Holiness begins with God

• Greek: hagios – sacred, physically pure, morally blameless, ceremonially consecrated, set apart
• The Bible uses the word “holy” in two different ways:
  • Holiness of God – refers to unmatched majesty of His incomparable being
  • Holiness of anything else – something / someone that has been separated from the “common.”
• The word “saint” comes from hagios.

Holiness: Its expression in scripture

• “Holy, holy, holy” – Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8
  • All of God’s attributes come from His holiness.
• God is set apart – I Samuel 2:2
  • Hannah’s prayer points out how no one is holy like God. There is one God and no one is like Him.

This man was serious about serving God!

• Acts 8:26-28 – This man was likely a proselyte. He was a treasurer for the queen of Ethiopia, who held the title Candace (it was a title like Pharaoh, not a name). This man traveled possibly 1,000 miles, a journey that could have taken six months.
• In today’s money, it would have cost several thousand dollars to have a personal copy of the book of Isaiah.
• Luke 8:11-15 – This Ethiopian seemed to have a good heart.

The Old Testament mysteries are revealed in the New Testament.

• Acts 8:29-35 – This is a quote from Isaiah 53:7-8.
• Isaiah contains four “servant songs.” Once of these is in Isaiah 53.
• Isaiah 53:1-2, 5-7 – We understand this is Jesus, but the Ethiopian didn’t know that yet.
• I Corinthians 2:6-13
• Deuteronomy 23:1 – If this man was physically emasculated, he would have been under restriction under the Law of Moses.

Philip preached Jesus and the man wanted to be baptized.

• Acts 8:35-40 – Acts 8:37 may not have been in the original manuscripts. It was likely a marginal note that got included in the text. Having it in the text or not does not change any doctrinal points, though.
• How did the Ethiopian know he needed to be baptized?
  • Acts 8:4-5 (“preaching the word”) Acts 8:12 (baptism)
  • Acts 8:35 (“he preached Jesus to Him”) Acts 8:36 (baptism)

The Holy Spirit was involved, but the man still had to make his own decision.

• Acts 6:6
• Acts 8:6 – Philip was doing miracles.
• Acts 8:26, 29 – The Holy Spirit was highly involved in Philip meeting the Ethiopian. The Holy Spirit connected the eunuch to a man who could answer his questions. Then it was up to the Ethiopian to decide what he wanted to do. We don’t see any Calvinist ideas of God overriding man’s free will here.

James 1, continued:

James 1:13-18

• James 1:13 – See Matthew 4:1; Hebrews 4:15. How was Jesus tempted if God cannot be tempted? Some argue that this means Jesus was not deity, but that view conflicts with many other passages in the Bible. See John 14:30. Satan tried to tempt Jesus, but there was no desire in Jesus at all to do anything evil.
  • Genesis 22:1; Hebrews 11:17 – “testing”
  • Deuteronomy 8:2
  • Judges 2:21-22
  • II Chronicles 32:31
• James 1:14-15 – We are tempted because of our own lust.
  • Lust (restrained) ➡ Sin (unrestrained lust and/or action) ➡ Death (separation from God; Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:23)
  • Sexual desire (I Corinthians 7:3) ➡ Sin (Matthew 5:28 and/or Hebrews 13:4) ➡ Death (separation from God; Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:23)
  • Desire for money (I Timothy 5:8) ➡ Sin (Colossians 3:5 and/or Ephesians 4:28) ➡ Death (separation from God; Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:23)
• James 1:16-17 – God gave the desire, but we must keep it in check. God gives us all good things.
• James 1:18 – James might be saying they were the first generation of Christians.

James 1:19-21

• James 1:19 – God created our bodies and knows how they work. He says slow down your anger.
• James 1:21 – Remove the bad and put in the good.

James 1:22-27

• James 1:22 – If we know God’s word, but aren’t doing it, that’s a problem.
• James 1:25 – Because of the law of liberty, we are free from sin. Seem James 2:12. We will (I Corinthians 9:2) be judged by this law. Romans 6:18
• James 1:26 – Compare James 1:16, 21. Don’t deceive yourself about your position with God if you are not truly serving Him.
• James 1:27 – In those days, widows and orphans were in particularly dire straits.

Introduction

• II Corinthians 2:11
• I Peter 5:8
• II Corinthians 4:3
• Acts 26:18
• John 8:44
• Matthew 13:39
• I Thessalonians 3:5

Satan wants us to think God’s laws are unfairly limiting.

• Genesis 2:8-9 – The Garden of Eden was as perfect as any place on earth has ever been.
• Genesis 3:1-3 – Satan only wanted to talk about the limitations!
• Deuteronomy 6:24 – God’s laws are good for us!
• Ephesians 4:28; Colossians 3:5 – Some of God’s limits.
• I Timothy 4:8 – Following God’s laws makes for the best life possible on earth, not to mention in the eternal life to come.

Satan exploits our desires.

• Job 1:7-11; 2:4-6 – Satan knew what to do to test Job’s faith.
• James 1:14-15
• I John 2:16 – Compare Genesis 3:3-6. Satan used the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life in both cases.
• Genesis 3:22-24 – Man suffered spiritual death and eventual physical death because of this sin.
• John 8:44
• II Corinthians 11:3-4
• II Corinthians 5:9 – The answer is to focus on God’s desires instead.
• Ephesians 5:7-10
• Hopefully, over time our will starts to match up more and more with God’s will.

Satan makes it easy to sin.

• Genesis 3:6
• I Timothy 2:13-14
• Eve made it easy for Adam to sin. She just gave him the fruit.
• The devil is an expert at taking the friction out of sin.
• The answer is to try to make sin inconvenient for ourselves.
• Proverbs 7:25
• II Timothy 2:2 – We cannot just hide from the world.
• Make it easier for yourself to be righteous.

Holiness: for every child of God?

Key passage for the quarter: I Peter 1:13-16

• I Peter 1:14 – not conforming yourself to your former lusts
• I Peter 1:15 – He who called you is holy, you also be holy.
• I Peter 1:16 – “Be holy, for I am holy.” See Leviticus 19:1-2.

Why is holiness confusing to some people?

• Misconceptions
  • Isn’t holiness only descriptive of a select few?
    • No, it is for all Christians. But God’s laws apply whether you submit to them or not.
  • Isn’t holiness a characteristic to describe those who are self-righteous and hypocritical?
    • No. Those who are self-righteous and hypocritical are not holy in the way God demands of us.
  • Isn’t holiness unattainable? Wouldn’t you have to be perfect (sinless) in order to be described in such a way?
    • No, because God demands holiness of us and God doesn’t ask things of us that we can’t achieve.
  • Aren’t holy people just plain strange?
    • It depends on the perspective of the person asking the question!
  • Is holiness optional as far as Christian living is concerned?

Holiness is for every child of God

• I Peter 2:9 – a chosen generation, a holy priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people
• Titus 2:14 – His own special people, zealous for good works
• II Corinthians 6:17 – Come out from among them and be separate
• I Thessalonians 4:3-7 – the will of God, your sanctification … God did not call us to uncleanness, but in HOLINESS
• I Peter 1:14-16 – not conforming yourselves to the former lusts … you also be holy in all your conduct
• Ephesians 4:22-24 – to put off your old self … be renewed … put on the new self … created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and HOLINESS