Give me More Holiness II Corinthians 7:1

Three Questions: What is holiness? Why is holiness important to God? How do we get more holiness?

What is holiness? Vine’s: The World: Separated to God Separation to God, sanctification The resultant state, The conduct befitting those so separated The World: Lawlessness Darkness Belial Unbelieving Idolatry Separated to God Righteousness Light Christ Belief Temple of God (worship)

Why is Holiness so Important to God? Significance of ‘separation’ and ‘holiness’ seen in the Old Testament (Heb. 9:1-5) Sabbath Sacrifices & Worship (Nadab & Abihu) Nation of Israel – Leviticus 19:1-4 Continued in the New Testament (II Cor. 6:16-18) Acknowledgment of Possession and Ownership “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Distinction from a sinful/fallen world “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Demonstration of value and relationship “I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me,”

How do we get more holiness? Not by accident Not by force Not by birth Not by vain rituals Not by rationalization Not by comparison to others Not by time Not by physical isolation Not by osmosis … But by taking advantage of the grace offered to us.

Leviticus 20:22-26 “You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them. But I have said to you, ‘You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples.  You shall therefore separate the clean beast from the unclean, and the unclean bird from the clean. You shall not make yourselves detestable by beast or by bird or by anything with which the ground crawls, which I have set apart for you to hold unclean.  You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.”

Leviticus 20:22-26 “You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them. But I have said to you, ‘You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples.  You shall therefore separate the clean beast from the unclean, and the unclean bird from the clean. You shall not make yourselves detestable by beast or by bird or by anything with which the ground crawls, which I have set apart for you to hold unclean.  You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.”

Because we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. Cleansing the spirit – II Thess. 2:13-17 Cleansing the body- 1 Thess. 3:11-4:8 In the fear of God – Eph. 4:17-5:6 Use the Word to unlock the grace given in Christ.