"Holiness: Heresy & Heritage"
"Jacob No More"
"Then he said, "Your name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed."" Genesis 32:28 (RSV)
Introduction: Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louise Stevenson
Dr. Henry Jekyll & Mr. Edward Hyde
[Http://www.gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/jekyll/]
We speak of evil’s influence in and over our lives
"The devil made me do it"
"It’s just the way I am"
"I try. Lord, knows I try"
I. Why Such A Struggle?
A. Humanity Was Created For Fellowship
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27 (RSV)
"And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself."" Matthew 22:37-39 (RSV)
My purpose is to worship the Father
B. Self-determination Gave Birth To Sin
"Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death." James 1:14-15 (RSV)
Genesis 3 -To be like God and know what He knows
C. Sin Defined
To miss the mark
Not just the Commands (do’s & don’t’s)
But the "oughts" "Whoever knows what is right to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." James 4:17 (RSV)
Presumptuousness "But who can discern his errors? Clear thou me from hidden faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression." Psalm 19:12-13 (RSV)
Peter’s rebuke
Sin is separation from God
"Sin is that which separates us from God; whether it is an action, an attitude, a behavior, or a thought"
We who have been created for fellowship are now unable to fellowship
II. God’s Endeavor
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him." John 3:16-17 (RSV)
"In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation." II Corinthians 5:19 (RSV)
III. Crisis Of Decision
Rejection: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse; for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened...And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct." Romans 1:18-21,28 (RSV)
Acceptance: "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God...it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God." Romans 8:14,16 (RSV)
IV. Our Problem
We are still struggling with sin. Like Paul we cry out, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" Romans 7:24 (RSV)
"I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. But I can’t help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things. I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can’t make myself do right. I want to, but I can’t. When I want to do good, I don’t. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. But if I am doing what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it." Romans 7:15-20 (New Living Translation)
Like Henry Jekyll our Edward Hyde begs to be released, screams to be free until before we know it we go to sleep Henry Jekyll and awaken Edward Hyde. Our sin gets the best of us.
Like Thomas a’ Kempis we pray, "Lord, I confess my sinfulness, and acknowledge my weakness. Often it is but a small matter that defeats and troubles me. I resolve to act boldly, but when I am assailed even by a small temptation, I am in sore straits.
From a trifling thing sometimes arises a strong temptation; and when I am secure, I am almost overwhelmed by a mere breath. I am weary of living constantly at conflict.
My weakness is apparent to me, for evil fancies rush in on me more readily than they depart." [Thomas a’ Kempis (AD 1400) The Imitation Of Christ Http://www.sermoncentral.com David Holwick]
V. Will I Ever Succeed?
We are left to wonder, "Can I ever really live like God wants me to?" "Will I ever achieve His standard for morality?"
Yes
1. It is commanded of us
"For I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy." Leviticus 11:44 (RSV)
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you." John 14:15-17 (RSV)
2. The means has been provided
"I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances." Ezekiel 36:25-27 (RSV)
"But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." Jeremiah 31:33-34 (RSV)
3. God wants to see us succeed
"For this is the will of God, your sanctification...For God has not called us for uncleanness, but in holiness." I Thessalonians 4:3,7 (RSV)
"May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." I Thessalonians 5:23-24 (RSV)
4. We must meet the challenge
"Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God." II Corinthians 7:1 (RSV)
"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." Colossians 3:1-5 (RSV)
"So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires. Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God." Romans 6:11-13 (New Living Translation)
Conclusion: Like Jacob we must "strive" with God and overcome
