In Christ You Are Holy – Sunday, June 30, 2019 – Steve Miller
Did you brush your teeth this morning?
From Wikipedia: “Individuals that practice oral hygiene have 1,000 to 100,000 bacteria living on each tooth surface, while less clean mouths can have between 100 million and 1 billion bacteria on each tooth.”
What does it mean to be God’s holy people? I believe He gave me this analogy:
“I have called you by name; you are Mine. Live, therefore, as My holy people. You are holy if you trust in Me. The one who believes in Me does not live in sin, just as a person who takes a shower does not live in dirt and grime after he gets dirty. You don’t go to work in the morning without brushing your teeth. You can’t help the bacteria growing in your mouth at night, but you brush them away every morning and night. You don’t embrace them. Grace makes you My clean people, My holy people. Being holy, you put on My righteousness by the means of grace every day. Be holy, then, as I am holy. You are My offspring, holy in Me.”
It’s really true that we live in an environment that is prone to splatter us with spiritual dirt. Although born again, we still live in mortal bodies with our sinful nature – the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak Although growing in Christ, we are not fully mature The enemy tempts us – prowls about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour We live among sinful people – challenging to properly relate to them, walking in love and forgiveness while hating sin and avoiding falling into it Wrong ideologies surround and influence us – lies and confusion lead to sin and problems – how to understand and believe the truth so that we can live in abundant life? Temptations to sin – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life
Distractions abound that waste our time and draw us away from our true calling and purposes The world hates us – “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first.”
It’s easy to see how daily these factors can multiply around us like germs multiply in our mouths and under our armpits. How can we continue to live daily as God’s chosen, holy people?
1 Peter 1:13-16 – 13Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Greek: hágios – different (unlike); for the believer, it means "likeness of nature with the Lord" because "different from the world." It implies something "set apart" and therefore "different" – because special to the Lord. Even though we live in a world corrupted by sin, selfishness, rebellion and all kinds of things that are contrary to God’s nature, when we were saved, were born again and made new and holy like God, through faith in Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit who came to dwell in us. We were adopted into God’s family and given the righteousness of Christ. We were given restored purpose in the world as brothers and sisters of Jesus in God’s family. We are different from the world; we are special to the Lord.
Colossians 3:1-14
How can we clothe ourselves in righteousness by his means of grace every day? What means do we have? Family – We are in God’s family, part of a community of faith in Jesus. One means of grace is that God has not left us alone to live out our faith in this world.
Firstly, He has given us the Holy Spirit to dwell with us and in us, to facilitate direct communication between us and God and to download all the resources of love, power, and truth that our Father and Savior have provided for us in Christ. He is our Advocate, Helper, Counselor and Defender. Secondly, He has given us brothers and sisters in the faith. He has transformed, equipped, called, and empowered each of us to be real and effective help to grow to maturity and successfully navigate this life while accomplishing God’s purposes for us individually and corporately. None of us were ever meant to walk the Christian life alone, nor would God want us to. We are His body and His family, meant to function together as a unit. Repentance of sins – We repented when we came to Christ, but there is another sense of repentance that is a daily necessity in our relationship with God and with His people. The first way to deal with the sins we commit as Christians and our day-to-day failures is to repent – to confess it to the Lord and receive His forgiveness and healing. Yes, Christ has already paid the price for all of our sins – past, present, and future – but sin is destructive to our relationships, our health, and even our faith when it is not dealt with, and we should never ignore it or choose to dwell in it.
In this process we have two other allies: the Holy Spirit who lives within us, and our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ.
James 5:16 – Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Hebrews 10:19-25 Washing with the Word of God – God’s Word is truth, and it is living and active through the Holy Spirit when we read or hear it. His Word washes us with truth and cleans us from spiritual muck that sticks to us daily.
Ephesians 5:25-27
John 15:3
John 17:17 Walking in God’s purposes for our lives Philip Goodson of Living Light Church in Kenosha, WI: “What made a bowl holy? What made the lampstand holy? (This is not the whole thing of holiness, but it’s a part of it.) That bowl was holy when it was used for what God intended it to be used for. It was the fact that it was consecrated and set apart and was to be used for a particular purpose. If you want to experience some holiness in your life, understand what God has created you and made you and called you to do, and do it, and you’re holy.” “Holiness is not just about me walking in a sinless perfection, which we’re not going to do anyway. It’s not about just being that part or looking that part, or overcoming that sin in my life. But am I being used for what God created me to be used for? And if I’m being used for that, I’m holy unto the Lord.”
How do we know whether we are being used for the purposes God created us for? The first step is to yield to Him, to offer ourselves to what He wants for our lives and submit to His Lordship. In that frame of mind, then seek Him and ask Him to reveal Himself and His truth to us. Praise and thank Him for your life and your salvation, and ask Him to show you His purposes and open the right doors for you to walk through with Him.
1 Thessalonians 2:13-14 – 13But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
