Holiness of Christian Living

With Bishop. Ronald K. Powell

Our Text (direction)
Hebrews 12:14 (KJV) Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without
which no man shall see the Lord:

• Our Objectives:
  Biblical Contrast
  Reveal what holiness is scripturally?
  Show how one can become Holy.
  Understanding the benefits of Holy Living.

• Introduction
  Just what is holiness? What does it mean to be holy?
  First we will attempt to let scripture give us the definition and measured
  requirements for Holiness!

1. OUR FOCUS/ Revealing what holiness is
scripturally?
Stablish / (means Investigate & Prove)
1 Thessalonians 3:13 (KJV) To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in
holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all
his saints.

Romans 12:2 (KJV) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God.

1 Thessalonians 4:7 (KJV) For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

Yield /

Romans 6:17-23 (KJV) 17 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. 18 Being
then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19 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. 20 For when ye were the servants of
sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof
ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now being made free
from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end
everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:22 (KJV) But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God,
ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Cleanse & Change

2 Corinthians 7:1 (KJV) Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us
cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the
fear of God.

Ephesians 4:21-24 (KJV) 21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by
him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the
old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the
spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness.

1 Peter 1:22-23 (KJV) 22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth
through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another
with a pure heart fervently: 23Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

1 Thessalonians 3:13 (KJV) To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in
holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all
his saints.

2. Our Behaviors
1 Thessalonians 4:7 (KJV) For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto
holiness.

1 Peter 2:1-5 (KJV) 1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies,
and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the
word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 4
To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God,
and precious, 5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy
priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

1 Timothy 2:15 (KJV) Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they
continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

Titus 2:3-8 (KJV) 3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh
holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4 That
they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their
children, 5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own
husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. 6 Young men likewise exhort to be
sober minded. 7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine
showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, 8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned;
that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.

3. Our Course Corrections
Hebrews 12:7-11 (KJV) 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons;
for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement,
whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have
had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not
much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a
few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be
partakers of his holiness. 11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous,
but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness
unto them which are exercised thereby.

4. The How To’s:
Fixing Our Attention

Romans 12 (MSG)1 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your
everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life –
and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best
thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into
it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed
from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to
it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity,
God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

1 Peter 1:13-17 (KJV) 13 Wherefore gird up (Hold Firmly) the loins of your mind, be
sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation
of Jesus Christ; 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the
former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy
in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 17 And
if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every
man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

5. The Results:
Philippians 4:8-9 (KJV) 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever
things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if
there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned,
and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Isaiah 26:3 (KJV) Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:
because he trusteth in thee.

2 Peter 1:2-10 (KJV) 2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge
of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all
things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath
called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and
precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having
escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And beside this, giving all
diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge
temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness
brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you,
and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and
cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10
Wherefore the rather, brethren,give diligence to make your calling and election sure:
for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

Closing:
Hebrews 12:14 (KJV) Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man
shall see the Lord:

Hebrews 3:7-14 (KJV) 7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his
voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the
wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty
years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in
their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall
not enter into my rest.) 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart
of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is
called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we
are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto
the end;

Summing it all up /Our Call to Action
The writer of Hebrews tells that hardships are God’s discipline for our
good, “that we may share in his holiness” (Hebrews 12:10), and calls us
“to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
To draw close to God, we must hate iniquity and love righteousness. We
must forsake sin and seek to resist temptations.

The Command/ Be ye Holy

Our Prayer
Dear Lord, we know all too well about the struggle with sin. I pray for my
brothers and sisters — and for me — that you will help us to make a
commitment to personal holiness in our living and thinking and speaking. Help
us to leave behind the corrupting desires of this world around us and fill our
hearts with your desires instead. Lord, we rely upon your strength. Help us, we
pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen.