Called to HOLINESS #3
By Pastor George Lehman
The word Holy is mentioned more than 900 times in the Bible.
“It’s not great talent or great learning or great preachers that God needs, but men great in Holiness” – EN Bounds
1 Peter 2:21 – we were called to follow in His footsteps
God is certainly walking a path with us.
Times are always urgent for people to meet Jesus and live Holy.
But never before in the history of mankind has this message been as urgent.
Isaiah 35:4-10 The HIGHWAY of Holiness
4Encourage those who are afraid. Tell them, “Be strong, fear not, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.” 5And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf. 6The lame man will leap up like a deer, and those who could not speak will shout and sing! Springs will burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. 7The parched ground will become a pool, with springs of water in the thirsty land. Where desert jackals lived, there will be reeds and rushes!
8And a main road will go through that once-deserted land; it will be named “The Holy Highway.” No evil-hearted men may walk upon it. God will walk there with you; even the most stupid cannot miss the way. 9No lion will lurk along its course, nor will there be any other dangers; only the redeemed will travel there. 10These, the ransomed of the Lord, will go home along that road to Zion, singing the songs of everlasting joy. For them all sorrow and all sighing will be gone forever; only joy and gladness will be there.
John 17:19-20 – 19And so for their sake and on their behalf I sanctify (dedicate, consecrate) Myself, that they also may be sanctified (dedicated, consecrated, made holy) in the truth. 20Neither for these alone do I pray [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for all those who will ever come to believe in (trust in, cling to, rely on) Me through their word and teaching, – this is what Jesus had in mind:
Very clearly God has a way which we must travel. Contrary to popular belief, not all roads lead to heaven – boy, are there many side-roads that look like highways.
So many Christians are under the mistaken idea that as long as I do a few religious things, I’ll be OKAY. “ORDER IN MY HOUSE” is what God is calling for.
Holiness is doing all within one’s power to become like Jesus.
Holiness is lived, not just talked about. It’s in the walk not just the talk.
Matthew 5:8 (NIV) – blessed are the pure in Heartheart for they shall see God.
Not only blessed one day in heaven, but every day – guiding us, rivers in the desert, highway in the wilderness, provision, victory, strength.
Jesus said: Luke 6:45 – what comes out of the Heart is that and only that, which can come out of you – nothing more.
Let me just say this again:
Holiness is not a lengthy list of negatives. It’s not having to whip our spiritual selves in an attempt to become humble.
It’s not giving up everything in life that is honest fun.
Holiness is not a boring miserable, sad lifestyle.
Holiness is a happy, joyous, fun, peace-filled life, full of God-confidence.
If “Holiness as a lifestyle” is difficult and heavy to achieve – here is more than likely why,
It’s often worldly weights that hold us back.
Hebrews 12:1 – let us throw off every unnecessary weight.
It’s those sins we don’t deal with. “Sin” in Greek is to “miss the mark”.
Beware – it’s easy to fake Christianity.
Our experience of Christianity must go beyond just being another interpretation of the Bible (so we’ve heard it, let’s now move on to the next teaching).
It has to live in our hearts.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 (Amp) – But test and prove all things (until you can recognize) what is good (to that) hold fast. Don’t FAKE IT!!
The test of truth is not how much knowledge you are gaining, BUT whether you are drawing closer, week-by-week and becoming more like Jesus as a result of the truth.
1 John 4:17 (Amp) – “In this (union [eenheid] and communion with Him) love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of Judgment (with assurance and boldness to face Him) because AS HE is, so are we in this world.
This truth is possible to live, because Grace makes it possible.
If you are thinking and believing that the absence of “Living out your calling to Holiness” is okay, then there is something seriously wrong with your understanding of the concept of truth.
In our relationship with Jesus, we need to seek answers to 3 very important questions:
(these are the signs of walking on the Highway of Holiness)
Is my faith effective?
Don’t just pass over this question lightly. Honestly ask yourself.
If your prayers are being answered and if your life is becoming Godly. (If we really believed God answers prayer, we’d pray more.)
If what you say you believe is not working – why not?
Perhaps your belief is right, but you are lazy / in a comfort zone, full of compromise.
Maybe you need to put off the T.V. and spend that time with God
Go sleep earlier – to get up and pray and seek the Lord.
You may need some discipline to read your WORD again.
If you see the fruit and power of the Holy Spirit revealed in another’s’ life.
Question: How did they receive such grace from God?
Those walking close to God – AFFECT OTHERS.
Don’t be afraid to learn from those whose faith is working.
Hey!!! We become like those we associate most with.
Paul said –
Galatians 2:20 (Amp) – I have been crucified with Christ (in Him I have shared His crucifixion); it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body. I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (A Holy life is a crucified life)
If Christ is within us, we should be living holy, powerful lives.
There should be NO EXCUSES!!! Let us not blame God or anyone else for that matter for our slackness, pull up your socks you are a King’s kid.
Philippians 3:12 – Not that I have now attained (this ideal), or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own.
Let us press on – you must first believe that you are “Called to Holiness”
Hebrews 12:10(Amp) – For [our earthly fathers] disciplined us for only a short period of time and chastised us as seemed proper and good to them; but He disciplines us for our certain good, that we may become sharers in His own holiness.
