What? Me Holy?

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:10-16

Theme: Holy Living

This sermon is about Living the Holy Life – Holiness. A Life that 1. Lives in Awareness of God’s Presence 2. A Life that Feeds on God’s Holy Word 3. A Life that Leans into Others

INTRO:

Grace and peace from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

I want to talk to you today about Holy Living – in short, Holiness. Holiness is a subject that is avoided nearly as much by the Church as by the World at large.

We don’t seem to have an issue when we associate the world holiness with the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. Most people can joyously sing songs like:

+Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty - Hymn

+Holy is the Lord – Chris Tomlin

+Holiness Unto the LORD - Hymn

And yet, when we make the transition to speak about personal holiness; human holiness, we often begin to pause. We tend to shrug off such ideas, downplay the possibility and may even go as far as to reject the idea of human holiness.

At various times in the history of the Church there has been a tremendous push back from those who promoted holiness by labeling them as Holy Rollers, Holier-than-thou, Religious Freaks or Modern-day Pharisees.

There are even some in the church who would rather be labeled as a little sinful than to be labeled with one of those names – Holy Roller or Religious Freak.

And yet, over and over in the Scriptures, as we see in our passage this morning there is this call to be a holy person. To be holy because the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, the Good God of Creation is holy.

Whether we like the term or not or even want to be called a holy person, the fact remains that from the beginning of the Bible to the end of the Bible, we are called to be God’s Holy People. God has called us to experience a life of authentic holiness.

I think what has happened is that we have looked at Jesus’ encounters with the Pharisees and scribes and as a result have misunderstood authentic holiness.

+While it is true that it appeared from the outside that some of the scribes and Pharisees were holy – the way they dressed, the way they would separate themselves from others and the way they moved around telling everyone that they were holy.

+That in fact, many of them were not living a life of authentic holiness.

If we want to know what holiness looks like we must look at Jesus and then at those who have turned their lives over to Him. We must look at those who have allowed the Holy Spirit to infill them and then spent their lives learning, following and obeying the Lord’s teachings and commandments.

So, what exactly is holiness and how do we go about becoming God’s holy people?

+Holiness is simply being set apart for God. Holiness is being set apart from sin and evil and being consecrated to God and His Mission in our everyday living. It is not something for a very few individuals. It is in fact God’s design for all His People.

+Holiness is not something that we can achieve by our own will and efforts. There is no holiness trophy or certificate that we can attain by our own merits.

+Holiness is a gift of God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ and allowing the Holy Spirit to infill us, transform us, lead us and guide us.

This morning let’s reflect on a few simple ways to live a life pleasing to the LORD – a life of what Simon Peter and others would call a life of holiness.

I. Holiness is Living in an Awareness of the LORD

Some have called this living in awareness - “Vine Time” reflecting on Jesus’ words in John chapter 15.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch can not bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in them, they will bear much fruit.” – John 15:1-5

In that passage Jesus reminds us of the importance of spending quality time with the LORD even as a branch spends time in the Vine. According to Our Lord, this points to an on-going relationship and not a once and done action. Our relationship with the LORD is to be an everlasting, growing and dynamic relationship.