Lies About Holiness (and how discovering them can set you free)
Our views about holiness have a HUGE impact on our daily behaviours. Several months ago I studied and preached on this topic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaWLTe7-oDw. It was so freeing and as I was reminded today of these lies and their counterparts (the truth :)) I found it so freeing and life-giving again. I pray it does the same for you.
Here they are...
1. Holiness is no big deal
3.
Holiness is
all about a complex system of do’s and don’ts
a. Truth: Holiness is
first about who I am, then about what I do (my nature, then my actions)
4.
Holiness is
my part in the God equation
Our views about holiness have a HUGE impact on our daily behaviours. Several months ago I studied and preached on this topic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaWLTe7-oDw. It was so freeing and as I was reminded today of these lies and their counterparts (the truth :)) I found it so freeing and life-giving again. I pray it does the same for you.
Here they are...
1. Holiness is no big deal
a. Truth: God
is furious with sin and wickedness
James 4:8-10 “Come close to God, and God will come close to
you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is
divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done.
Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter,
and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift
you up in honor.”
1 Cor. 3: 16,17 “Do you not know that you are the temple of God
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God,
God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.”
Rom. 1:18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in
unrighteousness,” (Ps. 7 – God is righteous and angry w/the wicked every day)
Jude 1:4 “I say this because some ungodly people have wormed
their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to
live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for
they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
b. Truth: Sin
is absolutely destructive
Gal 6:7-9 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man
reaps what he sows.” – flee evil desires…
c. Truth: God
gave His very life to make you holy
2 Cor 5:21 “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the
offering for our sin,[e] so that we could be made right with God through
Christ.”
(Is 53:5,6 “he was crushed for our sins…. the Lord laid on
him the sins of us all.” 3 – the
punishment that brought us peace was upon Him…
d. Truth: God
calls us to make every effort to be holy
Hebrews 12:14 “Make every effort to live in peace with all
men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” – Jesus – why do you call me Lord, Lord if
u do not do what I say...
2.
Holiness is
the ugly, tough, no fun side of the faith journey
a. Truth: Holiness is
wonderful, amazing and beautiful
“Who is like you - majestic in holiness, awesome in glory,
working wonders?” Exodus 15:11
“Worship the LORD in the splendour of his holiness.” 1 Chron.
16:29 (One of most sad things about sin is it messes up our ability to see what
is truly good and beautiful... one day... I what? For what?)
b. Truth: Holiness is
wholeness – becoming who you are
“You can readily recall, can't you, how at one time the more
you did just what you felt like doing--not caring about others, not caring
about God--the worse your life became and the less freedom you had? And how
much different is it now as you live in God's freedom, your lives healed and
expansive in holiness?
But now that you've found you don't have to listen to sin
tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God
telling you, what a surprise! A whole,
healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way!”
Romans 6:19-22
c. Truth: Holiness is
a joy and results in life (not burdensome)
John 15:10-11 “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in
My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your
joy may be full.”
1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep His
commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”
Colossians 3:12 “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and
beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering…”
(you are a child of God…so act like one) – you don’t get to become one by
acting like one, you act like one because you have become one
b. Truth: Holiness is
inside out
Matthew 23:28 “Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to
men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” – where does all
this wickedness come from? Improper rituals? No, wicked hearts!
Isaiah 1:13-17 “Quit your worship charades. I can’t stand
your trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special
meetings— meetings, meetings, meetings—I can’t stand one more! Meetings for
this, meetings for that. I hate them! You’ve worn me out! I’m sick of your
religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning. When you put on
your next prayer-performance, I’ll be looking the other way. No matter how long
or loud or often you pray, I’ll not be listening. And do you know why? Because
you’ve been tearing people to pieces, and your hands are bloody. Go home and
wash up. Clean up your act. Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings so I
don’t have to look at them any longer. Say no to wrong. Learn to do good. Work
for justice.” – these people are close to me with their mouths but their hearts
r far from me…
c. Truth: Holiness is
as much about what I do as what I don’t do and it’s all about love
Galatians 5:14 “For all the law is fulfilled in one word,
even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
It is not a
complex system of do’s and don’ts ... it’s a heart condition that results in
loving action’s
Truth: Every ounce
of true holiness always starts with God but then it requires my full engagement
Phil 2:12,13 “Work hard to show the results of your
salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you,
giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”
1 Cor. 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his
grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet
not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”
5.
Holiness is
something I arrive at and then coast
Truth: Holiness is
something I grow more and more in
2 Cor 7:1 “Because we have these promises, dear friends, let
us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And
let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.”
2 Cor. 3:18 “So all of us who have had that veil removed can
see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us
more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”
Rom 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world,
but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then
you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and
perfect.”
“Watch your thoughts,
for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”