A Neglected Pursuit
2014-12-07
1 Peter 1:14-19
As obedient
children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially
according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time
of your exile, 18 knowing that you were
ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with
perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood
of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
Christmas is especially
conducive to thinking about our salvation.
· We often remember things we’ve been saved
from but give very little thought to the things Jesus saved us to: freedom,
obedience….holiness
o
We
enjoy benefits of union with Christ without striving for holiness. Jam 2:14-18
Many Christians only equate
holiness with “sanctification-by-checklist”:
· stop bad things, develop good habits…do/don’t
do
o
These
things cause us to feel “holy” because we stayed away from drugs, served at
Salvation Army, or maybe because we recycled.
§ It’s like Monkeys: One with eyes
covered (see no evil)’ one with ears covered (hear no evil), the other with its
mouth covered (speak no evil).
· It is possible to avoid evil without pursuing holiness.
Mt 23:25-28
o
Even
the lost may consider it wise to avoid evil.
Pursuing holiness includes
avoiding evil & bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit but at a foundational level
it’s hungering to be like Jesus Christ. Mt 5:6, Jer. 15:16a, Ps 42:1-2
·
Jesus uses the strongest impulses in
the natural realm to represent the depth of desires a Christians should have for
holiness/righteousness.
- The
Greek here signifies continuous longing/seeking.
- The
focus is not the actions of hungering/thirsting, but the craving.
o
A hungry man will have to be not begged
to eat.
- The
true believer has a strong desire to obey God (holiness), even though he
struggles with his/her unredeemed flesh.
Rom 8:23
Only by the power of
the Holy Spirit can we even attempt to pursue holiness. Phil 2:12–13, 1 Thes 5:23, Jn 15:4-5,
· But trusting God to do the work it does
not put an end to trying.
o
What
God calls us to do He also empowers us to attain.
· It is joint venture… God supplies
the means to accomplish sanctification, but we must participate by obeying/loving
Him.
God has not finished
transforming us, but sanctification/holiness can stall die to lack of effort.
·
The
enemy will use the fear of legalism or “liberty in Christ” to keep us away from
the things God uses to satisfy our hunger: regular worship, prayer, the Word.
·
Holiness
isn’t a big one-time event but gradual daily progress from where we are at to
where we ought to be.
spiritually breathing: exhale (sin, etc.) > Inhale Word,
fellowship, etc
§ Kevin DeYoung's quotes:
o
“To err is human, to make progress
is divine.”
o
“Holiness is the sum of a million
little things —avoidance of little evils, setting aside of little bits of
worldliness and little acts of compromise, the putting to death of little
inconsistencies and little indiscretions, the attention to little duties and
little dealings, the hard work of little self-denials and little
self-restraints, the cultivation of little benevolences and little
forbearances.”
From Kevin DeYoung's The
Hole in Our Holiness: Filling the Gap Between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of
Godliness
·
It
is important that we are moving in the right direction from where we currently
are.
o
The
standards of what we do/say/think, attitude, and motives should get higher the more
walk with God. 1 Pet 1:14-16, Eph 2:8-10, Phil 1:6
Don’t be satisfied with
a little bit of holiness….Like more biblical/theological knowledge, slightly
better marriage, little personal spiritual growth, and so on.
· God desires so much more for you.
With your cooperation & obedience empowered
by t
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