I want you to turn in your Bibles
with me to the book of 1 Peter chapter 1. Now I preached from two verses basically
of this chapter last week on the issues of holiness and sanctification. Verse 15 of 1 Peter chapter 1
says but as he which hath called you is holy God is holy. God
the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, the Blessed
Trinity, one God in three person, he's holy. So be ye holy. That's talking about believers,
children of God, in all manner of conversation. That's talking
about our walk and our attitude, our life, not just our talk,
but everything that's included with it. And he says in verse
16, because it is written, be ye holy for I am holy, quoting
from the Old Testament. In Psalm 96 that Brother Joe
just read, what drew me to this psalm to open up our service
is our scripture reading is verse nine, basically, where it says,
oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Fear before him
all the earth. And I wondered, now, is that
what we're here doing? Are we worshiping the Lord in
the beauty of holiness? What does that mean? You may
have in your concordance on that, if you have a center concordance,
that gives another interpretation of the original. And it would
read like this, oh, worship the Lord in the glorious sanctuary. A sanctuary is a place that is
set apart for worship. And you think about, well, this
place here this morning is set apart for worship. But still,
this is not the sanctuary that he's talking about. We often
refer to this as the sanctuary. I usually say auditorium, but
sometimes we say sanctuary. Not because there's anything
pure about this. If you wanna know how pure this
place, this sanctuary is, just ask Brother Ron Gregg. Carol
when they have to sweep it and clean it and You know, it's not talking about
moral purity there's no morality in a place in these benches or
pews and you know often I know when when When Moses approached
the Lord at the burning bush, he said he said take your shoes
off Moses. This is holy ground What was
he talking about? There's nothing holy Morally
pure as far as that's concerned about that ground that Moses
was standing on Well, what is that? That's sanctuary. What
what is this beauty of holiness that he's talking about? It's
talking about the presence of the Lord. That's what that that's
talking about God to you The Bible says where two or three
are gathered in his name there I'll be in the midst of them
Christ is here He's actually here in the in the person of
the Holy Spirit and in the preaching of the word that's that's what
he is in his deity in his and in he's here in our hearts as
the God man is our mediator and so when I when I looked at
this go back to first Peter chapter 1 I've entitled this message
the grace of holiness the grace of holiness because if we have
any holiness It's a matter of grace. It's not a matter of works
or our efforts. All of that. It's a matter of
grace. And last week I told you the
main idea between holy and holiness when we look at those words.
And also understand again, now you can interchange sometimes
in the Bible the word holy and sanctify. Sanctuary, you know,
the holy place, all of that. You can interchange holiness
and sanctification. Back up here in verse 2 of 1
Peter 1, he talks about sanctification of the spirit. And the main idea
of this notion of this biblical truth of holiness and sanctification
is to be set apart. And that's the main thing here.
Separation. Separation. Brother Mahan used
to tell a story, I think it was a church in Colorado. And they
had on their marquee, their sign, they said, the most separated
church in America. And I would never put that on
our marquee, by the way. But the thing about it is, you
wonder what they mean by it. What we're talking about here
is, what separates the true people of God from the world? That's
really the issue. And then, what separates us from
all that is unholy? What separates me? What separates
you? What makes you different? That's
what he's talking about. I remember back in the 60s, there
was a song, you know, everybody tried to be different in the
60s. Maybe some of you all remember that. But there was a song that
came out, it said, the first line of it was, what's the difference
being different when it's difference now that looks alike? And I think
that's what happens in religion a lot of times. People try to
be so different in ways that the scripture doesn't even recognize
or talk about, and really, it ends up being unholy, that they
all look alike. But that's what it is, it's separation. And remember I gave you those
three definitions of holiness, of sanctification. Same thing. Number one, we're set apart for
the glory of God and service to God. That's what a believer
is. That's what a sinner saved by
grace is. He's a person, she's a person
that is set apart for the glory of God in Christ. That's what
we've been set apart to. We're not set apart to live unto
self. We're set apart to live for the
glory of God. We're not set apart to draw attention
to ourselves. When the scripture says, let
your light so shine, it's not talking about your personal efforts,
or your prowess, or your strength, or your supposed holiness. Let your light so shine before
men that they may see your good works and do what? Glorify your
Father which is in heaven. In other words, the good works
of a believer are not his own. It's what Christ works through
us and in us and they don't draw attention to us, they draw attention
to him. That's what we're set apart for.
That's what separates the obedience of a believer from an unbeliever,
a religious unbeliever. It's for the glory of God. It's
to exalt Christ. It's to draw men and women's
attention to Christ and the grace of God in Christ. That's what
we want. We don't want to shine forth
with our own pride. So we're set apart for the service
of God, for the glory of God, for the worship of God. That's
why we're here this morning. We're here to worship God. We're
not here to brag about me or brag about you. That would be
unholy. See what I'm saying? Where is
my holiness? It's in Christ. That's it. And here's a second definition.
To regard and treat and declare as holy. In Christ, I'm holy. I'm accounted
as holy. I'm regarded as holy. I'm washed
in the blood of Christ. I said it last week. What can
wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Now that's real. God looks at
me and sees a righteous person, a holy person in Christ. Now in myself, I'm a sinner.
I'm a sinner. And I struggle with the same
sins that you struggle with. Same thoughts, the same weaknesses. Just because I'm a preacher doesn't
exempt me from that. I'm just a messenger. I'm just
a signpost, see. But that's what it is. It's to
be holy in Christ, washed in his blood, clothed in his righteousness.
And that's not God pretending that I'm holy, but I'm really
not. No. In God's sight, in Christ,
I'm really holy. Righteous in his sight. Pure. Unblameable, the scripture says,
who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect. You see,
do you want that too? Run to Christ. Come to Christ
for all salvation, for all wisdom, righteousness, holiness, and
redemption. Outside of Christ, you don't
have that. Neither do I. But God treats his people and
regards us and declares us holy in Christ. And then thirdly,
the third definition is to live in the grace of God by the principles
of holiness. And that begins in the new birth.
Over there in verse 2 that I referred to a while ago, he talked about
the people of God as the elect. Verse 2 there, 1 Peter 1. Elect
according to the foreknowledge of God. That's the foreordination
of God. 1 Peter 1 and verse 2. Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God, the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit. That's the setting
apart that the Holy Spirit does in the new birth. That's what
that's talking about. You see, before that, you see what separates
us? What is that separation of the
Holy Spirit? Well, before I'm born again,
what am I? I'm dead in trespasses and sins.
Isn't that right? Just like everybody else. Born
of Adam. That's how all men and women
are born into this world, dead in trespasses and sin, ruined
in Adam, ruined in the fall, and by birth a sinner, fallen
humanity. That's what we are. We're no
different. But when the Holy Spirit comes and works His power
and brings us under the preaching of the gospel, what does He do?
He gives us life. He sets us apart, you see. Whereas before I was an unbeliever.
Now what am I? I'm a believer. Does that mean
I have perfect faith now? No. I don't have perfect faith.
I have unbelief. The disciples pray, Lord, I believe. Help thou mine unbelief. Sometimes
I murmur and complain. That's unbelief. You know that,
don't you? When we murmur and complain, just call it what it
is. It's unbelief. That's what it is. And we struggle
with it. What is this living in the grace
of God, this grace of holiness? Well, it starts out, and look
back up at verse 13 of 1 Peter 1. He says, wherefore. Now, wherefore
is like a therefore. Some old commentator said, if
you see a therefore in the scripture, find out what it's there for.
And this wherefore, it would be something like this, or for
this reason. What reason? What reason? Because we have been saved by
the grace of God in Christ. Because we are righteous in Christ. Because we're forgiven of all
of our sins by the blood of Christ. Because of the grace of God.
Look at it, verse 3 back here. He talked about grace and peace
being multiplied. Look at verse 3. He said, Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according
to his abundant mercy, Because we're objects of God's mercy.
What is mercy? It's something you get, God doesn't
give us what we deserve. And grace is God giving us what
we don't deserve. mercy and grace he hath begotten
us that's the new birth begotten us again unto a lively or living
hope what is our hope it's the hope of eternal salvation by
the grace of God based upon the Lord Jesus Christ who he is and
what he did on Calvary that's our hope now if your hope you
see that's what sets us apart from the world We have a hope,
but it's not the hope of the world. The world's hope is salvation
based on something else. Their works, their religion,
their church membership. But our hope is built on nothing
less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. Now that's what sets us apart.
That's sanctification, you see. That's holiness. You understand
what I'm saying now? It's not because I'm a morally
perfect man now. I'm not. But I'm one who has
a good hope. And that good hope is the hope
of grace in Christ. He's my hope. All the promises
of God to me are in Him. Yea and amen. Sure and certain.
I have no righteousness but Christ. If you really believe that, that
sets you apart from the world. Because they're looking for righteousness
in other places. Yes, the natural man. And so
he says, he says here, have begotten us again into a lively hope.
How? By your making a decision one day or walking in awe or
getting baptized? No, by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead. What does that mean? That's the
finishing of his work of paying the debt of our sin. That righteousness
established, he made an end of sin, he finished the transgression,
he brought in everlasting righteousness. That's what the resurrection
of Christ is all about. It's not just a miracle that
we celebrate one day of the year. It's the whole completion and
finishing of his work wherein Paul wrote in Romans chapter
10 and verse 4, for Christ is the end, the fulfillment, the
perfection of the law for righteousness to everyone that believe it. And then he says in verse four,
to an inheritance incorruptible. I'm trying to think of the word
they use in these legal terms when they read a will. You are the
recipient. There's probably another legal
term. I'm the recipient of an inheritance that I didn't earn
and don't deserve, but it's incorruptible. It cannot be changed. It cannot
be defiled. Incorruptible and undefiled,
that fadeth not away, it'll never go away, it's reserved in heaven
for me. I have a reservation. That's
what sets God's people apart from the world. You see? You see if the inheritance, if
it were conditioned on me, in any way, to any degree, at any
time, you know what, it would be corruptible. it would be defiled. But it's not conditioned on me,
it's conditioned on Christ. And in Him it cannot be corrupted,
it cannot be defiled, it cannot fade away. It's a reservation
that is sure to happen in Christ. That's what sets God's people
apart. And then look at verse 5. He says, who are kept by the
power of God through faith. How many times you run into a
person who says they're a Christian, but they believe they can lose
their salvation. Well, that's unholy. See, that doesn't set
them apart. That's the way the world thinks.
That's natural man's thinking, interjecting the thoughts of
man into what they think is the religion of Christianity, but
it's not. It's a religion of work. But what sets a true believer? We're kept. How? By the power
of God, through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last
time. You know what that meant, ready to be revealed in the last
time, means? It means we're not getting ready to be revealed.
It means we're all already ready to be revealed. Now, how can
I say I'm ready? You know, in my mind, I look
at myself and I say, I got a long way to go in this thing. I got
a lot to learn. I've got a battle to fight. If
Christ were to come by this second, I'm ready. You know why? Because
he is my holiness. He is my righteousness. He is
my sanctification. You see what I'm saying? I'm
ready. You'll never be more ready than you are right now if you're
in Christ. Now, if you're trying to work
your way into God's favor, if you're trying to earn your way
into his blessings and rewards, let me tell you something. You
may think you'll be ready one day, but you'll never be ready.
Because you'll never, you'll always fall short of the mark.
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But
in Christ, you'll never fall short of the mark, for he is
the mark. In Christ, I'm as righteous as
him, as holy as him. You see that? And that's what
he's talking about with this wherefore, it's grace. That's
what it's all about. So what is this living in the
grace of God? Let me give you these things.
First of all, it's looking to and living out of Christ. Looking to Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, Hebrews chapter 12, verse 2. Looking
to him, resting in him. Finding my whole salvation in
him. And living out of Christ. Living
by the power of God. That means living by faith. That
means living as motivated by grace. Looking to and living out of
Christ. Secondly, seeking to be conformed to Christ according
to his word. Guided by his word. That's what
sets God's people apart. Psalm 119 and verse 9. Listen
to this. Wherewith shall a young man cleanse
his way? By taking heed thereto according
to thy word. And what is his word? His word
is Christ. And him crucified. And risen
again. Seeking to be conformed to Christ.
Thirdly, growing in grace and in knowledge of Christ. That
means feeding upon his word. Cultivating the fruit of the
spirit. We're going to look at that in just a moment. Fighting
the works of the flesh. It's a warfare. Believers are
in a continual warfare, and that sets them apart from the world.
But now let me tell you something. Even the world has struggles,
but what sets our warfare apart? Hold on, I'll show you. Here's
the fourth thing, though. Striving for perfection in thought, in
word, in deed, in attitude, knowing well our sins, but also knowing
well our hope. Now, how do we do all that? How
do we do all that, all right? This is what Peter's talking
about. Look at verse 13. Listen to what he says. Wherefore,
for this reason, upon this basis, upon this ground, what reason? The fullness and the freeness
of all of salvation given us in and by Jesus Christ, the grace
of God, the mercy of God. It's the same thing as Paul wrote
over here in Romans chapter 12. Let me just read it to you. In
Romans chapter 12 in verse 1, He said, I beseech you, therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God. I'm beseeching you, I'm trying
to motivate you, I'm trying to beg you. Upon what ground? The mercies of God. What Jeremiah
write in Lamentations, it's of the Lord's mercies that we're
not consumed. That you present your bodies
a living sacrifice. That's your whole person. Holy,
separated, that's what that means. Acceptable unto God, which is
your reasonable service, and be not conformed to this world.
And you do that by being transformed by the renewing of your mind
that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect
will of God. We want to be examples of the
word and the will and the grace of God. So when he says, wherefore,
that's what he means. And here's what he says. Here's
the first thing he says back here in 1 Peter 1 verse 13. He
says, gird up the loins of your mind. What does that mean? That means
get your mind prepared for action. What does it mean to gird up
the loins of your mind? What does that have to do with?
Well, anytime they were to gird their loins, It was to prepare
in one of two ways, either for a journey or for a battle. That's right. You remember back
in Exodus chapter 12, when the Lord was teaching the Israelites
about the Passover, and how they were to kill the lamb, the lamb
of a year old, without blemish, without spot, And they were to
put the blood, they were to keep the blood of that lamb and take
that blood and take the hyssop, the brush, and put it over the
doorpost and the lentils of the door. And he said, when I see
the blood, I will pass over you, that great picture of God's grace
and mercy in the blood of Christ. The Lord in judgment of death
was going to pass through Egypt and kill all the firstborn except
where I see the blood. I'll pass over you." And when
he was instructing them on how to partake of this feast of the
Passover, in verse 11, listen to what he tells them. And he's
talking about after they kill the lamb and roast it, and they've
already had the blood, he says, you're going to eat the lamb.
And that's a picture of faith in Christ. That's what that is,
eating the lamb. We don't literally eat his body
and his blood, as the false church says. We believe in him, we rest
in him, we feed upon him his grace, his mercy, his power.
And he said in Exodus chapter 12 and verse 11, he says, and
thus shall you eat it with your loins girded, your shoes on your
feet, and your staff in your hand, and you shall eat it in
haste. It's the Lord's Passover. In
other words, you're getting ready to go on a journey here. And
that's what that means. The Roman soldier girded himself
with a girdle, with that garment, to prepare for battle. And that's
what this girding is. Peter says, gird up the loins
of your mind. With what? Well, Ephesians chapter
6 and verse 14 tells us. Remember, that's the passage
where he says, put on the whole armor of God. Listen to what
verse 14 says of Ephesians chapter 6 stand there for having your
loins girt about with truth And Having on the blessed breastplate
of righteousness and memory to have in memory over Nexus 1211
they said with your shoes on the whole armor of God have your
feet shod with the preparation of the gospel That's what Peter's
talking about. Gird up the loins of your mind
with truth. Not falsehoods, not hypocrisies,
not mysticism, but truth. You see, get your minds prepared
for action. Learn to think like Christ. Learn to think in the ways of
grace, in the ways of the Word of God. Now, let me tell you
something. Now, this whole thing is a learning process. And I
don't care what any preacher tells you. I don't care what
they say. Let me tell you something. It comes through the mind. It comes through the mind. I
know they'll say it's not in the head, it's in the heart.
Let me tell you something now. That's kind of misleading. Whenever
the Bible talks about the heart, and salvation is a heart matter. Ezekiel chapter 36, in the new
birth, what does he give? He gives us a new heart, the
scripture says. And Christ said, this people
talked about those hypocrites who worship with their lips,
but their heart is far from me. When the Bible speaks of that
which is accepted of God, one of the things he says is a broken
and a contrite heart is accepted. Because that's the work of God.
So it is a heart matter. But what is the heart? Well,
in the Bible, it's composed of several things. It's the mind.
It's the understanding. 1 John chapter 5, he says, the
Son of God hath come and hath given us an understanding. Him whom to know is our life
is our salvation it's it's the mind but now it doesn't just
stay in the head it's not just knowledge you have that does
not affect you grace is a dynamic it's a power in the heart it
comes through the mind it goes to the affections it changes
what you love and what you desire what you what you think of how
you think what motivates you What drives you? What energizes
you? See? And then it goes to the
will. It changes the will. God makes
his people willing in the day of his power. It makes you a
willing, loving, bond-servant of Christ. But it comes through
the mind. Peter said, gird up the loins
of your mind. Look over at Matthew chapter
11 with me. Let me show you this. Now, that doesn't mean that in
order to be a true believer, you have to be a walking, talking
genius, or a theologian, or as they say, or some kind of a high-minded
person who's smarter than everybody. That doesn't mean that at all. And somebody says, well, I just
can't learn like other people. I'll tell you what, there's not
one person in this building who cannot learn if the Holy Spirit
teaches it. You agree with that? When the
Holy Spirit is the teacher, there are no learning disabilities.
If the Holy Spirit doesn't teach you, I don't care if you're Albert
Einstein, you have a big learning disability when it comes to spiritual
things. Period. Bible says they shall
all be taught of God. They shall all know me from the
least of them to the greatest of them. This gospel is so simple
a little child can get hold of it and understand if the Holy
Spirit teaches it. Isn't that right? He's the master
teacher. But look at this in verse 28
of Matthew 11. He says, come unto me, all ye
that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Now
that's where it all starts. The grace of resting Christ.
He's our Sabbath. Sunday's not our Sabbath. Christ
is our Sabbath. And I don't care what the Seventh-day
Adventists say. Saturday's not our Sabbath. Christ
is our Sabbath. It's His finished work. He rested
from His labor, and we rest in Him. and His finished work for
our whole salvation. That's our eternal Sabbath. That's
what all those Sabbath days, Sabbath weeks, and Sabbath years
under the old covenant symbolized and typified. The coming of Christ
to finish the work that we rest in Him. He's our Sabbath. And when you come to Him, He
gives you rest. You don't have to work for salvation.
You don't have to establish a righteousness of your own. He is your whole
salvation. He's all your righteousness.
He's all your holiness. But now look on. Verse 29. Take
my yoke upon you. Now what does a yoke represent
back then? Well, that's what they put oxen
in to plow the field. Service! See? There's a service. We're resting in Christ for all
salvation, but not in order that we can lay back and not do it.
We serve Him. Not to be saved, but because
we already are. That's what sets us apart. That's
holy service. You say, well, it's not perfect
in my... then that's not what it's talking about. This is the
service, what's different? Listen, there's the service of
people who are trying to pay a debt, and then there's the
service of a willing, loving bond slave whose debt's already
paid. That's what sets us apart. You understand that? That's what
we're talking about, girding up the mind. Say, I wanna learn
to think like that. I want that laid on my heart. See what I'm saying? And he says,
take my yoke upon you, serve him. And what? Learn of me. And that's not just
a one-time thing. We learn of him over and over
and over again, and we learn more as we study his words. And we're filled with the spirit
who teaches us. And he says, you shall find rest
unto your souls for my yoke is easy. It's not a legalistic,
burdensome thing like false religion, the religion of works. My burden
is light. John said his commandments are
not grievous. You know why? Because we rest in him as we
serve him. And then let me show you this
one too. Look over at Colossians chapter 3. This is something that we always pray
that God will put upon our minds and in our hearts. In verse 1
of chapter 3 of Colossians chapter 3 verse 1. He says, if you then
be risen with Christ, what is that? That means I'm righteous
in Christ. That means I'm holy in Christ.
That means I'm forgiven, washed clean from all of my sins in
Christ. If I'm risen with Him, that's
what that means. I'm saved by the grace of God. Not by my works,
but by His grace. By grace are you saved. Through
faith. That's not of yourself, it's the gift of God. Not of
works, lest any man should boast. As a sinner saved by grace, I'm
his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, not because
of good works, but unto good works, which God hath before
ordained that I should walk in them. That's what sets me apart. He says, seek those things which
are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. And
it says, set your affection. Now, if you have a concordance
there, what's the word in your concordance? Your affection.
What does it say? Set your mind. things about well
now is that suppose does that mean that he's commanding us
to do something that is dead and cold and intellectual oh
no you could just as well say set your heart on things above
not on things that set your affection set your mind set your love your
focus your attention your goal on things above where Christ
Sitteth on the right hand of God verse 3 for you are dead. What does that mean? I'm dead
to the condemnation of sin I'm dead. Listen, listen, I'm you're
dead. Think about that for your day.
Now. Here's here's something This is girding up the loins
of our mind. What does that mean when it says you're dead and
Your life is hid with Christ in God. That's really what it
means. Your life is here with Christ in God Somebody says well,
how am I dead? I mean, I'm not physically dead.
I'm up here talking to you. I think I'm breathing. I hope
you are. You're not dead yet physically, so it's not talking
about that. And somebody said, well, that means we're dead to
sin. Okay, what does that mean? Well, somebody might come along
and say, well, that means I don't sin anymore. I don't have sinful
thoughts anymore. I don't have sinful desires anymore.
Is that what it means? Well, I'll be honest with you,
if that's what it means, you all shouldn't be listening to
me right now. I'd hit for the door. Because I'm not there. And you're not either. What does
it mean, I'm dead? It means I'm dead to sin's power
to condemn me. That's what it means. I'm justified
in Christ. I'm a sinner, but my sins are
not accounted to me in God's law books. Christ died, yea rather
He's risen again. My life is hid with Christ in
God. See that? I'm hidden, I'm in
the cleft of the rock, the psalm says. That's what Peter's talking
about, gird up the loin, this is how we're to think now. When
we read the scriptures, when we go about our daily lives,
this is how we're to think. Look over at 1 Corinthians chapter
2. You know, when you turn to these
scriptures and you read them, we're in the process of girding
up the loins of our mind. Now, I can't make you listen
to them and read them. I can't even make myself. What
does that? It takes the power of the Holy Spirit. That's His
indwelling and filling, see? To make me take it to heart. Somebody said, told me one time,
he said, well, you preach to people's heads, not to their
heart. And I told him, I said, I have no power to do either.
I don't. I can't preach to your head.
You can tune me out right now, can't you? I used to be good
at it. My mother, she used to frustrate
her. She'd be talking to me and I'd be off in Never Never Land
somewhere. And I certainly can't preach
to your heart by my power. If it reaches your heart, who's
going to put it there? God is going to do it. All I
can do is tell you the truth from these scriptures. When you
read these scriptures, see, is it the process of girding up
the loins of your mind that Peter... If it is, let me tell you something,
don't give the credit to me, because I didn't do that. I didn't
even do it for me. That's God's Word. You see what
I'm saying? And look here in 1 Corinthians
2 and verse 14, he says, he says, but the natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God. These things that we're
looking at. He says, for they are foolishness
unto him. Neither can he know them because
they're spiritually discerned. That's a person who's been born
again spiritually discerned. He has a spiritual mind, has
the new heart, has the inner man. He's been made alive. He
has ears to hear, spiritual ears, eyes to see, spiritual eyes.
You see? And I've got in the bulletin,
I say, now that's what some people insist on calling the new nature. And listen, I'm fine with that,
that's okay, but don't take it farther than what the scriptures
take it. And make it some sinless perfection that is inside of
you, like a jack on a hide, or a black dog and a white dog.
Because that's not scriptural. See, my only problem with that
term is some people take it too far. But they do that with other
terms, too. I know that. I know that. But
I just don't like to go down those slippery slopes, you know.
I call it new life, a new heart. Same thing, all right? But a
person who discerns, understands, and judges spiritually has a
spiritual mind. Well look at verse 15, but he
that is spiritual, here he is, judgeth all things, yet he himself
is judged of no man. Now to be judge of all things
really means this, it means that you know what's valuable and
you know what's worthless. That's what that means, that
doesn't mean you go around judging everybody. Now we know that those
who believe not, they're damned, the scripture says. We know that,
that's God's word. But when it says you judge all
things, you know what's valuable and what's not. You know what's
eternally valuable and what's not. But look at verse 16. For who hath known the mind of
the Lord that he may instruct him, but we have the mind of
Christ. Now, how do we have the mind
of Christ? Two ways. We have the Holy Spirit
who indwells us, fills us, and we have his word right here.
What are we doing? We're girding up the loins of
our mind with that truth. And the Holy Spirit works through
the mind. He teaches by the Word. Look back at 1 Peter. Let me
just read through this and I'll close today. But look at 1 Peter
1. Now, that's what he's talking
about. I thought about, you know, the old saying that they used
to tell women. I don't know if they tell you
this now or not. They used to tell women that the way to a
man's heart is through his stomach. Well, in this area, the way to
a person's heart is through the mind. That's what Scripture's
teaching. All right? So gird up the loins
of your hands, read the Scripture, understand the Scripture, study
the Scripture. You see, be a student of the
Word. You say, that's too much work.
Well, I feel sorry for you. It's not. This is our life, the
Scripture says. And then he says, be sober. What
does that mean? I'll tell you what it means.
It means don't be drunk. But that's not just talking about
alcohol. Yeah, don't be drunk with alcohol. But don't be drunk
with the things of this world, the riches of this world, the
pleasures of this world, the gleanings of this world. Don't
be drunk on false religion. Don't be drunk on pride. You
know, there are people who never touch a drink of alcohol, but
they're drunk with pride. Don't be drunk on self-righteousness.
Be a clear thinker. That's what it means. Have right
judgment. How are you going to do that?
You start by girding up the loins of your mind. You say, that's
what sets God's people apart from the world. Don't be drunk
on religion. Be consumed with Christ. See
what I'm saying? And he says, he says here in
verse 13, he says, and hope to the end for the grace. You see
what he's saying there? That is to be brought unto you
at the revelation of Jesus Christ. What does that mean? It means
we're saved by grace, we're kept by grace, and when we're glorified
at the second coming of Christ, you know what it'll be? Grace.
Grace, grace, grace. That's girding up the loins of
your mind. That's what sets the people of
God apart from the world. We're people of grace. Salvation
by grace. Not by works. Verse 14, as obedient
children. And notice it doesn't say, it
does not say in order to become obedient children. It says do
this as obedient children. We're not trying to work our
way into the family of God. We're realizing that in Christ
we're already children of God and we work from that basis. You see? As obedient children. Not fashioning yourselves according
to the former lust in your ignorance, whatever, let's talk about unlawful
desires, whatever unlawful desire you have, find it. But in verse
15, but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy. Well,
I want you to turn to one more scripture and then I'll close.
I want you to look with me to Galatians chapter five. I want
to show you something here that I believe will help you in this
area. You know, in Galatians chapter
five, he's talking about the fruit of the spirit. the works
of as opposed to the works of the flesh I was talking last
week to some some folks about that that one of the things that
sets God's people apart from the world is the battle that
we have within the warfare of the flesh in the spirit Paul
speaks of it in Romans 7 you know about that we'll look at
that later on maybe but this is what he's talking about in
Galatians chapter 5 look look at Galatians chapter 5 and look
at verse I'll find it here in a moment
verse 16 he says this I say then walk in the spirit now what it
walk there means to your life, your conversation. What sets
a believer's walk apart from an unbeliever? We walk in the
Spirit, that is, we're guided by the Holy Spirit in the Word,
we're energized by the Holy Spirit and motivated by grace and gratitude,
not by mercenary promises of reward or legal threats of hell.
You see the difference? It's grace and gratitude. Somebody
said grace is our doctrine, gratitude is our ethic, All right? And he says, and you shall not
fulfill the lust of the flesh, that's any unlawful desire, it
can be even a religious desire, but it doesn't glorify God. Verse
17, for the flesh lusted against the spirit and the spirit against
the flesh, and these are contrary, the one to the other, so that
you cannot do the things that you would. You can't go the full
swing of the flesh because the spirit won't let you, but you
can't go the full swing of the spirit because you've got the
presence of the flesh. You can't be perfect. That's
why Paul cried in Romans 7, 24, O wretched man that I am, who
shall deliver me from the body of this death? But now look at
verse 18, now here's a key, now here's what it is to gird up
the loins of your mind now in this warfare. This is what sets
our warfare and our struggle apart from the world. He says,
but if you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the law. Underscore that, not under the
law. What does he mean by that? It means we're not condemned.
There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ. We're
struggling with sin, the same problems that unbelievers have,
the same desires. It's a warfare. What's the difference
though? It's a warfare of the flesh and
the spirit. It's not just natural conscience
or societal restraints. It's a warfare of the flesh and
the Holy Spirit who teaches us that Christ is our only hope
and in him we're not condemned. We're not under the law. We don't
owe anything to the law of God as to our righteousness. Christ
is our righteousness. And we're not condemned for our
sin. Christ, by his blood, took away our sins. took our condemnation. That's what sets us apart. All
right. Let's sing as our closing hymn,
hymn number 187. Bless be the tie that binds.