From sin, then, in every sense and aspect, God is calling us. As exceeding sinful, the abominable thing which He hates and will avenge, He warns us against it. He speaks to us as "shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin," carrying evil about with us, nay, filled with it and steeped in it; not merely as diseased and requiring medicine, or unfortunate and requiring pity, but as guilty, under law, under sentence, dead in trespasses and sins, with inevitable judgment before us. He neither palliates nor aggravates our case, but calmly tells us the worst; showing us what we are, before calling us to be what He has purposed to make us. From all unholiness, from all uncleanness, from all unrighteousness, from all corruption, from all crooked ways, from all disobedience, from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, He is calling us, in Christ Jesus His Son.
Horatius Bonar (2010-04-14). God's Way of Holiness (Kindle Locations 231-237). . Kindle Edition.
The Bible tells us that it is God's purpose for us to be holy, blameless, and irreproachable before Him. (Eph 1:4, 5:26-27; Col 1:22-23). Holiness is separation. As sinful humanity, we are filled with wickedness. Evil dwells within our hearts, and we act upon it. Jesus tells us that it is out of the heart that evil actions proceed (Mark 7:21-23). As stated above, this sin is an abomination to God, and instead of being poor unfortunate sinners deserving pity, we are vile guilty offenders of God's law, and deserve His wrath. Harsh words indeed, but it is the painful truth that we need to know if we are ever to be delivered from ourselves. As stated, God's ideal for us is to be holy, separated out of evil, and dedicated to the service of God. He calls on us to "Come out and be separate." (2 Cor 6:17). This is the call of God to renounce sin and self, to give it all up; to make a clean break, and to offer ourselves up into the service of God. We are called to follow Christ; to walk as Jesus walked, in holiness, love, and compassion. This is only made possible to us through Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us that we might be forgiven our sins, and set free to walk in the purity He has called us to. He is able to keep us from stumbling, and to make us stand in the presence of His glory,blameless, with great joy (Jude 1:24).
Showing posts with label holiness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holiness. Show all posts
Monday, August 24, 2015
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Contending for the Faith: The Majestic Holiness of God.
Contending for the Faith: The Majestic Holiness of God.: Who is like thee among the gods, O Lord? Who is like thee, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders? ...
Monday, November 10, 2014
Purified like Christ.
Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed upon Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
1 John 3:2-3 NASB
As those whose citizenship is not of this world, Christians eagerly await the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20; 2 Timothy 4:8). This is a mark of one who is truly born again. The love that one has for Jesus expresses itself in a longing for His return, just as we long to be united with loved ones who we are separated from in this life.
The true Child of God knows and understands that God is pure. They understand that He is without spot or wrinkle and they also desire to be pure in their conduct as well. As they await His return they are careful to live a life that is pleasing to Him.
They understand that to keep oneself pure, it is important to go to His word, and allow it to shape and mold our lives (Psalm 119:8). Keeping oneself pure in this way is not advocating a works based salvation, on the contrary, we are saved from our sins, and called to live holy lives. We are instructed to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12-13). We are to cooperate with God by yielding to His word, by submitting ourselves to the Lordship of Christ. In this way we purify our lives.
This is how a Christian lives. He lives to please Christ. He desires to be like his heavenly Father (Eph 5:1). Christ gave Himself to wash us clean, without spot or wrinkle (Eph 5:25-27), and this is the desire of the believers heart, to be clean in his conduct before God, to live a life beyond reproach.
Someone who claims salvation, but carelessly lives in this world, trusting that God will pass over his sinful conduct, while really not desiring to be clean and pure in God's eyes, is lacking the life of God within his heart.
1 John 3:2-3 NASB
As those whose citizenship is not of this world, Christians eagerly await the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20; 2 Timothy 4:8). This is a mark of one who is truly born again. The love that one has for Jesus expresses itself in a longing for His return, just as we long to be united with loved ones who we are separated from in this life.
The true Child of God knows and understands that God is pure. They understand that He is without spot or wrinkle and they also desire to be pure in their conduct as well. As they await His return they are careful to live a life that is pleasing to Him.
They understand that to keep oneself pure, it is important to go to His word, and allow it to shape and mold our lives (Psalm 119:8). Keeping oneself pure in this way is not advocating a works based salvation, on the contrary, we are saved from our sins, and called to live holy lives. We are instructed to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12-13). We are to cooperate with God by yielding to His word, by submitting ourselves to the Lordship of Christ. In this way we purify our lives.
This is how a Christian lives. He lives to please Christ. He desires to be like his heavenly Father (Eph 5:1). Christ gave Himself to wash us clean, without spot or wrinkle (Eph 5:25-27), and this is the desire of the believers heart, to be clean in his conduct before God, to live a life beyond reproach.
Someone who claims salvation, but carelessly lives in this world, trusting that God will pass over his sinful conduct, while really not desiring to be clean and pure in God's eyes, is lacking the life of God within his heart.
Friday, September 12, 2014
You Must Be Holy.
Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.
Hebrews 12:14 NASB
We read in the Psalms that it is those who have clean hands and pure hearts who are allowed entrance into the presence of God (Psalm 24:3-4).
Likewise, Jesus said that the pure in heart are the ones who will see God (Matthew 5:8).
To be sanctified, or holy, is to be set apart. It is to be devoted to God. A holy person is a person who has renounced all, sin, self, this world, and has given themselves to God to be used by Him and for Him.
Many people think of holiness in the sense of a positional thing. They look at it as God has judicially declared them holy, therefore even if they are not truly holy in a practical sense, He considers them to be so.
However, look at what Peter says about holiness.
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "You shall be holy for I am holy."
1Peter 1:14-16 NASB
Peter is talking about our actions, the things we do, the way we live. Holiness is a practical thing to be lived out in our daily lives. This is what Paul means when he says to work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12-13).
When we are born again, we are now new creations in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:17). As it says in Philippians 2:13, God is at work in us, to cause us to walk in His will and ways.
Having a pure heart devoted to God will result in clean hands, in other words, right living. A good tree will produce good fruit, while a bad tree cannot (Matthew 7:17-18, 12:33-35). Holy conduct flows from a holy heart.
This is how we come to Christ. We come in repentance and faith, forsaking all, dedicating ourselves to Him. The Bible tells us that God cleanses our hearts by faith (Acts 15:9). As we have received Christ Jesus as Lord, let us also walk in Him, by faith (Col 2:6-7) not led away from the purity of devotion to Christ (2 Cor 11:3).
There is that word devotion. That is the same thing as being holy, or set apart to God, sanctified. This is why without holiness no one will see God. If we are led away from our devotion to Christ, something else is now our master, ruler, lord. We have replaced Jesus Christ with something, or somebody else. We are now dedicated to sin, self, the world, following after our former lusts.
This is why the writer of Hebrews exhorts us to seek after holiness. This is why Paul says to work out your own salvation, and Peter declares that we are to be holy in all of our conduct, just as God is holy.
Joshua told the children of Israel to choose whom they would serve. He told them to choose one way or another between God, or their idols. As for himself, Joshua declared that he and his family would serve the Lord (Joshua 24:14-15). Now that is devotion!
Hebrews 12:14 NASB
We read in the Psalms that it is those who have clean hands and pure hearts who are allowed entrance into the presence of God (Psalm 24:3-4).
Likewise, Jesus said that the pure in heart are the ones who will see God (Matthew 5:8).
To be sanctified, or holy, is to be set apart. It is to be devoted to God. A holy person is a person who has renounced all, sin, self, this world, and has given themselves to God to be used by Him and for Him.
Many people think of holiness in the sense of a positional thing. They look at it as God has judicially declared them holy, therefore even if they are not truly holy in a practical sense, He considers them to be so.
However, look at what Peter says about holiness.
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "You shall be holy for I am holy."
1Peter 1:14-16 NASB
Peter is talking about our actions, the things we do, the way we live. Holiness is a practical thing to be lived out in our daily lives. This is what Paul means when he says to work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12-13).
When we are born again, we are now new creations in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:17). As it says in Philippians 2:13, God is at work in us, to cause us to walk in His will and ways.
Having a pure heart devoted to God will result in clean hands, in other words, right living. A good tree will produce good fruit, while a bad tree cannot (Matthew 7:17-18, 12:33-35). Holy conduct flows from a holy heart.
This is how we come to Christ. We come in repentance and faith, forsaking all, dedicating ourselves to Him. The Bible tells us that God cleanses our hearts by faith (Acts 15:9). As we have received Christ Jesus as Lord, let us also walk in Him, by faith (Col 2:6-7) not led away from the purity of devotion to Christ (2 Cor 11:3).
There is that word devotion. That is the same thing as being holy, or set apart to God, sanctified. This is why without holiness no one will see God. If we are led away from our devotion to Christ, something else is now our master, ruler, lord. We have replaced Jesus Christ with something, or somebody else. We are now dedicated to sin, self, the world, following after our former lusts.
This is why the writer of Hebrews exhorts us to seek after holiness. This is why Paul says to work out your own salvation, and Peter declares that we are to be holy in all of our conduct, just as God is holy.
Joshua told the children of Israel to choose whom they would serve. He told them to choose one way or another between God, or their idols. As for himself, Joshua declared that he and his family would serve the Lord (Joshua 24:14-15). Now that is devotion!
Saturday, September 6, 2014
If Anyone Wishes To Come After Me.
Jesus sets a high standard for those who would desire to enter the kingdom of heaven. He says that not everyone who calls Him Lord will enter (Matthew 7:21-22). It will be those who DO the will of the Father in heaven who will enter. This agrees with what Paul says in Romans 2:13. It is not enough to hear the law of God, one must do it to be justified.
It is true that salvation is not of works (Ephesians 2:8-9), and no man can be justified by the works of the law (Romans 3:20). This confuses many people.
Look at what James says about faith. Faith without works is a dead faith (James 2:14, 17, 26). He gives us the examples of Abraham and Rahab to show that their faith led them to act and thus they were justified by their works (James 2:21-25). He is not saying that it was the actual things that they did that saved them. What he is saying is that if you truly believe in something, a cause, in this case in God and His word, it will lead you to act upon your belief.
If someone warned you that your house was on fire, and you said that you believed them, but did nothing about it, your belief is worthless. You would just sit there and let your house burn down around you.
If you really believed it, you would get out, call the fire department and try to save your home.
This is how true saving faith works. Our belief causes us to act. Faith working with works, perfects faith (James 2:22-23).
Works done for our benefit, to get us to heaven, to earn God's favor are only selfish works. Jesus said if we want to follow Him we must deny ourselves, lose our lives, for His sake (Luke 9:23-24).
Works done in faith, done for Christ are the kind of works that please God. We do these things because we love Christ and want to honor Him. We are not looking for the reward. We are not motivated by fear or selfish ambition. This is the difference between the legalistic self efforts of one trying to earn salvation by works, and one whose faith is being made perfect by works done for Christ Jesus.
The one who calls Jesus Lord but does not desire to obey Him will not enter heaven. It does not matter how many good works they profess (Matthew 7:21-23). It is the one who believes in Jesus, with a belief that acts in submission to Jesus Christ and His word, who pleases God.
We must hear the words of Jesus Christ, and then act upon them, or our house will fall (Matthew 7:24-27).
Only those born from above can follow Christ in this way!
It is true that salvation is not of works (Ephesians 2:8-9), and no man can be justified by the works of the law (Romans 3:20). This confuses many people.
Look at what James says about faith. Faith without works is a dead faith (James 2:14, 17, 26). He gives us the examples of Abraham and Rahab to show that their faith led them to act and thus they were justified by their works (James 2:21-25). He is not saying that it was the actual things that they did that saved them. What he is saying is that if you truly believe in something, a cause, in this case in God and His word, it will lead you to act upon your belief.
If someone warned you that your house was on fire, and you said that you believed them, but did nothing about it, your belief is worthless. You would just sit there and let your house burn down around you.
If you really believed it, you would get out, call the fire department and try to save your home.
This is how true saving faith works. Our belief causes us to act. Faith working with works, perfects faith (James 2:22-23).
Works done for our benefit, to get us to heaven, to earn God's favor are only selfish works. Jesus said if we want to follow Him we must deny ourselves, lose our lives, for His sake (Luke 9:23-24).
Works done in faith, done for Christ are the kind of works that please God. We do these things because we love Christ and want to honor Him. We are not looking for the reward. We are not motivated by fear or selfish ambition. This is the difference between the legalistic self efforts of one trying to earn salvation by works, and one whose faith is being made perfect by works done for Christ Jesus.
The one who calls Jesus Lord but does not desire to obey Him will not enter heaven. It does not matter how many good works they profess (Matthew 7:21-23). It is the one who believes in Jesus, with a belief that acts in submission to Jesus Christ and His word, who pleases God.
We must hear the words of Jesus Christ, and then act upon them, or our house will fall (Matthew 7:24-27).
Only those born from above can follow Christ in this way!
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Two Gates.
Jesus said that there are two gates. A wide gate and a broad road leading to destruction, filled with multitudes of deceived people.
There is also a small gate and narrow way that leads to life. Few find it (Matthew 7:13-14).
Which one are you travelling on?
There is also a small gate and narrow way that leads to life. Few find it (Matthew 7:13-14).
Which one are you travelling on?
Thursday, August 14, 2014
What does God require?
God, who created us, has a standard that He expects man to adhere to. As I discussed in a previous post, God is righteous, just, holy, and loving. It therefore makes sense that He would require Man as a moral being to be right and just in his dealings with others, to love God and fellow human beings, and to live separated from selfishness and sin in all of its forms.
Love has been God's desire from the beginning. The Old testament as well as the New, show this (Leviticus 19:18, Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Matthew 5:43-48, 22:37-40, Romans 13:8-10, James 2:8, 1John 3:11).
Along with love goes justice and mercy. As a just and merciful God, He also requires us to be fair and merciful to one another. Once again, this is shown in both the Old and New covenants (Leviticus 19:11-15, 35, Micah 6:8, Matthew 5:7, 7:12, Romans 12:17, 1Corinthians 6:7-9, James 2:13).
We are to be holy as God is holy. Just as God is separated from sin, we too must be separated from sin and self, and devoted to the service of God (Leviticus 11:44-45,19:2, Matthew 5:48, 1Peter 1:15-16).
Can you see that God holds us to a very high standard? Can you see that God is perfectly right in expecting us to conform to this standard? Can you also see that this is a standard that you have failed to live up to? If so, this is an important first step in the awakening of your soul!
Love has been God's desire from the beginning. The Old testament as well as the New, show this (Leviticus 19:18, Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Matthew 5:43-48, 22:37-40, Romans 13:8-10, James 2:8, 1John 3:11).
Along with love goes justice and mercy. As a just and merciful God, He also requires us to be fair and merciful to one another. Once again, this is shown in both the Old and New covenants (Leviticus 19:11-15, 35, Micah 6:8, Matthew 5:7, 7:12, Romans 12:17, 1Corinthians 6:7-9, James 2:13).
We are to be holy as God is holy. Just as God is separated from sin, we too must be separated from sin and self, and devoted to the service of God (Leviticus 11:44-45,19:2, Matthew 5:48, 1Peter 1:15-16).
Can you see that God holds us to a very high standard? Can you see that God is perfectly right in expecting us to conform to this standard? Can you also see that this is a standard that you have failed to live up to? If so, this is an important first step in the awakening of your soul!
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