Hebrews 12:14 What Holiness Is
INTRO:
A. The subject of Holiness is like the subject the little boy turned in to his teacher as the theam of his term paper. THE WORLD AND ALL THAT IS THERE IN.
a. Of course the subject was to large a subject and so is my subject for there is no way I or anyone could cover all the material on Holiness in one setting.
b. Therefore I shall limit myself t one simple aspect of Holiness and endavour to give a simple defination of Holiness.
B. I do not plan to give a theogical defination nor a dictionary defination of Holiness, but share with you some simple truths concerning this great subject of Holiness.
a. I do not claim to be an authority on the subject but consider myself a studant on the first round of the latter of learning about this subject.
b. However there are some things I have learned accross the twenty-nine years of pastoring and studying the word that has helped me to come to a better understanding of Holiness.
c. It is my desire that this message help others in their walk with Christ in this old troubled world.
C. There is much misunderstanding about Holiness these days.
a. Let me illustrate with a story that occured in one of my pastorates.
b. In that pastorate a young family began coming to church. The young lady was very much in love with Jesus since He had lifted her out of a life of sin. I was led to preach a searies on Holiness. I begain by giving scriptural reasons on why I beleive in Holiness as a second deninate work of grace. I had given several old and new teatament scriptures that had led me to Ephesians 1:4. Upon completion of reading and expounding on that verse a moment, the young lady turned to her husband and gave him their baby. She then got up form where they were setting made her way to the alter and began praying. I opened the alter and after a while invited all Christians to come pray with those around the alter. We had prayed only a few moments when she prayed clear through and God sanctified her Holy. Later as the testified she said, "I have heard people talk about being sanctified and thought to myself, they think they are better than everyone else. Now she said I know better."
c. It is my desire that this message will clear up someother misunderstandings about Holiness.
d. With that let me get into the heart of my message.
I. FIRST HOLINESS IS A SECOND DEFINATE WORK OF GRACE WROUGHT IN THE HEART OF A BELEIVER.
A. It is distinct from but begins in regeneration commonly known as the new birth.
B. It is a second work because it deals with a different aspect of sin than the new birth or regeneration does.
a. You see sin is of a two fold nature.
1. First there are the sins we commit. Sins like lieing, stealing, cursing and all sorts of acts of sin.
(a). These are taken care of when we come o Jesus in repentance of sin asking forgiveness of sin.
2. Second there is the principle of sin or the root of sin.
(a). This is what makes one committ the acts of sin. The principle of sin is still in the heart.
C. Holiness deals with the principle of sin it cuts the taproot of sin off and destroys it.
a. It slays the carnal nature also called the old man.
b. Thus it takes two works of grace for God’s plan of salvation to be complete in the heart and life of a believer.
II. SECOND HOLINESS IS THE CALL OF GOD
A. Throught out the ages from the time of the fall of man to this present day God has called man to Himself.
a. This call began soon after the fall by Adam and Eve in the garde.
B. God first calls man to repentance whereby he is born again and becomes a new creature in Christ.
a. He then calls him to a life of Holiness whereby the heart is cleansed of inbred sin.
b. Paul tell us this in I Thessalonians chapter four verse seven.
c. An Old Testament example of this is in the story of Abaraham when God told him to, WALK BEFORE ME AND BE HOLY FOR I AM HOLY.
III. THIRD HOLINESS IS THE WILL OF GOD
A. Again Paul shares this with us in I Thessalonians chapter four verse three where he tells us THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD EVERN YOUR SACNTIFICATION.
a. I mentioned earlier a verse of scripture in Ephesians chapter one verse four.
b. There Paul tells us God, HATH CHOSEN US IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD THAT WE SHOULD BE HOLY BEFORE HIM IN LOVE.
B. By the will of God is ment the perfect and divine will of God.
a. This is seen in the creation story.
b. There we are told God formed man out of the dust of the earth and made him in His own image.
c. Since God is Holy, and none dare doubt are agrue that, then God created man Holy.
d. But when man fell he lost his image of God
e. Jesus came to this earth and deid so man could be restored to the image of God and regain the fellowship he lost in the fall.
f. Holiness of heart and life recreates that image in the heart of man bringing him back into the perfect will of God.
IV. FOURTH HOLINESS IS THE PRODUCT OF LOVE AND BLOOD.
A. Love brought it, blood bought it.
a. It was the love of Jesus for sinful man that brought Him to this sin cursed world to die in our place.
b. Nothing else would or could have caused Jesus to do what He did, die in our place.
c. It is love that goes out into the highways and byways of sin seeking the lost to bring them back into the fold.
B. However this wonderful plan of salvation cost.
a. It cost God His only begotten Son
b. It cost Jesus His life and blood.
c. Listen to Paul in Hebrews 13:12, WHEREFORE JESUS ALSO THAT HE MIGHT SANCTIFY THE PEOPLE WITH HIS OWN BLOOD SUFFERED WITHOUT THE GATE.
1. The word ALSO is very significant and means IN ADDATION TO AND BESIDES.
2. What Paul is saying is IN ADDATION TO DIEING ON THE CROSS TO SAVE US JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS TO SANCTIFY US.
d. This brings us back to the position with God man had before the fall.
e. Therefore to reject Holiness is to reject the blood of the sinless Son of God.
V. FIFTH HILINESS IS THE RESULT OF A SURRENDERED WILL.
A. When Jeuss approched the man at the pool of Beheseda, He applealed to the mans will when He said WILT THOU BE MADE WHOLE.
a. In doing this Jesus both recognizes and honors our will.
1. He will not save one person against that persons will.
b. In replying to Jesus the man gave the consent of his will to heal him.
B. We have already seen that it is the will of God that we be sanctified holy.
a. Now for the work to be done we have to surrender our will.
b. When we surrender our will the Holy Spirit moves in and sanctifies the heart.
C. G. Campbell Morgan puts it this way in his description of meekness and lowlyness.
a. He says, Meekness is a virture that relates to ones relationship with God and it reaches up to God
Lowlyness is a virture that relates to ones relationship with his fellow man and reaches out to man.
When these two virtures meet and cross they form a cross and it is on that corss that self dies and when self dies the Holy Spirit moves in in sanctifying power.
b. Thus the will is surrendered to God and when it is surrendered to God the heart is sanctified.
c. If you have not experianced this wonderful experiance let me urge you to go to him without the camp that He might sanctify you Holy.
D. Later I will deal with the subject WHAT HOLINESS IS TO THE BELEIVER.
