HOLINESS?
Thesis: Because God is Holy, we must hold onto His gift of holiness which he gave us through His Son Jesus Christ.
Text:
Lev. 19:2
2 "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: `Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.
Lev. 20: 7,8
7 "`Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. 8 Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy.
Lev. 22:9
9 "`The priests are to keep my requirements so that they do not become guilty and die for treating them with contempt. I am the LORD, who makes them holy.
Lev. 22:32
32 Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the LORD, who makes you holy.
Introduction:
The word holy is used 77 times in Leviticus and implied over 150 times. Morgan states, "The holiness of God shines like a white, fearful light upon the whole book." (51)
Leviticus explains and unveils the holiness of God and why man is apart from Him. Yet, it gives instruction on how to become acceptable to God and therefore, holy.
In Leviticus 19:2 Moses introduces this passage by quoting God: “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.” For most Christians, “holiness” is a rather mystical and somewhat puzzling term. We’re willing to be holy, but we don’t quite know what holiness is. We know that God is holy. We realize that we are to be holy, as He is. But how are we to be like Him? The laws in Leviticus 19 are an expression of God’s holy character. If we want an insight into the nature of holiness, all we need to do is to meditate on some of these verses, and consider what they tell us about God.
Leviticus explains and unveils the holiness of God and why man is separated from God. He is unholy. But it also gives instruction to mankind on how to repair the separation of God and sinful individuals. In Leviticus it is repaired with a sacrifice to God, which in turn brings temporary relief and gives that person a position of holiness before God. The New Testament itself tells us how to repair the separation between sinful mankind and God. It’s by buying into the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. When we turn our life over to Jesus we then receive a new standing in the presence of God called holiness.
Quotes on holiness:
Holiness is a state of soul in which all the powers of the body and mind are consciously given up to God."
-- Phoebe Palmer
Billy Graham on revival.
Billy stated, “Evangelism, fine as it is, is not revival.” After a signally successful meeting, Billy Graham was asked, “Is this revival?” Graham replied, “No!” When revival comes, I expect to see two things which we have not seen yet. First, a new sense of the holiness of God on the part of the Christians; and second, a new sense of the sinfulness of sin on the part of Christians.”
T.S.- In our society today many would ask the question, ‘What does holiness mean?” Well lets find out as we explore this term from the Bible and history.
I. What does the term holiness mean?
a. The term means to be sacred – pure in the sight of God who is holy!
i. That which is unholy is profane- evil and can not be in the presence of God.
b. Throughout history men and women have tried to pursue their views of holiness as it relates to their relationship with God Almighty.
i. To better understand this state of being lets discover what holiness is not.
1. From Jewish history and the teaching of the Pharisees we discover that holiness was related to following all the rules and regulations set up by the Jewish leaders.
a. In other words you became holy by following all the 1,000 plus laws in the Torah.
b. Paul fought against such teachings in his New Testament writings.
i. Colossians 2:20-23: 20Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21“Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23Such 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.
c. These religious leaders wrongly associated holiness with following a bunch of rules and regulations.
i. These people taught and equated holiness with rules about diet, observing festivals, holy days, sexual abstinence and the like.
2. From Early church history we see many distorted views of holiness.
a. Clement of Alexandria (155-220) a Christian philosopher , equated holiness with masculine reason. He taught that holiness suffered with contact with women therefore he preached celibacy was the path to holiness.
b. The Encratites believed the way of holiness was also connected with rejecting marriage, meat, and wine.
i. They promoted and stressed self-castration as the path to holiness.
c. Asceticism emerged in about 312 AD after Constantine’s rise to power. With the legalization of Christianity many believers fled to seclusion as the path of holiness. They felt that holiness was only achieved through separation from the world literally.
i. In isolation they promoted holiness in different ways but here are a few of their teachings – some varied with different sects.
1. They would starve themselves.
2. Some refused to bathe
3. Some beat themselves with whips
4. Some would eat no cooked food.
5. Some remained silent not talking to anyone.
6. Some lived like wild animals in the desert.
7. Some locked themselves in caves or vaults.
8. Some took vows of poverty.
ii. Quote: Tryon Edwards, “A holy life is not an ascetic, or gloomy, or solitary life, but a life regulated by divine truth and faithful in Christian duty.-It is living above the world while we are still in it.”
1. Holiness is not achieved by hiding out in the woods away from everyone who is unsaved.
2. Jesus told us to go into the world and win the lost – not go into the wilderness and hide out and eventually after years and years of isolation you will become holy.
3. When the Roman Church emerged they saw holiness through the various lenses of beauty and sacrifice.
a. Through Great Cathedrals and buildings
b. Through eloquent liturgy
c. Through the burning of incense
d. Through large choirs and elaborate attire
e. Through acts of penance
f. Through the crusades
g. Through pilgrimages to the Holy land
h. Through the worship of relics and idols
i. Through doing services in Latin
i. The truth is none of these methodologies produced holiness.
4. In the Middle Ages of the church.
a. Self-flagellation re-emerged
i. Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510) believed that working in leper hospitals and drinking the infectious liquid from the lepers wounds was the way to holiness.
ii. Martin Luther – Was caught up in torturing himself to find holiness. After his conversion he noted that his extremism took years off his life.
5. The Eastern Orthodox church believed holiness was attained by chanting and the repetition of prayers.
a. We see this even today in some Pentecostal churches.
6. Today we see men and women seeking holiness by the following man made methodologies to holiness:
a. If you are very loud when you pray you are holier.
b. If you can speak in fluent King James English you are holy.
c. If you dance all night you are holier.
d. If you have mystical visions you are holier.
e. If you can be all emotional you are holier.
f. If you are confirmed your holy.
g. If you are baptized you are holy.
h. If you can speak in tongues you are holy.
i. If you are slain in the spirit you are holy.
j. If you go to another country and do mission work you are more holy.
k. If you repeat so many prayers you are holy.
l. If you claim and get a Roys Royce you are holy.
m. If you read the Bible you are holy.
n. If you jump up and down you are holier.
o. If you do something out of the ordinary you are more holy.
ii. What history has taught us is holiness is not achieved by man’s accomplishments or man’s methodologies to holiness.
c. Man’s philosophies to achieve holiness have all failed and will continue to fail because mankind cannot make itself holy. Only God makes one holy.
i. All these methodologies of man’s view of holiness lead to emptiness:
1. Vow of Poverty
2. Celibacy
3. Being anti-material
4. Being focused on prosperity
5. Self imposed ritual abuse
6. Weekly quota’s of reading and memorizing
7. Scripture memorization
8. Separation from Society
9. Supernatural manifestations
10. Crusades for God
11. Suicide bombings
ii. Although we are instructed in the Word to obey the directives of the Word in regards to study, and service we need to understand that these things in themselves do not make us holy.
1. We as human beings cannot manufacture holiness. It’s impossible and mankind has tried repeatedly and he has failed miserably.
a. Hebrews 10:10: 10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
2. No matter how long you have been saved you still have not earned your way to holiness. Holiness comes from God when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are only able to enter the presence of God because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
T.S. - But confusion enters the mind win we read those verses in Leviticus and the rest of the Bible that instruct us to be holy.
II. I know what you are thinking, “How do we become holy then?
a. Scriptures tell us that it’s not by man kinds actions that they become holy they become holy because God gives them that knighted position in him:
i. Leviticus 20:7,8: 7“‘Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. 8Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy.
ii. Leviticus 22:9: 9“‘The priests are to keep my requirements so that they do not become guilty and die for treating them with contempt. I am the LORD, who makes them holy.
iii. Leviticus 22:32: 32Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the LORD, who makes£ you holy£ 33and who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD.”
b. Holiness comes from He who is Holy – God. He gives it a free gift. Then tells us to hold onto it!
T.S.- Leviticus gives us direction into what holiness is and were it comes from – God!
III. How do we hold onto holiness in this world?
a. In the New Testament the Christian is encouraged 50% of the time to live holy lives why? So they can hold on to the holiness that the Lord gave them at salvation!
i. The writer of Hebrews in 12:14 states, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.”
1. Now if you recall back in Hebrews 10:10 he stated that we are “made holy” but now he tells us “to be holy.” Is this not a contradiction in terms?
a. No! Because we are made holy by Christ’s sacrifice and then when we place our faith and trust in Christ we are made holy. In other words we are knighted as holy at that point.
b. Then comes the next part of salvation and walking with Jesus - discipleship – the renewing of the mind – serving Jesus through acts of service to Him.
i. The New Testament tells us in essence “How to hold onto the gift of holiness!”
ii. How do you stay holy act like Jesus did, follow the instructions of the New Testament.
ii. The writer of 1 Peter 1:13-15 re-emphasizes the importance of holding onto our gift of holiness.
1. Peter states: 13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
2. He also reiterates this in 2 Peter 3:14: 14So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.
iii. Kent Wilson notes this about holiness, “We are holy in our standing before God, but we are only progressively becoming holy in our thinking, our actions, and our dispositions as we struggle with sin each day. It is almost as if Biblical writers are telling us, ‘Be what you are. You are holy, now be that way and live that way.’ It is like one of the Rockfellers telling another who will not change his destructive behavior “Act like a Rockfeller!”.
iv. Romans 12:1, 2, 11 1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual£ act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
….11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
v. 2 Peter 3:11 11Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives
b. The truth is once we move away from that which is holy into that which is not holy we move away from God and then jeopardize our position of holiness.
i. You see the reason we go to church, read our Word, Study our Word, pray and act the way we do is because we want to keep our holiness. We don’t want to throw it away!
ii. Joni Erickson Tada stated, “Holiness cost us something, paying the price expresses our willingness to make sacrifices for Him. If he made us instantly holy, by passing the struggle, what would our faithfulness mean to him” (Discipleship, 25)?
iii. Martin Luther challenged the Christian when he said “ You may as well quit reading and hearing the Word of God, and give it to the devil, if you do not desire to live according to it.”
iv. 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.”
v. 2 Corinthians 3:18 18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect£ the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
1. Yes, Holiness comes from the Lord! But He in essence knights us holy and then tells us “Stay holy. Go out into the battle ground of the world and act like a knighted man/woman of God who is holy.”
Conclusion:
Holiness is a gift from God, which came to us through the sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ. It’s a gift given to us so we can be in the presence of God. Remember that which is of the world - is evil – profane - the opposite of holiness it cannot stand in God’s presence. If it does it will be consumed by the refining fire of the Lord.
It is clear through the teachings of the Bible that God only accepts what he himself inspires and creates. This is the lesson of the Bible. We must bring back to God what he has given us. He will not allow us to bring into his presence things that are un-holy. No independent self-motivated religion, no man made offerings of self, no manmade methodologies of holiness. He wants the genuine article.
We cannot come to him in a self –confident religious spirit of look at me. God does not accept pride, religious hearts focused on self-accomplishment, or man’s distorted view of that which is sacred. That which is pure and holy only comes from Him who is pure and holy. Everything else is false façade and will only lead to banishment from God’s presence. God will look at you and turn his head if he does not see the holiness of Christ in you. God is looking for the gift he gave us and if we have rejected it or walked away from it then we suffer the consequence of rejecting his holy gift of eternal life.
