Holiness – is God’s will for His people.

We have been instructed by God through Solomon writing Ecclesiastes that life without God is disappointing and leads to continued separation from God forever.  The truth set before us is that if we are going to rejoice in the life He gives us, we must be holy.  Our need now is to know what this expectation of God is – to be holy.

We begin with Paul’s statement presented to every believer.  The moment of salvation, the believer is positionally sanctified.  Once we place our faith in God through the work of His Son, the death on the cross, the burial, and the resurrection, we begin to read His Word, and we learn that many changes took place at that moment. 

I.  The New Essence  –  wrought by God.

2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The believer is sanctified by God – set apart:

Moved from being condemned to eternal death to being alive in Jesus Christ.

Moved from darkness to light.

Moved from being unrighteous to righteous.

Moved from being unholy to holy.

II.  The New Expectation

Man is expected to a live life pleasing unto God, which was impossible for him to do before being saved.   The believer is to –

Live daily unto the Lord “walking in the newness of life”

Live daily in the Light.

Live daily in the righteousness.

Live daily in holiness.

III.  The New Environment.

Philippians 3:20  For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

The new environment introduces us to –

IV.  The New Experience.  Personal sanctification.

As unbelievers, learning the will of God through His Word that we are condemned and in need of salvation, we begin struggling because of the conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

Trusting God settles this struggle, but we also come to realize that a new struggle begins in being personally sanctified –

Galatians 5:16-17 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

We thank the Lord that he has revealed to us that He helps us to achieve His will for our lives –

Colossians 3:12-17  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

V.  The New Engagement in spiritual warfare.

  A.  The struggle with sin?

And it is a struggle, isn’t it?  When we, as the children of God, decide to sin against God, knowing full well it is wrong, we are grieved, weighed down with guilt, disappointed in ourselves for doing what we know we should not have done! When the preacher declares from God’s Word that we should be holy as God is holy, we hope that he will move on to the next subject quickly. We know and cry within ourselves “I am not holy, as God wants me to be”! The thing is, it gets worse as we give into the temptations that present themselves and we battle to free ourselves, and thanking God for forgiving us, we struggle again, carefully and quietly putting ourselves into the position to see the very thing that tempted us instead of fleeing from it, detouring around it, again bringing ourselves to grief, crying unto God to help us and forgive us, and yet, it happens again.

What is this terrible sin?  Is it denying that God exists?  No, the grief comes because we know God exists and not only that, but that He loves us and has saved us, and yet we choose to be unfaithful to Him who is always faithful!

Again, what is this terrible sin that disturbs us to the very depths of our souls?

Could this terrible sin, the rebellion against God, be that which we think is hardly worth a second thought, like taking and eating a piece of fruit that does not belong to us?  Remember the guilt and shame this act caused to Adam and Eve?

Could this terrible sin be what some would call unimportant, like an Israelite in the wilderness, going out on the Sabbath morning to collect Manna, knowing that God has declared that it should not be done!  Can you imagine standing in the field, searching for the manna that you have been told that God will not supply, while your family, your neighbors look on with disdain, ashamed that you did not believe God.

From these, acts that most would consider as being insignificant, all the way to being as David, not turning your eyes away from the woman bathing herself at a nearby house.  David believed in God the entire time he was disobeying Him in an adulterous relationship and then murder.  Listen to his cry unto God and hear the grieving spirit of his heart and mind that had poisoned every thought and every act for months and months –

Psalm 51:1-13  Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

What is this terrible sin?  It is personal rebellion against God.

It is between me and God, and it is between you and God, and we know perfectly well the guilt and the grief it brings.

   B.  The Strategy of God.

Now God does not want His children to grieve, to be burdened, to be ashamed, and especially not to bring shame on His name! 

This is why He gave the command “Be ye Holy”.  Can we be holy?  Yes!

He wants us to be holy. He wants us to be thankful – wanting to teach others of the glory of God.

God’s Word provides the answer, as we would expect, and there is hope!  Holiness is a foundational theme in the Scripture and God gave a specific command in –

Leviticus 11:44  For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy….

Paul contrasts the life of immorality with a life of purity in-

I Thessalonians 4:3-7  For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; …….For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

Peter speaks to the issue, contrasting unbelievers living according to sinful desires –

1 Peter 1:14-16  As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Obeying God’s command in relation to holiness is the believer’s responsibility.  We must intend to be holy and act accordingly.

Ephesians 4:22-24  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Conclusion –

The call to holiness is to understand, and to apply the fact that all sin is an offense to God. Knowing this, we ought to pursue holiness in order to glorify God –

1 Thessalonians 4:7  For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

God’s intention is for His children to be holy.  What is our intention?

God does not want us to be in pain.  He does not want us to hurt deep down inside because of guilt and shame.

He wants us to seek His forgiveness –

1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

And begin living according to His will through His Word –

Ephesians 5:18-21  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Colossians 3:15-17  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

What song do you have on your heart this morning?