Purpose: To define holiness and its importance.
Aim: I want the listener to pursue holiness.
INTRODUCTION: One Sunday on their way home from church, a little girl turned to her mother and said, "Mommy, the preacher's sermon this morning confused me." The mother said, "Oh? Why is that?" The little girl replied, "Well, he said that God is bigger than we are. Is that true?" The mother replied, "Yes, that's true, honey." "And he also said that God lives in us? Is that true, mommy?" Again the mother replied, "Yes." "Well," said the little girl, "If God is bigger than us and he lives in us, wouldn't He show through?" [1]
God sanctifies us or makes us holy so that He can show through us.
For most Christians, though, "sanctify" or "holiness" are very puzzling words. We know that God is holy and that we should be holy, but we don't quite know what holiness is. We may even feel like it isn't very important because we also aren't sure how we can be holy.
What do you think when you hear the word "holy"? Do you think of an old lady with her grey hair tied up in a bun? Do you think of someone who talks using "thee's" and "thou's"? Do you think of someone who has no sense of humor? Is that your picture of holiness?
This morning we are going to let the Bible draw a picture of what real holiness looks like. Put aside what you think holiness is and let's see what the Bible says about holiness.
► I. What Does it Mean to be Holy?
The name Jehovah-M'Kaddesh, "The Eternally Self-Existent One Who Sanctifies"
probably describes the character of God more than any other name. The word SANCTIFY is essentially the same in the OT and the NT. "The word `sanctify' in the Old Testament frequently has the meaning of `setting apart'. It means the taking of something which was common before, which might legitimately have been put to ordinary uses, and setting it apart for God's service alone. It was then called sanctified or holy." [2]
There are two sides to holiness: a negative and a positive side.
► A. Be different from the world
1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, (NAU)
Leviticus 11:44--45 'For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. 'For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.' " (NAU)
1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; (NAU)
► B. Be like God
Isaiah 6:3 And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." (NAU)
Revelation 4:8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME." (NAU)
God's holiness cannot be compared to anything or anyone. 1 Samuel 2:2 "There is no one holy like the LORD, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. (NAU)
► II. Why Should we be Holy?
► A. Heaven requires holiness
Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. (NAU)
► B. God demands holiness
1 Peter 1:15--16 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." (NAU)
If we love Jesus Christ then we will want to do what pleases Him.
► C. A holy God owns His followers
1 Peter 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION... (NAU)
Leviticus 20:26 'Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine. (NAU)
Titus 2:14 [Jesus] gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. (NAU)
► D. The world needs to see holiness
We need to get our eyes off of ourselves and the things in this world.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (NAU)
Matthew 5:16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (NAU)
2 Timothy 2:20--21 Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. (NAU)
► E. Joy comes through holiness
Stedman defines "sanctify" as "to put to its proper use." To paraphrase Stedman, when someone is trusting Christ, who indwells them, to give them everything they need every minute, he is being "put to the proper use," the use for which God intended. Stedman feels that "this is holiness, this sense of dependence and availability to God."
Pastor Ray Stedman writes: "When I was younger, most people thought of holiness as grimness. I did not like 'holy' people....Holy people never smiled and never enjoyed anything. In fact, if they did enjoy anything, they felt guilty about it!...They looked like they had been soaked in embalming fluid. They were grim and dull; they frowned on anything that was fun or pleasurable. But that is not holiness. I like the good English word wholeness, which also derives from the same root 'halig,' 'whole,' 'sound' '...it is moral wholeness...with reference to persons, places & things.' Everybody wants to be a whole person....to have together all the parts which were intended to be there, and to have them functioning as they were intended to function....The Old Testament speaks about "the beauty of holiness" {1Chr 16:29, 2Chr 20:21, Ps 29:2, 96:9}, the inner attractiveness that is apparent when someone begins to function inwardly as he or she was intended. What this says is that God is designing beautiful people! That is what he wants. And not merely outwardly beautiful people like those we see on television, but inwardly beautiful people. He is more interested in inward beauty, in making admirable, trustworthy, strong, loving, compassionate people -- having all the qualities which make for inner beauty. That is what God calls wholeness, and that is his will for you."
Sin does not bring lasting happiness. Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (NAU)
Holiness, on the other hand, brings happiness.
Isaiah 12:6 Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. (NAU)
Acts 13:52 And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. (NAU)
Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said to them, "Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." (NAU)
Spurgeon: " Salvation is not a blessing to be enjoyed upon the dying bed, and to be sung of in a future state above, but a matter to be obtained, received, promised, and enjoyed now."
► III. How Can we be Holy?
► A. We must pursue holiness
Ezekiel 36:27 [God's part]"I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and [our part] you will be careful to observe My ordinances. (NAU)
Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. (NAU)
1 Peter 1:13--14 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, (NAU)
► B. We must focus on God's holiness
Have you tried and tried to be holy only to fail time and time again? If so, then the liberating truth that you need is found in God's Name Jehovah-M'Kaddesh (Jehovah Who Sanctifies). God would not command us to be holy without enabling us to be holy.
Notice Peter's encouraging word: 2 Peter 1:2--4 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. (NAU)
Holiness does NOT come from keeping the Law, but from gazing on the holiness of Christ who kept the Law perfectly. 2 Corinthians 3:17--18 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (NAU)
►Do you want to be holy? Then fix your eyes on holiness!
► C. We must embrace God's gift of holiness
We are commanded to pursue holiness, but at the same time God is the one who makes us holy. Notice what God says in: Leviticus 20:7--8 'You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. 'You shall keep My statutes and practice them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you. (NAU) Exodus 31:13 "But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. (NAU)
1 Thessalonians 5:23--24 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. (NAU)
Hebrews 10:10--14 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. (NAU)
Every Christian should be willing to make this promise: ►Because God has made me holy, I now choose to set myself apart so I can display God's holiness. 2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (NAU)
CONCLUSION: Remember, you cannot make yourself holy. God declares you holy when you embrace Christ's holy work of forgiveness that He accomplished for you on the Cross.
The first and last stanzas of a hymn written by William Merrill in 1911 should challenge our hearts today:
Rise up, O men of God!
Have done with lesser things.
Give heart and mind and soul and strength
To serve the King of kings.
Rise up and make her great!
Lift high the cross of Christ!
Tread where His feet have trod.
As brothers of the Son of Man,
Rise up, O men of God!
Jonathan Edwards stressed how he was going to stay holy. He stated, ►"Resolved: that all men should live for the glory of God. Resolved second: that whether others do or not, I will."
►Is God so big to you that He is showing through in your life?
[1]Submitted by Stan Buck, McGawsville U. M. Church, Amboy, Indiana.
[2]“Spurgeon’s Expository Encyclopedia” Vol. 14 page 11
