“Holiness”
Text: Hebrew 12:5-15
Intro:
Notice verse 14.
The word of God says very clearly that without holiness a man cannot see God.
Based on the word of God, I believe the reason that many Christians have not seen God is because they lack holiness,
When I say have not seen God, I am not talking about what Oral Roberts claim to have seen a 50 foot Jesus.
I am taking about have not seen God working in their lives, have not felt the hand of God on them for a long time.
I have not experienced that close relationship and walk with God.
This morning I want to speak about Holiness and being holy according to the word of God.
I. Defintions
Holy – Adjective
Properly, whole, entire or perfect, in a moral sense.
Hence, pure in heart, temper or disposition; free from sin and sinful affections.
Applied to the Supreme Being, holy signifies perfectly pure, immaculate and complete in moral character; and man is more or less holy, as his heart is more less sanctified, or purified from evil dispositions.
Also means – Hallowed; consecrated or set apart to a sacred use, or to the service of worship of God.
The word “holy” appears 544 times in the word of God.
Holy is important to God.
Holiness – Noun
The state of being holy; purity or integrity of moral character; freedom from sin; sanctity.
Applied to the Supreme Being, holiness denotes perfect purity or integrity of moral character, one of his essential attributes.
Applied to human beings, holiness is purity of heart or dispositions; sanctified affections; piety; moral goodness, but not perfect.
The word “holiness: appears 43 times in the word of God.
Holiness is important to God.
II. In Relation to God
Everything connected with the Lord God is “holy”
Leviticus 20:3 says the LORD’ name is holy.
1 Samuel 2:2 – “There is none holy as the LORD”
Psalm 145:17 – “The LORD…holy in all his works.”
Psalm 98:1 says the LORD’ arm is holy.
Deuteronomy 26:15 say the place where God lives is called the holy habitation.
Psalm 105:42 calls the promise that God made to Abraham “his holy promise”
Psalm 87:1 says that God’s foundation “is in the holy mountain”
The scriptures tell us that when both Moses and Joshua came in the presence of God they both told to take off their shoes because the ground they were standing on was “holy ground”
The city of Jerusalem were God’s temple was built by Solomon was called “the holy city”
The land were God’s people the Jews reside in is called in Zechariah 2:12, “the holy land”.
According to Romans 7:12 says that both God’s law and commandment are “holy.”
In Eph. 3:5, God’s apostles are called “holy apostles”
Everything in relationship to worship to God under the Old Testament was considered “holy”
The Levitical Priesthood was called a “holy priesthood”
The two main compartments of the Tabernacle were called “the holy place” and “the holy of holies”
The priest garments were called “holy”
The offerings were called “holy”
The vessels were called “holy”
The oil used was called “holy”
The Feast days were called “holy”
God’s Word is called “the holy scriptures in Romans 1:2 & 2 Timothy 3:15.
Also we referred to it as the “Holy Bible”
Who did God have write the scriptures?
Just anybody?
2 Pe. 1:21, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
God used holy men to write down His words.
God used holy men to translate his inspired, inerrant, preserved words into the English AV 1611 King James Bible.
The Trinity –
We have seen where God, the Father is “holy”
God’s Spirit is many times called “the Holy Spirit” in the Bible.
The devil in Luke 4:34 calls Jesus, “the Holy One of God.”
In Acts 4:27, the Apostle Peter and John referred to Jesus as “holy child Jesus”
Holiness
Psalm 47:8, “…God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness”
Psalm 108:7 says God speaks in his “holiness”
Psalm 97:12 instructs God’s people to give thanks at the remembrance of God’s “holiness”
Isaiah reminds us in Isa. 35:8 that during the Millennium the Lord is going to have a highway called “The way of holiness”.
Amos 4:2 tells us that the Lord God “hath sworn by his holiness”
III. Old Testament versus New Testament
O.T. – The Prophet Isaiah’s vision – “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.” Isa. 6:1-3
N.T. – The Apostle’s John’s vision – “And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” Rev. 4:6-8
God’s command to His people
O.T. – Israel
Deut. 7:6, “For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.”
Deut. 14:2, “For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.”
Lev. 20:7, “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.”
Lev. 20:26, “And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.”
N.T. Christian
Eph. 1:4, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:”
2 Tim 1:9, “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,”
1 Pe. 2:5, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”
1 Pe. 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;”
1 Pe. 1:16, “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”
So we see it does not matter whether it is the Old Testament or the New Testament God’s people are commanded to be a holy people because they serve a holy God.
IV. The Christian
1 Co. 3:17, “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”
Christian’s body is suppose to be holy because it the temple of God.
1 Tim. 2:8 – “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.”
We are to pray with holy hands.
Our hands are to be undefiled by sin.
Rom. 12:1 – “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
The Christian’s body is to be a holy sacrifice.
May be why God not accepting your sacrifice because it not holy.
God cannot use a dirty vessel.
1 Thess. 4:7 – Read
God has called the Christian unto “holiness”
Rom. 6:19 – We are commanded to yield our body “servants to righteousness unto holiness”
2 Cor. 7:1 – We are exhorted to perfect holiness in the fear of God.
Eph. 4:24 – We are instructed to put on the new man because God has created the new man in righteousness and holiness.
V. The Means of Holiness
When the Christian will not voluntarily submit himself to God’s call for him to be holy
Won’t present his body to God a holy sacrifice.
Won’t yield his body to be a servant to righteousness unto holiness.
Won’t put on the new man God has created in righteousness and holiness.
Then God will use chastening as the means to get the Christian to partake of his holiness.
“Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” Hebrews 12:9-11.
Conclusion:
If we are honest with ourselves, the reason the individual Christian and the church as a whole is not having the influence it once had on the world.
It is because we have been called unto to holiness but we refuse to answer the call to live a holy life.
Despite God’s chastening to get us to be partakers of His holiness we continue to fight him.
Just as Joshua told the children of Israel that they could not serve God because he is a holy God.
The same is true day.
Christian you just cannot serve a holy God unless you are holy.
The Lord could return at anytime.
That fact alone should make you live a holy life for Him.
I close with this “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,” 2 Pe. 3:8-11
