Transcription
It is beyond question that Holiness is one of the central themes of the entire Bible. The word "holy" occurs more than 600 times, and more than 700 times when you include all its derivative words like Holiness, sanctify, sanctification, all of those. You can't even make sense out of the Bible without understanding that our God is Holy. His Holiness pervades his entire being, and his Holiness shapes every one of his attributes. If you read in scripture, you will see that his love is a holy love, and his Mercy is a holy Mercy. Even his judgment is a holy judgment, and even God's anger is a holy anger. And above all else, our God is intent on having a holy people filled with his holy spirit, submitted to his holy word, and preparing themselves to live with him forever in his holy heaven.
So if you are a Believer and you are neglecting Holiness in your pursuit of the Lord Jesus, it's certainly not due to a lack of instruction or emphasis in scripture, because it's everywhere. The Bible makes it clear that Holiness is not an optional extra for a few super spiritual Believers. Rather, Holiness is the central point of the Christian Life, and Holiness is the distinguishing Mark of every true disciple. An Unholy Christian? That's an oxymoron. That's a contradiction in terms. There's no such thing.
Now, biblically speaking, Holiness is a synonym for a whole bunch of words: uh, withdrawal, apart, separate, distinct, different, Sanctified. You could take any one of those words and put it in for the word "holy" in scripture as it applies to us. And scripture teaches many things about the context and the concept of Holiness. Scripture teaches that as disciples become Sanctified, or become holy, many things will happen. They will have visible good works. They will walk in Good Works. They will be rich in Good Works. They will be furnished with good works. They will show themselves a pattern of Good Works. They will be zealous of Good Works. They will maintain good works. They will do good works that even Sinners will observe, and they will even provoke one another to Good Works. Anybody notice a theme there?
A lot of people today talk about uh, living for God as though uh, the way we do things and what we do has nothing to do with it. That flies in the face of the heart of scripture. The New Testament consistently teaches that growth in godliness actually requires some effort, some exertion on the part of the Christian. We have to put to death the Deeds of the Flesh, and we put to death everything that is Earthly. And we fight the good fight, and we put off the old man and put on the new man. We strive to enter the narrow gate. We press toward the prize. We run the race. We discipline the body. Peter tells us frankly that we must be diligent to add several disciplines to our faith in Second Peter chapter 1.
Uh, Paul Graham, our good friend, Pastor of the phenomenal Church in Montreal, he said at Canada conference earlier this year, he said, "Paul said, 'I fought a good fight,' not, 'I've had a good time.'" Uh, it's different when you're in the Christian Life. There's some exertion and some effort and some energy required. Uh, but if I could speak even more plainly tonight, the Bible teaches me that true Holiness will be evidenced in my body, in my eyes, in my ears, in my mouth, my hands, my hair, my clothing, my thoughts, and my spirit. Holiness will affect every part of my life.
Now, if that sounds difficult to you, good, because Holiness is intended to be impossible without the Holy Ghost. Just like speaking in tongues, speaking in a language you've never learned, would be impossible without the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Holiness is a work of the spirit, not a work of the flesh. So it's good if you think living a holy, Godly life is a bit challenging, because that just makes you depend more upon the Lord, and that's a good thing.
Um, so what does it mean for us to be holy specifically? Well, when God told Israel to be holy in The Book of Leviticus, he was instructing them one major thing: "I want you to be distinct from every other people by obeying specific standards that will set you apart from everyone else." You're to be unique in your worship, your relationships, your appearance, your sexuality, your activities, your morals, your ethics, your food, your clothing, many other areas he gave to Israel. And here's the thing: God didn't even give them a reason for many of these rules. Um, he didn't even tell them why, only that he wanted them to be a picture of his Holiness to the world around them. He wanted the world to know, "These people belong exclusively to me."
So while some of the uh, particulars have changed, some of the dietary laws of ancient Israel, they're not repeated in the New Testament. But that principle of separation and distinction, that has not changed at all in the New Testament. In fact, many people would argue it's gotten even more emphasized. The writer of Hebrews says, "Follow peace with all men, and Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." That's how important Holiness is. You can't go to God's holy Heaven, um, if you don't live a holy life.
So in Acts chapter 2, uh, the longest part of Peter's sermon is not Acts 2:38. That's the altar call. But the longest part of his sermon is not what's recorded in Acts 2. The Bible says, "And with many other words he exhorted them." And here's the theme of the many words that are not recorded in the book of Acts: uh, he said, "I want you to save yourselves from this untoward generation." So yes, in Acts 2:38, Peter preached about salvation, but then he followed that up, and he preached about sanctification: "Bring yourselves out of, distinguish yourselves from this untoward generation."
It begs to be said that if Peter had to tell them, "You need to separate from this untoward," that means perverse or twisted, uh, sensual, sinful generation, if he had to say that 2,000 years ago, you know, we need to say the same sort of thing today: "Save yourself from this perverse, this twisted, this untoward Generation."
Um, now you probably don't have to wonder a whole lot what he said, because Peter wrote two Epistles, and he repeated probably a lot of it in these Epistles, because we can hear the Echoes of, "Save yourselves from this untoward generation." This is 1 Peter chapter 1: "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance, the way you used to live, but as he which has called you is Holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, in every facet of your lifestyle, because it is written, 'Be ye holy, for I am Holy.'"
He writes in the same epistle, chapter 2: "You are a chosen generation, you are a royal priesthood, you're an holy nation, A peculiar people, that you should show forth the Praises of him who has called you out of Darkness into His Marvelous Light." It begs to be said that if the world thinks you're a little bit peculiar, that's probably a really good thing for two reasons. One, God called us a peculiar people. Secondly, I'm not sure I want to be identified with a whole lot of the mess that is going on in the world today. So if I'm peculiar to that, that's a good thing. And if God called us to be a peculiar people, bonus points, that's also a good thing.
Second Peter, he said, "Seeing then that all these things," all the things of the world, everything you can look around and see or touch or experience, all of those things are going to be dissolved, "it's all going to disappear, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation, lifestyle, and godliness?" So Peter writes about Holiness extensively in his Epistles.
Paul, uh, he beats Peter to the punch. Uh, Paul alludes to Holiness in some way in every one of his Epistles. His ministry was primarily to the Gentiles, and the Gentiles had come out of the Pagan cultures of the world of that time. Uh, they were so wicked and evil and sensual, and Paul knew they are simply not going to survive spiritually unless they have a change in their lives, both inside and outside. Because it does no good to change the outside if there's nothing on the inside, but it also does no good to change the inside and then put them right back into all of the junk that they came out of. So there has to be a change on the inside that works on the outside. And so Paul knew that, so he hit salvation and sanctification in just about every one of his Epistles, because here's what he knew working with the Gentiles, that's who he was called to: "You can't maintain your salvation without experiencing and embracing sanctification or Holiness."
So, uh, very quick, we'll do a helicopter view here. Uh, Romans chapter 12: "I beg you, Brethren, by the mercies of God, present your bodies a Living Sacrifice." Your outside, your body, your everyday living needs to be holy and acceptable to God. You don't get extra points for that, that's just your reasonable service. And here's how you do it: "And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." The Battleground is in your mind. You're either going to follow the Holy Ghost, or you're going to follow the world. You're going to take your cues from him, or you're going to take your cues from them. You're going to imitate him and his word, or you're going to imitate them and the culture around you. "Do not be conformed to this world." What a Fool's errand that would be. "But be transformed by the renewing of your mind, and then you'll be able to prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
Paul, that's the nice Paul. Here's the real Paul: "Know ye not that you are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwells in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God, your body, your person, is Holy, which Temple you are." You are the temple of God, just the same as we wouldn't walk into the Old Testament Tabernacle or the Old Testament Temple and deface them or disgrace them or pollute them. Paul said, "Now you're the temple, and you need to live that way."
He said in 2 Corinthians chapter 7: "Having therefore all of these promises, everything God's done for us, everything God's given us, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the Flesh and spirit, perfecting, maturing, completing Holiness in the fear of God." You say, "Whoa, glad that's over!" Oh no, he's not even started.
Ephesians chapter 1: "According as God hath chosen Us in him before the foundation of the world, God chose you to be part of his kingdom, so we should be holy and Without Blame before him in love." If he loved us that much that he would choose us before the world was ever formed, how much more would we choose to live in a manner that God wants?
Ephesians chapter 4: "Put off concerning the former conversation, all your old lifestyle, all of that. Put off the old man, because it's corrupt according to the deceitful lusts." You can't trust your old nature. "And instead of that, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and in true Holiness." How do you know if you're living under the old man, the old nature, or the new man, the new nature? It would have to do with those two words. One is sinful, one is carnal, one is worldly, one is focused on, "Do I fit in in the culture? Does anybody think I'm weird or strange or different?" The new man is not focused on any of that. The new man is focused on God, and is what I'm doing, is how I'm living, pleasing the Lord? Righteousness and godliness and Holiness have to do with that new Man.
Chapter five: "That God might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish." That's what God wants from his church: a church that is Holy and without blemish.
First Thessalonians: "He's still not finished. To the end that God May establish your hearts unblamable in Holiness before God, even our father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints." What is God's goal at his coming, when he comes to get his church? It's that he has a church without spot, without wrinkle. And here he says that we will be unblamable in Holiness.
And one last scripture from Paul, this is 1 Thessalonians chapter 4: "For God has not called us unto uncleanness," that's the way we used to live, "but instead he has called us to Holiness." And here's Paul bearing down quite intensely: "If you've got a problem with this, he that despises what I'm writing, he that despises, you're not despising man, you're not despising Paul, you're despising God, because it's God who gave us his holy spirit." So if you are uneasy, if you are uncomfortable, if you have a little bit of disdain for preachers that would dare to get in a pulpit and talk about Holiness, you don't have a problem with that preacher, you have a problem with God, because God has given us his Holy Spirit, and he wants us to be a holy people.
Now, there are of course, uh, Peter and Paul, they're not the only two. Uh, they're the only New Testament writers. Uh, Jude, uh, he writes just a one chapter epistle, but in that one chapter, Jude absolutely rails against people who have forsaken the message of holiness. And he's not, um, very gentle. Jude looks at people that have forsaken a lifestyle of godliness, righteousness, and Holiness, and he calls them filthy dreamers, brute beasts, clouds without water, trees without fruit. He doesn't stop there. He Compares them to Cain, Balaam, Korah, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the fallen angels. And then he says his punchline: "They walk after their own ungodly lusts, and they're moers of apostolic truth." So Jude's pretty severe, maybe the most severe per capita in his words, because he only writes one chapter.
So here's what Jude says as he begins his short little epistle: "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation," what's that, Jude? "I wanted to write an epistle to you about our new birth experience." That's what I wanted to write. "But the Holy Ghost quickened me and checked me. It was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that we should earnestly contend for the faith." We've got to earnestly contend for our persuasion, our conviction, our Truth, "which was once delivered unto the Saints." So even when Jude lives toward the mid-late first century, there are already people twisting what the apostles taught and exampled and was once delivered under the Saints. But Jude said, "I wanted to write you a little letter and encourage you in our common salvation. I wanted to write about the New Birth experience. It's glorious. But instead, God convicted me that I need to write to you and tell you, 'No, no, we need to earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered.'"
Here's why: "For there are certain men crept in unawares." They snuck up on us. "Who were before of old ordained to this condemnation." They snuck up on us, they did not sneak up on God. "They are ungodly men." And here's why they are ungodly: "They turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness." Now there's a word you did not talk about around the dinner table today: lasciviousness. Lasciviousness means unrestricted living, unrestrained behavior, and unbridled lust. Paul said, "There are people, they walk among you, they talk the same talk, they use the same words, but they don't use the same dictionary when they say those words. It doesn't mean the same thing that it means when the apostles gave them to us. They have turned the grace of God into loose living, into lasciviousness, into unrestricted living, unrestrained behavior, and unbridled lust. And by doing that, they have denied the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ."
You know, today we're living in a very strange day. I don't even know if Jude or Paul or Peter could have comprehended it, that now we have people who choose churches based on, kind of, if they agree with what that church is. So, you know, if they've got a program for our kids, or or if I like the the the building, or if I like the the the atmosphere, or if I can make a lot of friends there. Uh, and the big thing, and if I agree with what they teach. Who, who put you in the place of judging the word of God? If a church teaches the word of God, that's a good church. If a pastor preaches the word of God, that's a great Pastor. Uh, you don't pick it because it's got all these benefits. You're not looking, uh, no offense to anybody, I know we've got some shoppers in the house, you're not looking for a Costco membership, you're looking for an Apostolic church, hopefully. And so what you want is a pastor who will stand in the pulpit and preach the truth to you, even when it steps on your toes a little bit. That's what you want. You don't want somebody to pat you on the head and say, "You're doing just fine, carry on," because, can we all be honest, you've got days and weeks and sometimes months when your flesh needs a good kick in the seat of the pants, and maybe a crack on the side of the head, and say, "You need to smarten up, buddy."
Let's get back to the notes. So the subject of Holiness is very serious in Scripture. It is serious to God, and it is serious to the apostolic church. And that is why, unlike so much of so-called Christianity, your pastors actually dare to get in the pulpit and address once in a while the subject of Holiness, because that is the Bible subject that has the most to do with altering a disciple's life, lifestyle. Holiness. Many people today profess belief in Jesus, but real disciples allow that belief to alter their behavior.
Now, let's be honest, there's no doubt in the world it would be a lot easier to follow the crowd and give it up and dial it back and dumb it down. It would be a lot easier to lower the bar and lessen the standards and drop all the distinctions, unless we're trying to make lifelong disciples of Jesus. If discipleship is the goal, then Holiness becomes absolutely non-negotiable, because you're not a disciple unless you live a holy life according to scripture.
Now, the world and the Flesh and the wiles of the devil, they're going to be your mortal enemies as you try to become a holy living disciple of the Lord. But here's the good news: the word and the spirit, and yes, even the foolishness of preaching, will become our allies in this Quest.
At its very root, Holiness is a spatial term. It's a spatial term. It means separation. You can measure Holiness because it's a spatial term. It means separation. Simply put, when something or someone is Holy, they are set apart. You can observe a distinction. You can observe a difference between them and something else. It's a spatial term. You have to be able to observe a distance, a distinction, a separation, or it's not Holiness. Full stop. End of story. Period. Just like the word baptism means immersion by definition, Holiness means Separation by definition. You cannot not get around it with the scripture.
Holy people will act and appear distinctly different from the world. Holy people will stand apart. Holy people will withdraw themselves from the world. And but they're not just withdrawing from the world, they're withdrawing unto the Lord. It's always a distinction and a separation for a purpose. And it's so beautiful and meaningful and absolutely powerful.
The theologians call it the tragion. It means Thrice holy, or three times holy. The tragion. And it appears two times in the Bible: once in the Old Testament in Isaiah 6:3, and once in the New Testament in Revelation 4:8. Both times the tragion, Thrice holy, three times holy, both times the phrase is spoken by Angelic beings, and both times it appears in a vision of the Throne of God. Whoa, it's so powerful.
The prophet Isaiah sees the six-winged seraphim flying around the Throne of God, covering their faces and their feet in reverence, and he hears them cry to one another, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory." That's the tragion, Thrice holy, three times holy: holy, holy, holy. The Apostle John hears the very same beings echoing the very same refrain some 600 years later, and this is what they're saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." And John adds in his vision, "They rest not day and night." In other words, they've been singing that same song constantly around the throne throughout eternity. It's a constant cacophony of voices: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty."
So here's the point: the closer you get to the throne, the more you hear about Holiness, because here's what Holiness is by definition: it's a spatial term. Holiness is proximity to the throne. The closer you get to God, the more holy you will become automatically, because you're being energized and you're being led and you're being formed by the holy spirit that is in you. So Holiness is proximity to the throne. The closer you get to the throne, the more holy you become. The closer you get to Jesus, the more his Holiness will matter to you.
If the seraphim show reverence, then the Saints ought to show reverence. If Heavenly Creatures cover their bodies in honor to God, then Earthly Christians ought to also cover themselves in honor to God. That's Holiness. If angels can't stop talking about God's holiness, then it's okay if apostolics keep talking about God's holiness. Holiness is proximity to the throne. The closer you get to the throne, the more Holiness is going to matter to you. And when we get to heaven, we're going to get right in the middle of it. We won't be standing back because we feel awkward. We've lived our lives for this moment, and we'll join in the chorus: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which is, and was, and is to come."
I feel a little that air from the throne just kind of blowing through here tonight, because if the Angels cry holy, we ought to cry holy. If the Angels worship His Holiness, we ought to worship him in the beauty of Holiness. I love you, Jesus. Oh, I thank you, God. I thank you. [Applause] Jesus. And the angels cry holy. All creation Cries Holy. You alone Are Holy. I thank you, Jesus.
So here's where it all breaks down, because this is Bible study. As we Endeavor to make disciples, that's our commission, we must always remember that sanctification, becoming holy, it is a process. Everyone say, "process." Doesn't happen in a second. Salvation happens with the new birth experience, that happens in moments. But sanctification is a process that takes an entire lifetime.
Here's the Beauty and the point of Holiness: Holiness begins with Redemption and it ends in total transformation. It begins with deliverance and it ends with discipleship. It begins with the new birth and it ends in the New Jerusalem. That's Holiness. It begins at an altar and it ends at a throne. So if you're still breathing, God is still working on you to make you into His Image, to make you holy like he is Holy. No, he's not just working on them, whoever you define as "them," the Lesser, The Not So spiritual, whoever you're looking at and you're thinking, "He must be working on them." No, if you're still breathing, he's working on you. He's making you into His Image. It's a lifelong building project.
See, in the Bible, there is no checklist to complete. As long as you're living, you just keep going and you just keep growing. There's no stop sign to say, "Okay, you did it all. You're perfect now." I know some of you think you got that certificate a long time ago, but you didn't. You're not going to get that till your feet hit the New Jerusalem. But when you get on streets of gold, you're going to thank God that you allowed him to keep transforming you into His Image.
So again, this is Bible study, so this is, that's the theological part. I'm just trying to be like the Apostle Paul. He hit all the Theology, and then he said, "Now therefore, Brethren," so here's the therefore. We understand that new disciples grow in the grace of God, and so as a church family, we allow time for Grace to teach them to walk separate from the world. We don't pass them a checklist so they can belong. We let the grace of God start to teach them, 'cause the grace of God always does a better job long term than you and I can do.
How much time do we give them? Uh, what do we set our alarms, six weeks from Sunday? No, we give them as much time as they need, because every child in your family grew at a different rate and stage and pace, and every child in God's family grows at a different rate and pace. And that informs our approach in every area of Christian Living and church growth and fellowship. Uh, we're not expecting, uh, we're not expecting everybody to be the same instantly. Um, and that's why when you look at CCC any given Sunday of the year, you will find people at every age and stage of their walk with the Lord in our congregation. We are God's family, and like every loving family, we value every member where they are, while still embracing everything God expects of us as we mature. You know what? We want babies to mature, but we're going to love them while they're babies. That's how this works.
Never forget this: anyone can belong to our church, even before they believe everything the Bible teaches. They're welcome here. They're loved here. We want to include them here. We got time to let them grow. We get time to let them learn. But this is Bible study, so it's practical. The point is, we do want people to grow in their relationship with God, and because we do want people to grow, that of necessity, biblically speaking, growing in God must include Holiness. That's the big one. Sanctification is the big one. Holiness, sanctification, distinction, apartness, difference, that's the big one.
So here are some principles that are important to us as a church as we disciple those who are following us as we follow Christ. That's what Paul said: 1 Corinthians 4:16, 1 Corinthians 11:1, Philippians 3:17, 1 Timothy 4:12. It's everywhere, that concept in the New Testament: "You follow me as I follow Christ." So for those of us that have been around for a while, that would beg a question: uh, if everybody that knows you would live like you live in your relationship with God, how are they going to be? Are they going to be stronger? Weaker? Are they going to be more connected to the church? Less connected to the church? Are they going to be a good example of what Pastor's preaching, or not so good example? If they used you as a template, which is exactly what the Bible teaches, "Follow me as I follow Christ," how would they do spiritually? That's a good question.
But here are some principles that inform us as we make disciples. Uh, these are so important. First of all, uh, as you're making disciples and teaching people, don't expect practices without explaining principles. Don't expect somebody to do something just because you said, "Do it," when you haven't even explained why. Don't expect practices without explaining principles. Uh, today, you can't just tell them what we do, you need to explain to them why we do it. And I'll just say this and move on. Um, I don't want to get stuck here, but if you can't explain your why from scripture, maybe you need to evaluate your what. If there's no why, why would you do that in the Bible? Then maybe what you're doing isn't so biblical after all.
Not every Holiness standard is based on a direct Prohibition in scripture. In other words, God doesn't say, "Thou shalt not," about everything. But every Holiness standard must at least be based on a principle from God's word. I've used this example many times: there's nothing in the Bible about the internet. If there was, you can be sure we'd be preaching about it, because we got young people being slaughtered out there, and sweet little old ladies that stayed away from everything from television to everything else all their life, and now they're addicted to Facebook. And we, we are being slaughtered online, quite frankly. So if there was a scripture that said, "Thou shalt not," we'd preach the fire out of that thing. But there isn't. But here's what is there: principles. "I will set no evil thing before mine eyes." "I've made a covenant with mine eyes." "Whatsoever things are good and pure, if there be any virtue and any praise, think on these things." "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." There's lots of principles. So if Pastor has the intestinal fortitude to get up here and preach and say, "We need to handle this wisely and scripturally," you need to say, "Amen, Pastor," even though there's not a direct prohibition, we've got a why. Uh, the why. So don't expect just people to do stuff because we've always done it. We, we, we need to explain the principles.
Secondly, uh, this is important: Holiness is often better caught than taught. Don't stop him in the foyer and tell them, show them. Live it with joy. Live it with exuberance. Live a separated life and be thankful for it, and show them. Holiness is often better caught than taught. However, if it's never taught, then eventually it will be fought. Every once in a while, pastors have to stand in a pulpit and remind us that that we've got to make the main thing the main thing. And for God, the main thing after your salvation, God didn't just save you to drop you off at the daycare. God saved you so he could sanctify you. And the big project for the rest of your life is being made holy, being Sanctified.
So new believers, they always benefit greatly from the good examples of mature Saints, like the people in this room. They always benefit from the positive peer pressure of a mature Church. They look around and they see what other people are doing, and it creates a positive peer pressure. Other people are worshiping. Other people are praying. Other people go to the altar. Other people give sacrificially. Uh, other people respond to the preaching. Uh, other people live holy. Other people dress modestly. So it's a good thing to have that positive peer pressure. But nothing is a substitute for the authority of the word of God. If we never teach Holiness, we eventually lose Holiness. And I'll just say it, if we lose Holiness, we lose the point. Sanctification is the point of your salvation after you've experienced salvation.
This is so important, this next one: uh, your direction, not your current position, will determine your destination when it comes to sanctification, when it comes to Holiness. Listen, where you're going is more important than where you are. Do not compare yourself to somebody else and say, "Well, I'm doing better than them." That's a losing game, because you'll either become discouraged because they're doing better than you, or you'll become proud because you're doing better than them. Don't do that. Don't compare yourselves among yourselves, the Bible says. Um, instead, you need to compare yourself to God's word. And this is what's so important here: don't ever criticize somebody else about the disciplines of Separation in their life, because you don't know where they started from. You may have started with a relatively stable Foundation. You may have started with some kind of Christian background. You may have started with a stable family. You have no idea what God pulled them out of. Don't you criticize them. You don't know what they came from. And furthermore, you don't know how far they've already come. So don't ever criticize somebody else that's not doing it quite as good as you. You'll just get proud of yourself, and that just sends you back to the world. That's the world's Spirit. Be grateful for where you are, and be grateful for where they are. And for God's sake and Heaven's Sake and your sake, keep going in the right direction, because it's your direction that matters, not where you are. You could be, you could be in a good place tonight, but you could backslide by Sunday. So it's not where you are, it's where you're going. It's always the direction.
Would you lift up your hands? We're heading to a close shortly. Would you lift up your hands and give God praise in this room for a second? Lift up your voice. Oh, I thank you, Jesus. Oh, I give you praise and glory and honor, and I thank you for the beauty of Holiness. I thank you for the beauty of Holiness.
This one's really, really important. What is Holiness? Well, Holiness is whatever makes righteousness look normal and sin look strange. That's Holiness. If if if that in sense that you've got in you, if it makes righteousness look normal and it makes the sin of the world look strange, that's Holiness. What's worldliness? Oh, easy. Worldliness is whatever makes sin look normal and righteousness looks strange. That's worldliness. Worldliness takes the precious things of God and makes them an oddity, something to be mocked, something to be diminished, something to hide, something to be embarrassed about. Sin is whatever makes righteousness look strange and sin look normal. Um, so we need to be careful here. Anything, anything that makes you question scripture or sympathize with sin or imitate the world or distance yourself from the church, you need to get that out of your life immediately. Do not pass go. Just get it out of your life, because it's dividing you from the purpose of God.
Um, as we're teaching other people and we're discipling people, and uh, the way we operate as a church, these are principles that are important to us. Uh, this one's important: the Holy Ghost doesn't just restrain the flesh. Some people, they think Holiness is that. It's keeping a bunch of rules. You're just tied up in knots all the time. "Oh, can't do that. Can't go there. Can't do that. Can't wear that." They, they think that's Holiness, that it's a restraining of the flesh. It's not. The Holy Ghost retrains the flesh. Uh, it puts new desires within you.
Now, the best example that I can think of scripturally, go read Romans chapter 6. In Romans chapter 6, that's the passage in the New Testament where Paul uses the word "yield" uh, the most, more than anywhere else. And here's what he teaches in Romans 6. I won't take time to read the verses, but Paul says basically this: "When you were in sin, uh, you yielded to sin, and you yielded again, and you yielded again and again. And you didn't work at it. You didn't have to fight for it. Uh, it wasn't any big effort. You just yielded yourself, the members of your body." He says, "You yielded the members of your body to sin and uncleanness and worldliness. And so eventually you turn around and it's, 'My goodness, you're an addict. Uh, your family's wrecked. Your life is destroyed. You're bound. You're addicted.'" And, and, and, "You look around and how did you get in that mess of sin? You got there because you yielded. And the next time you came back to that Temptation, it was easier to yield, and then easier to yield, and then easier to yield. And that's how you got in that mess."
Paul said, "Now that you're a child of God, take the same energy, take the same members of your body, and yield them to righteousness and to Holiness. Uh, don't argue, yield. Uh, don't fight it, yield. Don't question it, just yield yourself to it." And here's what will happen: the same process will take place in the opposite direction. "You yielded once to sin. The next time the Temptation came, it was easier to yield." Here's how this works, it's just in a different direction. "You yield to the Commandments of God, and the next time there's another challenge in your life, and God says, 'Uh, yeah, be careful there,' it's easier to yield, and then easier to yield, and easier to yield. And finally, you look around a year from now, five years from now, and you look back and you think, 'How did I get here? This has become normal to me.'" If you're new at CCC and you're struggling with some areas of your life for God, God, don't get depressed about it. Don't get disturbed about it. Just keep yielding to God, and God's going to yield, you're going to yield yourself into Victory and yield yourself into living a Godly, holy life. It's beautiful. Um, this is so, so don't fight it and don't argue with it. Just, just yield to it and let God uh, do it in you.
Number six, you know there's going to be seven, because Seven's God's perfect number, so we're almost done. Uh, number six: "You don't have to understand completely to begin obeying immediately." This, this principle bless your life in every way imaginable. You don't have to understand every facet of theology concerning baptism in the only saving name of Jesus to just obey and be baptized in Jesus name. There's a blessing that comes with The Obedience even before you understand completely. Uh, giving, uh, you don't have to understand everything about giving into God's kingdom. You can just begin obeying immediately, even before you understand all the principles of tithing and giving and sacrifice and blah, blah, blah. You don't have to understand completely. You can begin obeying immediately. And Holiness, oh my goodness, you don't have to understand every little detail of every little standard. Just, just if you have a question, ask Pastor. If you have a question, ask a senior Saint. Don't look for the grumpy ones. Look for the joyful ones, and and ask them a question about it. Uh, the grumpy ones, they'll tell you off. They'll tell you everything you're doing wrong and whatever. Look for the joyful ones that are worshiping God, and they're just so thrilled to be here. Um, look for them and ask them, and ask them, because, um, the whole deal is if you just do it, the blessing of God comes upon your obedience. I, I was, if you, this example so many times, um, I was baptized when I was 12 years old in Jesus name. I didn't understand all the Theology of baptism when I was 12. I just knew that if I was baptized, Jesus would wash my sins away. That's all I needed to know. I obeyed immediately, and now I understand more completely, and I'm so grateful for that.
Finally, number seven, um, and this is for all of us, not just new people or people we're discipling, this for everybody: "We don't just need standards of holiness, not in this day and age. We need a spirit of Holiness to overtake us." Because here's the problem with standards or principles or rules of Holiness: you can always try to get around them a little bit. Uh, the Pharisees were expert at this in Jesus' day. Uh, they, they went about doing Deeds of righteousness, but they didn't have a righteous spirit. And, and so Jesus had a real problem with that. We could make rules till the cows come home, and somebody could always figure out a little loophole in some rule. But if you've got a spirit of Holiness, you don't even need the rule, because you just see the principle in God's word, and you just want to do it. And so, uh, that's what we need in, in our day and, uh, in, in our generation.
One more time, would you take a moment? I've got one last little bit to finish here, and we're going to be out of here. But would you lift up your voice in your hands and would you pray that a spirit of Holiness would come upon your life? I know you want to live a holy life, but would you pray that God would give you a spirit of Holiness so you'll know what not to go near and what not to touch and what not to do? "God, I don't just need rules of Holiness. I want a spirit of Holiness." Oh, thank you, Jesus. Oh, thank you, Jesus. Yes, God. Yes, God. Yes, God. "I hunger for Holiness. Holiness is what I long for. Holiness is what I need, God." Oh, I worship you, Jesus.
I'll close here tonight. In the book of Jeremiah, at a time when Jerusalem was under siege by Babylon, and the nation was being judged by God for its wickedness, at that strange, tumultuous time, the Lord ordered the prophet to bring the Rechabites, a family group, a tribe, into the temple chambers. And God told the Prophet Jeremiah to do something very strange. He was to bring the Rechabites into the temple Chambers and offer them wine to drink. And here's how that went down. Jeremiah 35: "And I set before the sons of the House of the Rechabites pots full of wine and cups, and I said unto them, 'Drink ye wine.'" "But they said, 'We will drink no wine, for Jonadab, the son of Rechab, our father, our Elder, he commanded us, saying, "You shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons forever."'"
You see, more than 200 years earlier, the patriarch of their little family, their patriarch Jonadab, had led his family to distinguish themselves from everybody else living around them. And for two centuries, they had obeyed, never drinking wine. Now, this is Old Testament, not new. The Old Testament law didn't explicitly say, "Drink no wine," but their Elder had said, "Drink no wine," and that was enough for them. Yes, it ran counterculture to even what other Israelites did. Yes, it was a higher standard than what their neighbors lived. There's not a doubt in my mind that other people in Israel might have made demeaning comments or thought the Rechabites were quite odd or quite extreme, but that didn't affect the Rechabites. They honored the example of their Elder, even when they didn't have a specific command from God. So even when the Prophet Jeremiah offered them wine, they still wouldn't drink it, even when the prophet gave it to them.
You see, for them, there was no expiration date on the example of their Elders. God was not just doing this to tease or tempt the Rechabites. He was teaching something, and he got Jeremiah to record it. Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Because you have obeyed the Commandment, not of the Lord, of Jonadab your father, and you've kept all his precepts, and you've done unto all, done according unto all that he hath commanded you, therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me forever.'"
Here's the point of that odd little piece in the word of God: God was impressed by the example and the dedication of the Rechabites to the example of their Elders. You see, the children of Jonadab were giving their father, their ancestor, the kind of loyalty and the kind of faithfulness that God desired, but God wasn't getting it from his own people, the people of Israel. So God declared, "I'm going to bless the Rechabites' children because they obeyed the Commandment of their Elder, and they would survive the destruction that was facing the nation because they honored the Holiness principles given by the previous generation."
Here's the point: the Rechabites teach us that time shouldn't dull our convictions or our determination to be different. The Rechabites teach us that we never become so educated or so sophisticated that Holiness principles cease to be relevant. The Rechabites teach us that having the heart of Holiness is the same as having the Father's Heart. And the Rechabites teach us that the motivation for Holiness is relationship, not just rules.
Last scripture comes from the minor Prophet Hosea. He's the one who married a prostitute named Gomer. Of course, she was unfaithful to him, but he forgave her. In fact, he went to find her and dug her out of her sin and brought her back and restored her. And God used Hosea's life to teach a beautiful lesson of Mercy. But here's what it says in Hosea 2:16: "And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, 'Thou shalt call me Ishi, and shalt call me no more Baali.'" Now that doesn't mean much to you until you look at the meaning of those two names. Baali means "my master." Ishi means "my husband." God said, "There's a day when you won't just call me 'my master,' you'll call me 'my husband.' I'm not just doing it because I'm afraid of your judgment. I'm not just doing it because I'm afraid that you'll be displeased." That would be "my master." "No, there's coming a day that you will call me Ishi, you'll call me 'my husband.' You'll do this out of love."
That, brothers and sisters, is the heart of Holiness. That is the spirit of Holiness. That is the motivation for Holiness. It is not keeping rules. It is letting your relationship with God trump everything else in your life: every influence of the world, every influence from culture, every influence from from peer pressure. But what matters most is that my life is separated unto the Lord in the beauty of Holiness, not the burden of Holiness, not the bondage of Holiness, in the Beauty and the blessing of Holiness.
Thank you for your kind attention to the word of God. Could we end this service by standing to our feet, lifting our hands high, and lifting our voices loud? And if you concur with any of what was taught tonight, I want you to give God praise. Uh, not just a 30-second kind of finish the service praise. Would you lift God up with your worship tonight? "I thank you, Jesus, for this beautiful and holy calling. I thank you, God, for the privilege of walking with you. I thank you for the honor of walking distinct from the world, dedicated unto you. God, I dedicate myself to a lifetime, a life of Holiness and righteousness and godliness. Challenge My Flesh, God. Challenge My Flesh, and Jesus, let your Holiness be predominant and preeminent in my life. I pray for these beautiful people here on a Wednesday night for Bible study. I pray, God, that you would help them, that you would lead them, that you would order their steps in your word, and God, you would put all in all of us a spirit of Holiness that cries out after you."
And that's how we end this service. One more time, just let a cry out to the Lord: "God, give me a spirit of Holiness. God, give me a spirit of Holiness. Let me know what to do. Let me know how to deal with it. Let me know the right way to take. Let me know what to do, God. Give me a spirit of Holiness, Jesus."