PURSUING HOLINESS
TITUS 1:8
We are going to get a little wildlife lesson this morning. Anyone ever hear of a Ermine? Well they are weasel looking animals, that live in forest both in the United States and in northern Europe and Asia. They are known for their white fur in the winter which is used to make coats. The ermines in northern Europe have an interesting trait. Because he depends on his white coat to blend in with the winter snow he protects against anything that will soil it.
Now fur hunters have learned this and use it to their advantage. They do not set a snare for the ermine but instead they will find a ermines home, usually a cleft in rock or a hollow tree, and they will smear the entrance and interior with grime. The hunters then will loose their dogs to find and chase the ermine. The frightened animal flees toward it’s home but it will not enter because of the filth. Rather the soil it’s white coat, he is trapped by the dogs and captured while preserving his purity. For the ermine, purity is more precious then life.
Today I want to talk about a kind of purity. A purity that for us is compromised every day. And that purity is called holiness in the Bible. Please turn with me to our passage for today, as we are still in Titus 1:8. That is page 1032 in your pew Bibles. Again as we have seen Paul is giving to us positive qualifications for church elders. We should all have this passage memorized by now.
"but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled,"
The last two weeks in which I spoke we talked about being just. I make mention that just as to do with our performing our duty towards men, while holy as to do with performing our duty toward God. Holiness is what I want to talk about this morning.
Now we all should know that God is holy. In fact Scripture state that God is Holy, Holy, Holy! I have preached on the holiness of God in the past. But this morning I do not want to focus so much on the Holiness of our Lord, but more on the fact that we to are to be holy.
Holy is something that every Christian is called to be. Listen to 1 Peter 1:15-16; "but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."
This goes hand in hand with what Paul writes to Titus in verse 8. Now some may say, "I am called to be Holy as God as Holy?" Yes you are. I have heard some people say "Well God does not expect me to be perfect."
Yes he does. As we will see Holy basically means perfect. How can we think that a perfect being can demand anything less then perfection. If God demanded less from His children, He would not be perfect, if he did not demand that that His children be Holy as He is holy they He would not be Holy.
If God does not want us to be perfect and holy why did He sent His Son to die on the cross. God already had imperfection, He already had unholiness. If God does not demand those things then sending His Son to die that we may be made Holy, that we may be made perfect is pointless.
So I want us all to set aside any foolishness that God does not demand perfection and holiness from His children.
The Bible insist on Holiness for the Children of God, listen to 1 Thess. 4:7; "For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness."
So we see that call to holiness in Titus 1:8, in 1 Peter 1;15-16, and also in 1 Thess 4:7. Holiness in the condition of life that God expect from each one his children. That Holiness should permeate all areas of our life.
So God demands Holiness. But what is Holiness. There are different theological ways for us to define Holiness. If just want to deal with the two main ones.
First the simplest way to define holiness is to be without sin, to be perfectly righteous in all we do.
Now when the Scripture states that we are made Holy through the blood of Christ, it is not saying that we are incapable of sinning. There are Christians who hold to this position, that a Christian is not capable of sinning once they are saved.
I know in my own life that would mean that I am not a true Christian because I do sin. I know that I am in no way perfect. And the people I knew that held that position were people I knew were sinners to.
So if I know that I will still sin after becoming Christian why does God tell me to be Holy as He Holy?
While we will never attain holiness in this life, on this side of heaven, we are commanded to strive for it anyway.
While we may not live a live a sinless perfection, we must live a life that forsakes sin, a life that strives to put away sin, a life that strives to be holy.
We need to realize that to God there is no little sin. There are not sins God will ignore. All sin is rebellion to him.
I have been reading about the Civil War lately. How the south seceded from the Union, how they rebelled against that Union. There were no such things as a half confederate, or a small confederate. Either you rebelled against that Union or you did not.
The same is true with God. Either you sinned or you didn’t. All sin is an affront to God. It does not matter if we commit a "little" sin like telling a little white lie, or a "big" sin like killing someone. It is all sin to God, and it all deserves that same punishment.
Listen to what the Apostle John writes to those over whom he pastored; "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
What was John’s burden? His burden was that those whom he shepherded would live a life without sin. A Holy life! A life pleasing to God. That was John’s desire. And as your pastor, it is my desire for all of you.
So many Christians are content with not sinning to much, but John, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit states do not sin at all! We often excuse our sin by trying to justify it one way or another. But as John states in 1 John if we know that truth, and we continue in sin, then the truth is not in us.
In a few minutes we will take a look how we can pursue this holiness.
The second aspect of holiness has to do with separation. The word Holy is closely related to the words "sanctify" or "sanctification". This aspect of Holiness has to do with being set apart, to be dedicated to be used of God.
In the book of Exodus the nation of Israel is called a "Holy Nation". Was that because they were a perfect nation, a sinless nation? No, it was because they were set apart by God. They were set apart by God to be used by God.
And when we are told to be Holy there is an element of this in that call. To be holy for us is to be set apart from the world. It means being different from the world. It means looking at things differently then the how the world looks at them. It means having the moral standard not of the world but of God.
Unfortunately the church and the world look a lot a like. The church seems to try to take things of the world and incorporate them into the church, Christianize them, and say there ok. I have used the quote before but it is so true. Frances Shaffer stated, "Look what the world is doing today, in seven years that Church will be doing it". Time and time again that has been seen to be true.
As a holy people, as children of God we need to be different then the world. Our world view needs to be different. And we need to stop trying to incorporate the world into the church, and begin to incorporate the church into the world.
So we have the two aspects of holiness, to be sinless and to be set apart. Now how do we pursue holiness?
How do we go about knowing about holiness to living a holy life?
I believe that most important elements of holiness can be summed up in five words, "conviction, commitment, discipline, dependence, and desire".
Let’s talk about conviction. Paul writes in Roman 12:2; "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Our convictions come from our minds. We talk a few weeks ago about we could not trust our hearts, and our conscience because of our sinful natures. So were to we get out convictions.
By reading God’s Word. If you do not read your Bible there is no way you can live a holy life. It is the Word of God by which we must establish our convictions.
As we read the Bible the Holy Spirit will be to apply those things that we have read to the different areas of our lives, so the we begin to change. Our values will changes of that God’s standard will become our standard. But if we are not in the Word that will not happen.
If we try to build conviction without the word of God we end up with man-made convictions, the worlds convictions, convictions that are tainted by our own sinful natures. The only safe way to establish bible based conviction to by reading the Word of God, and allowing the Holy Spirit to apply them to our lives.
We also mentioned commitment. There must be a commitment to obedience. You see "A conviction is not truly a conviction unless it includes a commitment to live by what we claim to be true".
To be holy we need to have commitment to live by the Word of God has He has applied it to our lives.
We must decide that holiness is so important to God that it deserves first place in our lives – thus we must make a the commitment to obey God in every area of His Word as it applies to our lives.
There can be no picking or choosing to the area that we want to obey God, we must be fully committed or it is meaningless.
If I am only committed to wife on Mondays Wednesdays, and Fridays, that commitment would not mean much now would it. Far to many Christians are just committed to God on Sundays. A one day a week commitment it not a commitment at all.
Let me put it this way. If your conviction does not cause you to change your commitment to God that it is not really a conviction, it is just knowledge that you possess.
For example if I know that being honest is good, but I am not committed to honestly, I will never be honest. But if I am convicted that honesty is good, that I will become committed to honestly, and I will quit lying.
When I become convicted that sin is so offensive to God, so revolting to Him, then I will commit myself to stop sinning, I will hate sin as God hates sin.
It should not be the consequences of sin that makes me stop, the realization of how must God hates sin.
Let us look at Discipline. Discipline of choices. Holiness is pursued in the discipline of our daily choices. We become what we do. The more we allow ourselves to be lie and cheat or what ever, the more we will become liars and cheaters.
To live holy lives we must learn to say no to temptations that come before us. Listen to what Paul states in Romans 8:13; "For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."
We are to put to death the deeds of the body. We are turn from temptations. We are discipline ourselves through the power of the Holy Spirit to walk away from sin.
If we wish to avoid sin we must take steps to avoid those areas of temptation of our lives. To many times we try to toe the line of sin. Just get close but not step over the line. We flirt with sin thinking we can say no. But when we toe the line of sin we to often find ourselves over the line. Succumbing to those temptations. We need to discipline ourselves not to toe the line but to stay six feet behind, not even get close.
The forth area I mentioned was dependence. A person who is committed to pursuing holiness must realize that it does not depend on his own efforts and strengths but he must be dependant on the Holy Spirit.
Depending on our own strength will lead to disaster. We are not capable of living a Holy live apart from the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. Because of our sinful nature we need the Holy Spirit.
Listen to Phil 2:12-13; "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; To many people want to stop at the "work our your own", but what does verse 13 state; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."
We need to relay on God to live Holy lives. We cannot change our hearts by ourselves, it must be a work of God! Only the Holy Spirit can change our hearts.
We may be able to change our minds about certain things but only the Holy Spirit can transform a mind. Only the Holy Spirit can set us a part for God. The Israelites did not choose to be Holy nations, God made them a Holy Nation.
What does 1 Cor. 6:11 tells us; "And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."
Let us depend upon the power of God to live Holy lives.
The fifth and final way in which we pursue holiness is with a God centered desire. We will never live a holy live until we have a God centered desire to do so.
So how do we go about having this desire, by falling completely and totally in love with God. By loving Him with all our hearts and all our minds. By loving Him more then any thing else in this world.
If our desire is centered on ourselves, whether we will receive rewards in heaven or blessings from God, or want to be a spiritual giants, our spiritual walk with falter.
It will become tiresome trying to please someone we do not love. But pleasing someone you love becomes something you love to do and never tire of.
I would say the problem with most Christians and their inability to life a Holy life is the fact that they just do not love God enough, they do not love God as they should.
Let us keep in mind that holiness is to be without sin. To be pure in our minds, to be pure in our actions, and to be pure in our relationship with people and with God. It is to be set apart for God, for His use.
We need to develop a hunger for holiness. We cannot settle for being 50% holy, or 75% holy, we must look to be 100% holy.
The world will see a difference in the church when it sees Christian’s striving to live holy lives. Living a holy live will demonstrate to the world the power of God.
Hebrews 12:14 remind us of the importance of Holiness; "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:"
With out Holiness you will not see God. Without God looking upon you as Holy, you cannot enter into heaven. There is only one way to be made holy and that is through the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. You need to profess Him as Lord and Saviour. Trusting in Him to forgive you or your sin, trusting in Him to make you Holy.
In closing I just want to quote a prayer from Martin Luther, "Lord Jesus, you are my righteousness, I am your sin. You took on what was mine, you set on me what was yours. You became what you were not, that I might become what I was not".
If you have any questions or concerns about your salvation please speak with me after the service.
LET US PRAY
