ࡱ> (*'7 bjbjUU "7|7| l&&&& 2RRRRRRRR$= ],RRRRR,lRRAlllRRRRlRllRF d[&vW0RlA Call to Holiness Leviticus 11:44 Introduction: God is giving commandments, ordinances and statutes to Israel that are going to set them apart from all the nations. They are to be a HOLY people. We likewise are to be a holy people. Peter writing to the church in his first epistle said, as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy. Peter is quoting from Leviticus 11:44! The author of the epistle to the Hebrews said, Pursue holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. In our text we have the command to be holy, and also the steps by which holiness is obtained. Lets look at each one in order. I. Be holy. a. What is the meaning of holiness? 1. Devoted or dedicated. 2. Pure. b. Holiness has two aspects to it, the positional aspect and the practical aspect. 1. Positional holiness. There is a sense in which every believer is perfectly holy. Listen to the way Paul states it in both Ephesians and Colossians: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him Eph 1:3-4 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight Col 1:21-22 Every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is holy in the positional sense. 2. But there is the practical sense of holiness as well. Positional holiness is holiness before God. Practical holiness is holiness before men. Jesus did everything that needed to be done for us to be holy positionally, but we have a part to play in practical holiness. We must cooperate with God, and obey God if we are going to be holy in the practical sense. II. What is our part in being holy? a. The negative command do not defile yourself. What defiles? In the gospel of Mark, chapter 7, beginning in verse 14, Jesus told us some specific things that defile a man. Notice first that unholiness cannot necessarily be determined by external things. (cultural issues that have been mistaken for spiritual issues ie. Dress,apperance, musical style etc.) Things that defile fornication (all forms of sexual perversion), murder (hatred), covetousness (greediness, extortion, theft), licentiousness (wild, reckless, self-indulgent living), blasphemy, pride add to this Pauls list of the works of the flesh from Galatians 5:19-21, idolatry, sorcery (pharmekia), jealousy, selfish ambition, drunkenness. b. The positive command sanctify yourself. The word sanctify is similar in meaning to holy. It means to devote oneself wholly and entirely to Gods use and his glory. Sanctification is active not passive. We must daily devote ourselves to God. Romans 12:1 sums up how we sanctify ourselves. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Wholly devoted in all aspects of life: husband, wife, parent, child, employee, employer, friend etc. Close: The call to holiness is rooted in the very nature and character of God himself. Be holy, for I am holy! #/1 K L* / L U ' 4    | 3 6CJ] 6>*CJ] 5CJ\ 6CJ]CJ5\CJ&# :;T_`LMV W 4 5 ~    A A B { |   1h/ =!"#$% i8@8 NormalCJ_HaJmH sH tH <A@< Default Paragraph Font.>@. 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