INTRODUCTION
Today we are going to look an attribute of God that is one that is central to God and who He is.
The attribute that I want us to consider today is one that when we understand it, it will change our whole outlook on our relationship with God. Once we understand this attribute, we will start to understand many of the things that God wants us to do and why. It will help us to see the importance of spiritual growth and it will help us to see the goal that God has for us. We will also understand why it is so important for us to try to reach toward this attribute in our lives.
Today we are going to look at the attribute of holiness.
What comes to mind when you hear the word “holy”? Does it stir up positive thoughts? In the mind of many, "holy" means; narrow-minded, uptight, judgmental, detached, Victorian and other negative words.
We are going to look at what it means for something to considered holy. We will see that our God is holy and that because He is holy, there are implications for us. Finally we will see the steps we need to take to be holy.
Today I would ask that you turn to 1 Peter 1:13-16 for our text.
In the first chapter of this book, Peter spends time talking about our faith and our salvation. Peter states that these things are important to us and because of them, we are to be more like the God who is going to save us and in whom we place our faith. This starts in verse thirteen.
SERMON
I. GOD IS HOLY! VERSE 16
In verse 16 we are told that God is holy. Before we discuss that, let’s look at what the word “holy” means.
A. The Meaning of “Holy”
The basic meaning of the word is “to set apart”. This applies to places where God is present, like the Temple and the tabernacle, and to things and persons related to those holy places or to God Himself.
Next, it means to be “perfect, transcendent, or spiritually pure, evoking adoration and reverence.” This applies primarily to God, but secondarily to saints or godly people. (Isaiah 6 is an example)
Next, it means something or someone who evokes “veneration or awe, being frightening beyond belief.” This is clearly the application to God and is the primary meaning of “holy.” This speaks of God, but also of places or things or persons which have been set apart by God’s presence. (Moses and the burning bush) A saint is a holy person. To be sanctified is to be made holy.
Holiness is a general term used to indicate sanctity or separation from all that is sinful, impure, or morally imperfect; i.e., it is moral wholeness. The term is used with reference to persons, places, and things.
The words sanctification, sanctify, consecrate and saint are all from the same root word.
When we say that something is holy, we are saying that it is set aside for special service. The temple was called “holy” because it was set aside for a special purpose. Priests were “holy” because they were set aside for a special purpose. The furniture in the temple was “holy” because it was set aside for a special purpose.
God is called holy.
B. Biblical references
LEV 11:44 ’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.
LEV 19:2 "Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ’You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
LEV 20:7 ’You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.
REV 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." 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."
C. Holiness as applied to God.
1. God is perfect.
God is worthy of praise because He is perfect! Everything God does and everything that God says is perfect and pure.
God’s ways are perfect. God will always lead you down the right path, God will always do what is best for you.
God’s knowledge is perfect. God’s counsel for you will always be right.
2. God is totally free from evil.
There is no darkness in God. 1JO 1:5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
3. God is the standard of what it means to be Holy.
By the holiness of God, it is not implied that He is subject to some law or standard of moral excellence external to Himself, but that all moral law and perfection have their eternal and unchangeable basis in His own nature
In other words, God is the standard for determining holiness. God sets the standard; God sets the bar of what it means to be holy.
II. GOD EXPECTS HIS PEOPLE TO BE HOLY 15-16
A. God calls Christians “saints” or “holy ones”
The bible calls those who belong to God, those who have given their lives to Jesus, saints. The word saint means “holy one”. Romans 1:1, 1 Cor 1:1, 2 Cor 1:1, Eph 1:1, Phil 1:1, Col 1:1, and so on.
The beginning of verse 13 of our text says, “therefore”. Peter has been talking about the salvation and faith we have in Christ and he says, “therefore” or since we have these things, we are to respond to God in a certain way, that is to be holy. If you read the Old Testament, you will find that the only people God called to be holy were His people, the nation of Israel. He did not command that the pagans be holy. In the New Testament, God does not call the lost people “saints”, He calls those who have given their lives to Him “saints”.
We are expected to be holy because God calls us holy.
B. We are to be like God who is holy.
In verse 15 and 16 we see that God commands us to be holy because He is holy.
1TH 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;
1TH 4:7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.
When we give our life to Jesus, we are a new creation (2 Cor 5:17), we supposed to conformed to the image of God, that means that we are supposed to be like God in our life. Our life is supposed to reflect God. GAL 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. When you give yourself to God, Jesus will shine through your life.
When we are immersed into Christ, in God’s eyes we are holy through Jesus. The blood of Jesus makes us holy. (Heb 10:19, 12:24, 13:20; 1 John 1:7) ROM 6:22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.
Let us view salvation as climbing a mountain. When you are saved, God sees you as already reaching the mountaintop. Your life is about actually making the climb to the top. If your life ends before you reach the top (which everyone’s will), God, by His grace puts you at the top no matter where you are on the mountain. The Christian life is all about actually trying to reach the top of the mountain the God has placed you.
HEB 12:14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. This passage means that if we are not holy we will not be able to see God.
Once we understand that God is holy and that when we give our lives to Jesus we are to then spend our life trying to be like God. We are to allow the Holy Spirit of God to mold us into the image of God, we will then understand what God wants us to do.
We were created in the image of God, then sin marred that image. God sent His son to die on the cross so that we could reclaim that image.
God wants you to be holy because that is what is best for you.
III. STEPS TO HOLINESS 13-15
The holiness to which we are called is essentially, separation from a life of habitual sin and worldly corruption.
We know that we have a part in the process of being holy because God tells us in verse 15 to “become” holy. The word “be” or “become” means to usher in a new state of being. This indicates a process. What can we do to help the process happen?
A. Prepare your minds for action (v13)
The battle takes place in the mind. The mind has to be ready for battle. How do you prepare your mind? Reading God’s Word, prayer and meditation on the word.
Romans 12:1-2 tells us that we need to allow our mind to be transformed by God.
In some translations it will read that you are to gird your mind for action. In Peter’s day, men wore long robes that would get in the way if they were going to work hard or run. Before they could work hard or run they would have to roll that robe up over a “girdle” or belt that they wore around the waist to the robe would not get in the way.
We gird up our minds by getting rid of all the stuff that would get in the way of our pursuit of holiness in Christ. PHILIPPIANS 4:8 tells us, Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Think on the things of God.
B. Keep a “sober” spirit (v13)
This means to exhibit self-control and balance in our lives. A sober mind is able to consider things in a careful sensible way so as to make wise choices.
C. Fix you hope on God’s grace (v13)
We need to keep our minds on the prize! PHI 3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Remember what God has called you to.
D. Don’t live out your old life. (v14)
2 Cor 5:17 tells us that our old self is dead and that we are a new creation. We need to stop living the way we did before we were saved. We lived in ignorance of the truth.
If you read the same things, listen to the same things, watch the same things, go to the same places, hang out with the same people, guess what, you will get the same old results.
E. Behave like a holy one (v15)
Behave like a citizen of heaven.
You are holy and you have been called out of the world to be used of God. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19), stop being used by the world. MAT 7:6 "Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
You are special when you give your life to Jesus, don’t allow the world to use you.
As your minister, how would you like me to go out into the town and act like a fool or how would you like me to go out boozing on the weekends? You would not like that because in a sense I represent the Auburn Christian Church to the community. You would all expect me to act in a way that brings honor to the Church and to Jesus.
Guess what, you are under the same obligation!
CONCLUSION
God called each one of us to special service. We are to be a tool to be used by God for His glory. When we give our lives to Him, that is the agreement that we chose to live by.
Whenever something was set aside for God’s use, it was not used for anything but for God.
When you become a Christian, you are no different.
I am not going to waste your time by telling you all you should and should not be doing.
Here is what I will tell you. If you love God, if you love Jesus, then you will want to be holy because that is what pleases Him.
Being a Christian is not about do’s and don’t, it is not about keeping or breaking rules, it is about a personal relationship based on love. God’s love for you and your love for God.
We speak of fellowship, in order to have fellowship with someone, you need to have something in common.
In order for us to have fellowship with God, His ways need to become our ways. Your fellowship or relationship and love for God will keep you from doing some things and will motivate you to do other things.
God says, be holy because I am holy!
Today, we will give you an opportunity to start a life-long relationship with God though Jesus.
