WHAT I NEED IN MY CHRISTIAN LIFE…

More Holiness

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     Each one of us who is a Christian has answered the call of the gospel to be saved (II Thess. 2:14).

 

B.      In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul reminds us that we have been called unto holiness (I Thess 4:7).

 

For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

 

C.     Holiness needs to be one of our top priorities.  Numerous passages exhort us to be holy.

1.       Romans 6:19b

 

…even so no yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

 

2.       Romans 12:1

 

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service.

 

3.       II Corinthians 7:1

 

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

 

4.       Ephesians 1:4

 

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.

 

5.       II Peter 3:11

 

Seeing that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness.

 

D.     Yes, all of us need more holiness in our lives.  As we go through the rest of this lesson, please try to keep this thought in mind.

 

I.                    WHAT IS HOLINESS?

 

A.     When something is holy, it is pure.

1.       Purity means something is free from contamination, free from pollution, and free from moral taint.

2.       Example:  the reception of a blood transfusion

 

B.      When something is holy, it is set apart.

1.       A holy object is no longer carnal, common, or ordinary.

2.       Example:  a set of fine china is not mixed with ordinary dishes

 

C.     When something is holy, it is dedicated to a specific purpose.

1.       It is pure and set apart only to be used for certain things.

2.       Example:  a set of Christmas china that is used only on Christmas Day for Christmas dinner

 

D.     The Christian is to be all of these things in order to be holy.

1.       When we obeyed the gospel, we were purified by the blood of Christ (I Pet. 1:22a).

 

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit…

 

2.       At the moment we were saved, we were set apart from the worldly, carnal, and evil things of the world.

a.       I Corinthians 6:11

 

And such were some of you:  but ye are washed (purified), but ye are sanctified (set apart), but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

 

b.      I Corinthians 1:2

 

Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.

 

1)      Church:  the called out ones

2)      Sanctified:  set apart

3)      Saints:  set apart (holy) ones

3.       We now have a special purpose and design for our lives.

a.       Romans 6:19b

 

…even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

 

b.      I Corinthians 6:20

 

For ye are bought with a price:  therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit which are God’s.

 

c.       I Peter 2:9

 

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew for the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

 

II.                 THE NATURE OF GOD’S HOLINESS

 

A.     When we speak of God’s nature, we are referring to the entirety of His being.

1.       He is holy.

2.       He is the source of all holiness.

3.       All that is associated with Him is holy.

 

B.      Establishing the holiness of God.

1.       He is called holy.

a.       Leviticus 19:2

 

Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy:  for the Lord your God am holy.

b.      I Samuel 2:2

 

There is none holy as the Lord:  for there is none beside thee…

 

2.       All three members of the Godhead are called holy.

a.       Holy Father (John 17:11)

b.      The holy child Jesus (Acts 4:27, 30).

c.       The Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18; Luke 11:13).

3.       Twice in Scripture, God is described with the words:  “Holy, holy, holy.”

a.       Two verses:

1)      Isaiah 6:3

 

And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts:  the whole earth is full of his glory.

 

2)      Revelation 4:8

 

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within:  and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

 

b.      The meaning

1)      Three is a number indicating absoluteness

2)      God is absolutely holy.

a)      He is utterly holy.

b)      There is not one muon neutrino of evil or sin within God.

 

4.       His name is holy (Ezek. 39:7)

 

So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel…

 

5.       His works are holy (Ps. 145:71).

 

The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

 

6.       Wherever God is, that place is holy.

a.       Heaven is God’s dwelling place (I Kings 8:30), and it is holy (Ps. 20:6).

b.      God came down upon the tabernacle (Exo. 40:34), and the temple was called holy (Ps. 5:7; 11:4).

c.       When the tabernacle was put in the city of Jerusalem, it became the holy city (Matt. 4:5).

d.      When God spoke to Moses at the burning bush, he told him:  “The place whereupon thou standest is holy ground” (Exo. 3:5).

7.       God alone is holy (Rev. 15:4).

 

Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name?  for thou only art holy…

 

III.              I NEED MORE HOLINESS

 

A.     Having looked at the holiness of God just briefly, each of us should be deeply concerned about our own holiness.

 

 

1.       I Peter 1:15-16

 

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.

 

2.       God is our standard of holiness.

 

B.      This being the case, I stand in need of more holiness in my Christian life.

1.       I cannot be satisfied with a few feeble actions of holiness.

2.       I cannot approve of my holiness by comparing myself with others.

3.       My life is to reflect God’s holiness.  I stand in need of more holiness!

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     For us to do this, we must focus upon three things:

1.       Keeping ourselves pure.

2.       Separating ourselves from the world.

3.       Dedicating ourselves to the tasks God has given to us.

 

B.      Lest we have a tendency to think that this is not important, let’s read Hebrews 12:14.

 

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see God.