Pursuit Of Holiness

Pursuit of Holiness

1 Peter 1:1-1:17, 1:13-1:21

Introduction-

We have come out of an extremely exciting service last week.

For it to be Easter week and have:

Several people come front and acknowledge that God is doing something is special.

To have one person accept Christ as Lord and Savior is a God moment.

We discussed what Jesus resurrection means to each one of us on this side of the cross.

How seeing is not necessarily believing.

There was several different attitudes and actions of people running to the empty tomb.

This morning, the passage in 1 Peter is a great scripture to look at after Easter.

It goes from praising God for what He did on the cross to living a holy life.

Holiness is one of our tenets of our faith.

1 Peter 1:1-1:7, 1:13-1:21

Peter begins the main body of this letter (3)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

He tells us to cherish that born again experience.

The moment we accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and that we are becoming new creations in Christ.

That we have an inheritance- because we have accepted Jesus Christ, the resurrected savior, we share in that resurrection experience.

That the inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, will never fade, reserved in heaven for all those that call on the name of Christ.

This is our future hope and our present hope.

It is what we can look forward too, and what we can hold unto right now!

“I am going to prepare a place for you” Amen.

What a great promise.

We also have present hope:

(5) “Who are protected by the power of God through faith for the salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

God shields our salvation for those that call upon the Lord.

We possess it now, (present tense), but will see it in its fullness at the return of Christ. Amen.

There is something that should happen the day that you accepted Christ.

I know that every experience is different, but the one thing that is constant is that there should have been a change in your life.

A change in attitude.

A change in allegiance.

A change of priorities.

The word of God is transformational!

Meaning the word of God can change you if you will let it.

There is a difference between information and transformation.

Trying to live a life informed by scripture will bring disappointment.

Many live informed of God’s word, and few allow God’s word to transform them.

The goal is not information, it is transformation!

Christ is the living word. He wants to envelop our lives, fully formed within the believer.

Apostle Paul says “Until Christ is fully developed in our lives.”

Every Christian is to pursue holiness.

Every Christian is called to a life of holiness.

Every believer is to stay away from sin.

“He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am Holy.”

God desires that we take on the image of Christ.

Many people today are satisfied taking on the pattern of Christians around us.

That is why they can find someone they are better than.

Illustration-(Sermoncentral)

A father told his young son that it was time to get ready for Sunday School. They would be leaving in just a few minutes. You know how little boys can be. They are inquisitive. The boy asked his dad, Dad, did you go to Sunday School when you were a boy? The father gladly answered, well yes I did. The boy looked disappointed as he said, “it probably won’t work for me either.”

We have to be careful how we live our lives to those that are watching us.

One of the greatest problems today is that people acknowledge Jesus with their lips and deny

Him in their lifestyle.

The church of the Nazarene has a holiness background. That means that we teach, preach and live holiness.

We believe once that you profess Christ, there should begin a process of change.

Are we perfect? No!

Do we make mistakes? Yes!

Do we sin? Yes!

We advocate living a holy life.

We believe that we should live as close as we can to God’s Word.

Holiness I believe in the past has been misrepresented.

To be holy was all about what you don’t do. No dancing, no gambling, no smoking, no drinking, no ear rings, and throw out the evil T.V. sets!

Holiness is doing everything we know to do to be more Christ-like.

(Do) read your Bible- understand and read God’s word for yourself.