How on earth can I be holy ?
Day 1 - SHOULD CHRISTIANS BE HOLY?
"Holiness." Is holiness for me? Shouldn't holiness only
for ministers, pastors, those that are
called full time to the ministry of the Lord.
I am only a full time mother or I am only a regular, normal
employee, or
we are only ordinary parents with two children, I don't think
holiness
is for me. Have we been feeling this way about
"holiness"?
How about this one? Me? Holy? I don't want to be seen as holy. My
friends may think that I am some kind of a fanatic religious
person,
they may even call me "Holy Jonah". I am a Christian
and I will be
kind
to others, but holiness is not for me, that's too much. Does this
sound
familiar?
Now, how about this one? Well, if others perceive me, as a person
that
is pursuing holiness, then my friends will depart from me. How
can I
approach them and witness to them about Christ if I do not blend
just a
little bit. This kind of compromise is certainly worth while?
Does
this justification sound familiar too?
Yes, friends, that may be is how we feel about holiness. But what
does
God say about holiness and its relationship with Christians? I
Pet 3:
15, "But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in
all you do;
for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." God
said that
Christians ought to be holy. He does not give this command only
to a
selected group of people, but he addresses this command to all
Christians. In verse 14 He said, "As obedient children, do
not confirm
to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance."
Now, if we
know that God call Christians to be holy, will we obey? Or will
we
justify that we can be Christians, but we do not have to fully
obey and
follow God's command. God does not allow us to pick the commands
that
we like and drop the commands that we are not comfortable with.
Day 2 - WHAT IS HOLINESS? What is holiness anyway? HOLINESS is to be SEPARATED FROM the world and to be SEPARATED UNTO God. Yes, the word holiness actually means to be separated. Holiness is to be separated in two ways: FROM the world and UNTO God. Let us go back to our text in I Pet 3. There are two types of holiness. A. Positional holiness. This is the holiness that is the result of the REDEMPTION process. From the EBS several weeks ago, we see that redeem means to be paid in full. We are paid in full by the blood of Christ and we are MADE holy by the blood of Christ. The penalty of sin is paid; our sins are washed white as snow, therefore we are MADE clean, pure and holy by the blood of Christ (Heb 10:10). This kind of holiness is called positional holiness. B. Practical or personal holiness. This is the holiness that is the result of the SANCTIFICATION process. After we become Christians and after we receive the positional holiness, then there is a sanctification process. The Webster's dictionary defines sanctification as to make holy, to make free from sin, consecrate. This is a process that takes time. We as growing Christians must learn to lead a holy life. As we grow in the knowledge of Christ, we grow in our love toward Him and we grow in wanting to please Him by pursuing holiness. We can live a holy life, but it begins with our heart. Holiness begins with our heart's DESIRE to be holy. Holiness if only external, then it become legalism or hypocrites. Many Christians fall into this trap of PRETENDING to lead a life of holiness. On the other hand if holiness is only internal, then it become mysticism or fanaticism. Many Christians fall into this trap of ARROGANCE (i.e., believing that I am holier than any other people.) This leads into arrogance, boasting and hating others that is not perceived as coming to his standard. The true holiness is an INTERNAL change of the heart revealing itself EXTERNALLY. With true holiness we will not fall into legalism, hyprocrites , mysticism or fanaticism. True holiness is founded by a desire from our heart to live a life that is pleasing to God. It is a result of our love to our God. Friends, are we ready to take the challenge to pursue holiness, to live our lives in REVERENT fear (vs. 17)?
Day 3 - MOTIVATION TO BE HOLY (Point #1) We are going to see the motivation to be holy. Let us look at this illustration. The main target for computer viruses is the computer memory. By destroying the memory, then the computer will malfunction. The computer will do the things that it should not do. In fact, until the virus is completely cleaned and the corrupted memory is cleaned, the computer won't function properly anymore. Yes, that is how unholiness (i.e., sin) works too. It is just like a virus in our mind. It comes and stays there in our mind. It starts destroying our mind. We start thinking of the evil and impure thoughts. Then, as this little piece of thought is entertained, it destroys more and more of our minds. Finally, this impure thought led itself into action. One action leads to another, one compromise leads to another. Finally, we will come to the point where we see that we are not functioning properly anymore. This is one main reason why God commands us to be holy. Being holy keeps us to function properly. Now, how can we keep our minds from wondering around and starts entertaining those impure thoughts? Remember that our actions are reflections of the things that are in our minds. Let us look at our passage for this week from I Pet 1:13, "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, be self-controlled; set you hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." First, God said that to keep our minds pure is by prepare your mind for action, which is put your minds to work. Do not let it wonder around to the fantasyland. Second, we have to control our minds by looking forward for the fulfillment of our hope (when Jesus comes for the second time). When Jesus comes for the second time and He asks us, "My child, what have you done for Me?" What will your answer be? We have seen from I Pet 13: 15 that Christians ought to be holy, "But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." Are we true Christians or are we just simply wearing a Christian label (i.e., Kristen KTP, istilah Indonesianya)? A true Christian is marked by his obedience to God's command of holiness. In addition, a true Christian will have an answer for the question, "My child, what have you done for Me?"
Day 4 - MOTIVATION TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE (Point #2) The main theme of the Bible is God's redemption plan (i.e., salvation). Holiness is the reason why sinful people need salvation and holiness is what Christians is saved for and saved into. Do you realize that baptism is also a symbol of holiness? When we are put under the water, that symbolizes that we are dead to sin. When we are raised from the water, that symbolizes that we are raised into a new life of godliness and holiness. II Cor 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" God does call Christians to be holy. Holiness is not only for ministers and pastors. We pray that these verses will speak to our hearts and at the same time, we can also see how consistent the Bible is. Verses from I Pet (our passage this week), I Cor, Romans 12, II Pet, and many others are so relevant to each other. This can only happen because the Bible is supernatural in its origin. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." Cor 6:19 "Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind," Romans 12:1-2 "What kind of people ought you be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God." 2 Pet 3:11 "So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him." 2 Pet 3:14 When you fall in love with Christ, then the "world" is not appealing anymore. Remember the time when you have your first date, and you are so much in love with your date. At that time, either the most handsome person or the prettiest girl on the street can come along your way, but you are not even compelled to talk to them. When we fall in love with Christ, then the "world" is not appealing anymore. When we focus our hearts and minds in Christ, then everything else look so dim. Yes, we will be tempted all along the way, but by keeping our minds and hearts focus, we will not fall into temptations. Yes, we can measure our love to Jesus, our God by measuring our holiness. The more we love Him, the more we want to live a holy life. How much do we love our Savior, our Lord?
Day 5 - HOW WILL PEOPLE REMEMBER YOU? Alfred Nobel had a unique experience that most of use will not have. He had a chance to read his habituary (i.e., kata-kata yang diucapkan setelah seseorang meninggal). A reporter mistakenly heard that he had died, therefore he created a habituary column in the newspaper in his behalf. A. Nobel was remembered as someone that created dynamite, the explosive that had advanced the weapon system to be able to kill thousands of people in only a split second. Nobel was extremely depressed knowing that due to his invention he will forever be remembered as someone that created the possibility to kill more and more human beings. Therefore, he made a vow to himself. Nobel spent the rest of his life creating peace over nations, encouraging peace whenever possible. He even created the Nobel prize that is given to those that have significantly created peace to preserve human life. To this day, Nobel is remembered as the person that founded the Nobel peace price and he is not remembered as the one that created the dynamite. If we are going to have a chance to read our habituary, what will we find out? How will people remember us? What kind of examples are we living behind for our children and for others? Is our life marked with emptiness or is our life marked with significance, purpose, and direction? To have a life of significance, purpose and direction requires an internal change of the heart. This change of heart is due to the separation FROM the world and UNTO God. This change of heart is the growing process of holiness. This grow in holiness is the evidence of our salvation. This grow in holiness is a measure of our LOVE to our God. After we die, will people remember us as someone that love his Lord?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Disclaimer This material is a summary of the message that was preached by Pastor Jack Graham at Prestonwood Baptist Church. The writer of this EBS (Electronic Bible Study) made some changes and added some personal notes that is necessary to customize this material into an electronic media, a daily reading material and to better fit the audience. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++