave you
----it will be your job to be unselfish, even as Christ pleased not Himself
----it will be your job to walk in love, even as Christ loved us
----you will have to be lowly-minded and humble, even as Christ made Himself of no reputation and humbled Himself
----you will remember that Christ was a faithful witness for the truth
----Jesus came not to do His own will that it was His meat and drink to do His Father’s will
----He would continually deny Himself in order to minister to others
----He was meek and patient under undeserved insults
----He thought more of godly poor men than of kings
----He was full of love and compassion to sinners
----He was bold and uncompromising in denouncing sin
----He sought not the praise of men, when He might have had it
*He went about doing good
----He was separate from worldly people
----He continued instant in prayer
----He would not let even His nearest relations stand in His way when God’s work was to be done
*These things a holy man will try to remember
*By them he will endeavor to shape his course in life
*Take to heart what John said:
1 John 2:6 (NLT)
Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ
*Here he gave a shining example of absolute obedience to God
----those who profess to be on his side, and to abide with him, must walk with him, walk after his pattern and example
*Peter says this:
1 Peter 2:21 (NLT)
This suffering is all part of what God has called you to. Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in his steps
*Good Christians are a sort of people called to be sufferers, and therefore must expect it
----Jesus Christ suffered for you
----He whom the Father sanctified, and sent into the world for that end
----it was both the body and soul of Christ that suffered
*Happy is he who has learned ot make Christ his "all" both for salvation and example
*Much time would be saved, and much sin prevented, if men would often ask themselves the question: "What would Christ have said and done if He were in my place"
D. A Holy Man Will Follow After Meekness, Patience,gntleness, kind Tempers, Government Of His Tongue
----he will bear much, forbear much, overlook much and be slow to talk of standing on his rights
*We see a bright example of this in the behavior of David when Shimei cursed him, and of Moses when Aaron aned Miriam spoke against him
2 Samuel 16:10 (NLT)
"No!" the king said. "What am I going to do with you sons of Zeruiah! If the Lord has told him to curse me, who am I to stop him?"
Numbers 12:3-16 (NLT)
Now Moses was more humble than any other person on earth
----Moses did not resent the injury done to him, nor complain of it to God
----he did not make any appeal to God but God resented it
*He hears all we say in our passion, and is a swift witness of our hasty speeches, which is a reason why we should resolutely bridle our tongues
----we should not speak ill of others
E. A Holy Man Will Follow After Temperance And Self-Denial
----He will labor to mortify the desires of his body, to crucify his flesh with his affections and lusts to curb his passions
----He will try to restrain his carnal inclinations, lest at any time they break loose
Luke 21:34 (NLT)
Watch out! Don’t let me find you living in careless ease and drunkenness, and filled with the worries of this life
----This makes men dull and lifeless to their duty
----They stupify the conscience, and casue the mind to be unaffected with those things that are most affecting
----the heart is overcharged with the cares of this life
1 Corinthians 9:27 (NLT)
I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified
----a preacher may show others the way to heaven, and never get there himself
*Holy fear of ourselves and not presumptuaous confidence, is the best security against apostasy from God, and final rejection by Him
F. A Holy Man Will Follow After Charity And Brotherly Kindness
*He will endeavor to observe the golden rule of doing as he would have men do to him and speaking as he would have men speak to him
----he will be full of affection towards his brethren
----towards their bodies, their property
----towards their characters, their feelings, their souls
Romans 13:8 (NLT)
Pay all your debts, except the debt of love for others. You can never finish paying that! If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill all the requirements of God’s law.
----he will hate all lying, slandering, backbiting, cheating, dishonestly and unfair dealing, even in the least things
----he will strive to adorn his religion by all his outward demeanor and to make it lovely and beautiful in the eyes of all around him
*The condemning words are the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians, and the sermon on the mount, when laid alongside the conduct of many professing Christians!
G. A Holy Man Will Follow After A Spirit Of Mercy And Benevolence (inclination to do good; kindliness) Towards Others
----a holy man will not stand all day idling
----he will not be content with doing no harm
----he will try to do good
----he will strive to be useful in his day and generation and to lessen the spiritual wants and misery around him as far as he can
Acts 9:36 (NLT)
There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor.
2 Corinthians 12:15 (NLT)
I will gladly spend myself and all I have for your spiritual good, even though it seems that the more I love you, the less you love me
H. A Holy man Will Follow After Purity Of Heart
----he will dread all filthiness and uncleanness of spirit, and seek to avoid all things that might draw him into it
----He knows his own heart is like tender and will diligently keep clear of the sparks of temptation
----There is a hint to be gleaned from the ceremonial law
----Under it the man who only touched a bone or a dead body or a grave or a diseased person became at once unclean in the sight of God
----These things were emblems and figures
----few Christians are ever too watchful and too particular about this point
I. A Holy Man Will Follow After The Fear Of God
----I don’t mean the fear of a slave, who only works because he is afraid of punishment and would be idle if he did not dread discovery
----I mean the fear of a child, who wihses to live and move as if he was always before his father’s face, because he love him
What a noble example Nehemiah gives us of this! When he became governor at Jerusalem, he might have been chareable to the Jews and required of them money for his support.
Nehemiah 5:15 (NLT)
This was quite a contrast to the former governors who had laid heavy burdens on the people, demanding a daily ration of food and wine, besides a pound of silver. Even their assistants took advantage of teh people. But because of my fear of God, I did not act that way.
J. A Holy Man Will Follow After Humility
----he will desire, in lowliness of mind, to esteem all others better than himself
----he will see more evil in his own heart than in any other in the world
*He will understand something of Abraham’s feeling, when he says, "I am dust and ashes,"
*Jacob’s when he says, "I am less than the least of all Your mercies,"
*Job’s when he says, "I am vile,"
*Paul when he says "I am chief of sinners"
*Holy Bradford will write his letters ending with words such as: "A most miserable sinner"
*Mr. Grimshaw’s last words, when he lay on his deathbed, were these: "Here goes an unprofitable servant"
K. A Holy Man Will Follow After Faithfulness In All The Duties And Relations In Life
----He will try, not merely to fill his place as well as others who take no thought for their souls, but even better, because he has higher motives and more help then they
----These words of Paul should never be forgotten:
Colossians 3:23 (NLT)
Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people
Romans 12:11 (NLT)
Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically
----holy persons should aim at doing everything well and should be ashamed of allowing themselves to do anything ill if they can help it
Daniel 6:5 (NLT)
So they concluded, "Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the requirements of his religion."
----you should strive to be good husbands and good wives
----you should strive to be good parents and good children
----good masters and good servants, good neighbors, good friends, good subjects, good in private and good in public
----you should strive to be good in the place of business and good by their firsides
*Holiness is worth little indeed if it does not bear this kind of fruit
*The Lord Jesus puts a searching question to His people when he says:
Matthew 5:47 (NLT)
If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that
L. A Holy Man Will Follow After Spiritual Mindedness
----He will endeavor to set his affections entirely on things above and to hold things on earth with a very loose hand
----He will not neglect the business of the life that now is
----The first place in his mind and thoughts will be given to the life to come
----you will aim to live like one whose treasure is in heaven and to pass through this world like a stranger and pilgrim traveling to his home
*To commune with God in prayer, in the Bible, and the assembly of His people these things will be the holy man’s chief enjoyments
----he will value everything and place and company, just in proportion as if draws him nearer to God
----he will enter into something of David’s feeling, when he says, "My soul follows hard after you;" "You are my portion (Ps. 63:8; 119:57)
