SERMON - HOW YOU WILL BECOME HOLY

 

How You Will

 Become

Holy

 

 

The Bible, God’s Word, tells us that we must be holy, “even as God is Holy,” to gain entry into Paradise . Now, I ask how are we to become holy in the sight of God? How do any of us gain the right to gain entry into Paradise with all of our sins of this world?

 

1 Peter 1:  ¹⁵ But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶ for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

 

And

 

1 Thessalonians 4: ⁷ For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.  

 

Peter tells us that we must be holy just as God, Himself, is holy to gain Paradise . Paul makes it clear that God will not call us to heaven to receive His pardon but that His gift of salvation is given us for our obeying Him and being holy.

 

What does ‘holy’ mean?

 

To be ‘holy’ means that one is ‘spiritually sound,’ and, ‘pure and blameless in God’s sight.’

 

To me and to true Christians the thought is, ‘that is impossible. There was but one holy man and that was Jesus.’

 

Can any say, I am as holy as Jesus Christ? He was spotless, blameless and perfect. He lived His life here on earth without sin. Even the Bible says, “There is none holy as is the Lord.”

 

The laws of God were established for the purpose of showing us that it is impossible to measure up to His standard of holiness. There is no man or woman that can truthfully say,”I am as holy as Jesus was.” No exhibit of willpower, spiritual strength or ability to pray could ever make anyone as holy as Jesus.

 

God recognizes only one person to have ever been holy. That was, as is, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who stands alone out of the billions of persons who have lived upon this earth since the beginning of time.

 

What we must accept and believe with all of our heart is, ‘we must, to meet God’s standard of holiness, be in Christ.’ We must know and truly believe that when we stand before God it will be through Jesus’ grace and through no merit of our own.

 

Ephesians 2: ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility

 

Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross man must realize that he had to stop any attempts to be holy by keeping God’s laws. Man also had to realize that there were no amounts of works, good deeds, righteous efforts or anything that he could do to equal Jesus Christ. As man realized that he also realized that God accepted only Jesus as holy and those who accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior as worthy of Him.

 

It is because of our being, ‘born again,’ and becoming one with Him, that any holiness is realized.  This is the meaning behind God’s Word when He said:

 

Ephesian 1: ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.

 

As true Christians we obey the dictates and lessons as Jesus set forth and thus are as one with Him. God has said that although we were, “dead in transgressions,” through belief and acceptance of Jesus, we are “saved.”

 

Jesus, as the one holy and sinless man, who walked here on earth, gained a new body upon His resurrection.  We, as His followers, are that body!

 

1 Corinthians 12: ²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 

 

We, as true Christians, are made bone of Christ’s bone and flesh of His flesh. We have been adopted into His family.

 

Romans 12: ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

 

Now, here is the most important part, because we are in Christ we are made holy!

 

Romans 11: ¹⁶ If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

The, “firstfruits,” is Jesus Christ, and it is our being one with Him that we are made holy! This is to our joy and for this we rejoice.

John 15: 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

So, you see, holiness is not something we can attain or work up to. Rather, it is something we believe by faith and trust in Jesus’ work. God accepts as holy only if we have faith in Him and abide in Him by the Holy Spirit.

I repeat: The path to holiness is not through human ability, but through faith. Faith is Jesus Christ who has accomplished all for us.

Now, allow me to say words related to faith in Jesus Christ that all too many church gatherings hear. If one says, ‘I am a Christian, I am reborn, I am saved, but if that person continues to live a life of sin and fails to repent to Him and from sin, that person must stand before Him to receive a judgment. On that day they as one stands before God, on Judgment Day, He may be heard to say: “I never knew you – because you were never on the proper ground’ You never set aside your confidence in the flesh and all that you did was not by the power of the Holy Spirit. You did as you thought best by your own strengths without accepting My Son’s sacrifice on the cross for you. I accept My Son as holy and righteous and man’s works are a stench in my nostrils.”

What this tells you, and I say with words meant to awaken Christian thoughts in you, HAVE FAITH IN HIM, IN YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR. Forget anything else and BE HOLY IN HIM. As you stand before your Heavenly Father BE HOLY IN CHRIST!

1 Corinthians 1: ³⁰ It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. ³¹ Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

I have heard people as they spoke of another person at a service saying, “I wish I was as holy as that person.” Allow it to be said, THERE IS BUT ONE HOLINESS – ONE! JESUS CHRIST!

A new Christian that TRULY BELIEVES is as holy as the most seasoned Christian, that being not holy at all! Only one man was holy. Do not measure yourself any more. You may not have that person’s discipline or prayer life. You may struggle with evil more often and even make more mistakes than that person, but know this: 

NO ONE IS MORE LOVED IN GOD’S EYES THAN HIS SON AND A TRUE CHRISTIAN THAT IS ONE WITH JESUS CHRIST!

Put off self reliance on your flesh and lay claim to your holiness as part of the body of Jesus Christ. Be seen as holy in God’s eyes only because of Him!

I sincerely pray that this excites your spirit as much as it did mine! All glory to Him that gave up His life so that we could live in Him!

(Closing prayer)  

Father in Heaven, our Creator and Provider, all glory to You. God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and our forefathers, You are the only God and there is no other. All praises and glory are Yours alone. You who have created the sun, moon, stars, our world about us, are most powerful.

Lord, it is with joyful hearts that we accept this message informing us of our salvation and forthcoming life eternal with You. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Your Son, dwelled amongst us, died for our sins and sent the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts and for that we thank You. 

You lent proof to His being Your Son by raising Him from death thereby giving us reason to rejoice in being able to name ourselves as Christians. To You we bow and give our worship.

Father, we are in perilous times as we live our lives here on earth. Please be with us and, as El Gibbor, give us the strength to remain strong as we face the dangers which may lie ahead. Please strengthen Your children throughout this world and be with them as they are confronted with evil. Comfort them, O Lord.

Abba, At the time of our earthly demise, Father, bring us to Your home in Paradise seeing us as one with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and holy in Your Eyes.

 We pray these words in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Your Son who is One with You and the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever,

Amen, amen and amen.