“The Stigma of Being Holy”
I Peter 1:16
Over the past few weeks we have interacted with the subject of Stigmas. We’ve talked about the Stigma of what it meant to be Christian. Last week Pastor Chad spoke about the Stigma of a Missionary. So to conclude this Stigma series I want for us to look at the Stigma of being Holy. But lets remind ourselves of what Stigmas are all about.
There are all types of Stigmas that often associate with certain things, that might ring true to you, but to someone else might feel is incorrect. A Stigma is an idea of association with a certain idea, person, or group, based upon the connotation of results of action.
So if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn to the book of I Peter 1:16
I Peter 1:16
Because it is written, You need to be holy; as I am holy.
But how do we contextualize the idea of what it means to be Holy? What does a life of holiness look like? How can I be holy when the sinful nature is within me? What do I have to do in order to be Holy?
Those types of questions are valid…so lets first see what the Bible has to say and how it relates to our lives today.
If you know the story of Zechariah, you understand that Gabriel an angel of the Lord had come to him and told him that despite his age and that of his wife’s that she would conceive and name his son John. The angel muted Zechariah…and for 9 months he didn’t speak. Can you image having a pastor not able to speak for 9 long months? I can’t. That’d be a miracle. But once John was born Zechariah’s tongue was loosed and this is the song of prophesy he sings…
Luke 1:73-75
The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
74 To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, that we Might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life,
In the Song of Zechariah, upon learning of the birth of his promised son John the Baptist, he not only prophesies over his son, but also about the coming Messiah and what through the Messiah would be accomplished. Look at the last part of 74-75
Luke 1:73-75
that we Might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life,
Church, it was prophesied even before Jesus was born that living a life of holiness would only be accomplished through Jesus Christ.
What is the Stigma of being Holy? What does a Holy Life look Like?
1.) It’s Christ in Us and We in Christ.
II Cor 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
That sure is an odd thing to say. But really it revolves around the answer that Jesus shares with Nicodemus, when he questions
John 3:1-5
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
To be in Christ, means that you and I have to be “born again”, but be born not just through the womb of our mother, but born into the Spirit
See, it is the baptism of the Holy Ghost that allows us the opportunity to have Christ living in us. See when you get saved, you come to Christ and confess your sins. What happens here is what is pictured in water baptism. Your sins are washed away, and initially the Holy Spirit comes in and cleans house.
The Holy Life begins at the point of salvation, but for many people, they stop right there and think that’s all that is expected of me. Sure if you are saved you have just begun to live a life of Holiness, you are called to a greater degree.
Living a holy life means that you have experienced the freedom work of Salvation in your life!
John 8:36
Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
Let me tell you something, if you have been set free from something then there should be some evidences of that in your life.
A person that has encountered real freedom,
has a little pep in their step.
They have some joy in their heart.
If Jesus Christ has healed your body…you’ve been set free
If Jesus Christ has delivered you from addiction..you’ve been set free
If Jesus has forgiven you of your sins…bless God YOU’ve been set free. SHT#@!
If you have experienced Salvation, you ought not look like you got fed prunes through a straw this morning! You ought not look like you drank lemon juice with a scowl on your face@! If you want the Stigma of Being Holy…you need to find the Joy in your Salvation@!
What is the Stigma of being Holy? How can I be holy when the sinful nature is within me?
2.) Be Filled with the Spirit
Eph 5:18
And do not be drunk with wine, in which is fermented; but be filled with the Spirit,
I’ve always thought that is was weird that Paul would analogize being drunk and being filled with the Spirit. How many of you have ever been drunk? How many of you have ever been so drunk you can’t remember what happened the night before? That’s drunk!
Lets be honest, if you have even had to much to drink…there is a feeling of euphoria, it feels good, it changes the way you feel, it alters your apprehensions, it impairs your judgment… I am just telling you the effects of alcohol.
Paul uses this illustration because just as you are caught up in drunkenness, we should be drunk with the Holy Spirit. Hang with me here. If you are really baptized with the Holy Ghost, your life changes. The infilling of the Holy Ghost should help you relinquish your apprehensions, it should impair your flesh’s judgment.
Instead of wondering what people might think about your worship
“ “ “ “ “ about your witnessing
“ “ “ your family thinks about your new life in Christ
What Paul is preaching is that you and I need to be willing to take our old sinful self out of the way and not compromise what the HS wants to accomplish through us@!
There is a sinful nature that does two things in our lives. The first thing is what we are more familiar with or what we accredit it with, is that is causes us to be more prone to sin. But the sin nature also affects how effective we are in the Spirit.
If the Spirit directs your heart to testify…the Sin nature says don’t
If the Spirit directs you to shout…the nature says that’s embaressing
If the Spirit says go to the altar and pray..the nature says ppl think I did do smething wrong
The sinful nature will always deter you from doing and being who God has called you to be. So you have got to get shed of the sinful nature and be filled with the Holy Spirit, by asking God to do the Sanctifying Work of Grace in your Life@! You can be Holy by dying to your Sinful Nature@!
What is the Stigma of Being Holy? What do I have to do in order to be Holy?
3.) Be Sanctified through the Spirit
Hebrews 13:12a
Therefore Jesus also died so that He might sanctify the people with His own blood,
The Blood of Jesus Christ was shed for you and I and it is what cleanses us from all unrighteousness and give us the opportunity to be able to live a holy life. The question that remains is can we live a life without sinning? For some like Nicodemus thought would be impossible. Living a sinless holy life is impossible….living a Christian life is impossible…you can’t do it, it isn’t possible for you to do it…..APART from Christ! Jesus said…
John 15:5
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
I Peter 1:16
Because it is written, You need to be holy; as I am holy.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Can you be Holy? Yes…if you are in Christ. You have to be willing to be separate from the world. To be separate means to be set aside for special use and purpose. That same defiention defines what sanctification is.
How are do we gain the Stigma of Being Holy. How are you sanctified? Well I believe that Entire Sanctification is a work of Grace.
Titus 2:11-12
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
The first work of Grace is what “has appeared to all men”. It’s the salvation in Christ. Titus says that the result of that salvation leads us into the work of Sanctification. Sanctification is subsequent to salvation. What are you saying preacher? I am saying that you have to get saved FIRST before you are Sanctified through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit@!
There are a lot of folks that think they got the Holy Ghost and were sanctified that aren’t. Anybody can hoop and holler, it don’t take much to waller in the floor….and squeal off a bunch a jibberish….even a hawg can do that!
Being sanctified through the Holy Ghost baptism requires a change...
Preach Kevin Preach…ok I think I will
Being sanctified requires a change of your intent…that retrofits your mind…that sanctifies your heart.
Holiness doesn’t work from the outside in, it works from the inside out@!
I Thess 4:3
For it is the will of God that you be sanctified,
God desires more from His people than for us to be followers. It is God’s will that you and I be sanctified.
Church, It is God’s will for you to be sanctified …. Wholly …. Entirely ….totally holy and set apart for God’s use @!
The Stigma for being Holy is that we are to be a Sanctified People@!
You’re not supposed to lounge around in your salvation
You cannot succumb in ignorance to your baptism
The KJV Bible clearly says “ Be ye holy as I am holy.”
Church, it is not a suggestion…Holiness is a requirement of God’s people@! It is a command not wishful thinking! It is by God’s design that you live a life of Holiness. I close with passage I opened with in the first sermon I preached on Stigmas of being Chrisitan
Galatians 6:17
From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
Do you bear the marks of Christ this morning? Do you bear the mark of Salvation? Do you bear the Mark of Water Baptism? Do you bear the Mark of the Sanctifying Work through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
Invitation.
