“Be Holy ... For I Am Holy” 1 Peter 1:15-16 Bethlehem Women’s Ministry Theme Verse 2013-2014
Women’s Ministry Vision Women’s Ministry exists to equip women to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ. We desire to lead women to embrace the great assurance and hope of their identity in Jesus Christ and to claim and enjoy satisfaction in Him. We will treasure Christ together through: Prayer Study and application of the Word Fellowship Serving one another We will encourage the older women to be examples and teachers of the younger women. We are committed to raising up women who exemplify Biblical womanhood to the glory of God.
Women’s Ministry 612-455-0800 x806 hopeingod.org
“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” —1 Peter 1:14-16
“The dominant, compelling reason for God’s people to live in holiness was their relationship with God: “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy”’” Leviticus 19:1-2
As the children of Israel were called to love and serve God and to separate themselves from immorality and uncleanness, believers today must heed the sovereign call to bear His image and obey His commands to be holy since the Holy One has identified Himself with them in an eternally glorious work of saving grace.” John MacArthur, commentary on 1st Peter, page 69
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Table of Contents Worship • Hymns • Scripture Readings • Prayer Devotional Thoughts for the Year Ahead • The Holiness of God • Our Holiness in Christ • The Command to be Holy Notes
“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” “It is impossible to keep our moral practices sound and our inward attitudes right while our idea of God is erroneous or inadequate. If we would bring back spiritual power to our lives, we must begin to think of God more nearly as He is.” —A. W. Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. —Ephesians 1:3-4
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This life is not righteous, but growth in righteousness Not health but healing Not being but becoming Not rest but exercise We are not yet what we shall be but we are growing toward it The process is not finished, but it is going on This is not the end but it is the road All does not yet gleam in glory but all is being purified. —Luther, 1521
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OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART Open the eyes of my heart, Lord! Open the eyes of my heart, I want to see You, I want to see You. To see You high and lifted up, Shining in the light of Your glory! Pour out Your power and love As we sing “Holy, Holy, Holy.” Holy, Holy, Holy Holy, Holy, Holy Holy, Holy, Holy, I want to see You. Words and music by Paul Baloche ©1997 Integrity’s Hosana! Music
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The HOLINESS of GOD Leader: Congregation:
Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, Awesome in glorious deeds, Doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11) Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. The whole earth is full of His glory! (Isaiah 6:3)
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee. Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty, God in three persons, blessed Trinity! Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee, Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea; Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee, Which wert and art, and evermore shalt be. Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee, Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see, Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee, Perfect in power, in love and purity. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! All Thy works shall praise Thy name, In earth and sky and sea. Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty, God in three persons, blessed Trinity. Text by Reginald Heber Music by John B. Dykes Public domain 6
A MIGHTY FORTRESS Our God is a consuming fire, a burning holy flame With glory and freedom. Our God is the only righteous judge, Ruling over us with kindness and wisdom. And we will keep our eyes on You. We will keep our eyes on You. A mighty fortress is our God. A sacred refuge is Your name. Your kingdom is unshakable And with You forever we will reign. Our God is jealous for His own. None could comprehend His love and His mercy. Our God is exalted on His throne, high above the heavens. Forever He is worthy. And we will keep our eyes on You. We will keep our eyes on You. A might fortress is our God . . . We will keep our eyes on You. We will keep our eyes on You. So we can set our hearts on You. Lord we will set our hearts on You. A might fortress is our God . . . Our God is a consuming fire, a burning holy flame With glory and freedom. By Christy Nockels/Nathan Nockels Š 2009 worshiptogether.com songs
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I SEE THE LORD I see the Lord seated on the throne, exalted. And the train of His robe Fills the temple with glory. And the whole earth is filled, And the whole earth is filled, And the whole earth is filled with His glory. Holy, holy, holy, holy Holy is the Lord. By Chris Falson Š1993 Maranath! Music
WE FALL DOWN We fall down, we lay our crowns At the feet of Jesus, the greatness of mercy and love At the feet of Jesus. And we cry holy, holy, holy And we cry holy, holy, holy And we cry holy, holy, holy is the Lamb. By Chris Tomlin Š1998 worshiptogether.com songs
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OUR HOLINESS in CHRIST Congregation: ”For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:” Leader: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (Isaiah 57:15)
Congregation: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (II Corinthians 5:21)
NOT WHAT MY HANDS (Solo to begin, please sing when able)
Not what my hands have done can save my guilty soul; Not what my toiling flesh has borne can make my spirit whole. Not what I feel or do can give me peace with God; Not all my prayers and sighs and tears can bear my awful load. These guilty hands are raised, filthy rags are all I bring, But I have come to hide beneath Your wings. These holy hands are raised, washed in the fountain of Your grace. And now I wear Your righteousness. Thy work alone O Christ, can ease this weight of sin. Thy blood alone O Lamb of God, can give me peace within. Thy love to me, O God, not mine, O Lord to Thee Can rid me of this dark unrest and set my spirit free. These guilty hands are raised . . . We are broken, but we are Yours . . . Thy grace alone, O God, to me can pardon speak. Thy power alone, O Lamb of God, can this sore bondage break. No other work save Thine, no other blood will do. No strength but that which is Divine can bear me safely through. These guilty hands are raised . . . I praise the God of grace; I trust His truth and might. He calls me His, I call Him “mine.” My God, my joy, my light. My Lord has saved my life and freely pardon gives; I love because He first loved me, I live because He lives. Text by Horatius Bonar, additional by Aaron Keyes Music by Aaron Keyes ©2007 Catapult
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YOU ARE MY KING I’m forgiven because You were forsaken. I’m accepted; You were condemned. I’m alive and well, Your Spirit is within me Because You died and rose again. Amazing love, how can it be That You, my King, would die for me? Amazing love, I know it’s true; And it’s my joy to honor You. In all I do . . . may I honor You. You are my King You are my King Jesus, You are my King Jesus, You are my King . . . . Amazing love . . . By Billy Foote ©1996 worshiptogether.com songs
Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. —1 Thessalonians 3:11-13
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BEFORE THE THRONE Before the throne of God above, I have a strong and perfect plea; A great High Priest, whose Name is Love, who ever lives and pleads for me. My name is graven on His hands. My name is written on His heart; I know that while in heaven He stands, no tongue can bid me thence depart. No tongue can bid me thence depart. When Satan tempts me to despair, and tells me of the guilt within, Upward I look, and see Him there, who made an end to all my sin. Because the sinless Saviour died, my sinful soul is counted free. For God, the Just, is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me. To look on Him and pardon me. Behold Him there! The risen Lamb! My perfect, spotless Righteousness, The great unchangeable I AM, the King of glory and of grace! One with Himself, I cannot die. My soul is purchased by His blood; My life is hid with Christ on high, with Christ my Saviour and my God. With Christ my Saviour and my God. Text by Charitie Lees Bancroft Music by Vikki Cook Š1997 Sovereign Grace Worship
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THE COMMAND to be HOLY TO BE FIT FOR GOD THOU MAKER AND SUSTAINER OF ALL THINGS
Day and night are thine,
heaven and earth declare thy glory; but I, a creature of thy power and bounty, have sinned against thee by resisting the dictates of conscience, the demands of thy law, the calls of thy gospel; yet I live under the dispensation of a given hope. Deliver me from worldly dispositions, For I am born from above and bound for glory. May I view and long after holiness as the beauty and dignity of the soul. Let me never slumber, never lose my assurance, never fail to wear armour when passing through enemy land. Fit me for every scene and circumstance; Stay my mind upon thee and turn my trials to blessings, that they may draw out my gratitude and praise as I see their design and effects. Render my obedience to thy will holy, natural, and delightful. Rectify all my principles by clear, consistent, and influential views of divine truth. Let me never undervalue or neglect any part of Thy revealed will. May I duly regard the doctrine and practice of the gospel, prizing its commands as well as its promises. Sanctify me in every relation, office, transaction and condition of life, that if I prosper I may not be unduly exalted, if I suffer I may not be over-sorrowful. Balance my mind in all varying circumstances and help me to cultivate a disposition that renders every duty a spiritual privilege. Thus may I be content, be a glory to Thee and an example to others.
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—Valley of Vision #254
O FOR A HEART TO PRAISE MY GOD (tune, O For a Thousand Tongues)
O for a heart to praise my God, A heart from sin set free, A heart that always feels Thy blood so freely shed for me. A heart resigned, submissive, meek, My great Redeemer’s throne, Where only Christ is heard to speak, where Jesus reigns alone. A humble, lowly, contrite heart, Believing, true and clean, Which neither life nor death can part from Christ who dwells within. A heart in every thought renewed And full of love divine, Perfect and right and pure and good, a copy, Lord, of Thine. Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart; Come quickly from above; Write Thy new name upon my heart, Thy new, best name of Love. Text by Charles Wesley Music by Carl Glaser, arr. Lowell Mason Public domain
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OH, TO BE LIKE THEE Oh, to be like Thee, Oh, to be like Thee! Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art. Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness; Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart. Text by Thomas Chisholm Music by Wm. Kirkpatrick Public domain
SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me. Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me. By Daniel Iverson Š 1994 Birdwing Music
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SHOW US CHRIST Prepare our hearts, O God, help us to receive. Break the hard and stony ground, help our unbelief. Plant Your word down deep in us, cause it to bear fruit, Open up our ears to hear, lead us in Your truth. Show us Christ, show us Christ, O God, reveal Your glory Through the preaching of Your word, Until every heart confesses Christ is Lord. Your word is living light upon our darkened eyes, Guards us through temptations, makes the simple wise. Your work is food for famished ones, Freedom for the slave, Riches for the needy soul, come speak to us today. Show us Christ . . . Where else can we go, Lord, Where else can we go? You have the words of eternal life. Show us Christ . . . Text by Doug Plank and Bob Kauflin Music by Doug Plank Š 2011 Sovereign Grace Ministries
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ALL I HAVE IS CHRIST I once was lost in darkest night, yet thought I knew the way. The sin that promised joy and life had led me to the grave I had no hope that You would own a rebel to Your will. And if You had not loved me first, I would refuse You still. But as I ran my hell-bound race, indifferent to the cost, You looked upon my helpless state and led me to the cross. And I beheld God’s love displayed, You suffered in my place You bore the wrath reserved for me. Now all I know is grace. Hallelujah! All I have is Christ. Hallelujah! Jesus is my life. Now, Lord I would be Yours alone, and live so all might see The strength to follow Your commands could never come from me. O Father, use my ransomed life in any way You choose. And let my song forever be My only boast is You. Hallelujah! All I have is Christ. Hallelujah! Jesus is my life. By Jordan Kauflin Š 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise
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Devotional Thoughts for the Year Ahead • The Holiness of God • Our Holiness in Christ • The Command to be Holy
The Holiness of God “The nature of divine holiness is freedom from all evil. God is separate from every shade of evil. He acts according to the likeness of his own excellence and abhors everything contrary to it. There is no darkness in his understanding, and no spot in his will. His mind is possessed with all truth, and there is no deviation in his will from it. He loves all truth and goodness, and he hates all falsity and evil. He loves righteousness, and has not pleasure in wickedness. He values purity in his creatures, and detests all impurity whether inward or outward. Holiness is the essential glory of his nature, and is as necessary as his being. He knows what is right, and must do what is just. There can be no contradiction in the divine nature, to know what is right and to do what is wrong. If so, he would not be ‘God over all, blessed forever’ (Rom 9:5). He is as necessarily holy as he is necessarily God. He is without sin and without change. 1 Peter 1:16. —Stephen Charnock, The Existence & Attributes of God, pp. 452-454, Voices from the Past
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would grow faint before me, and the breath of life that I made. Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry, I struck him; I hid my face and was angry, but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart. I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the LORD, “and I will heal him. —Isaiah 57:15-19
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“Who is like you, majestic in holiness?” Exodus 15:11
“This verse is one of the loftiest descriptions of the majesty of God in the whole of Scripture. The holiness of God is his glory and crown. It is the blessedness of his nature. It renders him glorious in himself, and glorious to his creatures. ‘Holy’ is more fixed as an epithet to his name than any other. This is his greatest title of honour. He is pure and unmixed light, free from all blemish in his essence, nature, and operations. He cannot be deformed by any evil…It is a contradiction for him to be God and to have any darkness mixed with his light. To deny his purity, makes him no God. He that says God is not holy, speaks much worse than if he said there is no God at all. Where do we read of the angels crying out Eternal or Faithful Lord God of hosts? But we do hear them singing Holy, Holy, Holy. God swears by his holiness (Psa. 89:35). His holiness is a pledge for the assurance of his promises. Power is his hand, omniscience his eye, mercy his heart, eternity his duration, but holiness is his beauty…Nothing is decreed by him and nothing is acted by him that is not consistent with the beauty of his holiness.” —Stephen Charnock, The Existence & Attributes of God, pp. 446452, Voices from the Past
And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” —Revelation 4:8
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The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he! Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. They called to the Lord, and he answered them. In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them. O Lord our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings. Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy! —Psalm 99
God is holy, so most basically being holy means being like God. This is why it’s so critical that Christians know the character and work of the one they worship. If you want to know what holiness looks like, look at God. —Kevin DeYoung, The Hole in Our Holiness
And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” —Isaiah 6:3
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OUR HOLINESS in CHRIST “When you feel the pull of your heart toward sin, set your faith to work with all speed. Let it lay hold of God’s power. It secretly empowers your heart with a pliable willingness, and makes your will lamb-like. All this it does by laying hold of the effective cure of the death of Christ. The power of Christ’s resurrection also transforms the heart of man, and creates and infuses him with new principles of action. Trust in his power to mortify your flesh to sin, and make your spirit alive to holiness. Do you find a strong, in-bred habitual vice troubling you and keeping you prisoner against your will? Have you often resolved to forsake it, but with failure? You must renounce the broken reed of your own power. Place your trust in the grace of Christ. Be weak in yourself and strong in the Lord, and by faith be more than a conqueror.” —Samuel Ward, Sermons,
pp. 30-32, Voices from the Past
But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
—Romans 6:17-18
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I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love your law. Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules. Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble. —Psalm 119:163-165
• To love a law may seem strange; but it is the only true divine life. • To keep it because we are afraid of its penalties is only a form of fear or prudential consideration. • To keep it to preserve a good name may be propriety and respectability. • To keep it because it is best for society may be worldly self interest. • To keep it because of physical health may be the policy of epicurean philosophy. • To keep it because we love it is to show that it is already part of us — has entered into the moral texture of our being. Sin then becomes distasteful, and temptations lose their power. —W.M. Statham, quoted in “Atictoilette Commentary on the Psalms”, 1879
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…share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, —2 Timothy 1:8-9
The Spirit empowers our pursuit of holiness. The gospel drives us toward Christlikeness. Faith fuels our obedience. But we still put forth effort. God’s mercy does not automatically produce obedience. We must be told to obey and then go do it….When it comes to killing my sin, I don’t wait passively for the miracle of sin-killing to be worked on me, I act the miracle. —John Piper
...for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. —Ephesians 5:8-10
There are several ways in which union with Christ guides our growth in godliness. For starters, it reminds us that the pursuit of holiness is also the pursuit of Christ. We aren’t interested in being virtuous just to be good people. Our first love is Jesus. Holiness is not ultimately about living up to a moral standard. It’s about living in Christ and living out of our real, vital union with him. —Kevin DeYoung
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Excerpts from Kevin DeYoung’s “The Hole in our Holiness” …the failure of Christians, especially younger generations and especially those most disdainful of “religion” and “legalism”, (is) to take seriously one of the great aims of our redemption and one of the required evidences for eternal life – our holiness. Shouldn’t those most passionate about the gospel and God’s glory also be those most dedicated to the pursuit of godliness? We are so eager not to confuse indicatives (what God has done) and imperatives (what we should do) that we get leery of letting biblical commands lead uncomfortably to conviction of sin. We’re scared of words like diligence, effort, and duty. There is a gap between our love for the gospel and our love for godliness. This must change. It’s not pietism, legalism, or fundamentalism to take holiness seriously. It’s the way of all those who have been called to a holy calling by a holy God. You can’t make sense of the Bible without understanding that God is holy and that this holy God is intent on making a holy people to live with him forever in a holy heaven. It sounds really spiritual to say God is interested in a relationship, not in rules. But it’s not biblical. From top to bottom the Bible is full of commands. They aren’t meant to stifle a relationship with God, but to protect it, seal it, and define it. Never forget: first God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, then he gave them the law. God’s people were not redeemed by observing the law, but they were redeemed so they might obey the law. Sanctification is not by surrender, but by divinely enabled toil and effort. —Kevin DeYoung, “The Hole in our Holiness”
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Essential Elements of Holiness Convictions – Knowledge of the truth – Rom 12:2 – as we prayerfully expose ourselves to the Scriptures, we begin to understand what God’s will is regarding our conduct and character. And then as the Holy Spirit applies His Word to specific areas of our lives, and as we are obedient to His promptings, we begin to develop Bible-based convictions. At one extreme is a strict code of legalistic “don’ts” that often miss the more weighty issues of Christian character; at the other is a loose permissiveness that too often conforms to the world’s values and customs. The only safe path is to allow the Holy Spirit to establish convictions through His Word. This is where holiness begins: with the knowledge of the truth that renews our minds and enables us to understand how God wants us to live. A Commitment to Obedience – a conviction is not truly a conviction unless it includes a commitment to live by what we claim to believe. A commitment is not a vow but a resolution – a determined purpose to live by God’s Word as He applies it to our lives. ..we must decide that holiness is so important to God that it deserves priority attention in our lives. The Discipline of Choices – over time, we become what we do. We must exercise ourselves in the disciplines of choosing to feed upon the Scriptures so that our convictions will conform more and more to God’s will for us, of choosing to pray constantly for His enabling grace to say no to temptation, of choosing to take all practical steps to avoid known areas of temptation and flee from those that surprise us. These are some of the practical steps we must take to discipline ourselves in holiness. Dependence on the Spirit – we are both personally responsible and totally dependent in our practice of godliness. We cannot change our hearts; that is the exclusive work of the Holy Spirit. But we can and must avail ourselves of the means He uses. A God-centered Desire – the development of a God-centered desire for holiness. This concept is extremely important in the area of holiness. Our desire for holiness, our motivation to pursue it, must be a Godcentered desire and motivation. Developing this God-centered motivation requires practice or training; it does not come naturally or easily. We are by nature self-centered. We must confess and renounce this, just as we must any disobedient action, and then seek a God-centered motivation. —Jerry Bridges, PURSUIT OF HOLINESS pages 125-126 26
The COMMAND to be HOLY “Holiness consists not in a mere forbearance of a sensual life, but principally in living unto God. The principle or heart of holiness is within, and consists in the love of God, his Word, his ways, his servants, his honor, and his interest in the world. It consists in the soul’s delight in God, and the ways of God. It is inclined toward Him, and seeks after him to please him. It hates to offend him. The expression of it in our lives consists in a constant, diligent exercise of the internal life according to the directions of the Word of God.” Richard Baxter 18 July – “God is your sovereign king. It is your happiness to obey and please him. Labour therefore to bring your soul into absolute submission to him: make it your delight to sincerely and exactly obey his will. What does it mean to have absolute submission to God? When it is deep rooted, fixed, and natural to us. When it is the habit of our daily course of life. When it constantly keeps the soul in attendance upon the will of God. When it seeks obedience to all of his commandments, and is resolute, powerful, and victorious against temptations to disobedience. When it is voluntary and delightful to obey him with the utmost of our power. This full subjection and obedience is difficult, but we should not hesitate to use every effort to attain it.” —Richard Baxter, A Christian Directory, 1:23, Voices from the Past, pg 13
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. —Hebrews 12:14
“Do I want to be holy like Christ, so that I can be admired as holy, or so that I can be free from all unholy inhibitions that keep me from seeing and savoring the holiness of Christ?” —John Piper, Romans 8, Glorification: Conformed to Christ for the Supremacy of Christ August 11, 2002
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. —Romans 12:1-2
“We are either slaves of sin or slaves of God; there is no third alternative. You can call it different things, but it boils down to this: We serve sin or we serve God. Sin reigns or God reigns.” —John Piper, Godward Life, pg 160 27
Sanctification – God’s Part, Our Part A farmer plows his field, sows the seed, and fertilizes and cultivates—all the while knowing that in the final analysis he is utterly dependent on forces outside of himself. He knows he cannot cause the seed to germinate, nor can he produce the rain and sunshine for growing and harvesting the crop. For a successful harvest, he is dependent on these things from God. Yet the farmer knows that unless he diligently pursues his responsibilities to plow, plant, fertilize, and cultivate, he cannot expect a harvest at the end of the season. In a sense he is in a partnership with God, and he will reap its benefits only when he has fulfilled his own responsibilities. Farming is a joint venture between God and the farmer. The farmer cannot do what God must do, and God will not do what the farmer should do. No one can attain any degree of holiness without God working in his life, but just as surely no one will attain it without effort on his own part. God has made it possible for us to walk in holiness. But He has given to us the responsibility of doing the walking; He does not do that for us.
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FRUIT: GOD’S DOING • • • •
Must be “in Christ” He is the Vine; we are just branches We did not choose Him, He chose us Chosen to bear fruit
FRUIT: OUR DOING • Abiding requires obedience “If you keep my commandments, you will abide…” • Obedience is ACTIVE, not passive. • Fruit-bearing leads to pruning. • But, pruning leads to more fruit Obedience and sanctification require planning and purpose on OUR part. —Mary Wilkin (Taken from notes – How People Change course)
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. —Titus 2:11-14
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Why Then Must We Still Do Good? Good question. It’s a question Catholics have often asked Protestants as they wax on about justification by faith alone. It’s a question I’ve had posed to me, in one way or another, by both Muslims and Mormons. It’s a question that even Gospel-centered Christians don’t always seem to agree on. Thankfully, it’s also a question we find in the Heidelberg Catechism (Q/A 86). According to the Catechism, there are at least five reasons we who have been saved by grace alone through faith alone must still do good. 1. Fruit. Good works are the fruit of which justification is the root. If we have the grace of God inside us we will have something of the grace showing through to the outside. “Christ by his Spirit is also renewing us to be like himself.” 2. Gratitude. Good works show to God and to the world that we have much to be thankful for (Rom. 6:13; 12:1-2; 1 Pet. 2:5-10). When we are grateful, the nastiness of vice and pride is pushed aside. In its place we consider all that God has done for us and instinctively–and supernaturally–aim to please the one who has shown us such mercy. 3. Glory. Good works testify that God is worthy of our obedience and service (Matt. 5:16; 1 Cor. 6:19-20). He receives praise when people see his reflection in us. His majesty is magnified when others recognize that we consider him a God to be feared and a Father to be loved. 4. Assurance. Good works bear witness to our own hearts that we are children of God (Matt. 7:17-18; Gal. 5:22-24; 2 Pet. 1:10-11). As we spot good fruit growing in our lives, we should conclude that we, therefore, cannot be bad trees. 5. Conversion. Good works make our neighbors stand up and take notice (Matt. 5:14-16; Rom. 14:17-19; 1 Pet. 2:12; 3:1-2). Our behavior cannot, by itself, win sinners to Christ. But our good works can adorn the gospel and lead the lost to consider whether they are as found as they thought. Good works are not optional for the Christian. We must do good, not as the means of our acceptance with God, but as an expression of it. In the lifelong pursuit of holiness, we would do well to consider all the biblical motivations for Christlikeness. For at one time or another, we will need them all. And so will the people God brings before us in need of similar transformation. —Kevin DeYoung, Young, Restless and Reformed blog, 14 August 2013
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RELIANCE MY FATHER,
When thou art angry towards me for my wrongs
I try to pacify thee by abstaining from future sins; But teach me that I cannot satisfy thy law, that this effort is a resting in my righteousness, that only Christ’s righteousness, ready made, already finished, is fit for that purpose; that thy chastising me for my sin is not that I should try to reform, but only that I may be more humbled, afflicted, and separated from sin, by being reconciled, and made righteous in Christ by faith; that a sense of my sufficiency and ability in him is one means of my being immovable; that I can never be so by resting on my own faith but by trusting in thee as my only support, by faith; that if I cast away my faith I cast away thee, for by faith I apprehend thee, and as thou art very precious, so is my faith very precious to me; that I fall short of the purity thou requirest, because in thinking I am holy I do not seek holiness, or, believing I am impotent, I do no more. Humble me for not being as holy as I should be, or as holy as I might be through Christ, for thou art all, and to possess thee is to possess all. But to make the creature something is to make it stand between thee and me, so that I do not walk humbly and holily. Lord, forgive me for this.
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—Valley of Vision #176
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