Be Ye Holy

Q: What does the Bible say about God's holiness?

The Bible teaches that God is holy, completely set apart from evil, and incapable of sinning. God's holiness is a fundamental aspect of His nature, indicating that He is entirely 'other' and separate from His creation. The Scriptures declare, 'Holy, holy, holy' (Isaiah 6:3), emphasizing the perfection and separateness of God. This holiness means that God has pure eyes that cannot behold sin (Habakkuk 1:13) and cannot act contrary to His character. Therefore, His will and acts are always aligned with His holy nature, making Him unique and incomparable to anything else in existence.

Q: How do we know believers are holy?

Believers are considered holy because they are born of God and possess a new nature that cannot sin. Every believer is referred to as a saint or holy one because they have been transformed by the Spirit of God. The idea of holiness in believers derives from being born of God's seed, as stated in 1 John 3:9, which speaks of the believer's new nature that does not commit sin. This holiness is not based on personal righteousness but on the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit. Thus, every true believer shares in this holiness inherently bestowed upon them at the moment of their spiritual rebirth.

Q: Why is holiness important for Christians?

Holiness is vital for Christians as it reflects God's character and is a command for living a life pleasing to Him. Holiness is integral to the Christian life, as believers are called to reflect God's own holiness in their conduct and conversation (1 Peter 1:15-16). This command underscores the idea that Christians are to live differently from the world, demonstrating transformed lives that align with God’s will. The pursuit of holiness affects every aspect of a believer’s life, leading to genuine love for others and a lifestyle that honors God. Ultimately, holiness is essential for worshiping and serving God in a manner that is guided by His righteousness, thus fulfilling His purposes in their lives.

Q: What does it mean to be an obedient child of God?

Being an obedient child of God means following His truth and commands enabled by the Holy Spirit. To be an obedient child of God entails believing and acting upon the truth of the Gospel as revealed through scripture. This obedience is not a work that earns favor but a response to the grace and transformation that God provides through His Spirit (1 Peter 1:14). As believers, they are called to exhibit genuine love toward their brethren, which is a sign of their obedience to the truth. This obedience reflects the internal change that God has accomplished in their hearts and leads to sanctification and a life that pleases Him.

Would you turn to 1 Peter chapter 1, beginning in verse 13. Wherefore, gird up. the loins of your mind. Be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance but as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written be ye holy for I am holy.

Let's pray. Lord, we come into your presence in the name of your son. We would not dare come any other way, but Lord, with boldness and confidence, we can come into your presence because of him. We ask in his blessed name that you would be pleased to meet with us, to speak to our hearts from your word, that we might have your presence, that your gospel might be preached, that we might be enabled to behold your glory.

Lord, how thankful we are for the freeness of your grace. Forgive us of our sins for Christ's sake, oh Lord. We ask that you would give us the grace to love you more than we ever have by your grace. And give us grace to love one another more than we ever have by your grace.

Be with all your people wherever they meet together. In Christ's name we pray, amen. Verse 16, because it's written, be ye holy for I am holy. I've entitled this, Be Ye Holy. God is holy. I wish I knew how to describe that word as it ought to be described. God is holy. Other. Separate from his creation. No one is like him. He said there's none like me. You can't compare him with anybody or anything in this creation. When Isaiah saw the Lord and he saw the seraphims around his throne, what were they crying? Holy, holy, holy. Three times, perhaps in reference to the blessed Trinity. Holy is the Father. Holy is the Son. Holy is The spirit, the whole earth is full of his glory.

Now let me ask you a question. Considering God's holiness, can God sin? I know what your answer is. No, he's God. Well, that answer is correct. God cannot sin. The scripture says he's of two pure eyes to behold iniquity, just as he cannot lie, He cannot sin. He cannot act contrary to any of his attributes. He is who he is. God is holy, completely set apart from evil. He's perfectly holy in his nature, in his character, and in his will.

Now here's something that is so amazing, so true, yet it's not something we can feel. Every believer is holy. Every believer is called a saint, a holy one. And the reason every believer is holy is because every believer has been born of God, birthed by the Spirit of God, and God cannot birth that which is unholy. Every believer, without exception, is holy.

David said, from the Psalms, I know it could be Christ speaking as well, as a matter of fact, it is Christ speaking as well, but it is David speaking, I am holy. It's hard to say that, isn't it? I am holy. But turn with me to 1 John chapter 3. Holiness, as much as anything else, is the inability to sin. Adam in the garden did not have a holy nature. He had an innocent nature. wasn't sinning at the time. He was innocent, but he didn't have a holy nature because holiness cannot sin. That's one of our ways of trying to describe holiness.

Holiness cannot sin. Now look at this passage in 1 John chapter 3 verse 9. Whosoever is born of God. What are the next four words? Doth not commit sin. Now, I've heard people say, well, that means they don't practice sin. Why, that's stupid. Do you practice sin? Of course you do. Every time you sin, it's the practice of sin. For somebody to say, well, he doesn't practice sin. When somebody says that, they're liars and hypocrites. Nothing more. And that's not what it says anyway. It doesn't say he doesn't practice sin. It says he does not commit sin.

Now, remember when I said this is not something we can feel or see, but it's something that so the new nature does not sin. Go on reading. For his seed, the seed of God, remember you're birthed of God by the seed of God. His seed, God's seed, born of the Spirit, his seed remains in him and he cannot sin. He lacks the ability to sin because he's born of God. Look at chapter five of 1 John. For we know, now don't miss that, we know. This is not speculation. This is not, we hope.

We know that whosoever is born of God, what sinneth not? But he that's begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. Do you remember when the Lord said with regard to Satan, the prince of this world has come and found nothing in me, nothing he can work with? Do you know in the new nature, there's nothing he can work with. The wicked one toucheth him not. That's how secure every believer is in being born of God. They have a holy nature that cannot sin.

Now listen to this statement. We will be no more holy in heaven than we are right now as we sit here. Now what that lets me know is I think How's that? Well, this gives us some idea of how much this sinful nature affects us, because we can't see that. We believe it, but we can't see. But this is the fact.

I'll be no more holy in heaven than I am right now. That holy nature begotten of God. Now, this holiness will certainly affect our conversation. and conduct in this world. Now let's go back to 1 Peter 1. Verse 13. Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind. Now what in the world does that mean?

Those days when a man, they'd have kind of flowing robes. That's the way they would dress, robes. And when a man was gonna go to work, he'd gird up his robes close to his body to enable him to work. Or if he was gonna walk, he would gird up his garment in order to do that. Now here Peter says, gird up the lorings of your mind. There's a readiness involved. in that gird up the loins of your mind. How? Be sober. Be sober. Don't be intoxicated. Be sober. Now being sober has a whole lot more meaning than don't be intoxicated by alcohol, although that could be included. That's not Peter's thinking.

Turn with me to Romans chapter 12. Verse one. I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. Holy, there's that word. Acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Anything other than this is utterly unreasonable. And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed. by the renewing of your mind that you might prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Four, I say through the grace given unto me, here's the first thing that's mentioned about the renewal of the mind, not being conformed to this world.

I say through the grace that is given unto me to every man that is among you, not to think of himself. more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly. First thing he said, have a sober view of yourself. Don't become intoxicated with a high view of yourself. Humility, humility, understanding what you are, a sinful, Man, a sinful woman saved only by the grace of God. And you have no reason to look down upon anybody. You have no reason to treat with disrespect anybody. Don't think of yourself more highly than you ought to think.

Now that's an intoxication that's worse than alcohol intoxication. To think of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Now that's what soberness is. It's a just estimate of yourself. It's not acting humble. You know, when somebody's acting humble, they're not being humble. They're actually being proud wretches. Being humble. Low opinion of yourself. And when I have a proper low opinion of myself, I'm esteeming you as better than me. Paul actually says that, let each esteem the other as better than themselves.

Gird up, back to our text in 1 Peter 1, verse 13, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end, continually, for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Now, it's interesting, the King James Version says the grace that is to be brought unto you, as if it's something in the future, but in the original, it's in the present. the grace that is brought to you. What is this grace that's brought to you? The revelation of Jesus Christ. What a blessing to have Him revealed to me. That is the grace of God. When Christ is revealed to you.

Now the only issue at all times is who is Jesus Christ? That's the only issue. Everything comes out of that. And he speaks of the, here's what happens when God gives you grace. Jesus Christ is revealed to you. That's where everything begins. Really, that's where everything ends.

And if I have him revealed to myself, I'm not gonna have this higher opinion of myself than I ought to. I love the way grace and Jesus Christ are said together. You can't separate the two. The revelation of Jesus Christ is grace brought to us. When he is revealed, the gospel is revealed. Christ himself is our hope. I can't speak that as well as I ought to, but the only hope I have is Jesus Christ. He himself is my hope. My hope's not found in me in any way to any degree. My hope is found wholly in the Lord Jesus Christ. The grace that is to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Verse 14, as obedient children. Obedient children. Look in verse 22 of the same chapter, the same word is used. Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth. Now here's what an obedient child is. He's someone who obeys the truth. The truth of the gospel.

Through the spirit, You know if you obey the truth, it's only because God the Holy Spirit enabled you to. You know that you're nothing in and of yourselves but disobedience. And the only way you can be obedient to the truth is through God the Holy Spirit causing you to. And here's where that leads.

Seeing you've purified your souls and obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned unfaked, genuine love to the brethren. That's what happens when someone is obedient to the truth. There will always accompany with it unfamed. I like that word, don't you? Unfaked, genuine love to the brethren. And the root word for obedience is to hear. That's the root word, to hear. You hear what God says. You hear, believe, and obey the truth of the gospel and all that's included in that.

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance, not fashioning yourselves. Now, when we read in Romans 12, the same word is translated transformed, transformed. We just read it. And that's what that is a reference to, as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the, transforming yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. Now, if I would, give a word regarding the natural man, what we were before God saved us.

There's a lot of words that could be used, but none better than ignorant. Ignorant of God. Ignorant of the character of God. Ignorant of my own character. Ignorant of how God saves sinners by his grace. Ignorant. They being ignorant of God's righteousness. Ignorant. Ignorant. Notice he says, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance.

Turn with me, hold your finger there and turn with me to Ephesians chapter two. This tells us something about former lusts. Ephesians chapter two, verse one. Now it doesn't, does not mean we do not have them anymore in the sense that we still have an old nature, but we have a new nature too. A new nature. And you, verse one, hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein times past you walked according to, these are the former lusts, the course of this world. According to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." Now, that's the former lust. Verse 15. But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, because it's written, be ye holy, for I am holy. But as he which hath called you is holy.

Do you know if you're a believer, God called you? Invincibly, irresistibly, God called you. Well, how can I know if God's called me? There's one dead sure way you'll know, you call on him. If He's called you, the evidence is you call on Him. When a pleased God, Paul said, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace. Oh, what a gracious call. The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto them which are called. It's the power of God unto salvation. Now, as He that has called you is holy, He's other. There's none like Him. He's separate. He's light. He's of two pure eyes to behold iniquity. As He which has called you is holy, so be ye holy.

Now, This is, well, I can't emphasize the importance of this. You don't do something to become holy. You can only be holy if you are holy. You do not, let me repeat that, you do not do something to become holy. You can only be holy if you are holy and every believer is holy. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling." In the original, be holy is in the passive voice. That lets us know that there's nothing we do to become holy. We are holy because He made us holy.

Isn't that amazing? And it's not something you can't look within and say, yes, I'm holy. You see, a believer has two natures, one holy nature that does not commit sin, the nature he was born with, and all it does is commit sin. And because of that nature, I can't look within and say, oh, yeah, I'm holy there. No, this is something we know by faith, but this is true of every believer. Every believer is holy. As he that hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. Now, it's going to affect my conversation. It's going to affect my conduct. Let me show you this in First Thessalonians chapter four. First Thessalonians chapter four. Verse 30. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, your holiness.

And look what he says, that you should abstain from fornication. The first thing he mentions is sexual sin. Now there isn't anybody in the world who's immune in their mind and their hearts from sexual sin. First thing he mentions. And I think that there's great significance in the fact that the first thing mentioned of Adam and Eve after they fell was they knew they were naked. Now, they were naked before that, but it wasn't an issue because they had innocent natures. They didn't have sinful natures like you and I have.

And the first thing he mentions is abstain from fornication. Somebody says, well, if you think it, you might as well do it. Oh, no. Oh, no. He says, abstain from all sexual sin. Verse four, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel, his body in sanctification and honor, not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles, which know not God, that no man, this is a part of how holiness is to affect our conversation, that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any manner. Don't rip him off. Don't manipulate him. Don't use him. Because that the Lord is the avenger of all such as we have also forewarned you.

For God has not called us to uncleanness, but unto holiness. You see, this holiness that every believer possesses will most certainly affect their conduct. It'll affect every aspect of my life. Holiness. Verse 16, because it's written, be ye holy for I am holy. Here's why I'm telling you to be holy, God says, in all manner of conversation, in everything you do, because it's written. And that's our reason for everything.

It's written. Need no other reason. It's written. You know, the older I get, the more I dislike the thought of confessions of faith and documents of men have written concerning the Bible. Well, this is what this says. Who cares? All I care about is what God says. It is written. And this is a quotation from Leviticus chapter 11, verse 44. There's the authority of the command. It is written, be holy. I repeat, you can only be holy if you are holy. You cannot do something to become holy. You can only be holy if you are holy. Saints, holy ones, holy brethren.

2 Timothy 1.9 says, he saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, according to his own purpose and grace which were given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

Now it is said of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy One of Israel, thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Every believer loves righteousness. His righteousness is your righteousness, and you love that. And you hate iniquity in yourself. Holiness.

We're commanded to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Now, if we believe salvation by works, all that does is terrify us. I can't be holy. But if we believe grace, we believe the gospel, we know we are holy in Christ. He is our holiness, we have a holy nature, and we can worship God in the beauty of holiness. Now, like I said, if I believe in salvation works, all that does is fill me with fear and despair. But in Christ Jesus, I am holy, and I can worship the Lord. in the beauty of holiness.

Be Ye Holy

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's holiness?

How do we know believers are holy?

Why is holiness important for Christians?

What does it mean to be an obedient child of God?

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Be Ye Holy

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's holiness?

How do we know believers are holy?

Why is holiness important for Christians?

What does it mean to be an obedient child of God?

Sermon Transcript

About Todd Nibert

Comments

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