Christian Living Part 1

For the next several Thursday night's Pastor Davis will be teaching our Discipleship 2 Series. It has been a while since we have heard him preach and teach. He lovingly took care of our beloved Sis Vickie during her illness and has not been able to teach/preach for some time. Tonight, we were blessed to hear him teach once again. Bible Study night is my favorite night of the week. I love learning from the Word of God. Hearing my pastor teach just makes it all the more wonderful. I am not sure if it was recorded and as the link is not on the App at this time, I cannot add it. That being said, if/when it does become available, I will add it to this blog at a later time. I did not take notes. I really wanted to hear everything he was teaching. I can, however with permission, add to this blog, portions of the lesson as it was posted to the Bethel App. If you call Bethel your home church or if   you live in the area, I strongly recommend you make your way to Bethel on Thursday nights at 7:30pm. It's worth every minute. Pastor dives deep into the Word and the notes on the App go nowhere near to the depth of his lesson. God is good.

Hebrews 12:14

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”

I. HOLINESS DEFINED

A. Both the Old and New Testament Scriptures define the internal character and the external behavior of the

people of God with an extraordinary word – holiness.

• Deuteronomy 7:6 – “For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath

chosen thee to be a special (separated) people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of

the earth.”

• 1 Peter 2:9 – “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people

(unique treasure); that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness

into his marvellous light.”

1. In the Bible, the English word “holy” is translated from the Hebrew word “quaddash” and the Greek

work “hagiasmos.” Both words are defined as “to be set apart or consecrated,” to be sanctified, to be

kept apart from unclean or impure things.

2. Inherent in both words are the connotations of separation, purity, and perfection.

B. Since the scripture informs us that without holiness “no man shall see the Lord,” it is vitally important for

us to study the Biblical principle of “holiness” and see how it relates to our daily lives.

II. THE CHARACTER OF GOD – HOLINESS

A. The nature and character of God is most clearly revealed in His two major, defining attributes: love and

holiness.

1. 1 John 4:8 tells us that “God is love.” This is often stated as being the essential nature of God.

2. However, more than fifty times in Scripture we are told that God is holy.

• Psalm 99:9 – “... the LORD our God is holy.”

• Exodus 15:11 – “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, ... glorious in holiness, ...?”

• Ezekiel 39:7 – “...I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.”

• Leviticus 11:45 – “... ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

• Revelation 4:8 – “And the four beasts ...rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord

God Almighty...”

(See also: Leviticus 11:44; Leviticus 20:26; Joshua 24:19; 1 Samuel 2:2; 1 Samuel 6:20;

2 Kings 19:22; 1 Chronicles 16:10; Job 6:10; Psalm 22:3; Isaiah 6:3; Ezekiel 39:7; Hosea 11:9;

Amos 4:2; Habakkuk 1:12)

B. Scripture also indicates that not only is God Himself holy, but all that He commands, establishes, ordains,

and decrees is holy as well.

• The law and commandments of God are holy. (Romans 7:12)

• His promises are holy. (Psalm 105:42)

• All Scripture is holy. (Romans 1:2; 2 Timothy 3:15,16)

• His name is holy. (Psalms 99:3, 1 Chronicles 29:16, Matthew 6:9, Philippians 2:9-11)

III. THE HOLINESS OF GOD’S PEOPLE

A. Holiness is not attributed only to God; it is also used in Scripture to define God’s people – His saints, His

children, the believers, followers and disciples.

• Deuteronomy 28:9 – “The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn

unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.”

• Exodus 19:6 – “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation ...”

• Hebrews 3:1 – “ ...holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, ...”

B. Because God is holy, He calls for a holy people. Holiness is not a suggestion or an option – it is an

imperative New Testament command of God.

• Romans 6:19 – “ ...as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto

iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.”

• Romans 6:22 – “ ...being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto

holiness, ...”

• Romans 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 Corinthians 7:1 – “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from

all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

• Ephesians 1:4 – “...that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.”

• Ephesians 4:24 – “...put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true

holiness.”

• Ephesians 5:27 – “That he (Christ) might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or

wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

• 1 Peter 1:15-16 – “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation

(anastrophe: behavior); Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

• Hebrews 12:14 – “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the

Lord.”

1. These Scriptures, along with others, elevate the principle of personal holiness to a dimension of great

importance – holiness becomes an essential, necessary element of the Christian life.

2. Holiness is the only lifestyle of the true, scripturally-obedient Christian. It becomes a distinguishing

characteristic – a divine calling for all believers.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:7 – “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.”