Last week…shared two qualities that should be our attitude towards God.
FIRST…God’s Holiness is without Equal
The very definition of holiness means God is not at all like us…not in any way…He is completely apart and entirely different than you and me.
SECONDLY…God’s Holiness Demands Reverence
You cannot have an encounter with God and stay the same…when He truly touches you, you are changed – spirit, soul, and body.
Both the Old and New Testaments speak more about God’s holiness than any other attribute… ‘holy’ and ‘holiness’ occur more than 900 times in Scripture.
Why the emphasis on holiness?…because God holds the world accountable to reverence Him even before we have heard about who He is…not knowing who God is is not an excuse…Paul makes that more than plain in Romans 1:
that which is known about God is evident…because God made it evident to them …for since the creation of the world…His invisible attributes…His eternal power…divine nature…have been clearly seen…so they are without excuse. Rom 1:19-20
God has both outlined how we can know Him and… what the consequences are when we don’t…He has set a day in which He will judge the world [Rom. 1:30].
Before we can fully understand God’s holiness…we must first understand something about how God at one time saw every person in this room.
Before we were Christians…God saw us in a completely different way than He sees us now…He saw us as: condemned (Jn. 3:18) …lost (Mt. 18:11; 2 Cor. 4:3) … guilty (Rom. 3:19)…spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1-5)…alienated from Him (Eph. 4:18)…as His enemies (Rom. 5:10; Col. 1:21)…as children of wrath (Eph. 2:3).
Here’s the KEY in how God sees us…the extent to which one is holy is determined by their likeness to the One True God…people say ‘Well I’m pretty holy’. How holy are you when comparted to God?…Holiness is determined by your likeness to God.
Holiness means not only being separated from sin and worldliness, but it also includes being set apart for God’s purpose.
This morning I want to share with you three more qualities that should be our attitude towards God.
God’s Holiness Demands Caution
God’s Holiness Demands Separation from the World
God’s Holiness Demands that we be Holy.
God’s Holiness Demands Caution
What do you think that means? …goes back to showing reverence….it is one of the concepts about God that we have lost in the church today…the unparalleled… unprecedented…holy character of God.
Throughout the Old Testament we find numerous instances where approaching God in a less than reverent manner…or…failing to display reverence for His Word was hazardous to one’s health…more specifically…God killed people for it.
There’s a movement that is prevalent in churches today…where there is a growing desire to get away from traditional church and church service…where the goal is to remove the “stained-glass barriers” so people who might not be comfortable in traditional church settings feel more at ease.
Is there anything wrong with that?…NO…in fact…in our efforts to plant churches Southern Baptists are forming churches in nontraditional spaces…worshipping in vacated shopping malls…theaters…schools…and abandoned warehouses.
BUT…here is the problem with that…along with the desire to “not look like a Church” also comes the idea that they can “experience church their way”.
Along with the desire to have a building that looks less than church-like…it invites the tendency to make church more appealing to the world…so the lost don’t feel so uncomfortable when they’re in church.
I’ve mentioned it before…the church in America is in decline…it is suggested that the decline we’re seeing in the church is directly related to the casual “Worship” model of doing church.
It’s the “come as you are” attitude where a semi-Christian life is promoted…and where you can enjoy a short inspiring message that is relevant for your life whether you believe in Jesus or not because the emphasis is on being comforted rather than being challenged.
It’s where we won’t ask anything of you…no commitment is required…and we won’t expect anything from you.
Our churches are full of these people…BUT…it’s not completely all people’s fault …casual followers are the result of casual churches and casual Pastors.
When Church worship fails to stress the importance of being Christ like…in our thoughts …our actions…our speech…we become casual in our approach to God.
How does the church move from being a church of “Casual Christians” to being a church of “Committed Christians”? …It begins by becoming committed followers of Jesus Christ…committing to God’s Word as a guide…living out His Word in all areas of our lives…and being cautious not to approach God in a less than reverent manner.
God’s Holiness Demands Separation from the World.
It should suffice to say that God expects us to be in alignment with His likeness and His divine character as much as it is possible.
God does not command us to be gods…but He does command a likeness to His holy nature as far as human limitations will allow…that requires us to be willing to separate ourselves from those who would desire to impose their will on us.
Holiness and separation from the world are vital components, part of a deeper experience with God…after our initial salvation experience of forgiveness of sin by faith in Jesus…it is God’s plan that we then go into a deeper fellowship and experience with Him…said it before…need to take Jesus out of the manger.
It is so easy to conform to the world…and to what others believe you ought to be…for example…the controversy that is occurring in this country with respect to young people and the sexual orientation issue.
https://www.choosingtherapy.com/types-of-sexuality/
I’m not going into details regarding the challenges that accompany the sexual orientation issue because there are at least 25 different types of gender identity and sexual orientation…most of which I’m not qualified to speak about.
BUT…with regards to what people think…or believe about you…it’s just human nature to care about what other people think about you…But when caring what other people think about you is holding you back from achieving your personal goals, it’s time to reassess your connection with them.
In fact,…it’s been said that super successful people do not worry what their critics have to say about them…good or bad.
With respect to being a Christian…that means presenting yourself to God without pretense…without conditions…or excuses.
Presenting ourselves to God means being honest with God.
We will never develop the fellowship with God that we long for…or that God longs to have with Him…until we stop trying to get where WE want to go…or doing what others think we need to do…God’s holiness demands separation from the world…it means:
Stop trying to be who someone thinks you should be.
Stop trying to behave the way someone thinks you should behave.
Stop trying to live by someone’s set of established standards.
Stop thinking and behaving according to what someone thinks is best…or right for you.
Worry about your character and not what people think of you…because your character is who you are. Your acceptance to people is based only on what people think of you.
This goes back to Rick Warren’s…Purpose Driven Life…the third purpose for your life is…You were made for a mission.
For many Christians that means…stop running away from God…stand before God exactly as you are…present yourself to God just as you are neither giving excuses nor defending yourself…with no pretense…no conditions…not attempting to work your way back to God… realizing I am outside of God’s will for my life….that is how we are to come to God …that is the way that delights Him.
If we are going to be serious about our fellowship with God…we need to be like Paul:
My determined purpose is that I may know Him – That I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted
with Him…” [Phil. 3:10]
That can only occur as we separate ourselves from the world and be in complete fellowship with no pretenses.
God’s Holiness Demands that we be Holy.
How can we become holy? Personal holiness is a work of gradual development.
Holiness only results from a right relationship with God by believing in Jesus as Savior and trusting Him as Lord over your life.
If we have not placed that kind of faith in God’s Son, then our pursuit of holiness is in vain.
We must first recognize that our position in Christ automatically sets us apart from the world (1 Peter 2:9)…we must daily live a life that is set apart from the world… not trying to “blend in” with the world.
Living a “full life” isn’t having bodily health…or having wealth…it’s not in feelings or experiences, but instead living according to the plan and the purpose that God desires for each one of us…in a knowledge and understanding of God…that is the same fellowship and oneness that Jesus enjoyed with God.
Are we then holy? …NO…but God does see us as righteous…as a result…your life…your behavior…your actions…your attitudes…the way you live your life… will confirm to you that you know the Lord.
When I know the Lord…I don’t act toward my spouse the way I used to…I don’t go where I used to go…I don’t talk the way I use to talk…I stop looking at things that makes me feel guilty…I don’t use addictive substances…the power of sin is broken in me….and I’m changing day by day…every day…that’s what knowing the Lord does.
When we allow God to reveal Himself to us thru His word…all other images of Jesus that we have perceived about Him…or people we have compared Him with …or concepts we have drawn conclusions on based on past experiences…will be erased.
When we see God working in our lives…it surpasses anything we could have even remotely expected from any person…any situation…or any circumstance…or anything we will ever experience in this life.
How do you see Jesus? …when we are earnest about our relationship with God we will see Him as a picture of holiness …we will then be like Job… “but now my eyes have seen You.”
SO…is it important how we see Jesus?…YES it is…BUT…just as important is how does Jesus see us…when Jesus looks at people He see us in only one of two ways… He either sees a reflection of Himself…or He sees someone who is condemned to eternal separation from Him.