Thursday, March 24, 2011

BE YE HOLY - 12

L – BE YE HOLY – 12

The Scriptures speak a lot about fruit.  So it is with holiness.  Rom. 6:22  David speaks of fruit of a godly life.  Ps. 1:2,3  The godly man is like a tree that bears fruit.  Ps. 92:14  The righteous man will still be yielding fruit in old age.  Prov. 11:30  The fruit of the righteous is to win souls.  Isa. 3:10  We will eat the fruit of our actions so we desperately want our lives to be holy.  Jer. 6:19  The fruit can be negative for their plans did not follow God’s Word.  Hosea 10:12,13  We reap the fruit we sow.  They were admonished to sow in righteousness or they would reap wickedness.  We want to sow fruit to holiness and in the end reap everlasting life.

As we turn to the N.T. probably the first scripture we think of is Gal. 5:22,23.  This speaks of fruit in the Christian life through the Holy Spirit as given to the believer when he accepts Christ as Savior in baptism.  It is his gift.  Acts 2:38  We do not automatically have those attitudes mentioned but through the power of the Holy Spirit, we begin to work on these attitudes that we may have the kind of spirit of holiness that Christ wants in us as one that belongs to Him.  Remember Ps. 1:3.  We are like a tree that is nourished by the Holy Spirit and the fruit we bear is holy.

Phil. 1:10,11  As we follow Christ, we bear fruit of righteousness.  We discern the things that would be to the glory of God.  Jam. 3:17,18  We need the wisdom from above that is sown with the seed of peace.  Here we have another fruit list:  pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, and not hypocritical.  We see ourselves as so knowledgeable.  This scripture is in the middle of teaching about disorder, quarrels, and conflict.  1 Cor. 8:2  We sometimes have the facts but not the spirit.  We must be ever so careful to keep this good seed of peace   Prov. 16:7;  Jam. 4:10   Humility is one way.  We need to write Jam. 1:19 as a frontlet on our forehead.  The devil’s biggest asset is trouble through unrighteous spirits.  One of the 7 abominations of the Lord is sowing discord among brethren.  Prov. 6:19  This isn’t the kind of seed that bears the fruit of righteousness.

Another kind of fruit is our example and our witnessing.  1 Jhn. 1:3  We realize that we have not seen and heard Jesus in person, but we have experienced His working in our lives.  We have a faith and spirit that shows.  We have a personal relationship with Him.  To be a true witness we have to have that relationship ourselves.  Ps. 126:6  If we sow, we will reap.  If we never sow, we will never reap.  Prov. 11:30  This is one fruit of one that longs to be holy.  1 Cor. 3:6  As we work to bear fruit in this way, God will give the increase.  It is not us, but we can sow the seed and water it.  Remember the types of soil.  Not all will take root.  Jhn. 15:18,19

1 Pet. 3:15  We sometimes wonder what to study with 66 books in the Bible.  This might be one of our goals in study—be prepared to explain salvation with scripture and other questions that might be asked.  Ps. 51:13   Everyone is apprehensive when it comes to approaching someone about the Lord.  We never know what the outcome will be.  Prayer comes before the approach; then kindness and understanding of where they are in their spiritual life.  God will be with us.  We need not fear.  2 Tim. 1:7  Think how they treated Christ;  then are we afraid we will be turned down.  Even if we are, we may have planted a seed.  We must always leave with an open door if ever they need us or want to talk about the Bible.

Being holy is being Christlike.  We know Christ came to “seek and save the lost.”  Lk. 19:10  So this must be one of our aims; but Christ also came to serve.  Matt. 20:28  So we also must serve others.  Gal. 5:13  There are so many ways to serve others.  We won’t all serve in the same way.  Some of them are simple.  Others may be sacrificial of time and finances.  Matt. 25:40  This one included hunger, thirst, strangers, need of clothing, sick, even those in prison.  2 Cor. 1:4 reminds us of the comfort we receive from God and so we in turn comfort others in need of comfort.  We serve whoever for we know that we will receive good back from the Lord.  Eph. 6:7,8    Gal. 6:10  mentions all men but especially those of the household of faith or Christians.   “All” men would not exclude because of color, social status, financial status, etc.  Too often people will help others to be lifted up in the eyes of the community.  They help for the sake of pride.  We are to be servants—helpful—in any way we can and in any way we are needed.  This means leaving our comfort zone, giving of our time, setting aside things we wanted or maybe even needed to do.  Our eyes need to be open to find ways to serve.  We get so wrapped up in our own work, interests, entertainment that we never see the needs of others.  Ps.119:18

Whatever we do—to serve or to witness—we must do it with a spirit of love and thanksgiving.  Col. 3:17  Without love we are nothing.  No matter how much we serve or how many we witness to, if we do it with a spirit of  obligation (not really wanting to do it) and without a spirit of love with the attitude that we are working for the Lord and to His glory—then we are nothing.  1 Cor. 13:3 

To be holy: We must be set apart—separate—from the world.  We cannot do the things they do or have the attitudes they do if it is unspiritual and not to the glory of God.  We are His people.  We have been bought at a very expensive price—Christ on the cross.  We praise and thank Him every day of our lives.  By the power of the Holy Spirit, Bible study and prayer, we develop a godly character, conduct of holiness, and attitudes pleasing to our Master.  All we think, say, and do are filtered by things that are holy.  Our lives are lived to love, witness, and serve our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as those that are in the world.  As a “light” and “salt” of the world, we are an example to others as we follow Christ who is our example.

We cannot grow weary.  Gal. 6:9;  1 Cor. 15:58  Our reward is forever and greater than we can even imagine.  1 Pet. 5:10;  Gal. 6:8

May we always strive to wholly holy.


  


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