Lesson 8 of 10 Holiness Our Continual Objective

Lesson 8 (H) Holiness  How do we define Holiness?

Lesson 8 H = Holiness

Lesson 8 (H) Holiness  Holiness is not an option. Holiness is not for those who have their spiritual acts together. Holiness isn’t just for church leaders – it is a requirement of everyone. If you lack holiness, you will not see the Lord – you will not be saved. If we are not Holy, we can’t see the Lord. (Handout 1)  Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, for without it no one will see the Lord. ©NET©NET

Lesson 8 (H) Holiness  We are to be holy because God is holy. (Handout 2)  1 Peter 1:14 Like obedient children, do not comply with the evil urges you used to follow in your ignorance, 1:15 but, like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all of your conduct, 1:16 for it is written, “You shall be holy, because I am holy.” ©NET©NET

Lesson 8 (H) Holiness  What is holiness? Being Holy is being like God.(Handout 3)  Leviticus 19:2 “Speak to the whole congregation of the Israelites and tell them, ‘You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy. ©NET©NET

Lesson 8 (H) Holiness  What can we do to become more Holy?  Consider 1 Peter 1-2  Some translations have this all one single page.  Similar to chapters in Ephesians and Colossians.  Most of this lesson will be strangely familiar.

Lesson 8 (H) Holiness  + Trusting in the Word of God. We must rely on the Bible.  We can trust in the purity of God’s Word. Spend time reflecting upon God’s Word, that will bring you a step closer to holiness. We can be Holy by trusting in God’s Word. (Handout 4)  1 Peter 1:23 You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.  1 Peter 1:25 but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.  We know that God’s Word is complete – we must not add to God’s Word, we must not take away from God’s Word.  Deuteronomy 4:2 Do not add a thing to what I command you nor subtract from it, so that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I am delivering to you.

Lesson 8 (H) Holiness  V Unconditional Surrender  We surrender to God, and to man. We are slaves, not of man – we are slaves of God. Surrender will bring us another step closer to holiness – surrender of ourselves to God, and to our fellow man. We can be Holy by being unconditionally surrendered to Christ (Handout 5)  1 Peter 2:13 Be subject to every human institution for the Lord’s sake, whether to a king as supreme 2:14 or to governors as those he commissions to punish wrongdoers and praise those who do good. 2:15 For God wants you to silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. 2:16 Live as free people, not using your freedom as a pretext for evil, but as God’s slaves.  Surrender is not conditional in terms of whom we believe deserve our surrender – even those whom do not deserve our surrender should receive it.  1 Peter 2:18 Slaves, be subject to your masters with all reverence, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are perverse.

Lesson 8 (H) Holiness  L Love others like God loves us. Love will bring us another step closer to holiness. We can be Holy by loving others (Handout 6)  Our obedience (Unconditional Surrender) enables us to shower sincere mutual love. Our disobedience obstructs our ability to love others.  1 Peter 1:22 You have purified your souls by obeying the truth in order to show sincere mutual love. So love one another earnestly from a pure heart.  Remember, love is not a feeling – it is a series of good choices.  1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up. 13:5 It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. 13:6 It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth. 13:7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 13:8 Love never ends.

Lesson 8 (H) Holiness  F Forgive others like God forgives us. Forgiving the offensives of others finds favor with God. Receiving forgiveness for sins, forgiving the offenses of others brings us another step closer to holiness. We can be Holy by receiving forgiveness for our sins and forgiving the offenses of others against us. (Handout 7)  2:19 For this finds God’s favor, if because of conscience toward God someone endures hardships in suffering unjustly. 2:20 For what credit is it if you sin and are mistreated and endure it? But if you do good and suffer and so endure, this finds favor with God. 2:21 For to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example for you to follow in his steps. 2:22 He committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth. 2:23 When he was maligned, he did not answer back; when he suffered, he threatened no retaliation, but committed himself to God who judges justly.

Lesson 8 (H) Holiness  B Believe in the promises of Christ. Believing is not something we do in the past – it is a continual process, a progressive process in which we are obtaining salvation. Each day that we continue in our faith by believing, we are taking steps closer to holiness. We can be Holy by continuing to believe (Handout 8)  1 Peter 1:8 You have not seen him, but you love him. You do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 1:9 because you are attaining the goal of your faith – the salvation of your souls.

Lesson 8 (H) Holiness  E Enter and Remain in Community with Christ. We are the being built up as a spiritual house to be a unique community – a holy priesthood – to offer acceptable spiritual sacrifices to God – continually. Enter into community with the body of Christ, remaining in that community, brings us another step closer to holiness. We can be Holy by being in community with other believers (Handout 9)  1 Peter 2:4 So as you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen and priceless in God’s sight, 2:5 you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Lesson 8 (H) Holiness  R Redeem our time to please God. The time we have left remaining in our lives here is temporary and of an uncertain duration. Our work will be judged and we need to recognize that our time must be redeemed to please God, not please ourselves. We can be Holy by using our time to please God. (Handout 10)  1 Peter 1:17 And if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here in reverence.  Each moment we choose to please God above pleasing ourselves, those moments are steps closer to holiness.

Lesson 8 (H) Holiness  Summary Holiness is not a single action, not a single behavior. It is the manifestation of all behaviors, choices, actions, thoughts, desires that please God. Holiness is being like God.