Pursuing His Likeness
Notes
Transcript
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.
I. We need to be holy simply because He is Holy.
I. We need to be holy simply because He is Holy.
A. We do this in order to please God.
A. We do this in order to please God.
B. This will help us portray Christ to others.
B. This will help us portray Christ to others.
C. And we will benefit both now and for eternity if we obey this command.
C. And we will benefit both now and for eternity if we obey this command.
II. Holiness means we are conforming to God’s character.
II. Holiness means we are conforming to God’s character.
A. We think as He thinks.
A. We think as He thinks.
B. We love what He loves.
B. We love what He loves.
C. We hate what He hates.
C. We hate what He hates.
D. We act as He would act.
D. We act as He would act.
II. Holiness is specifically separation from sin and worldly values and dedication to God and His will.
II. Holiness is specifically separation from sin and worldly values and dedication to God and His will.
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.
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.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
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.
A. If we want to be received of God we will have to live holy.
A. If we want to be received of God we will have to live holy.
III. Being holy means we must not love the world or even become attached to the things in it.
III. Being holy means we must not love the world or even become attached to the things in it.
A. We may not participate in its sinful pleasures and activities.
A. We may not participate in its sinful pleasures and activities.
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
B. According to John we must avoid three major areas of sin.
B. According to John we must avoid three major areas of sin.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
1. The lust of the flesh.
1. The lust of the flesh.
2. The lust of the eyes.
2. The lust of the eyes.
3. The pride of life.
3. The pride of life.
IV. We must abstain, or stay away from, every form of evil.
IV. We must abstain, or stay away from, every form of evil.
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
V. Holiness should be both inward and outward.
V. Holiness should be both inward and outward.
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?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
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.
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.
A. Holiness affects the inside in these areas.
A. Holiness affects the inside in these areas.
1. Attitudes
1. Attitudes
2. Thoughts
2. Thoughts
3. Spiritual Stewardship
3. Spiritual Stewardship
B. Holiness affects the outside in these areas.
B. Holiness affects the outside in these areas.
1. Actions
1. Actions
2. Appearance
2. Appearance
3. Physical Stewardship
3. Physical Stewardship
VI. A life of Holiness is striving for perfection.
VI. A life of Holiness is striving for perfection.
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
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.
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
A. Perfection
A. Perfection
1. Perfection today means to be flawless.
1. Perfection today means to be flawless.
2. Perfection in the Bible means to be come to full maturity.
2. Perfection in the Bible means to be come to full maturity.
i. We ought to be constantly maturing in our walk with God.
i. We ought to be constantly maturing in our walk with God.
ii. We don’t want to always be a baby in the Lord.
ii. We don’t want to always be a baby in the Lord.
iii. We wan to constantly be growing in grace and spiritual knowledge.
iii. We wan to constantly be growing in grace and spiritual knowledge.
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
B. We must overcome sin on a daily basis.
B. We must overcome sin on a daily basis.
Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
C. We should not sin, but if we do, we can receive forgiveness by repenting and confessing.
C. We should not sin, but if we do, we can receive forgiveness by repenting and confessing.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
VII. All aspects of Salvation, including the Spirit’s sanctifying work, come by faith!
VII. All aspects of Salvation, including the Spirit’s sanctifying work, come by faith!
A. If we truly believe God, we will obey God’s Word.
A. If we truly believe God, we will obey God’s Word.
B. Also, if we truly love God, we will obey God’s commandments.
B. Also, if we truly love God, we will obey God’s commandments.
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
C. Love is more demanding that law and leads us closer to God.
C. Love is more demanding that law and leads us closer to God.
1. If you love something or someone you want to be with them and you want to please them.
1. If you love something or someone you want to be with them and you want to please them.
D. God’s Spirit imparts a holy nature.
D. God’s Spirit imparts a holy nature.
1. Through the Spirit we can overcome sin and live righteously.
1. Through the Spirit we can overcome sin and live righteously.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.