YOU ASKED FOR IT
STRAIGHT LIVING IN A CROKKED WORLD
Sunday May 28, 2006
Scripture Reference: 1 Thessalonians 5:23
Intro.
A. Today we are going to look at the subject of Holiness. When I began this series and I spoke on the topic of suffering I said that I felt like I was standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon with a teaspoon endeavoring to fill it in. It seemed like a monumental task to share with you all that needed to be said on the topic of suffering in just one sermon and I couldn’t do it. Well if that was the Grand Canyon that I was trying to fill in I am not sure what symbolism to use today for the task at hand today. God is Holy and He calls us to be holy. We are considered denominationally to be a “Holiness” church. What is this Holiness that God calls us to? How do we receive it and what can we expect its impact to be upon our lives? Those are some of the questions I hope to be able to answer for you in this sermon today and then again next week.
1. When we say that God is Holy what we are saying is that God is “Wholly Other”. It means that what God is, is greater than anything our minds could possibly imagine. Do you remember back in Exodus 33:23 when Moses asked to see the face of God? God told him that he could not see his face because no one could look on the face of God and live. Why was that? It is because what God is is so overwhelming to us that we would die. It is also a reminder to us of the fact that what does not measure up to the holiness of God cannot survive in His presence. The holiness of God will always consume sin. *That is a very important truth for you to take hold of today but unfortunately I cannot spend much time there. Just remember that sin cannot survive in the presence of God. Either the sin will be destroyed or the sin will leave the presence of God so that it does not experience the condemnation it deserves.
2. Here is the great dilemma that we as human beings face. God calls us to be holy and yet His holiness is beyond anything we could ever understand so how can we follow His command to be something that seems utterly impossible for us?
B. George Barna a well known Christian researcher wrote a book called “Moral and Spiritual Anarchy”. In this book he said that millions of people’s faith activity is no longer affected by parameters such as church loyalty, respect for clergy, acceptance of absolutes, tolerance of Christianity, reverence for God, a desire to strive for personal holiness, sensitivity to theological heresy, and appreciation for tradition. The rejection of these elements has created a void that has been filled by the customized spirituality that lacks biblical moorings.”
1. When I read those words I was struck by the phrase, “Customized Spirituality”. Because I think Barna is correct, I know that what I am about to say will not necessarily be accepted but as a pastor the bible considers me to be God’s prophet. Not in the sense that Old Testament prophets foretold what was to come but that as a modern prophet I am called to “forth tell”. To proclaim to you without apology the whole truth of God’s word. So in that manner I will declare to you today that I see this “Customized Spirituality” as not only the truth but also what could be the most deadly disease the modern church faces today. We hear a lot of talk about the bird flu and people are worried about what may happen if it mutates and it spreads between humans. Well I can already tell you that the disease of “customized spirituality” is already spreading rapidly among the churches today. We are customizing our faith because we are refusing to accept the claims of the Bible as absolute truth for our lives. If we feel that what the bible tells us interferes with how we want to live or if it interferes with us getting the things we want or the things we want to do then we are rejecting those parts of the Bible and therefore we are customizing our faith.
2. Last week I shared with you a message on gambling. I am sure that some of you did not like what I had to say. My response to you is, “OK you can chose to disagree with me but what I need you to do it show me in the Bible where I am wrong in what I preached.” Don’t tell me what you “feel” or what you “think”. Show me where Jesus ever laid that option out for people! Show me where Jesus asked people to share their thoughts or opinions on what he preached.
C. You see I am glad that someone requested to hear a message on the topic of Holiness because I believe that an understanding and acceptance of God’s claim to Holiness in our lives will settle many of these other issues. I believe that our surrender to personal holiness will revolutionize the church of Jesus Christ today.
1. I have already admitted to you the enormity of this task. This will probably be one of those topics we will have to come back to again to preach as a series but I will do my best today and next week to share with you what I think you need to know right now to not simply understand holiness but to experience this work of God in your life.
Trans. Here is the first thing I think you need to know about holiness.
I. HOLINESS IS NOT OPTIONAL
A. Holiness is not a component of a customized faith.
1. Now you are free to choose. I am not taking away your freedom to choose. I am not telling you today that you cannot disagree with God’s call to holiness or that you cannot reject the call to holiness. All we have to do is look down through the pages of the Bible to see that people have been doing that for centuries.
2. What I will also remind you of those is that although you are free to reject or deny God’s call to Holiness in your life you are NOT free to decide the consequences of that choice. What will those consequences be? Let me give to you what the Bible says is the ultimate consequence of disobeying God’s call to holiness. Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Trans. I have already said to you that God commands us to be Holy. Let me give you a few scriptures to back this up.
B. We are to be holy because the Bible commands it.
1. Leviticus 19:2 NIV "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ’Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.
2. Matthew 5:8 NIV Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
3. Hebrews 6:1 NLT So let us stop going over the basics of Christianity again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start all over again with the importance of turning away from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.
4. 1 Peter 1:16 MSG God said, "I am holy; you be holy."
Trans. What is also very important for you to know is that:
C. What God commands us to do He enables us to do.
1. I think that there is a very wrong and dangerous idea that some have today about this call to holiness. I have even heard it preached that holiness is the ideal but it is not the reality. The thought here is that God calls us to holiness, He commands us to be holy but He knows at the same time that we can never obtain it. We can never truly be holy. If this idea is true then what I am I to do with Hebrews 12:14 that we just looked at a moment ago? Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Did God not really mean what He said here? If this so then I am compelled to ask this question, “What else did God say that He really didn’t mean?” Maybe the command to be born again was not what god real meant? Maybe the commandment to not lie he didn’t really mean. Maybe He really didn’t mean that we could not commit adultery. After all if it feels right it must be right, right? Can you see the danger of this slippery slop?
D. Holiness is God’s will for you.
1. We saw this clearly in the verse for today but look at what Paul said earlier in 1 Thess. 4:3 KJV For this is the will of God, even your sanctification. People are always asking the question, “What is God’s will for my life? Here is your answer at least in part; God wills that we be holy. You see we were created to be Holy but in the Garden of Eden that holy image was destroyed. You have heard me say this before, “We are a Roles Royce totaled.” Sin destroyed the people God created us to be but Jesus came that this image and that original relationship could be restored. What holiness of heart will do is to restore the image for which you were created. It brings us back into the perfect will of God for our lives.
Trans. OK so Holiness for us is not an option, it is God’s will for my life. Since it is this important then I think the next question we have to consider is “HOW?”
II. HOW CAN WE BE MADE HOLY?
Let me begin by saying that in the Church of the Nazarene we believe that entire sanctification is distinct from being born again.
A. Entire Sanctification Is Distinct From Being Born Again.
1. We believe that Sin is twofold.
a) There are the sins we commit. God tells me not to lie but I knowingly decide to lie anyway. God said I am not to steal but there is something I want and can’t afford so I steal anyway. The Bible I think clearly defines sin for us. James said that If you don’t do what you know is right, you have sinned. These are the things we first become aware of before we come to know Christ as our savior. We know there are acts that we have committed that have to find his forgiveness. But there is something else. We call this:
b) The sin principle or carnal or sin nature. Once we have asked Jesus to forgive our sins and become our savior we feel the elation of knowing that all those things we did that were wrong and proved that we really did not know God or love God are totally forgiven and separated as far as the east is from the west. God will never bring them up to us again because He has forgotten them. When these are brought to your mind it is the devil trying to discourage you and make you feel unworthy of the forgiveness you have received. But it is precisely at this point where I have witnessed over and over again that Christians become defeated and discouraged and will often give up because we know that God has forgiven us and that all those sins have been forgotten but we still find ourselves doing some of those same things all over again. So we either begin to question our salvation or we feel that this is simply our lot in life and we are doomed to live this way until Jesus comes again. My friend I bring Good News for you today, Christ died to set you free not only from the acts of sin but from your sinful nature as well.
1) Your struggle is not unusual. I want to ask you to turn in your bibles with me to Romans 7:20-8:14. (read) [] Earthly illustrations always fall short in trying to explain eternal truths but let me see if I can use an illustration to help us here. We often see graffiti sprayed on fences. Then we often see as well that someone comes along and sprays paint over the action. We got rid of the action that was committed but we didn’t change the heart and nature of the offender. I declare to you today that many are living defeated Christian lives today because they falsely believe that Jesus died to just spray paint us day after day. To keep covering up our sin but never allowing us victory over that sin. Hear what God’s word says about this. 1 John 3:7-9 NIV Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. My friends, the Bible is clear, Jesus died to set you free, completely free! It is time we enter into the full promise of God and give our heart totally to Him.
LIFE APPLICATION
A. Can I borrow the words of Jesus in John 16:12 "Oh, there is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. There is so much more I need to tell you about this wonderful message of Holiness but there is not enough time today to do it so I am going to continue this message next week.
1. Listen to Acts 19:2 from The Message The first thing he said was, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace him with your heart? Did he get inside you?" "We’ve never even heard of that—a Holy Spirit? God within us?"
2. I know there are some of you here today who feel the same thing these Christians did at Ephesus. Now that you have heard that there is this Holy Spirit that wants to fill your heart and remove your sinful nature, wouldn’t you want to receive what God is offering? Next week I will be walking through the steps we take to be sanctified holy but you don’t need to wait until next week to receive God’s gift of entire sanctification. All you need to do is respond to the Holy Spirit’s moving in your heart at this moment. Accept by faith what Jesus died to give you.
3. Now would be a wonderful time for you to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to experience the holiness of heart that God is making available. It would make your experience of communion in just a few moments even richer than before.
