DARING TO BE HOLY
I heard the story of a man who was remembering that when he was a boy, he had a brother that collected baseball cards. The brother had some cheap regular cards that they played with. However, being a serious collector, he also had some that were very valuable. Those did not get played with. They were kept sealed in a ‘special’ collection. One day the boy overheard his brother telling a friend that he was going to organize and put all his special cards into a 3-ring binder. The boy decided to surprise his brother and do it for him. He got into the collection and began to organize the cards by cutting out all the heads of the players and then gluing them to a piece to lined binder paper from school. Many years later he said that he can still see his brother’s face as he showed him what he had done with his "special" cards. He especially remembers cutting out and gluing the Hank Aaron rookie card. A similar card (that had not been destroyed) had just sold on eBay for about $100,000.
Today we are continuing in our series Daring Faith. Like the baseball card collection of the older brother, there were some cards that were ‘special’ or set apart. In the bible this is the meaning of the word holy. Today I want to talk about Daring to be Holy. Let’s look today at the story of Samson;
Judges 16:15 Then she said to him, "How can you say, `I love you,' when you won't confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven't told me the secret of your great strength." 16 With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was tired to death. 17 So he told her everything. "No razor has ever been used on my head," he said, "because I have been a Nazirite set apart to God since birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man." 18 When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, "Come back once more; he has told me everything." So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. 19 Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him. 20 Then she called, " Samson , the Philistines are upon you!" He awoke from his sleep and thought, "I'll go out as before and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had left him.
From the story of Samson, we recognize three things about holiness;
1. Born to be Set Apart - (Chapter 13)
Samson was set apart from before birth to be a Nazirite. Before he was even conceived an angel came to his parents and told them that he would be different. He was special.
Judges 13:5 because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines."
Though unable to have children, his mother would be given a son. His father Manoah asked for confirmation of the angel's message so the angel appeared to him as well. Like Gideon, they only recognized it was an angel after he had left. Samson was "set apart" from birth. The same is true for all of us who accept and believe in Jesus. From the moment we receive salvation we are "saints" or "sanctified" ones. This does not relate to our behavior but our position with Christ.
Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand…
When we gave our lives to Jesus Christ God forgave our sins. The righteousness of Christ was imparted to us. That means that our sins have been paid for and we are forgiven. We stand in the position of grace. We have been declared holy.
To be holy means to be set apart. In the Christian sense holiness always relates to someone or something which has been set apart from the world for use exclusively for God. When Moses stood on holy ground it was not that the soil was different but that the ground was set apart by the presence of God. We likewise are holy in that we have been set free from the kingdom of darkness and are now under the sole ownership and control of God.
In every house Naomi and I have ever lived in we have gone through the same ritual, the choosing of the closets. Naomi would go in and decide what she could live with, and I got the left overs. In the house we now live in there is one section of our walk-in-closet that is for me. It is set apart for my use. All the stuff that hangs there is mine.
That is what holiness means. It means that we belong to God. It means that we have set ourselves apart for His service alone. We do not live for ourselves; we live for God. Being sanctified or holy does not mean that you suddenly have a halo appear above your head or that you never do anything wrong. Holiness simply means that your life and actions are controlled by God. Being set apart does not mean that you leave the world but that you are different from it.
Holiness does not consist in mystic speculations, enthusiastic fervors, or uncommanded austerities; it consists in thinking as God thinks, and willing as God wills -- John Brown (Scottish theologian)
Years ago, I was at a conference in Toronto and was invited to go with a group of other pastors to the downtown late one night to do evangelism. Another pastor and I went to Allen Gardens. If you know downtown Toronto then you know that late at night Allen Gardens is the home to mostly prostitutes and street people. We saw a group sitting around a picnic table in the park, but did not know how to approach them, so we went and bought a pizza. We took it into the park and asked if they wanted it and they loved it. At one point a girl asked me why we were there. As I was trying to think of something to say the other pastor said “we are pastors and we wanted to come tonight and tell you about Jesus, and the only way we could figure out how to do that was to buy you a pizza.” They laughed and we sat down and had a great conversation with them.
We were there that night in that park because we were different. We were not there because we thought that hanging out in a park in downtown Toronto in the middle of the night was a good idea. We were there because Jesus commanded us to go, so we went. We are born to be set apart.
2. Staying Set Apart - (vs. 15-19)
While we have been set apart in terms of who we are - sanctification is a constant process which involves what we do. It is not just our "position" in Christ but our "condition" in Him as well. While we were made holy in God’s eyes through justification we must work at sanctification throughout our lives. We must work at becoming what we already are. It is a choice.
Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Samson's strength was found in the Holy Spirit which was with him. A Nazirite was someone who has chosen to make a special vow of separation to the Lord. It is not something which is commanded but rather something that is done by choice and lasted as long as the person wishes.
Num. 6:2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: `If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of separation to the LORD as a Nazirite , 3 he must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or from other fermented drink. He must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. 4 As long as he is a Nazirite , he must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins. 5 "`During the entire period of his vow of separation no razor may be used on his head. He must be holy until the period of his separation to the LORD is over; he must let the hair of his head grow long.
When we accept Jesus as Savior, we also are making a vow of separation. Our salvation is not based on it but rather it is something we do in gratitude for what God has done in our lives. Holiness is not adhering to some rigid law to gain righteousness but a gift offered in love.
The secret of true obedience is the clear and close personal relationship to God. All our attempts after full obedience will be failures until we get access to his abiding fellowship. It is God's holy presence consciously abiding with us that keeps us from disobeying Him. I must consciously include the Lord in every thought, activity, and conversation until the habit is established. -- Andrew Murray
Col 2:21 "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Samson failed in his vow to the Lord because he put himself in a situation where he was tempted. He knew that the Philistines were trying to trap him and that Delilah was on their side. Instead of running away he gave in to the pressure and fell. He went to sleep on the lap of his most powerful enemy. Samson knew that Delilah was trying to destroy him:
Judges 16:6 So Delilah said to Samson, "Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued." 7 Samson answered her, "If anyone ties me with seven fresh thongs that have not been dried, I'll become as weak as any other man." … 11 He said, "If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I'll become as weak as any other man." … 13 He replied, "If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric [on the loom] and tighten it with the pin, I'll become as weak as any other man."
In each case he must have been aware that Delilah was working with his enemies. Even though he knew this he continued to live with the danger. Sometimes we are like that as well. Even though we see where sin is leading us we continue on the same path knowing that it will lead to our destruction.
1 Peter 1:13-16 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. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
"Take Time to Be Holy" was a poem written by William Dunn Longstaff in 1882. He wrote it after attending a meeting and hearing a missionary to China say "Take time and be holy" while preaching a sermon on 1 Peter 1:16. Two years later George Stebbins saw the poem in a magazine and set it to music while working as a missionary in India. After seeing how well received the song was, he sent it off to Ira Sankey in New York who was a well-known singer and hymn writer and who travelled all over the world with DL Moody. The song was included into a collection that was used all over the world in camp meetings and revivals.
Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.
Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak,
Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.
Born to be set apart and staying set apart.
3. Recognizing the Lord’s Presence - (vs 20)
Samson woke as he had before and went out to fight but he did not realize that, because of his actions, the Lord’s anointing and power had left him. These are perhaps some of the saddest words of the Bible – he went out to fight but did not know that the LORD had left him.
Psalm 51:11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit did not dwell within but moved upon God’s people. In the New Testament God has sent His Spirit within us to stay. God will not take His Spirit from us if we sin. But we will lose out on the power of God in our lives as a result of sin.
How many families and churches have been destroyed by bad choices? How many lives have been broken by yielding to temptation? I see this so often. Remember you have been set apart in Christ. It is up to you to stay that way. Are you sleeping in the lap of your enemy? WAKE UP. Run for your life before you and those around you are hurt.
A holy life will make the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns, they just shine -- D.L. Moody.
There is power in holiness. The world needs to see Jesus living in us.
In 1862 Ludwig Nommensen traveled to Indonesia to serve as a missionary. The village chief welcomed Ludwig and said, "You have 2 years to learn our customs and convince us you have a message worth hearing." After 2 years, the tribal leader asked the missionary how Christianity differs from the moral rules and traditions of the tribe. "We already know what is right," the chief explained. "We have laws that say we must not steal, or take our neighbor's wives, or tell lies." The missionary replied, "That's true. But my God supplies the power needed to keep those laws." This startled the chief. "Can you really teach my people to live better?" "No, I can't," responded Ludwig. "But if they receive Jesus Christ, God will give them the strength to do what is right."
The chief invited him to stay another 6 months, during which Ludwig preached the gospel and taught villagers how the Holy Spirit works in the lives of Christians. Finally, the chief announced "You can stay as long as you want, your religion is better than ours, for your God walks with men and gives them strength to do the things He requires."
He translated the New Testament into the Batak language. After just a few years it was reported that thousands had come to Christ. He served there for many years. When he died the Batak Church in Indonesia had over 180,000 members and over 800 pastors. Today it remains as one of the largest church denominations in Asia.
Years ago, there was a Harrison Ford movie called Regarding Henry. He played a lawyer who was a first-class jerk. He conceals evidence so that his case in court destroys a man’s character. He makes a lot of money to pay for his mistress and his sinful life-style. He has a daughter whom he hardly knows. She can never be good enough for him. If her report card has a “B” he totally ignores the “A’s” and tells her she needs to work harder and do better. He’s a total jerk.
One night after a party he goes to the local convenience store to get some cigarettes. As he enters the store, he walks in on a robbery taking place. He is shot in the head and dies. Somehow, they manage to resuscitate him and, in the days ahead his life hangs by a thread. He lives. But his memory is gone. The tapes are erased. He has to learn to walk and talk again. His wife and daughter work with him. He’s different. As the days pass, he falls in love with his wife and daughter again. His daughter teaches him how to tie his shoes and he asks, “How did you learn to do that?” “Why, you taught me, dad,” she says. He makes cookies with them and they become a close family.
He begins to read and go over his old cases trying to restore memory. Then he finds a file with evidence that he had hidden in it. He brings it to the man who he had beaten in court by concealing it. I think this is yours he tells him. It’s a compelling story of life change from bad to good. He begins as a certified, first class, lying jerk and ends up an upstanding, wonderful, honest man. Hollywood frames the question well. “How do you fix a jerk?” Their answer? You kill him! Destroy his old nature and bring him back to life. Sound familiar?
Holiness is more than just living a good life. It is more than just following a bunch of rules and regulations. It is not religion. It is dying to self and being reborn. It is living and choosing to be set apart for God. It is living the life that Jesus calls us to live through the power that Jesus gives us.
When we accepted Jesus into our hearts, He became Lord. We have been set apart for His service. This is not just a position of holiness but must also translate into the condition of holiness.
