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God Has Indeed Called Us To Holiness: Why Bother? Who Cares Anyway?
God Has Indeed Called Us To Holiness: Why Bother? Who Cares Anyway?
God Has Indeed Called Us To Holiness: Why Bother? Who Cares Anyway?
Separation Concepts
Whenever we look to the subject of practical Holiness of dress the
constant questions are
WHY BOTHER? WHO CARES ANYWAY? The answer, as always, for the
"church" is God’s book...
I Cor 6: 19 "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which
ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in
your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
Notice God asks a key question....ARE YOU HIS OR NOT? We have been
bought by Calvary’s blood. THEREFORE...glorify him in BOTH spirit & body!
After the New Birth we become God’s property.
I Cor 7: 22 "For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he
that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. 23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of
men."
II Pet 1: 20 "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For
the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by
the Holy Ghost."
Heb 12: 14 "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble
you, and thereby many be defiled;"
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I Pet 1: 15 "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16
Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."
The word HOLY occurs 600 times. (in Leviticus it’s the very theme of the
book) In a Nutshell: Holiness is being separated to God...and having
our conduct befitting those who are separated. (WE’RE HEIRS!)
I Thes 4:1 "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye
have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more."
THAT ONE CONCEPT SUMS IT ALL UP! --> Because We Are His we try to
please Him. I WANT to please him because I LOVE him! ARE YOU MORE
INTERESTED IN PLEASING SELF THAT GOD?
I Thes 5: 22 "Abstain from all appearance of evil. 23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly;
and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."
We can change our conduct... but only God can change our heart!
II Cor 6: 14 "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath
righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what
concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what
agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I
will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.17 Wherefore
come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I
will receive you,"
Rom 12:1 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this
world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
This verse is not condemning health clubs and being in shape but it does
place a Biblical perspective on it. Our flesh is going back to dust but our
soul is going to live forever! The current fad in religion today with
"aerobics" in the fellowship hall and "Christian weight lifters" is probably
not hurting anything, but surely borders on being "silly" at best as far as
gaining God’s favor goes. What God does get glory from is our separation
from the world! We cannot distinguish ourselves with our health, but we
can distinguish ourselves by our attitude and our outer attire.
Even though we wrestle with our flesh God has given us a mind & heart to
cooperate with His spirit. WE SHOULD MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO MAKE
OBEDIENT CHOICES!
Phil 2: 12 "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much
more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which
worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without murmurings and
disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a
crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;"
o
Keys:
o #1. Be consistently obedient
o #2. Work out your salvation (WITH "Fear & Trembling" (sincerity) this is a short coming in our
modern Christian culture)
o #3. Obey his word without complaining
o #4. Because we will shine like lights to this world
Part Two