Importance of Holiness – Part 3
We need to be doers of the Word!
God’s Word is clear that we are supposed to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only.
For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
Romans 2:13
Jesus also made it clear that those who do the Word of God are considered His mother, brothers, and sisters. Turned around, you might say that those who don’t do His Word are not His mothers, brothers, or sisters!
And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.
Luke 8:21
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 12:17
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand.
Matthew 7:24-26
Do you love Jesus? Then you will naturally keep His commandments:
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
John 14:21
Taking up our cross (enduring persecution for Christ’s sake) is no option for the true follower of Christ:
And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Mark 8:34-38
But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. And the gospel must first be published among all nations. But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Mark 13:9-13
Paul tells us that if we live after the flesh, we will die (spiritually), but if we walk according to the Spirit, we will mortify (put to death) the deeds of the flesh:
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Romans 8:13-14
Are you led by the Spirit? If so, then you are a child of God! If not, then I recommend making some changes in your life and begin to walk after the Spirit and not the flesh. We cannot go about living an unrighteous life and claim to be born of God:
If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
1 John 2:29
We all know John 3:16, but if you keep reading in the following verses, it tells us that he who comes to the light isn’t going to continue in their evil lifestyle:
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
John 3:20-21
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life… They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
John 8:12,39,51
But those who continue in the works of the flesh, will not inherit the kingdom of God:
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21
We know that God’s Word tells us that it is vain to believe that faith without works is of any value. God’s Word not only tells us that our works proves our faith (see James 2:14-26), but also that they who profess to know God, but in works deny Him are abominable, disobedient, and reprobate!
They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
Titus 1:16
Jesus said it over and over again, that if we loved Him, we would keep His commands. That didn’t end when He ascended to be with the Father in heaven! Just before leaving to be with the Father, He instructed His disciples to go out, and teach others to observe all the things which He has commanded of them.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Matthew 28:19-20
Called to be separate from the world
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
2 Corinthians 6:17
God’s Word tells us over and over again to seperate ourselves from the filth of the world’s system. God’s children are called to be a holy people. We are told to follow after righteousness and godliness.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
1 Timothy 6:11
Paul also warns us not to have fellowship with the works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
Ephesians 5:2-11
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
James 4:4
Some folks like to religiously quote the verse below, saying that pure and undefined religion is to visit the fatherless and widows… but many times, we seem to pass over the last part of this verse, which is the most important!
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
James 1:27
He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him…. A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.
Proverbs 14:2,16
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
Proverbs 8:13
Flee also youthful lusts: but follow [pursue] righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
2 Timothy 2:22
God’s Word tells us that if we walk in the light, the Blood of Jesus cleanses us of all unrighteousness. But what if we don’t walk in the light? Being that this verse starts out with the conditional word IF, I believe it’s safe to say that the Blood of Jesus will not cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1 John 1:7
Obedience is the fruit of genuine faith
When we truly grasp the awesomeness of God, and are thankful for the steep price paid for us on Calvary, then it ought to make us eager to follow and obey the commands that Christ has given us. If we are not eager to obey what God asks of us, then I seriously question if we really believe the good news about His great and unfathomable love for us.
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
James 2:14-18
When we truly grasp the awesomeness of God, and are thankful for the steep price paid for us on Calvary, then it ought to make us eager to follow and obey the commands that Christ has given us. If we are not eager to obey what God asks of us, then I seriously question if we are thankful for what all Jesus went through on the cross for our behalf. Jesus made it clear that if we love Him, we will naturally keep His commands:
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
John 14:23
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
John 15:14
In 1 John, we are told that we can even tell a true follower of Christ from those who are not genuine in their faith, by how they keep the commandments of Christ:
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
1 John 2:3-6
The Bible makes a clear contrast between those who are obedient and those who are not. The Bible calls those who do not follow Christ, the sons of disobedience. According to the Bible, there is a spirit at work in the lives of the sons of disobedience.
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
Ephesians 2:2
Christ has made the provisions for us to be servants of righteousness. Let’s not use the excuse, “But nobody is perfect!” when the Word of God tells us that we have a choice of who we are going to yield ourselves unto: servants of sin or servants of righteousness. Paul also comes out and bluntly asks, “Is it okay to sin, since we are under grace? God forbid!”
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Romans 6:15-19
Is it really possible for us to fulfill the commandments of God? Yes, it is! Jesus told us that He never came to abolish the law, but to fulfill it… or you might say, He came to make a way for us to fulfill it through His power working in us.
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:17-19
Jesus made it clear that those who’s faith is genuine, which results in righteous lifestyle and fruitful works, will enter the kingdom of heaven:
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 7:21
Paul also explains to believers that when our fruit is unto holiness, it will end in everlasting life:
But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification [the KJV says, “fruit unto holiness”], and the outcome, eternal life.
Romans 6:22 (NASB)
It is not the will of God for us to have spots, wrinkles, or blemishes in our lives. Christ does not want His church to be blemished, spotted or winkled, but HOLY and WITHOT BLEMISH!!
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:25-27
Spots, wrinkles, and blemishes are NOT the will of God for us. He wants His church to be holy and without blemish of any kind!
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth😉
Ephesians 5:2-9
God’s Word tells us that pure and undefiled religion involves keeping ourselves unspotted by the world:
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
James 1:27
For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
1 Thessalonians 4:7
This is a multi-part teaching
- Importance of Holiness 1
– Introduction
– The righteousness of Christ upon us
– Justification by faith alone - Importance of Holiness 2
– Fruits of righteousness in our lives
– We are expected to bear fruit - Importance of Holiness 3
– We need to be doers of the Word!
– Called to be separate from the world
– Obedience is the fruit of genuine faith - Importance of Holiness 4
– Being sure of your salvation
– Walk according to the Spirit, not the flesh
– Why are you doing what you’re doing? - Importance of Holiness 5
– Created unto good works
– Correction from our Father
– God is merciful as we grow