CHRISTIAN LIVING – Part 2

Hebrews 12:14 NKJV

14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

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IV. THE ATTAINMENT OF HOLINESS

A. Holiness and righteousness are closely related concepts in Scripture. These principles overlap and have a close relationship with each other.

1. The word righteousness is often used to indicate justification, which means being “made right,” blameless, innocent or just before God.

2. The word holiness is often used to indicate proper behavior, virtuous action and godly lifestyle.

B. As Christians, we attain and maintain holiness and righteousness in two ways: by the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ and by our continual obedience to the Word of God.

1. First, righteousness and holiness are imputed (bestowed, granted) to us by Jesus Christ. When we become children of God, His holiness is accredited to us.

• Romans 5:17–19 “17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 “21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

• 1 Corinthians 15:34 “34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.”

• Romans 1:17–18 “17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,”

2. We see unmistakably that righteousness and holiness are accounted to us through our obedience to God’s Word.

• Romans 6:19 – “…yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.”

• Romans 12:1 – “…present your bodies …holy,”

• 2 Corinthians 7:1 – “…cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness.”

• Ephesians 4:24 – “…put on the new man …in righteousness and true holiness.”

• 1 Peter 1:15-16 – “…be ye holy in all manner of conversation (anastrophe: behavior)”

• Hebrews 12:14 – “Follow … holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”

• 2 Timothy 2:22 – “Flee lusts and follow righteousness…”

• Titus 2:12 – “…deny ungodliness and worldly lust, live soberly, righteously and godly…”

• 1 John 2:29 – “…he that doeth righteousness is born of him (God)”

• 1 John 3:7 – “…he that doeth righteousness is righteous…”

• 1 John 3:10 – “…whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God…”

• 2 Peter 3:11 – “…what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation (anastrophe: behavior) and godliness.”

• Titus 2:11-12 – “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.”

C. We cannot make ourselves clean (only God can do that), but we can make ourselves dirty. We cannot make ourselves righteous, but we can make ourselves unrighteous. We cannot make ourselves holy, but we can make ourselves unholy. Once we have been made clean, we have a responsibility to keep ourselves clean.

• 1 John 5:18 “18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.”

• James 1:27 “27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”

• 1 Timothy 5:22 “22 Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure.”

• 2 Peter 2:20–22 “20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.””

• 2 Corinthians 7:1 “1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

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V. THE TWO DIMENSIONS OF PERSONAL HOLINESS

• Matthew 23:25–26 “25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.”

This Scripture reveals four possibilities:

Outside Dirty – Inside Dirty

Outside Dirty – Inside Clean

Outside Clean – Inside Dirty

Outside Clean – Inside Clean

• 2 Corinthians 7:1 “1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

• 1 Thessalonians 5:23 “23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

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VI. INTERNAL HOLINESS

A. The words, spirit and soul, while not always used synonymously in Scripture, indicate the inner man. Together, the spirit and soul constitute our thinking, our will, our emotions, our “heart” – it is the part of us that is internal and eternal.

• 1 John 1:9 “9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

B. Man is powerless to cleanse himself from sin. The inward cleansing of the human soul and spirit can only be accomplished by Jesus Christ, Himself.

• Revelation 1:5 “5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,”

• 1 John 1:7 “7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

C. However, once our hearts have been cleansed by the power of the blood, it becomes our responsibility to keep our hearts and inner man clean.

• Proverbs 4:23 “23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”

• John 15:3 “3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.”

• 1 Peter 1:22 “22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,”

• Ephesians 5:25–26 “25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,”

• Psalm 119:11 “11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.”

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VII. EXTERNAL HOLINESS

A. Internal holiness is vital, but authentic internal holiness will eventually result in external holiness.

• Romans 12:1 “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.”

• Romans 6:12 “12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.”

B. The Christian life has always been a life of self-denial. In order to follow Christ, one of the first things we must do is learn to say “no” to our own flesh, to Satan and to worldly desires.

• Matthew 16:24 “24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”

• Titus 2:12 “12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,”

• Romans 8:13 “13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

C. The apostle Paul teaches us the necessity of denying the flesh, controlling the carnal appetites and bringing the body under the control of the spirit.

• 1 Corinthians 9:27 “27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

D. Our body is the temple of God, and God will only dwell in a temple that is holy.

• 1 Corinthians 6:19 “19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”

• 1 Corinthians 3:16–17 “16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.”

E. As Christians, sooner or later, we must decide whether or not we are going to be obedient to the commands of the New Testament. Most of these commands involve our behavior and lifestyle.

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