Greetings FB members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me in some Fine Points from yesterday’s service and message. Our Sunday School lesson scriptural text and BTU scriptural text was from 1 Peter 1:13-25 which led me to complete the day with the sermon entitled “Being Holy” from the same text.
The focus verses are 15 and 16 that command Christians to be holy. So the day was spent examining the meaning of holiness and the implications and role holiness has for Christians and salvation. This passage as well as some others rule out holiness as an option Christians can chose to take or leave. For something so central to salvation, holiness and its significance is minimized in today’s Christian conversation.
Jesus is the human embodiment of holiness. God gave us His Son to show us what holiness looks like in man in a way for us to imitate what we see so we too may be holy like God. Holiness addresses behavior and behavior begins with obedience. It informs us on how to behave ourselves in such a way that is pleasing and acceptable to God.
While you may not have anything personally against an uncivilized person, you would not be able to tolerate their presence in a civilized setting. Nearly everything about them would be offensive, disruptive and unacceptable. Without holiness we are that uncivilized person. If placed in heaven, our unholy behavior would have the same effect as the uncivilized person in a civilized environment.
Holiness is therefore required in us on a practical level to enable us to abide in heavenly places. An uncivilized person is uncivilized because he is unaware of what civil behavior is or because knowing what it is choses to not divest him or herself from that uncivilized behavior. The reason therefore a person remains uncivilized is not because of an inability to imitate civilized behavior.
The same is true when this analogy is applied to holy and unholy people. Unholiness is a result of ignorance or a refusal to abandon unholiness in favor of holiness. It is not a problem of being able to imitate holiness we see in God. Unholiness like rabies is dangerous and deadly if it is not checked and stopped because it will spread to others and infect them as well.
Pets and other animal are given shots to prevent them from falling victim, but once infected there is no known cure. Holiness is the only treatment for unholiness and like those who have succumb to rabies, the humane thing is to put them to death. This is what the Bible says will happen to those who refuse to accept the only known treatment for unholiness.
I cried after Old Yeller contracted rabies and had to be put down. Likewise, God has no pleasure in putting down humanity for similar reason. Look for our Sunday School preview that comes out on Thursday of this week on our Facebook page and mobile app. You can also enjoy the SS Daily Bible Readings anytime and anywhere at our website. As always, remember to fear God and keep His commandments
Pastor Jordan
