Following Jesus into Holiness
Nov. 6, 2005 Various
These are my actual notes and sermon handouts and they probably mean more to me than they do to you. If you don’t understand something in my notes – feel free to e-mail me for clarification (stevenmary7@hotmail.com). Here’s some deciphering hints: I use hyphens (-) to separate key elements in a thought progression. I use quotation marks when I’m illustrating what some one in the congregation might be thinking or asking at that particular point in the message or to illustrate different character voices in an illustration. Bullets are springboards for thought progressions associated with main points in a thought.
INTRO: Misunderstood subject – shied away from – struggle with – the balance between imputed righteousness of Christ – and living a godly / righteous life – often accused as legalism – what is true? – BOTH!! – need to understand this clearly - something Jesus wants us to understand – High Priestly prayer…
1. The Definition of Holiness.
JOHN 17:15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctifyn them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
His prayer for His followers is that they be “…truly sanctified.”
• If you are a follower of Jesus – you desire what He desires
• The desire of follower of Jesus is to be “…truly sanctified.”
What is this word – Sanctified?
• The word sanctify is to hallow, or consecrate. It was to set something apart for God.
a. All of the vessels used in the temple worship were to be sanctified.
i.e. they were not be used for any other purpose than in the
worship of God. They were never to used for personal
purposes once sanctified to God.
When you became a Christian – you were set apart by God for His holy purposes.
To allow yourself to be used then for that which is unholy is a great sin!
b. The great blaspheme of Belshazzar was to take the vessels that his
grandfather Nebuchadnezzer had taken from the temple that
had been sanctified and drink wine out of them as he praised
the gods of gold and silver. He profaned what God had made
holy!
c. The Greek word translated sanctify comes from the root word
“hagios” which means holy. The idea is to be set apart!
Jesus’ desire for you is that you be “set apart” – made “holy”
• We may not think of ourselves in terms of “Holy”
• But that’s what a follower of Jesus is!
• We are still in this world but not of this world!
JOHN 17:15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctifyn them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
He has declared that they are not of this world, now He is praying that they might be set apart from this world.
• When you were born again some radical changes occurred or should have occurred. In your experience - in your heart.
• Things that on a supernatural level – substantially “set apart” / devote / sanctify your heart to God and His purposes in your life.
• If that didn’t happen – you need to search your heart!
How does this process take place in us? – what are we supposed to do?
• The means by which this was to be done was His truth.
2. The Method of Holiness.
17 Sanctifyn them by the truth; your word is truth.
1. In the Old Testament the priests would wash themselves
in water as the agent of sanctification.
2. Also they were sanctified by the blood of the sacrifice
and the anointing oil.
3. God spoke of the tabernacle being sanctified by His
glory.
4. The water, the blood, the oil, the glory of God were
the agents in which they were sanctified.
5. The word of God is the agent in the New Testament
whereby we are set apart from the world. Washed in it.
How does the truth of God’s word sanctify us?
Two ways…
A. Positional Sanctification. & Volitional sanctification
Problem…
RO 3:10 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;
• If we could attain righteousness – none of this would be an issue.
• But we can’t – only God can – and He made a way…
Solution… Imputed…
RO 3:21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,n through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
• Redemption… - purchased out of
• Atonement… - covering for sin
• Justification… - to be declared blameless - just as if I’d never sinned
• Through faith – Christ’s righteousness imputed – transferred to my acct.
PHP 3:9 …not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
Declared Righteous – made holy/set apart. Position of every child of God.
B. Volitional Sanctification.
Since this is where most of the confusion lies – this is where we will spend most of our time…
3. The Obligation of Holiness.
RO 8:12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
If we are His children – we have an obligation – not to sinful nature but to new nature. And this is where the battle rages!
Remember it is Word that sanctifies us – In Word we are called to be holy – and if called by scripture we have an obligation to respond to that call.
1CO 1:2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy
EPH 1:4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
HEB 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
1PE 1:14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."n
So we are called – obligation to respond - has to do with our choice – to conform to our evil desires or opposite – holiness
That’s a pretty tall order - how does the Word do that?
4. The Mechanics of Holiness.
The word…
1. It causes us to see the emptiness of the world, and its inability to
satisfy our deepest needs.
• The wisest and perhaps the wealthiest man who ever lived,
After pursuing satisfaction and happiness in the world,
declared. "Emptiness, emptiness, all is empty and frustrating."
2. It causes us to see that which does bring fulfillment in this life.
• “you’ll know the truth – truth will set you free.”
• “I’ve come that you might have life – abundantly”
So need to understand - How we appropriate this truth? How is it hindered?
Jesus shows us kind of through the back door what doesn’t hinder it – but in doing so also gives us a clue about where the purifying work of His Word really takes place in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ – and isn’t that what we’re trying to figure out? What it means to be a sold out / set apart / sanctified follower of Jesus Christ?
I don’t want to be spinning my wheels not getting traction in my spiritual life! So tell me – how do I not waste my time here?
The Heart is the battleground
The Pharisees thought the disciples were wasting their time by not attending to external practices of washing hands before eating…
MT 15:1 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!"
He had some pointed things to say to them – then…
MT 15:10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. 11 What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him `unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’ "
…
MT 15:15 Peter said, "Explain the parable to us."
MT 15:16 "Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them. 17 "Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man `unclean.’ 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what make a man `unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him `unclean.’ "
Marks gospel says…
19 For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." - Talking about food – doesn’t enter the heart.
Here’s the clue… things that can’t get into your heart…
• Have no power to make you unclean
• Have no power to disrupt or hinder God’s purposes in your life.
But here’s the inference – listen closely – major key to victory in cooperating with God in the sanctifying work He seeks to perform in the life of every follower of Jesus Christ!
If something can get into your heart – it will have a major influence on you!
• Either for good – in line with God’s purposes to sanctify
• Or for evil – profaning God’s work in you.
The Heart is a Storehouse.
LK 6:43 "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
• We can choose to store up good in our hearts or evil.
• Fruit – good or bad – is revealed by what we say.
If we are following Christ – we must diligently guard what we allow to enter into our hearts – because those are the things that have the power to either corrupt or purify.
How do I know? – Well, what’s been coming out of your mouth?
• Is your speech totally worldly? – then you’re not cooperating w/Father
• Is your speech – full of evil thoughts? “well like what?”
• List would be too long – but try some of these on for size.
• Speaking in a demeaning way about someone else. - backbiting
• Speaking bitter about someone who has wronged you – unforgiveness
• Saying things about others that make you look better – false witness
• Saying things about yourself to make you look better – pride
• Speaking about the opposite sex inappropriately – lewd / licenscious
• Speaking about what you don’t have but wish you did. – covetous
• Saying the word “God” as a exclamation – taking His name in vain
• Telling off color jokes – or making rude remarks for a reaction
• Allowing a few casual curse words from time to time
• Tearing down instead of building up
• Discouraging rather than encouraging
I could go on and on – out of overflow of heart – mouth speaks
• Well pastor – how did that stuff get into my heart?
• Simple answer is – you invited it in!
The Heart must be Guarded.
We all start with a clean / dirty slate – sin nature – defined primarily by selfishness – but as grow – sin nature in you becomes defined by what you allow to get into your heart – everyone unique in this.
• Can’t just cram anything in there – garbage in – garbage out.
We invite them into our hearts when we allow them unguarded access into our minds – through our eyes, ears, appetites – “how could God let this happen to me?”
JAS 1:13 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, (sin nature) he is dragged away and enticed. (not guarding eyes, ears, appetites)15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
• When you don’t guard against the sin nature – invite in – gets foot in door – grows in strength – force its way in – ends in death!
• That’s pretty much the opposite of holiness / sanctification
PR 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. 24 Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.
27 Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.
• What do you allow yourself to talk about?
• What do you allow yourself to look at?
• What do you allow yourself to listen to?
• Is it drawing you to a closer walk with Christ?
If you’re allowing stuff to enter those gates into your heart that will trash what God is trying to do in you – STOP IT!
“Well it’s not really having any effect on me!” – REALLY?
Well, if your heart is already so darkened that you are in disagreement with what God’s Word says about the subject – then it’s already had its full effect on you. – your only hope is to cry out to God for forgiveness!
“Well it’s not really hurting anyone else” – Excuse me!? – body of Christ is a living organism – we are all interlinked!
• It only took one Achan to cause the armies of Israel to be defeated!
• If you are resisting God’s purposes in your life – it will affect the church!
When you reach into the stores of your heart – what comes out?
MT 6:19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Basically talking about the temporal or the eternal - What do you treasure?
• What do you invest your time / attention into?
• Do you treasure what God wants to do in your life?
• That’s the path of a follower…
COMMUNION
Following Jesus Into Holiness
November 6th, 2005
1. The ___________________ of Holiness.
John 17:17
2. The ___________________ of Holiness.
A ___________________ Sanctification.
Romans 3:10, 21-26; Phil. 3:9
A ___________________ Sanctification.
3. The ___________________ of Holiness.
Romans 8:12-14; 1 Cor. 1:2; Eph. 1:4; Heb. 12:14; 1 Pet. 1:14
Following Jesus Into Holiness cont.
4. The ___________________ of Holiness.
The ___________ is the Battleground.
Matt. 15:1-20
The Heart is a __________________.
Luke 6:43-45
The Heart must be ___________________.
James 1:13; Proverbs 4:23-27; Matt. 6:19-21
5. The ____________ __________ for Holiness.
