The Calling to Purity: Be Holy for I Am Holy: Part 2

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The Calling to Purity: Be Holy for I am Holy: Part 3

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So much that is said to us about the holiness of God and His character, but also the command of God and the calling of God to us is to be holy.
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How much in Scripture is spoken of about this great need and this great command and this great call for us to be holy?
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Constantly you see this. And I was mentioning this to Brother Keith as I was studying that little book, Elon Timmy, Mr.
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Lillian was from Warren -Wiersbe and Wiersbe did a study on that and he said eight times
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God specifically says, be holy for I am holy. Eight times. And Brother Keith mentioned this to me this morning as I was on my way here to get my thoughts together.
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He says, you know, if God said it once that's enough. But God says eight times, be holy for I'm holy.
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Now if it's that important for us to get and to know from the
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Word of God to be holy from the command of God, I believe it should be important for us and I think it would be a profit to us to stay here for a few
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Lord's days. How many? I'm not for sure. I can't tell you. We're just going to go and be led of the Spirit of God in this.
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But it's a need upon my own heart because I need this and I surely know that you must need it.
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Because we live in such an unholy world. But you know, not only the world externally, but my own heart.
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My own heart. And when I look at myself in the mirror, I see right there, this man right here needs to be more in the image of Jesus Christ.
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I see a sinner. I see a sinner that's saved by grace and he's far from where he should be.
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But he's come far by God's grace. But we got a long way to go. And we're going to ask the
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Lord by His grace this morning as we go to God in prayer in just a few minutes to ask
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Him to make us more holy. That we would be more holy. Now this is going to be convicting, beloved.
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I won't warn you right now. This is a sharp two -edged sword. God says, it's not my word like a fire.
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It burns. It cuts. It's a hammer. It hits a hard rock and it crushes the rock to pieces.
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The word of God can do it. And I need this in my own life. So as I'm ministering to you,
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I'm preaching to myself here this morning as well. So we're looking at the calling to purity.
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Be holy for I am holy. So please turn with me to our study as we continue in the epistle of 1
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Peter. 1 Peter chapter 1. To the word of the living God.
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Please stand as we honor God's word. I'm just going to read just three verses. And specifically we're going to be looking at verse 14 to 16.
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And we're going to be looking at that for the next several Lord's days. But beginning with verse 13 to 16.
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Hear the word of the living God. God's word says this. Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind.
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Be sober and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
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As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lust as in your ignorance.
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But as he who has called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.
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And he gives us a reason. Because it is written. Be holy for I am holy.
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Let's pray. Father, we thank you that our
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Lord Jesus Christ taught his disciples and us as well to come to you as our
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Father. Our Father that we are adopted within the family of God. Lord, in this great and first and foremost petition, your son said,
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Hallowed be thy name. Holy is your name. Father, this should be our great desire.
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And if it's not our desire, we should check and see if we even are in the faith. Our first and foremost desire is to be holy.
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But is to hallow your holy name. Father, I pray this morning that your eternal word, it's like a fire.
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Lord, I pray that it would burn up all the dross of unholiness within our lives. Lord, help us.
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Have mercy upon us. We thank you for your eternal word. Father, it alone has the power of life to change us from glory to glory.
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Father, to be more holy in conduct and thought and word and deed and in the image of Jesus Christ.
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Lord, this is your purpose in saving us, is to make us holy.
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That is your purpose. So Father, we pray as we do fall short of your perfections, your holiness.
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Yet this is the command and this is the most important urgent need as Robert Murray McShane said, my personal holiness is my greatest need.
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So Father, we pray, help us by your Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth, not only to teach us, which he is our teacher, to teach us your ways, to teach us all truth.
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But Lord, in the end, transform us. Change us and make us more into the image of Jesus Christ.
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This is our desperate plea, Lord, this is our prayer this morning, that you would change us inside and make us more like Jesus.
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And Lord, I pray this in the mighty and holy name of Jesus. Amen and amen and everyone said amen.
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Thank you so much. You can be seated. In my introduction, what
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I'd like to do is just recap a little bit what I mentioned last week to bring us up to par in the direction we're going to because everything he says leads up to these verses.
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So I believe it's very important to refresh our memories. I needed it because a lot of times we're so easily distracted and we forget even what was said from last week.
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So we need to be focused on what the Apostle Peter is leading up to.
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Remember that I mentioned last week that there are three very important points within these verses, these three verses we're looking at.
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And first of all, it is to be holy people of God, we must be focused on Christ's second coming.
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Second is to be obedient children of God in all life and conduct, in all our living before God, before the face of God.
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And third is growing and progressive sanctification in our knowledge of God's holiness.
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And we need not to forget these three critical points. The Apostle Peter, again, his audience is to the
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Christians in Asia Minor, persecuted Christians that has lost literally almost everything.
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We must keep that in mind. They are persecuted Christians in Asia Minor, they're dispersed, they're scattered, they're hurting.
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And some of them he is actually writing to has come from a pagan background. They have lived in pagan society and keep in mind where there was great pressure upon them for them to conform to the world and to the worldly ways and the practice of the heathen.
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So the Apostle Peter calls his readers to live holy in light of the blessed hope of the
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Lord Jesus Christ, the second coming of Jesus Christ. And this is our focus, is we are to live holy.
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You know, it's important to know as Christians how we are to live in a practical way in this world until Jesus comes back or until we go to be with Jesus, until we are glorified with Him.
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How are we going to live here? How is the Christian to live in his conduct? How is he to behave?
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How is he to act? How is he to react to all that comes his way? It's very practical.
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It's doctrine and doctrine is important. And by the way, what we really believe is the way we live our lives and how we live our lives.
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So it is doctrine, yes, but it is also practical Christian living.
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So the first point I'd like for us to refresh our minds to is to be holy we must be focused on Christ's second coming.
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That's what we looked at. And he says in verse 13, Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
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So first of all, we saw last Lord's Day that the apostle Peter urges the saints to have a girded mind.
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Their mind is to be girded up. The girding up of the mind is an interesting figure of speech.
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It's a metaphor. And as we looked at in Eastern lands, people wore long flowing robes down to their feet.
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And when they wanted to walk faster and run with even a minimum of hindrance, they would tie up that robe around their waist with a belt.
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And in this way, they girded up their loins. They pulled them up. So what
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Peter is saying in girding up the loins of your mind, pull it up, get ready for action.
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This is battle language. So holiness actually begins in the mind.
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That's what he's saying. It's in the mind that we must take captive the thoughts that come against the knowledge of God.
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That's a full time job right there by God's help. It's taking a hold of our thoughts. And the
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Word of God even tells us in Philippians chapter 4, if you turn with me to Philippians chapter 4, it tells us what to meditate on.
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Amen. This is a selah. And this selah is specifically how we are to think.
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And he tells us how and what to think on. We must fill our minds.
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Not only should we empty our minds of the bad thoughts and the corrupt thoughts, we should fill our minds with the good thoughts, the good things.
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Now it's interesting to note in chapter 4, if you notice,
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I want to start with verse 4. He begins with, Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice.
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Rejoicing is a great part, a very important part of the
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Christian life. The theme of Philippians is actually rejoice in the Lord. In the Lord, always.
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Never stopping. Rejoice. That's a command. Let your gentleness be known to all men.
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Verse 5, The Lord is at hand. Verse 6, Notice the emphasis on prayer.
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Be anxious for nothing, but in everything. Everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.
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Let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God.
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Now he's talking about of God, not just peace with God. Peace with God comes at salvation. Peace of God is a constant way of living here which surpasses all understanding.
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Notice it will actually guard your hearts and what? Your minds through Christ Jesus.
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Then he speaks of in verse 8, Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things.
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We must fill our minds constantly with things that are holy, things that are lovely, things of good report, things that are edifying, noble, all these things.
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In other words, if you empty it out, and it's like a computer, your mind is like a computer.
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It's almost like you got to get out the garbage, but you got to fill it in. Empty out with the bad, put in the good.
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That's basically what he's saying. So the things which you have learned to me, he says, learned and received and heard and saw in me.
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He was an example of Christ's likeness. These do, and the peace of God will be with you.
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Isn't that wonderful? So the word of God is very specific in how to guard our mind and what to fill our minds with.
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So as Christians went out into a hostile, perverted world in which
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Peter is speaking to, they were to avoid anything that would distract them from their calling, mainly to Jesus Christ.
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He is their calling. But that calling is holiness. It's holiness.
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Whatever God has called us to, it is holiness. You know,
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Brother Keith brought to my mind when we met with the pastors here with the
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Fire Association about a year ago, I would say, they asked me about my calling.
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I've been asked about my calling many times, and the first thing that comes to my mind always is what Spurgeon says. If you have not been called to holiness, you're not called.
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The first call, that's right, is to holiness. And it's not to ministry.
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My first call is to holiness. Because what good is the ministry if I'm not called to holiness?
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I'm not worth anything to be ministered to. It's not just in words, but it must be in deed, in living out.
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That's what Paul said. He says, I preach the gospel, but I live the gospel. It must be lived unto.
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And I give a conscience, and my conscience is to remain pure and clean and clear before God, before you.
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If my words is what I minister to you, I must back it up with my life, even in secret, before God.
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You see, that's what it's going to count, because I know I'm going to give account before God, not only what I say, but to how
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I lived. And each and every one of us is the same. But especially to ministers, as I speak to myself here, and that's what comes to my mind when somebody mentions that.
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Spurgeon nailed it. My first call is to holiness. And if I'm not called unto holiness,
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I'm not called. A person can brag about his ministry all he wants to. Let me see your life.
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Let me see your holy life. That means everything. So we need to hear this today.
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We don't hear enough of this in the church. And I really believe it's too convicting. I believe a lot of ministers are afraid to preach this because they're afraid they're going to run off people.
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They're going to lose their tithers. They're going to lose... That shows you where their hearts are.
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It's sad to say, I really mean that, but it's a love of money in many circles.
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And that's not the only reason. There's many other reasons. But I'm telling you, we need to hear about holiness.
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And the calling is mainly to Jesus Christ. He is our holiness. Holiness is not the way to Christ.
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Christ is the way to holiness. That's what Spurgeon said. And His kingdom. And by the way,
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I'm sure you've already found this out, but if you focus on Jesus Christ and His eternal kingdom, that is everything that is diametrically opposed to this world and this kingdom.
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Diametrically opposed to it and to the world system. In times of persecution, these
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Christians here, which they were undergoing, there was a tendency for them to become distracted, even in their persecution.
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And be distracted on the things of this world in which the persecution came from.
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We can't imagine this, because we're really not there in one sense. We're heading there. But these people here
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Peter was speaking to were extremely persecuted. But even the persecution can be a distraction.
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So Peter is helping them to get focused. Don't we need this?
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Lord, help me be focused. Gird up the loins of your mind. Be ready for battle. Gird them up.
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Gird them up. That is strong, composed, disciplined, a disciplined mind.
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A controlled mind. And the only way, beloved, let me insert this, we're going to look at this later on, in living out the holy life.
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We cannot do it within our own power. The Holy Spirit must help us mortify the deeds of the flesh and also be controlled by the
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Holy Spirit and help us. And that's why we must be filled with the Holy Spirit. And the
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Holy Spirit is to do all this in us. It's not something we can do within our own power.
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So it girds us up, ready for action. And if there's a failure in giving in to the temptations of the world, it would be not because of God's fault, we know that.
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It's because it is of our own fault. Because we love our sin more than we love holiness.
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And that's the problem. We love sin. And if we are to love holiness and desire holiness and Jesus Christ and desire
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God, that's where holiness begins, by the way. It must first begin in the mind.
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And this will not happen unless we're first born again. So in order to receive and be holy, we must be born from above to even desire it.
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You see, people don't desire holiness because they're not born of the Spirit of God. And Martyn Lloyd -Jones said this, if you do not desire holiness this morning, and if I don't desire holiness, we've got good question to question ourselves whether we're born again.
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Because a born -again Christian will desire holiness. We're Christians, we're to gird up the loins of our mind.
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Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. That's what Scripture says. Holiness.
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Without holiness, no man will see the Lord. That's the Scriptures.
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I told Brother Keith, you could put the name of Jesus, you could put Jesus' name right where holiness is.
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Without Jesus Christ, you will not see the Lord. Because He is holiness in flesh.
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He is holiness incarnate. Jesus Christ always begins with the
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Christian. Now we're going to look at this in a few minutes, and we're going to look at positional holiness, sanctification, and progressive holiness.
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And we're going to break those up, and I'm going to keep it as simple as I can there today, but all together we're going to look at the call to a holy life.
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We're breaking ground, so pray for me. God is going to help us in this, and already
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I'm convicted by what has been said, because, you know, isn't it so true, our heart has such a tendency to wonder from the
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God we love, from the God that made us, the God that has called us, to holiness, unto holiness, in holiness.
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That's actually what the translation says, in holiness. Not just to holiness, but in holiness.
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It's also in our thought life. But what's the next word Peter mentions? Be sober. Not only gird up the loins of your mind, but be sober.
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Holy living in light of Christ's second coming requires spiritual alertness.
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In this world, we are on enemy territory. It's almost like there are landmines everywhere.
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I haven't shared this with everybody. I almost lost my job about a week ago. Over something so small and insignificant, but my company looked at it as something so important, and I'm required to wear this mask as I go into every stop.
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And I happen to be in a hurry on one particular stop, on my last stop. I didn't have my mask on.
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Just right then, a lady comes up to me. Why don't you have your mask on?
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I said, well, you know, I gave her an explanation. I won't go into details. So I'm in a hurry. I'm minding my own business, and I'm thinking, and I almost want to say, lady, why aren't you minding your own business?
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But you know how it is. People have got to mind other people's business and step into trouble. Come to find out from the store manager, this lady causes trouble anyway.
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Now, I am to comply. I did comply to wearing my mask. Happened to be she caught me, and my reaction was wrong.
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I should have said, oh, I'm putting my mask on. Sorry. I didn't think at the moment. I said, well, lady,
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I said, Miss, you're entitled to your opinion. And she looked at me and said, I think it's important.
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I'm going to report you. I said, well, you're entitled. Go ahead and report me. I thought she was going to report me to the manager.
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She goes out to the truck, dials the 1 -800 number, goes directly to corporate, gets to the vice president, folks, of Dairy Farmers of America.
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Now, the reason I'm saying this is it's almost like I stepped on a landmine. I've been working honestly before God for seven years at this company and almost lost my job immediately.
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I didn't know this. She reported this, and the vice president wanted to terminate me.
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Terminate me. Come to find out, the lady from Human Resources came down to investigate, to ask me questions, and thanks be to God, God showed favor through my bosses, two of my bosses.
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They vouched for my character. They gave me a last and final write -up. Why am
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I saying that? It's just one example. You know what I'm talking about. I stepped on a landmine, and if I would have guarded my thoughts a little bit more, knowing that this lady was up to no good,
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I would have responded and said, okay, I got my mask, no big deal. It's really ludicrous that I would have lost my job for not wearing a mask.
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We know this, right? But at the same time, I do comply with wearing a mask.
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I never stopped. I was wrong because of what
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I complied to. So I confess my wrongness too. Even the Human Resources lady said, well, thank you for your openness, and thank you for your honesty.
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And that vouches, and that says a lot about your character. And I said, well, I praise God. I said, I just want to do the right thing.
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Now, I gave that example. That was a landmine. I'm telling you, the devil is for real, folks.
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You know this. What does Peter say? Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, roams about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
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Now, don't get me wrong. The devil's out there, but we also have the flesh that's against us too. I see my own sins.
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I see my own shortcomings. Matter of fact, I have a harder time with my own self than the devil.
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And I say, Romans 7, I'm there every day. So the believer is to be self -disciplined.
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He's to be self -disciplined, walking and living in the Spirit. And Peter says, we are to rest our hope as believers fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
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So holy living in the light of the blessed hope of Jesus Christ is to be motivated by grace.
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We need grace. Have you noticed I just gave a small example? You think that lady was gracious?
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Absolutely not. This world is not a friend of grace, beloved.
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Now, grace teaches us to live holy, to be sober, to live righteous.
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But it's first of all before God, isn't it? And then it's before others. The assurance of Christ's return is held out as the compelling motive for endurance.
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For you and I to endure to the end, we're going to need grace. We're going to need
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God's grace every step of the way. Paul said this, I am that I am by the grace of God.
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He even says, if any man thinks of himself as something when he's nothing, he's deceived.
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He's full of pride. He's religious. And you know, you think, and then that's when he mentions about God's grace.
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But each one of us has received grace. It's a gift. And that gift has come to us in Jesus Christ.
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That should humble us. It's nothing of us. But yet, at the same time, we are to be progressively growing in holiness.
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Assurance of Christ's return is held out as the compelling motive to endure, to be patient.
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Through the storms, through tribulation, and through all that comes our way. Next, Peter in verses 14 -16, he directs us to be holy people.
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We must be obedient children. Now we're talking about obedience. Notice how this is in perfect order.
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The mind must be girded up, must be sober. We are to have grace, to be self -disciplined.
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Now he speaks about being obedient children to the Father. In all of our conduct as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lust, desires, and your ignorance as an obedient mind.
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And this is what he says. Obedient children should not indulge in the sins which so easily besets us.
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Those sins which characterize them in their former past life. Now, we're getting down to holiness.
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We're coming close to it. You notice what he's getting to. Now that they are believers in Jesus Christ, we are believers in Jesus, we should pattern our lives after the one who is holy.
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Scripture actually speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ as the righteous one. The righteous one, the holy one of Israel.
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And we bear his name. If we are to conform to the ungodly world, we are denying our holy and heavenly character.
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And by the way, according to Scripture, we are mocking God. That's strong language.
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But a lot of people would not believe... What are you talking about, Pastor? How can
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I mock God? Well, people are mocking God by being hypocritical and bear the name of Jesus by living like the devil in the world.
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Go with me to 2 Timothy chapter 2. I'm going to show this to you from one passage of a few verses of Scripture.
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Chapter 2. This is a whole sermon right here. But this is powerful language from Paul.
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And we're going to look at just a few words. Chapter 2 of 2 Timothy. Look at verse 19 through 22.
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Chapter 2. And in context of what he's speaking of here, he just spoke about, in verse 17, that their message was spread like cancer.
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Hymenaeus and Philetus, or of this sort. They went shipwrecked.
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Notice what he says. They have strayed concerning the truth. These were people that were naming the name of Christ beloved, saying that the resurrection has already passed.
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They were wrong in their doctrine. Paul brings this out. And by the way, if you notice, the apostle calls their name. They overthrow the faith of some.
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This was serious. And all of a sudden, notice what Paul, the apostle, says.
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Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands. You're not going to budge
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God's foundation just because someone like that, that named the name of Christ, went astray and went shipwrecked.
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Then what does he say? Having this sealed. It's sealed. The Lord knows those who are
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His. And let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
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Now he gives an example. Paul just doesn't stop there. But in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay and some of honor and some of dishonor.
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Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor.
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And notice what he says. Sanctified and useful for the master. Prepared for every good work.
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Flee also useful lust, but pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace with those who call on the
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Lord out of a pure heart. Let me stop right there. Notice in verse 21, it emphasizes,
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Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor. Sanctified.
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That word sanctified means set apart. And useful. You want to be useful?
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You've got to be sanctified. For who? The master. Prepared for every good work.
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Every good work. So whoever a Christian wants to be or desires to be useful to the
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Lord for his noble purposes, for God's noble purposes, even a common wood bucket, he gives an example.
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Or even a clay pot, which was in homes, that got all the trash in.
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And he basically says it must be purged and be holy.
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He must cleanse himself. Interested, the Greek word cleanses himself, cleanses himself in the
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Greek literally means to thoroughly clean out. Or to completely purge.
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Now as I'm saying that, that is some heavy language. Thoroughly clean out.
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To completely purge it. Not just some of it, but all of it.
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It speaks of repentance. Jesus spoke of metaphors like this about to deal with the sin in one's life.
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He actually spoke about gouging out an eye. Or literally amputating the arm.
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He didn't say literally do that. He was given a metaphor to say this is the drastic measures that we must take to repentance, to purging and cleansing.
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To get away from it. And this is what the Christian must do. And it is by the power and the
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Spirit of God. Because you and I know Luther tried this. That he tried everything.
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He beat himself physically to his black and blue. But he found no peace with God through all that physically.
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But when he found out in the Gospel, that the Gospel provided the righteousness and not only he needed, but it needed to be imputed to him that he cast his sin upon Christ.
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But God in the Gospel provided the righteousness. He was liberated.
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Folks, this would take us a long way in walking and living in the Spirit. And here
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Paul speaks of a waste bucket. Think of this. A waste bucket in the house to be used for a good and noble purpose has to be scourged, has to be scoured, has to be cleansed thoroughly and purged from all of its filth.
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Now in progressive sanctification, we are going to look at it in a minute, propositional sanctification. This is speaking of progressive sanctification.
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You see this constantly in the Old Testament. Sanctify yourselves. Sanctify the
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Lord God in your hearts. Sanctify yourselves, for the Lord will do wonders among you in Joshua.
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Sanctify, set apart yourself. We've got to do this folks. And you know, this is a learning process, but this is something in obedience we must do and pleasing to God.
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Now, with saying all that, I could go on and on with that text of Scripture. But we come to verse 15 and 16, which is the heart of the text, back to 1
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Peter chapter 1. We're breaking ground. We're going to spend a little time here on these two verses because it's such great importance.
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And eight times, like I said in the Scriptures, God emphasizes, be holy for I'm holy. Verse 15, here it is.
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But as He who has called you is holy, you be holy in all your conduct because it is written, be holy for I am holy.
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Beloved, can I say this? Holiness defines the Christian. I cannot say this enough.
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It defines you and me as bearing the name of Jesus, bearing the name of the Holy One. How dare we be friends with the world!
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James says that. And we'll be enemies of God. But yet,
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Abraham was a friend of God. He wasn't a friend of the world. And he's our father in the faith. But yet Christians, you see, about even in churches today, are friends with the world.
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And Spurgeon said this, the church has lost its power because she is so much like the world.
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The most abhorrent thing to God is an unholy church. God help us.
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We need to search our own hearts. Beloved, holiness defines the Christians. And the new nature and conduct in contrast with the past lifestyle in which we lived.
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He has delivered us from the past lifestyle. And God help us if we go back to it. There will be severe discipline to God's people if we do.
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But it's God's love. God disciplines us. Now, let me say this. That's God's purpose.
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And He will go to the furthest extent to make us holy. That's how much He loves us. Even if we go into the world,
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He will come after you, beloved, if you're God's child. And He's going to come after you with a hook and a crook.
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You know, here in this text, the Apostle Peter says this. What is he saying?
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The believer and every believer, Christ has called us to holiness. This is what he's saying.
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This is our calling. To be set apart for God who is the Holy One.
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To the holy. And called for that very purpose. Instead of imitating the ungodly world with its passing fads and fading fashions, our lives should reproduce holiness in the fear of God.
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Characterize the one who is holy that called us. Now, as we embark on these two great verses, let me read to you something from an old godly saint.
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I picked up a book this past week in my study. It's a wonderful book. I would highly recommend this.
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It's by Andrew Murray. Called Holy in Christ. Thoughts on the calling of God's children to be holy as He is holy.
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He says this in the opening chapter. Holy in Christ. And he's actually speaking about God's call to holiness.
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And let this minister to your heart this morning. Quote, Andrew Murray. The call of God is the manifestation and the time of the purpose of eternity.
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Whom He predestined, then He also called. Believers are the called according to His purpose.
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And in His call, He reveals to us what His thoughts and His will concerning us are.
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And what the life to which He invites us. In His call, He makes clear to us what the hope of our calling is.
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As we spiritually apprehend and enter into this, our life on earth will be the reflection, our life,
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I'm sorry, our life on earth will be the reflection of His purpose in eternity. Holy Scripture uses more than one word to indicate the object or aim of our calling.
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And this is good, listen to this. But none more frequently than what Peter speaks of here.
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God has called us to be holy as He is holy. Paul addresses believers twice as called to be holy in Romans 1 -7, 1
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Corinthians 1 -2. God called us, He says, not for uncleanness, but in sanctification and holiness.
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1 Thessalonians 4 -7. Then He writes to, writes, the
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God of peace sanctify you holy. And He adds, faithful as He which calleth you who also will do it.
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In Thessalonians, 1 Thessalonians verse 24. The calling itself is spoken of as a holy calling.
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The eternal purpose of which the calling is the outcome is continually also connected with the holiness as its aim.
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He hath chosen us in Him that we should be holy, set apart and without blame.
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Ephesians 1 -4. Whom God chose from the beginning unto salvation in sanctification.
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1 Thessalonians 2 -12. Then He speaks elect according to the foreknowledge of the
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Spirit. In 1 Peter 1 -2. The call is the unveiling of the purpose that the
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Father from eternity had set His heart upon. That we should be holy.
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And He goes on to say this. It needs no proof that it is of infinite importance to know or write what
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God has called us to. A misunderstanding here may have fatal results.
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You may have heard that God calls you to salvation or to happiness. To receive pardon or to obtain heaven.
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And never notice that all these were subordinate. It was to salvation in sanctification.
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It was to holiness in the first place. As the element in which salvation and heaven are to be found.
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The complaints of many Christians as to lack of joy and strength and to failure and to want of growth and simply owing to this the place
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God gave holiness in His call. They have not given it in their response.
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God and they have never yet come to an agreement on this. No wonder that Paul in this chapter in which he has spoken to the
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Ephesians speaking of the Apostle Paul here of their being chosen to be holy praised for the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of God to be given to believers that they might know the hope of their calling.
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In Ephesians 1, 17 and 18. That's actually what he's asking for believers to pray.
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That God would give you wisdom to know what the hope of our calling is. And he goes on to say this.
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Let all of us who feel that we have too little realized that we are called to holiness pray this prayer.
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It is just what we need. Let us ask God to show us how as He would have called us as Himself holy so we are to be holy too.
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Our calling is to a holy calling. A calling before and above everything to holiness.
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Let us ask Him to show us what holiness is. His holiness first and then our holiness.
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To show us how He has set His heart upon it as the one thing He wants to see in us.
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As being His own image and His likeness. To show us to the unutterable blessedness and glory of sharing with the
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Christ and His holiness. And I love the way he just ends this with a prayer.
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He says this. Oh that God by His Spirit would teach us what it means that we are to be called to be holy as He is holy.
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We can easily conceive what a mighty influence it would exert. Like as He which called you as holy be yourselves also holy.
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How this call of God shows us the true motive of holiness. Be holy for I am holy.
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It is as if God said and He paraphrases it here and listen to what He says. Holiness is my blessedness.
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It's my glory. Without this you cannot in the very nature of things see me or enjoy me.
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Holiness is my blessedness, it's my beauty, it's my glory. There is nothing higher to be conceived of.
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I invite you to share with me in this. That I invite you out of this as God is speaking to us.
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To likeness to myself. Be holy for I am holy. It is not enough as it is no attraction.
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Does it not move and draw you mightily the hope of being with me. Partakers of my holiness.
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I have nothing better to offer. I have offer you myself. My holiness.
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Be holy for I am holy. Shall we not cry earnestly to God to show us the glory of His holiness.
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That our souls may be willing to give everything in response to this wondrous call.
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Powerful. Does not that just trample and convict you to the core.
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That we have fallen so short and do not desire His holiness as we should.
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Beloved this is what we are called to. If anything we are called to this. Every Christian.
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Well last I want to bring out very quickly the true meaning of sanctification and holiness.
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Sanctification is just not a doctrine beloved. It is a philosophy or a philosophy. I am sorry. It is not just a doctrine.
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It is just not a philosophy. And can I say this. It is not only just a lifestyle.
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In reality it is a manifestation of the righteousness of God. As found in the spotless sinless life of Jesus Christ.
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And I want to end with Jesus Christ because He is our holiness. He is our sanctification.
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Positionally and progressively. The writer of Hebrews says this. I have to give you chapter and verse on this right.
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Because I am not going to give you my own opinion. Not here. And not any time. Hebrews chapter 2 verse 10 and 11.
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You could go there if you like. This is a powerful two verses. The writer of Hebrews exalts
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Christ. He says this. For it was fitting for Him. For whom in all things.
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And by whom are all things. And bringing many sons to glory.
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To make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. There it is.
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Through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies sets apart.
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And those who are being sanctified. See you get that. Both He who sanctifies.
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And those who are being sanctified. Are all of one. For which reason
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He is not ashamed to call them brethren. Beloved listen to this. In other words.
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Jesus Christ. Became a man. Incarnate. To save.
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And to sanctify. Us from all the effects of sin. This is
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His purpose. God hates sin. So abhorrently.
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That He desires to see His son perfected in you and me. So He desires not only to save us from our sin.
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He wants to sanctify us. To cleanse us from all sin. To make us more like Jesus.
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See that is basically what He is saying. So since His word. In His word.
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He commands holiness. He provides holiness. Isn't that beautiful. And those who claim to be
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His disciples. Which is you and me. It is reasonable to believe according to the word of God.
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That He has both provided it. And made it available. Praise God. We have a lot to praise
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God for. Because our God is so good. Not only has He given it. He has provided it.
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And He makes it possible. Where we can't do it beloved. All we have to do is fall on our face and say.
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Oh God here I am a helpless sinner. I cannot do this. I cannot live holy as like I want to.
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I desire it. Enlarge my heart. That I may be more holy. But oh God do it through me.
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He will come and help us. In the power of His spirit. While the separation is from sin.
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And from impurity. And all that is unholy and defiled. And contaminated in this world.
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Primarily it is a separation. Not only from the bad things. But it is a separation to the person.
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In life of Jesus Christ. A .B. Simpson. The founder of the
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Christian Missionary Alliance said this. And I had to put this quote down. This was his meaning. And his definition of sanctification.
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I think you are going to like this. And I agree with it wholeheartedly. He says. Sanctification means possessing.
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The thoughts of Christ. The desires of Christ. The will of Christ. The faith of Christ.
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The purity of Christ. The love of Christ. The unselfishness of Christ. The single aim of Christ.
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The humility of Christ. The submission of Christ. The meekness of Christ.
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The zeal of Christ. And the works of Christ. Manifest in our mortal flesh.
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So that we shall say. I live. Yet not I. But Christ lives in me.
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Now I don't know about you. That walks all over me. How often do we live out the holiness.
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And that kind of perfection. We don't. We strive toward it.
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But we cannot meet that mark. That's why I love Paul so much. Because he says. As I follow
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Christ. He said follow me. You want to see a Christian. I'm the one you can look at. And he set that example.
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Now Jesus is our ultimate example. Amen. But we're talking about perfection folks. Paul was not perfect.
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Paul was a mortal human fleshly man. And that's why I love Romans 7. But we can go to that.
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We're not going to go to it today. Later on we will. But let me give a little application here real quick.
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First and foremost. A believer in Jesus Christ. Who has been born again of the spirit of God. Has been positionally sanctified.
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We have been positionally sanctified. That is in justification. In justification Jesus becomes our sanctification.
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In justification God declares us righteous. Only as a holy God can do.
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And it is instantaneous. You see. That sanctification is instantaneous.
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In heaven. You are positionally sanctified and justified in Jesus Christ.
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But can I say this. That's just the beginning. You're positioning. Donald Gray Barnhouse said this.
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Now we're going toward progressive sanctification. Where justification ends. Sanctification begins.
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The only way we can show in our works. Works don't save us. But our works follows what has happened in our heart.
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Right. And that's where James goes. Right. About being justified by works.
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We know that our own works cannot earn us our way to heaven. Jesus has earned that.
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If anybody earned his way to heaven. He is salvation. But he is the one that literally earned the way to heaven.
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We can't do it. That's why we throw ourselves upon him. And say oh rock of ages.
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I flee to you. I come to you. Let me hide in you. Because we know that the anger of God is only satisfied through Jesus.
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Because God the Father poured out his anger upon Christ at the cross.
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Isn't that glorious. That's the gospel folks. It's all taken upon Jesus himself.
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He took that and now it's imputed to you and me. So when God sees us. He don't see us.
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He sees Jesus. But where justification ends. Sanctification begins.
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And this is a life long process. Constant process. Calvin says it's without end and without intermission until we are glorified.
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Isn't that true. Without intermission. We cannot let up one second.
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It's a fight. Folks it's a fight to the death. I'm telling you.
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And it's work. Progressive sanctification is work. That's where we got to pray.
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And throw ourselves. And say throw ourselves before God. And say God you take this. Because I can't do it.
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Progressive sanctification. Justification is the believer is positionally sanctified in Jesus.
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And by the way Jesus is that sanctification. But we positionally do something in Jesus Christ.
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We have union with him. 1 Corinthians 6 .11 says this. That you were washed. You were sanctified.
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You were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And by the spirit of our
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God. So just as believers were justified once and for all in Jesus Christ.
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So also believers have been sanctified once and for all in Jesus. That's positional.
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I'll give you a few other scriptures. Acts chapter 20 verse 32. Paul speaks to the elders.
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On the island as he's about to depart. And this is what he said. So now brethren
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I commend you to God. And to the word of his grace. Which is able to build you up.
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And give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. Acts 26 .18.
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The Lord Jesus Christ speaks to Paul. Speaking of his conversion. What Paul was called to.
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He said this is your calling. Basically he was called to sanctification. But he was called to suffer.
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As an apostle. And he says. And this was the commission. To open their eyes.
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In order to turn them from darkness to light. That's repentance. From the power of Satan to God.
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That they may receive forgiveness of sins. Listen to this. And an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.
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So sanctification is not only positionally. Positional which is first. And justification.
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But it is a definite act of God. And it is a progressive as well. Romans chapter 6.
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You can go there with me if you like. This is a loaded chapter of sanctification. Actually I would highly recommend each one of you to study
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Romans 6, 7 and 8. 6, 7 and 8. 6, 7 and 8. Dead to sin alive to God.
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Paul says this in verse 1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
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God forbid. Certainly not. How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
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Or do you not know that as many of us were baptized into Christ Jesus.
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Were baptized into His death. And that baptism is talking about into the body of Christ. He's not talking about water.
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H2O. H2O would not do this. Beloved, this is into the body of Jesus Christ.
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Verse 4. Therefore we were buried with Him through the baptism into His death. Into death.
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That just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. Even so we also should walk in newness of life.
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That's sanctification. If we have been united together in the likeness of His death.
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Certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this.
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That our old man was crucified with Him. That the body of sin. There it is.
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That the body of sin might be done away with. That's God's purpose in sanctification. That we should no longer be slaves of sin.
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For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ.
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We believe that we shall also live with Him. See the identification. See the union.
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Knowing that Christ having been raised from the dead dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
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For the death He had died. He died. He died to sin once for all. But the life
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He also lives. He lives to God. Notice in verse 11 is key. Likewise.
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You also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin. But alive to God in Christ Jesus our
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Lord. Oh my goodness. I can keep on on that chapter. But that pretty much sums it up.
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In positional sanctification. And even speaks of progressive sanctification.
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Which is basically a work. And a gradual work in the hearts of the believers.
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Until we go home to be with the glory. I like what MacArthur says. It's not perfection. It's the direction of the
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Christian's life. That gives and provides the assurance of salvation. Martin Lloyd Jones says this.
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There are people today who seem to teach to believe. That you can take Christ as your
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Savior. Without taking Him as your Lord. They say you can take justification. Without taking justification.
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They say you can get forgiveness of sins without holiness. He says it is a lie.
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It is heresy. You cannot have one without the other. In the remaining time.
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My time's almost up. I'd like for you very quickly to go to Isaiah 62.
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And I'm not going to have time to really pull this out.
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But God will have a holy people. He will have a holy bride. This is the assurance of Zion's salvation.
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And by the way. The word Zion is not necessarily speaking of the new Jerusalem. It's speaking about God's people.
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When anytime you see Zion. It's speaking about God's people. Chapter 62 of Isaiah.
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And I'll leave this with you. Because God will have a holy people. For Zion's sake.
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God says. I will not hold my peace. And for Jerusalem's sake.
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I will not rest. Isn't this encouraging? God's going to have a bride folks.
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He's going to have a holy people. Until her righteousness goes forth as her brightness.
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And her salvation is a lamp that burns. That means burning scorching torches.
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God's going to have like a burning scorching torch. He's going to make a people that is holy.
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He is building a church. That is holy. A temple unto himself. Isn't that great?
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Verse 2. The Gentiles shall see your righteousness. You hear that? The world's going to see it.
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That's it. God is saying. The people of the world is going to see. God in you.
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They are going to see Christ in you. That's what he said. Your righteousness. We don't have a righteousness of ourselves.
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It's God's righteousness. Right? Notice what he says. And all kings your glory. And you shall be called by a new name.
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This is a change of nature. This is a change of position. Listen to what he says.
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Which the mouth of the Lord will name. Verse 3. You shall be a crown of glory.
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In the hand of the Lord. And a royal diadem. In the hand of your
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God. You shall no longer be termed forsaken. Even in the gutter
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God is going to pull you out. You are not going to be forsaken. Didn't he say. I would never leave you nor forsake you.
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Nor shall your land anymore be termed desolate. But you shall be called
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Jezebel. And your land Beulah. Jezebel is very important.
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It's symbolic of names. Although Jezebel does appear as a personal name.
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The names are explained in the end of the verse. For the Lord delights in you.
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That's what it means. God's going to have a people that is holy. And the explanation and the meaning of Jezebel.
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Is God delights in you. Now what did David say. Delight yourself also in the
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Lord. And he shall give you the desires of your heart. You see
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God plants that. God puts that within us. That we delight in the law of the
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Lord. That we delight not only in God's law. But we delight of the God of the law.
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You see that's the key. If we don't delight in God. Why go to heaven? Heaven is going to be a boring place.
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For people that don't delight in God. Amen. Paul Washer said it right.
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I said this last week. He said. The question is. Do you want heaven? The question is.
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Do you want God? That's what we need to ask people. Do you want God? Heaven is a benefit.
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Heaven is a holy place. Because of a holy God. God made it.
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It has a foundation. Who's builder, who's maker is God. You look at the saints. And by the way the word saints means holy ones.
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Holy ones. We're saints in Jesus Christ. Sinners saved by grace through faith.
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But God makes us holy. And notice what he says. Oh don't you love this verse.
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You shall no longer be termed forsaken. Nor shall your land anymore be termed desolate.
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But you shall be called Hesopah. And your land Beulah. For the Lord delights in you. And your land shall be married.
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For as a young man marries a virgin. So your sons marry you. And as a bridegroom rejoices over the bride.
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So shall your God rejoice over you. Praise God. Amen. To God be the glory.
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I'll close with this. 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter 1.
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All the doctrines of grace is summed up right here. And Paul knows exactly where to lead these
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Corinthian Christians. And notice what he says. In verse 26.
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For you see your calling. What's he talking about? Calling unto holiness. You're called to holy.
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To be holy. You see your calling. And notice the trouble that the
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Corinthian church had. They were carnal. They were fleshly. There was immorality among them. And he had to come with a rod.
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And he had to rebuke them. And he had to tell them what the word of the Lord says. But he also came also nourishing as a mother at times.
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And he says that not many wise according to the flesh. Not many mighty. Not many noble are called.
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But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise. And God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.
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And the base things of the world and the things which are despised. Are despised.
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God has chosen the things which are not. To bring nothing to nothing.
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To bring the things which are that are. That no flesh should glory in his presence.
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That's why God does it. Because people will see it is God. Not a man.
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Not a man's power. Not a man's work. Not a man's manipulation. Not a man.
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Man's a worm. Man's nothing. But of him. Listen to what he says.
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Verse 30. Of him you are in Christ Jesus. Notice what he says.
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This is a beautiful verse. Who became for us wisdom from God. And righteousness.
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And sanctification. And redemption. That as it is written.
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He who glories. Let him glory in the Lord. You see it all goes to the glory of God.
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Praise his holy name. May God. Enlarge our hearts.
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This morning that we may be. More holy. Unto him. Let's pray. My my.
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Oh father. His word lays a hold of us. Your son even prayed.
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Prayed in that upper room. To you. Said thy word is truth.
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Sanctify them. In the truth. Thy word is truth.
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That alone is enough to sanctify us holy. Through and through.
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Spirit soul and body. All of us. Lord help us.
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Enlarge our hearts this morning. Oh God. If we don't have a desire to be holy
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Lord. We have every right to question whether we are even in the kingdom. But oh
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God if our desire is burning within us to be holy. That's a very good sign that we are a child of God.
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Hold to desire to be holy because you command it. You called us to be holy. You command us to be holy.
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In holiness. You have called us. In the midst of a perverse.
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Filthy world. On the outside. But Lord we see the perversity and the filthiness within our own wretched heart.
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Lord help us. Would you cleanse our heart this morning and wash us. For Jesus your son says.
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Blessed are the pure in heart. For they shall see you. Oh God.
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Makes me think of what Dr. Tozer said. In preaching we are so dirty.
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So dirty. God cleanse us. Lord wash us with the blood of Jesus Christ.
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It's washed us in our justification. But Lord we need that continuing going to the labor.
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To be washed and cleansed. And Lord where do we go for this? We go to Jesus. Just as they pierced him at the cross.
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Blood and water came out. To cleanse. That's the double cure.
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Lord help us. Cleanse us. Wash us. From all this defilement.
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This contamination of our thought life. And our minds and our hearts. God we cry out.
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Make us a holy people unto yourself. That you may delight in us. Lord give us the grace.
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And help us this day we pray. As we come before you. And do it for your glory.
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Lord help us to remember. Holiness begins with you. It begins with you. And I ask this in Jesus name.