American Idols – 4 “Nothing in Between”
Ps 14:1
1The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."
The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary gives this definition: “In Scripture the ‘fool’ primarily is the person who casts off the fear of God and thinks and acts as if he could safely disregard the eternal principles of God’s righteousness.”
“How much more of a fool is the man that says there is a God and doesn’t act on it, rather than the man that says there is no God?”
It is because we know of God, but don’t know God.
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As Paul said in Acts 20:26-27 –“ I am not going to be guilty before God to not declare unto you the full council of God.”
So today we are going to investigate God’s word concerning Holiness – Holiness is intimidating and misunderstood.
What do you think of when you here the word Holy?
• Clothes?
• Holy Water – not supported in Scripture and started by the catholics in the 4th century.
• Rules - Regulations
• No life - Boring
• Feel like a cat on a leash
Webster: Holiness is associated with a divine power – form of Godliness but no power…
Holman: HOLY - A characteristic unique to God’s nature which becomes the goal for human moral character.
Is Holiness our Goal, that which we are striving for?
Leviticus 19:2
”…Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.”
Ephesians 1:4
”… we should be holy and without blame before him in love:”
1 Thessalonians 4:7 (NIV)
7For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
Hebrews 12:14 (English Standard Version)
14Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 (New International Version)
7For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
1. Holiness is: Nothing in Between.
Wh0000000000000000000000000000000000000000at is Holiness?
• Power.
• Purity – not outward appearance but heart!
• Transparency – nothing to hide.
• Striving for perfection (Not perfection).
• To have no will of my own - Humility –
• It is being a peacemaker at all costs.
Exodus 3 - Moses
• When Moses yielded and removed the barrier God used him greatly. – Knew of God – until he removed the barrier could he come close to God.
• Holiness is removing the barriers of Sin and disobedience.
• Sin and Compromise separates and distances us from God
2. Holiness is a process, not a destination.
As Christ followers we should do all we can to grow everyday.
To go beyond the experience of accepting what Jesus did for us.
Hebrews 6:1 (AMP)
1THEREFORE LET us go on and get past the elementary stage in the teachings and doctrine of Christ (Strive for Perfection kjv) advancing steadily toward the completeness and perfection that belong to spiritual maturity. Let us not again be laying the foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead works (dead formalism) and of the faith [by which you turned] to God,
Salvation is the believer, caught in between what God has begun and what God is yet to complete.
Philippians 1:6 (King James Version)
6Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
“Salvation is instantaneous but it is also progressive.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23 (King James Version)
23And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Salvation and Holiness is almost interchangeable.
By faith are we saved, yet the manifestation of our salvation is fulfilled when we God says “enter in”
1 Peter 1:9
Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
Revelation 12:10
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Salvation and Holiness is a process that brings us to a destination. Living in Sin is a process that brings us to a destination too.
Philippians 2:12
“…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
James 2:19-20 (New Living Translation)
19Do you still think it’s enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! 20Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?
Demons believe yet didn’t obey…
Jeremiah 32:40 (English Standard Version)
“40 …And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.”
Ps 19:9
The fear of the Lord is clean; enduring forever
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Hosea 4;6
“People perish for the lack of knowledge”
3. The Barriers to Holiness
There are two types of Barriers Sinful &Non Beneficial
Today we are going to deal with the sinful.
Ephesians 5:5-6 (Amplified Bible)
5For be sure of this: that no person practicing sexual vice or impurity in thought or in life, or one who is covetous [who has lustful desire for the property of others and is greedy for gain]--for he [in effect] is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6Let no one delude and deceive you with empty excuses and groundless arguments [for these sins], for through these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of rebellion and disobedience.
Hebrews 10:26-27 (Darby Translation)
26For where we sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains any sacrifice for sins,
27but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and heat of fire about to devour the adversaries.
Sinful: We try to rationalize sinful barriers…
• “We really love each other”
• “I’m not hurting anyone”
• “God understands”
• “I am too hurt to forgive them”
• “I’ve got my ticket to heaven”
It’s vital to do what we know to do and learn to do what we don’t know to do.
Rich Man Matt 19:16 last 5 man to man 1st 5 to God
1 John 2:4-5 (New International Version)
4The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
A liar is one who says one thing and does another…Taking God’s name in vain.
Rev 21:8 (AMP)
“…idolaters and all liars (those who knowingly convey untruth by word or deed)--[all of these shall have] their part in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone. This is the second death.(A)”
I am talking about besetting sin – Holy Spirit dealing with you on it.
1 John 2:1
1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
• Burn the computer –
• Leave the relationship –
• Get another Job –
• Forgive them -
Matt 18 Parable of settling accounts.
• $5 billion
• $75.00
Matthew 18:32-35 (Amplified Bible)
Torturers Prison until you can repay the debt.
Mark 11: 25-26
25When you stand to pray, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him. Then your Father in heaven will forgive your sins also. 26*If you do not forgive them their sins, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins."
Surprises in Heaven:
Matthew 7:21 (Amplified Bible)
21Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven.
These are those that use the term Christian loosely…
“Jesus I know, Paul I know, but who are you…”
But what about those that Served God with all their heart and then walked away…
1 John 5:16-18 (New International Version)
“… There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. 17All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
18We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.”
Hebrews 10:26-27 (Darby Translation)
26For where we sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains any sacrifice for sins,
Better to not have been saved…
2 Peter 2:21 (English Standard Version)
21For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.
Name erased from the book of life…
Revelation 3:5 (Contemporary English Version)
5Everyone who wins the victory will wear white clothes. Their names will not be erased from the book of life, [a] and I will tell my Father and his angels that they are my followers.
Matthew 7:22-23 (English Standard Version)
22On that day many will say to me, ’Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23And then will I declare to them, ’I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Ezekiel 18:24 (English Standard Version)
24But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.
Sin erases righteousness and righteousness erases sin!
Small Compromises
If society can get us to Laugh at sin than they can get us to accept it.
Turn from it..
