Hope of Holiness

What is Christmas all about? Why do even celebrate it? When it comes to season of Christmas many have different thoughts and ideas about it. Instead of focusing in on what others my believe it to be let me just ask you personally, what does Christmas mean to you?

For this season of Christmas we will be exploring together the “Hope of Christmas” And taking each letter in the word HOPE will create an acrostic to dive deeper into what the Bible says Christmas is about.

Read primary passage:

Matthew 1:18–25 NKJV

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” 24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.

The birth of Christ Jesus raises a question. Why did God become flesh? Well the quick answer is found in the the text we just read. v. 21 “you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Hope has a name and His name is JESUS = SAVIOR

Christmas is all about HOPE

Define Biblical hope:

Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered What Does the Bible Say about Hope?

The Bible has quite a lot to say about hope. Biblical hope has as its foundation faith in God. The word hope in English often conveys doubt. For instance, “I hope it will not rain tomorrow.” In addition, the word hope is often followed by the word so. This is the answer that some may give when asked if they think that they will go to heaven when they die. They say, “I hope so.” However, that is not the meaning of the words usually translated “hope” in the Bible.

In the Old Testament the Hebrew word batah and its has the meaning of confidence, security, and being without care.

The concept of doubt is not part of this word. We find that meaning in Job 6:20; Psalm 16:9; Psalm 22:9; and Ecclesiastes 9:4.

In most instances in the New Testament, the word hope is the Greek elpis/elpizo. Again, there is no doubt attached to this word.

So biblical hope is a confident expectation or assurance based upon a sure foundation for which we wait with joy and full confidence. In other words, “There is no doubt about it!”

Therefore it is this kind of hope the Bible talks about when it comes to YHWH promises, from past, to present and into the future. There is no doubt in God’s holy Word. Keep that kind of hope in mind as we explore the topic “The Hope of Christmas”

Now with that said lets get into our main point and focus.

As I said earlier we are going to the take the word HOPE and create an acrostic with each letter. We will only look at the letter H this morning and next we we will continue with the letter O.

H is for Holiness

The hope of Christmas brings with it the hope of holiness.

Within this main idea the Bible is going to answer three questions:

What is holiness?

Where does holiness originate?

How does one become holy?

When it comes to Christmas, we have made Christmas about us. We think Christmas is about giving and receiving gifts from under our Christmas trees. Yet Christmas isn't about that and should have never become what it has become today. All the things we tend to associate Christmas with only points us away from the truth and meaning.

Ever since the fall of man, recorded in Gen. 3 mans greatest need has been reconciliation. To be made right with God. That which was lost to be found. That which has died to be made alive again. That which is now unholy to be made holy.

Man lost everything the day Adam disobeyed God’s protective decree.

Everything God made through His creation He made holy, because He is holy. Man lost his own holiness and it is God who longs to restore that holiness. And it is only God who can restore, reconcile, and make right that which man has selfishly lost in his vain pursue to be a god.

Leviticus 11:44–45 NKJV

44 For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. 45 For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

1 Thessalonians 4:7 NKJV

7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.

Where does holiness originate from?

The Holiness of God Chapter 8: Be Holy Because I Am Holy

The call to holiness was first given to Adam and Eve. This was the original assignment of the human race. We were created in the image of God. To be God’s image meant, among other things, that we were made to mirror and reflect God’s character. We were created to shine forth to the world the holiness of God. This was the chief end of man, the very reason for our existence.

God’s purpose is to restore that holiness that has been lost due to man’s rebellious acts that lead into a sinful nature.

What is holiness?

The Handbook of Bible Promises Holiness and God

The original Hebrew word for holy has the idea of ‘being separate’, ‘set apart’, perhaps even ‘special’, which is a positive word. God is special! He is special because he is different, separate from everything else. This is why his holiness is related to his glory (Isaiah 6:3).

Isaiah 6:3 NKJV

3 And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”

Holiness isn't simply being set apart from sin. It’s being set apart to the glory and love and work of God.

How does one become holy?

This question brings us back to the beginning of this message or the title of this Christmas series “The Hope of Christmas” The birth of Christ, Word of God becoming flesh becomes to source of this restored image of God that was lost in fall of man. The whole purpose of Christ’s first advent or arrival was to reconcile all who would recognize Him for He truly is.

He is the Holy Creator God giver of life and is the Savior to all who will call upon His Holy Name.

Holiness can be restored and given to those who repent of their sins, turn to the only one who can restore (JESUS). Through the power of JESUS’ death, burial and resurrection the dead come to life, the blind are given sight, darkness turns to light and unholiness is transformed to holiness.

A person is made holy once again by grace through faith in Jesus the Christ.

And so the holiness of God is imputed to those He reconciles to Himself. (Imputed means “to be credited”)

The Bible calls those who experience such transformation - SAINTS

The Holiness of God Chapter 8: Be Holy Because I Am Holy

In the New Testament all of the people of God enjoy the title saint. The word means simply “holy one.” The New Testament saints were the holy ones.

The Holiness of God Chapter 8: Be Holy Because I Am Holy

The saints of Scripture were called saints not because they were already pure but because they were people who were set apart and called to purity

As holy ones of God we are to look more like God, who has created us in His image and less like this world. In fact the radical conclusion is that we are not to look like this world at all.

The truth of the matter is, if you have truly been born-again in Christ you will want this kind of holy life.

The Holiness of God Chapter 8: Be Holy Because I Am Holy

The Bible calls us “holy ones.” We are holy because we have been consecrated to God. We have been set apart. We have been called to a life that is different. The Christian life is a life of nonconformity. The idea of nonconformity is expressed in Romans:

Romans 12:1–2 NKJV

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

The Holiness of God Chapter 8: Be Holy Because I Am Holy

In Romans 12 the “therefore” refers to all the apostle has stated in the previous chapters regarding Christ’s saving work on our behalf. The word drives us forward to the only proper conclusion we can draw from His work. In light of the gracious justification that Christ has achieved for us, the only reasonable conclusion we can reach is that we ought to present ourselves totally to God as walking, breathing, living sacrifices.

What does the living sacrifice look like? Paul first describes it in terms of nonconformity. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world.”

And yet be conformed or transformed by the renewing of our minds. Set apart in His holiness.

Conclusion:

So in conclusion, God’s desire for your life is the live in His holiness made possible by His Superior gift JESUS - Savior “God with us”

To live a holy life, is to live a life in conformity to the moral holiness of the God and in contrast to the sinful ways of the world.

It is to live a life characterized by the “[putting] off of your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires...and [putting] on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22, 24).