“The King’s Highway” Once a king had a great highway built for the members of his kingdom. After it was completed, but before it was opened to the public, the king decided to have a contest. He invited as many as desired to participate. Their challenge was to see who could travel the highway the best. On the day of the contest the people came. Some of them had fine chariots; some had fine clothing, fine hairdos, or great food. Some young men came in their track clothes and ran along the highway. People traveled the highway all day, but each one, when he arrived at the end, complained to the king that there was a large pile of rocks and debris left on the road at one spot and this got in their way and hindered their travel. At the end of the day, a lone traveler crossed the finish line warily and walked over to the king. He was tired and dirty, but he addressed the king with great respect and handed him a bag of gold. he explained, “I stopped along the way to clear a pile of rocks and debris that was blocking the road. This bag of gold was under it all. I want you to return it to its rightful owner.” The king replied, “You are the rightful owner.” The traveler replied, “Oh no, this is not mine. I’ve never known such money.” “Oh yes,” said the king, “you’ve earned this gold, for you won my contest. He who travels the road best is he who makes the road smoother for those who will follow.”
WHY GOD WANTS HIS PEOPLE TO BE HOLY. 2 CO. 6:16-7:1
Six leaders of churches were asked what is the world’s most urgent problem and they said “World peace and international understanding.” It was written by one in the newspaper something like this, “We may sweep the world of militarism, we may scrub it white of dictatorship, we may carpet it with democracy, we may hang on the wall pictures of freedom, we may spend all our effort to make the world a paradise and yet if we do not change the heart of man from being deceitful and desperately wicked we can expect the world to be the same after maybe a few days of peace. The Prince of Peace would not prescribe a new opinionated thought or financial scheme but a new heart regenerated and sanctified by the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
We want to give three reasons that show us why God wants us to be a holy people.
1. The times demand we need Holiness.
It is t he church that has the truth that the grace of God goes deeper and has more power to change a man than any analyst. It is holiness of heart, which if believed, experienced and practiced offers to us in one package the peace that we can have that the world with all it has to offer can never give.
We have the problem of law and order. The state only answers with bigger and better law enforcement. It is holiness of heart that that delivers us from the root of lawlessness and rebellion.
Take the matter of divorce. People who are living holy lives don’t quarrel and fight and crush the hearts of those little ones by dividing their house through the courts.
There is the problem we face with misbehavior in youth which lead to or come from poverty, discrimination and lack of education. Billions of dollars are being spent of our taxes to help correct this but are not seeing outstanding results. Money does not create a sound heart. When young people find Jesus the Prince of Peace their hearts are satisfied and they become useful in a great way in this world.
Thos who follow God in holiness learn self discipline. Money is not wasted on Tobacco, Alcohol, gambling or loose living. Those who follow God give their tithes regularly and also give generously in offerings. They honor Sunday as God’s day and are found in the house of worship. They work with honesty, with energy, with diligence and hard work with out greediness. It is holy people who best help the country with prosperity and health in our economy.
Holy people promote public pulling together and strength. You see holy people are fair in their business and pure and trustworthy in their relationships. Holy people do not look down or despise those who are different by race or social position or gender. They want all to be treated fairly.
Holy people encourage peace of mind. They know there is only peace of mind when one knows the Prince of Peace. The mental doctors might help one discover what their problem and offer solutions to find peace but the mental doctors can not rid one of guilt. Only God can forgive sin and put to death the root of sin.
The political, social and international sores may be smoothed over with man made bandages but will remain a problem for they are made by man. When one has his heart changed by God the problems are cured and peace is the outcome for all.
His name was Noah Webster, and he died this day, May 28, 1843. In his book, "The History of the United States," published in 1832, Noah Webster wrote: "All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible."
2. The Church needs Holiness of heart. A man came to Jesus for forgiveness of his sins back in 1960 and received complete forgiveness. He had great joy but in a few weeks he was searching hungering and longing for something deeper. He found what he was looking for when he sought the lord for heart cleansing in sanctification. He was a confused Christian who became stable and one who was a likely to be a church disappointment to a powerful force for the cause of Christ because he went on to heart holiness. A sinning religion just will not meet ones need to please God. Living with two natures will not allow one to walk in freedom Christ died for. “Sanctify them” was in His pray for all believers. The ones who think they can please God with a “do the best you can” find their lives short of being in victory spiritually for we can are not able always do our best. In God’s eyes He makes us perfect in our love to Him which is victory.
Listen closely to this next statement: Mediocre Christians make mediocre churches. A church’s spiritual tone will be the tone of the members of that church. If people are carnal and mean spirited the church will be that way. If people are loving and caring and giving the church will be that way. The real test of a Church is t he influence it has on the community it is in. This does not mean that all hearts will be changed but when they want prayer to be made or they want people who can help and really care they will seek that church.
It is holiness that brings about a spiritual change in the church and the community that nothing else can do. Here is short list of what it will do: 1. promote stabile spiritual lives. 2. Motivate Christians to want to attend church regularly even prayer meetings. 3. Help people want to give not only their tithes but in offerings. 4. Help deepen the fellowship and harmony of believers that will affect those watching the church. 5. Make the concern for the lost a major item of prayer and inviting of the lost to Christ. Them more holy like Christ we become the more our hearts hunger for the salvation of others. 6. Make the spiritual tone of the church of great value to all who attend.
The strength of this church will lie in how holy you who attend here want to be.
3. The Gospel Requires holiness.
As you look at the doctrine of the church you find it always points to the perfection of mankind. The Bible is not written for the knowing of the doctrines of God but deals with the great possibilities of the work of grace in the human heart. We could liken holiness and the work of grace to coming into a house. The porch represents repentance. The door is our faith. When we enter into the house we are complete in being holy. Holiness is the conclusion and mission of the marvelous saving of man and the Bible declare this.
Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure (whose thoughts are pure) in heart: for they shall see God.”
How much do we want to see God? I challenge you at this time to move to God’s answer and His answer is Christ. Christ’s answer is the Kingdom and the center of all for us is the cleansing and empowering of the Holy Spirit.
