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.
(Our responsibility)
-This morning, I’m talking about sanctification or our responsibility. B. Scriptures
-Text this morning – I Peter (mentioned earlier)
1.Eph. 4:17, 22, 24 – "So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
2.Romans 12:1 and 2 – "Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – This is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good pleasing and perfect will."
3.Mr. Bevere – "Our ability to walk in holiness has to do with our thinking - our mind."
-We need to renew our mind by the word of God (simply put, we need to elevate our thinking by renewing our minds on the word of God).
SUMMARY: Thus far I’ve been talking on holiness, not the holiness that God brings instantly but the holiness that we have a part to play (that we have to work out following God).
-This holiness comes by renewing our mind on the Word of God and acting in faith on it.
Text this morning: 2 Cor. 7:1 – "Since we have these promises, Dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence to God."
III. The Trap – we understand the word of God will stand forever. Matthew 24:35 – "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."
A. What can nullify the word of God? Tradition
Mark 7:13 – "You nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down."
1. The Pharisees developed wrong thinking from this book (Bible) and put them into practice and made a tradition out of them forming their own religious ways.
-That only brings death.
2. Jesus rebukes the religious leaders harshly when they are continually attacking Jesus or his disciples about holiness types of issues.
-Proper washing of hands
-Taking care of your parents, rather than give the money to God (Jesus tells them you set aside the commands of God in order for your own traditions).
-Working on the Sabbath
POINT: The religious leaders set up a bunch of rules and regulations to bring holiness. The result was a heavy taskmaster, religious and prideful leaders who followed tradition that had no power to change their lives.
B. Today God commands us to be holy — without holiness we won’t see God.
1.Matthew 5:20 — "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."
2.Today there is a false belief floating around that goes like this:
-I say a few words; ask Jesus into my heart, and "presto" — I’m saved. Then this person goes back into his same old way of life with no difference from the world. (Are they saved? Not according to the scriptures I read.)
3.Do you realize that those who study the church and the world tell us there really is no difference? -Saying those in the church are no holier than those outside. In fact, in some areas they are worse.
REMEMBER: God has set us apart. We’re a cut above. God wants us to rise to his level —God is doing his part.
-The question is — are we doing ours?
4.It would be a cruel God — who tells us to do something that is impossible to do.
-The church today is so full of tradition (half truths) that it nullifies the word of God. As a result, holiness is nothing more than an outward form.
-A form of Godliness but denying its power. POINT: Tradition kills - Christianity saves. Tradition is legalism - Christianity is holiness. Tradition is form - Christianity is power. Tradition is death - Christianity is life.
IN CONCLUSION: The church today rationalizes her actions with the false beliefs that she is ok, because she intellectually understands the gospel. But friends, there has to be changed lives.
