BE YE HOLY - 10

J – BE YE HOLY – 10

As we come to the 10^th lesson in this series, we want to see from where we have come so that we might remember and then have a better view of where we are going. 

Our study of “Be Ye Holy” comes from 1 Pet. 1:15,16.  We studied just who God is and how we have to recognize Him who gave, is giving, and will give us everything.  We might ask “How can we ever be holy?”  We find in 2 Pet. 1:3  that He provides all that we need for life and godliness.  2 Pet. 1:4 further gives us the promise that we can partake of the divine nature.  Through Him we can even escape the corruption of the world.

We then studied the word “holy” with its implications.  Simply put, to be holy we must be set apart or separated from the unholy or things of this world.  Jesus gave the word “perfect” which means complete in Matt. 5:48.  In putting together the puzzle of our life. we cannot hold some of the pieces out and have a perfect, complete puzzle.  We separate ourselves from things of the world but want to hold on to some things that keep us from being completely all for Christ.

When we decide to be holy, we have a new purpose in life.  We have a new calling. As we become a Christian, we are a new creature.  1 Thess. 4:7  We can no longer make provision for the former desires of the world that we had.  Rom. 13:14  Our desire in life is not for human or selfish desires any longer but for the will of God.  1 Pet. 4:2

We begin setting our mind on things above.  Col. 3:2  As we do things, we realize that we have many “old clothes” or earthly desires that we must “take off” and now we cloth ourselves with spirits, thoughts, actions that are pleasing to Christ.  We discipline ourselves for godliness.  1 Tim. 4:7

The greatest energizer for this new life is love.  Lk. 10:27  Love is what God is.  As God first loved us, so we love Him and our fellow man—whether lovely or unlovely.  1 Cor. 13 explained what love is and what love is not.  This is the kind of love we must follow.

As we love God and put our trust in Him,  we hand our lives over to Him.  This helps make us content in whatever we have, whatever we are, whatever circumstance in which we find ourselves.  1 Tim. 6:6  If we are content, then we can be more thankful as the two go hand in hand.  In our contentment we must still do and be the very best that we can and not become apathetic and sluggish in our Christian life.

As we strive to be holy, we will be tempted.  Temptation is not wrong.  It depends on what we do with it.  Jesus was tempted, yet He did not falter but looked to the Word and to God.  We must be careful to not needlessly walk into temptation but we also must be aware that Satan wishes to destroy our zeal to be holy.

What is temptation?  It is an enticement or invitation to sin.  Sin is the opposite of what God wants us to do and be.  It separates us from God.  It keeps us from “being holy.”  Jam. 1:14  The results of sin are not good.  Jam. 1:15  It comes in steps.  Best we not take that first step—even if we think it is just a baby step.  Jam. 1:12  Just because we are tempted, we do not have to give in.  We might say or think we are in Christ, but if we are in sin, we don’t know our Lord.  1 Jhn. 3:6  Jesus knew these things would come and He prayed for us.  Jhn. 17:15;  2 Thess. 3:3  Jesus overcame the world and He will help us, too.  Jhn. 16:33  We do not go through these temptations alone.  Many other Christians go through like temptations.  1 Cor. 10:13  What an encouraging scripture!  We are like a support group for each other for we all have temptations.  We have this promise of being able to endure whatever comes.  This is not a passive promise.  We still must have our Christian armor on and cry out to God for help.  2 Pet. 2:9  God is able.

As we stand against temptation, we exercise our spiritual muscles to grow in strength—not our own strength but in the strength of the Lord.  Jam. 1:2-4  Christians have many tests that come in many forms.  We can have tests of really knowing Him—not just knowing about Him.  Many of our tests come in living for Him and also serving Him.  John puts our knowing, living, and serving together in 1 Jhn. 2:3-6  This follows in steps.  We know Him in v. 3.  We love Him in v. 5.  We abide in Him v. 6  We walk in Him in v.6.   1 Jhn. 2:10,11  So in 1 John we can put together the 1^st commandment and also the 2^nd commandment.

As we have tests and temptations, because of Christ we can triumph over them. 

1 Jhn.4:4  We become slaves to sin or to righteousness.  We choose.  Rom.6:16,17  Since we now have the Spirit in us, we can be free from the law of sin.  Rom. 8:2  We can be overcomers.  G. Campbell Morgan said, “Holiness is not freedom from temptation, but power to overcome temptation.” 

Lest we become discouraged with our sin, we have a promise in 1 Jhn. 1:9  God knows our weaknesses and our needs even better than we do.  Lk. 9:23  Following Jesus is a daily process.  If we want to be holy, we must be ready to daily do what we need to do.  Steve Martini said, “The trouble most people have with resisting temptation is that they never really want to discourage it completely.”  “Just a little bit” or “Just once more.” 

We have instructions in God’s Word to help us daily. 

• Psa. 61:8 – Keep our commitment to God daily
• Psa. 72:15,19; Psa. 88:9 – Never a day go by without praise and prayer
• Isa. 58:2 – Seek to know God’s will daily
• Heb. 3:13;  Heb. 10:24,25 – Responsibility to one another
• Heb. 5:14 – Study and discipline ourselves daily to discern good from evil

Once a week is not enough to discipline and train our lives in holiness.  Josh. 1:8;  This Scripture mentions day and night.  Do you ever have trouble sleeping?  To what does your mind turn automatically?  We need to be so steeped in spiritual things that at a moment’s notice our mind turns to God—day and night.  This is like pray without ceasing.  1 Thess. 5:17  Our minds and hearts are always tuned in to God.  Psa. 1:2