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[0:00] 2 Corinthians 6, we'll begin reading in verse 14 and read through chapter 7 and verse 1.! Do not be yoked together with unbelievers, for what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?

[0:15] ! Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?

[0:30] For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said, I will live with them and walk among them. And I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.

[0:44] Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit.

[1:00] Perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. The greatest reality in the universe is the living God.

[1:10] And when we ask what he is like, he tells us he is holy. That means there's none like him, altogether different, set apart from sinners.

[1:26] Absolute purity. No sin at all in him. No evil. And because he is holy, he tells us who are his holy people to be holy.

[1:37] Be holy because I am holy. And it's God himself who makes us holy. By his son cleansing our record in heaven.

[1:49] By the blood he shed and the perfect life he lived on our behalf. And by his spirit sent to change our hearts and lives and to make them like himself.

[2:01] And yet, though he's the one who makes us holy, we're called to make every effort to be holy. Because without holiness, no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12, 14.

[2:12] Now, last week, we saw that God is very concerned about our holiness. The holiness of his people. Why?

[2:23] Because his reputation, the reputation of his holy name goes with his holy people. You take his reputation with you as you go into the workplace, as you go into school, into your sports, your activities.

[2:37] And he doesn't want his holy name profaned. So he takes a great interest in our personal holiness. Now, today we want to answer a very simple and yet important question.

[2:53] And it's this. What exactly is a life of holiness? What is holiness? What does a holy life look like?

[3:03] If something is so important as this holiness, we cannot afford to be vague or unclear about what it is.

[3:15] So we want to spell it out a bit this morning to show what it looks like that we might know exactly what it is that we are to be pursuing every moment of our lives.

[3:25] We spoke earlier about a common misunderstanding about holiness. Holiness. That sometimes people think a holy life consists only of things that you do at church and listening to sermons and praying and singing.

[3:41] Or maybe something that missionaries do or reading your Bible at home. As if holiness just pertained to a few religious, spiritual things that we do.

[3:52] But rather we found that a holy life pertains to everything that we do. Philippians 1.15. Be holy in all you do.

[4:04] So that means whatever a holy life looks like, it has to do with every area of our lives. All day long. All week long. It's a God-centered life, really.

[4:19] It's a life set apart, which is the idea of holy. It's a life set apart to God. Lived for him, unto him, in a way pleasing to him.

[4:32] Well, what does that look like, John? What would that look like? Well, four points this morning. First of all, a holy life is a life shaped by the word of God.

[4:46] Have you seen these patio urns, flower urns that are made out of concrete? Some of them are really quite elaborate. You plant your petunias and geraniums in them.

[4:57] That they can be elaborate with all kinds of design in them. How do they get cement in those forms? Well, they take it and they take it in its liquid form and pour it into a mold.

[5:10] And then it sets up. And you take the mold away. And what you have is an urn that looks a whole lot like the mold. It's in the very same shape as the mold.

[5:24] Well, the word of God is a mold. And we, as the people of God, are being poured into that mold. Such that we take on the very shape of the scriptures.

[5:40] The holy people look a lot like the holy scriptures. Because a holy life is a life shaped by the word of God.

[5:52] And to be more specific, it's a life shaped by the holy commands of our God. Romans 7, 12 says the law is holy and the commandment is holy.

[6:05] And the reason it's holy is because God's moral law is the transcript of his own holiness. It's the written record of God's holiness as it comes to bear on human behavior.

[6:22] Would you know what the holiness of God looks like in human behavior? Look at his commandments. God's holiness is written out in his commandments for us.

[6:35] So this is what a holy life looks like. Having no other gods besides him. No substitutes for God.

[6:46] No rivals to my heart. Not worshiping him with idols. But only in the way that he has prescribed in his word. Not misusing his holy name.

[7:00] But living in such a way that shows reverence for God. And does not belittle him. Remembering to keep his holy day holy.

[7:13] Set apart from the other six for the purposes for which he gave it. Honoring your father and mother. Obeying them. Living in a way that places honor upon them.

[7:25] Not murdering. Not murdering. Not hating your neighbor. But being concerned about your neighbor's welfare.

[7:38] Not stealing. But respecting your neighbor's property and goods. Not giving false witness. Not giving false witness or lying.

[7:49] But speaking the truth. Living the truth. Not coveting. But being content with God. And what he has provided for you. That's what a holy life looks like.

[8:01] It's spelled out in the commandments of God. God. So. God's law then defines a holy life. It's a life displaying the beauty of God's own holiness.

[8:17] Therefore. Any disobedience to his commands. Is an attack. Upon the holiness of God. That stands revealed in his commands.

[8:29] So you see there's nothing vague then about this idea of holiness. Is there the Bible is very clear. It says. Don't do this. Do that. It says.

[8:39] Don't think this way. Rather think this way. Believe this. And not that. Love this. Not that. The Bible gives us commandments that are holy.

[8:52] And they spell out holiness for us. The Sermon on the Mount. Is the very same thing. Where Jesus is defining. A holy life. What is it?

[9:03] Well. It's meekness. It's poverty of spirit. It's hungering and thirsting for righteousness. It's seeking first God's righteousness. And his kingdom. It's being persecuted.

[9:15] For righteousness. It's being a peacemaker. It's having your life filled with good works. That others might see. And glorify God. It's being a light in the world. It's turning the other cheek.

[9:30] It's walking the second mile. It's loving your enemies. Holiness. Is being defined. In every commandment. Every holy command.

[9:43] And so it is with every word of the apostle. Every teaching. Every command of scripture. Is painting for us. A holy life.

[9:54] So a holy life. Is a life of obedience. To God's commands. Both positive. And negative. There's this idea. That's far too prevalent. That holiness is just.

[10:06] The things that we don't do. They define holiness. Completely in the negative. If I live a holy life. I'm holy. Because I don't do this.

[10:16] And I don't do that. And I don't do this. And I don't do that. Now there certainly is a negative. In a holy life. Out of the ten commandments. Eight of them. Are given in the negative.

[10:28] Thou shalt not. Only two are given in the positive. But did you know that. That same moral law of God. Is summarized by Jesus.

[10:39] In two positive. Commands. That you shall love the Lord your God. With all your heart. And all your soul. And all your mind. And all your strength. And that you should love your neighbor.

[10:49] As yourself. Those are positive commands. So that even the negative commands. Can be summarized. By a positive command. And that teaches us. That wherever we see.

[11:00] A negative command in scripture. It includes. And infers. Living. By the. Opposite. Positive. Virtue. Let me give you an illustration.

[11:11] Thou shalt not steal. That's given in a negative form. But to obey that command. Is to do more than. Just not rob a bank. Or take something from your neighbor. That's not yours.

[11:23] It's actually. To do something. For the good of your neighbor. And his possessions. Listen to the way. Paul applies. That command. In Ephesians 4. 28. He who has been stealing.

[11:35] Must steal no longer. But. Must work. Doing something useful. With his own hands. That he may have something to share. With those in need.

[11:46] He's been a taker. Taking what's not his. He must stop that. But he's only halfway home. To obeying that command. He must now work with his own hands.

[11:56] Doing something useful. That he might make a wage. And have something to give. To those in need. The negative command. Infers the positive. And so holiness.

[12:07] Is far more than just a few. Negative things. That we don't do. Holiness is. Is about the good. That we do. As well as the bad. That we refuse to do.

[12:18] And anyone who knows. The good he ought to do. And doesn't do it. To him it is sin. So you can sin. By not doing. The good that you ought to do.

[12:30] We call those sins of omission. And holiness is concerned. With sins of commission. And sins of omission. It's concerned with doing. What God forbids. And not doing.

[12:40] What God commands. A holy life. Is a life shaped. By the word of God. Now if God's word.

[12:53] Defines holiness for us. That means that the word of God. Has a huge place. In the life of a holy man or woman. They are. People of the book. Of the book.

[13:05] The Lord Jesus makes clear. The connection between. Holiness. And God's word. He says in John 15. Three. Now you are clean.

[13:16] Pure. Through the word. Which I have spoken. Unto you. In John chapter 17. In verse 17. Jesus is about to leave his disciples.

[13:26] In an unholy world. And he prays to the father. Sanctify them. By your truth. Your word is truth. Sanctify means.

[13:37] Make them holy. Make them holy father. By your truth. Your word. Is truth. You see the connection. Between holiness. And the word of God. Is made clear.

[13:48] By the savior. God makes his people holy. Through his holy word. There is no way around it. There are no shortcuts. Your commitment. To holiness. Is no greater. Than your commitment.

[13:59] To this. Word. God's word. And there is in here. Everything we need. For what?

[14:09] For life. And godliness. For holiness. There is everything we need. In here. To escape. The corruption. That is in the world.

[14:20] Through lust. This book is useful. For training. In righteousness. That's holiness. That's holy living. The word of God. Is the sword.

[14:31] Of the spirit. Kids. You're in a battle. You need weapons. And this book. The word of God. Is the sword. Of the spirit.

[14:42] It's the weapon. Of choice. That the Holy Spirit. Uses. To keep us holy. In the midst. Of an unholy world. And all the temptations. That come at us. To make us unholy.

[14:54] The sword. Of the spirit. It arms us. By holding Christ. Before us. In the beauty. Of his holiness. And as we see him.

[15:06] Reflected in his sword. We say. How could I sin against. My savior. It equips us. With every motive. Then. For living the Christian life. A holy life. It's the truth.

[15:17] That exposes. The lies. Of the devil. That points out. The hook. Behind his bait. It's the scriptures. That. Help us. In holiness.

[15:27] It feeds our faith. Faith. By which we fight. The good fight. Of faith. Yes. The battle of holiness. Is a fight for faith.

[15:39] A fight for faith. A faith. To see. What is ours in Christ. A faith. That is the victory. That overcomes the world. And that faith. Only survives. As it feeds upon.

[15:50] The word of God. The word of God. Think of the most holy. Man that ever lived. The Lord Jesus.

[16:01] The holy one. God. Yes. But man. How did he fight? Well. He didn't fight. Without the sword. Of the spirit. The word of God.

[16:11] In his battle. With Satan. In the wilderness. Each time. He drew this sword. It is written. It is written. It is written. And with each thrust. Of scripture.

[16:22] He overcame. The world. He overcame. The devil. He maintained. His holy. Life. Yes.

[16:33] The holiness. Of Jesus. Was maintained. By the thoughtful. The word. The word. Of God. And the Christian. Who thinks.

[16:43] To be pursuing. Holiness. Holiness. While neglecting. The word. Of God. Is like. Someone. Charging. Into the battlefield. Without a weapon. He's not going to last long.

[16:55] Christian. Don't forget your sword. There's reason enough in this. To encourage us. In daily. Bible reading. Memorization.

[17:06] Meditation. We want to be. Armed. To fight. Sanctify them. By your truth. Your word.

[17:17] Is. Truth. Don't miss. The very practical purpose. For which. The Bible. Has been given to us. To make us holy.

[17:28] To sanctify us. To set us apart. Unto God. So measure. Your true proficiency. In the scriptures. Not by how much. You know. But by how holy.

[17:38] You are. How much. Like this. God. You are. How much. Of his. Thought. And ways. Have become. Your thought. And ways. That's the purpose.

[17:49] For which. He gives us. His word. Sanctify them. By your. Truth. Your word. Is truth. How. What changes. Have you. Recently. Made in your life. You've.

[18:00] Rearranged. Your schedule. You've. Rearranged. The way. You used. To do things. Simply. Because you. You saw it. In here. And this book. Is sanctifying. You. It's changing. Your priorities.

[18:11] The way. You live. The way. You think. Sanctify. Them. By your truth. Have you. Thought. Of your. Lord. Praying. Personally. For your.

[18:21] Holiness. Have you. Seen that. That's what. John 17. Is showing us. Giving us a peek. Into. The high priestly. Prayer of Jesus. And he's praying. Oh father.

[18:33] Sanctify. John. Heaney. Make him. Holy. And when we see. Our savior. Praying for our. Holiness. Through the word. Can we.

[18:44] Then neglect. The very means. By which. He makes us. Holy. Can we. Do anything. But. Make every effort. To live a holy life. A holy life.

[18:55] Is a life. Shaped. By the word of God. Secondly. A holy life. Is a life. Conformed. To Jesus. Christ. The holy one. God's.

[19:06] Not only. Given us. A written. Transcript. Of holiness. His written word. He has given us. A living embodiment. Of holiness. The living word. Jesus Christ.

[19:17] You see. We don't have a conflicting. Standard. Well here we have. The written word. And here we have. The written. The living word. Jesus. Which should I order. My life by.

[19:28] It's not either or. It's both. It is in Christ. That we see the law. Honored. And embodied. And obeyed. Without a flaw. Would you know.

[19:41] What holiness looks like. In flesh and blood. And follow the Lord Jesus. Through the gospels. See him interacting. With God. The holy one.

[19:52] And with men. See him obedient. To his parents. Submitting. To authority. There's holiness. See him patient.

[20:03] With his disciples. Kind toward his enemies. See him going about. Doing good. To all people. See how he humbles himself. See him loving God.

[20:14] With all of his heart. And obeying all his commands. Even the command. To go die on a cross. And suffer his wrath. See him humble himself.

[20:24] And be obedient. Even to the death of the cross. See him surrender his will. Not my will father. But yours be done. See him tempted.

[20:36] In every way. Just as we are yet. Without sin. This is holiness on two feet. As one writer put it. Holiness. In a body.

[20:47] And we have the privilege. To read of it. And to look at it. And to meditate upon it. In scripture. As we see Christ. In the word.

[20:58] And that's what we're to make every effort for. That's what we're to spare. No pains to become. Holy. Like Jesus is. To imitate him.

[21:10] And it helps knowing that this is what God has predestined every one of his people for. If you're a child of God. God is predestined. He is determined ahead of time. That you will be one day.

[21:22] Exactly like his son. Romans 8 29. He's predestined us to be conformed. To the image. Of his son. So that he should be the firstborn.

[21:35] Of many brothers who are just like him. A whole family of people. Who are just like their elder brother. Jesus. Bearing his likeness. Have you realized.

[21:46] That's the main agenda God has for you in this life. Christian. That's the. The number one thing that God has for you. That's what that's the explanation behind what God is doing in your life.

[21:58] Both painful and pleasant. He's out to make you like his son. And he knows how to do it. With perfect wisdom. He wants a people.

[22:11] Who are just like his lovely son. Did you know that your new self. This new creation that you are in Christ. Christ. Was created to be like God.

[22:23] In true righteousness. And holiness. Ephesians 4 24. Godliness in outlook. And conduct. Is what the new self.

[22:34] Is all about. And it's by contemplating Christ. It's by beholding his holiness. That we are transformed into his likeness.

[22:46] Second Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 18. And we who with unveiled faces. All contemplate the Lord's glory. His holiness. His majesty.

[22:57] We are being transformed into his likeness. With ever increasing glory. Which comes from the Lord who is the spirit. And if you see the context there. In second Corinthians 3.

[23:07] It's. It's. It's contrasting it with the ever decreasing glory. That was on the face of Moses. Jesus. When he went into the tent of meeting. And met with the holy one.

[23:19] His face glowed. From the holiness of God. And he came out. And his face was shining with holiness. But it didn't last. It wore out.

[23:31] And became duller and duller. So what did he do? He covered his face. So that the people could not see. The descending glory. Of God. But we all with unveiled faces.

[23:43] All behold and contemplate the Lord's glory. Are being transformed into his likeness. With ever increasing glory. Which comes from the Lord who is the spirit.

[23:56] Wonderful truth. Do you meditate on the holiness of Jesus? Do you think a lot about.

[24:07] The way he. Answered temptation. We cannot imitate him. Without contemplating him. Without seeing him.

[24:18] In the scriptures. Holiness is the studied. Imitation of Christ. Kids if you want to be like your sports star.

[24:29] What do you do? You study their swing. Maybe it was baseball. Or golf. You. You watch. And you see how they do everything. From their grip. To their stance.

[24:39] Their shifting of weight. And you're studying them. You're watching them. And then you try to imitate it. It's no different. With holy living. We must study him.

[24:51] We must watch him. We must put our neck in the yoke with him. And learn from Christ. How to plow a straight furrow. Through this wicked world. It comes from studying Christ.

[25:02] Oh. We must spend a lot of time. In the gospels. Following Jesus. As he moves in and out. Among men. And interacts with men.

[25:14] And with his father. Yes. See him in all the scriptures. But. Especially in the gospels. We meet up with Christ. And then in the epistles. We have him explained to us.

[25:26] We must be observing. Beholding. Contemplating him. When your watches. Get off.

[25:37] There. Some of them are a little fast. Some are a little slow. What do we do? Do we ask each other. What time you got? Well we might. And we might set it by. Each other. If we do that.

[25:49] For years. And years. And years. We could be way off. Couldn't we? So what do we do. Every now and then? We call. 546-2323. And the bank.

[25:59] Tells us. What time it is. According to. The. Master clock. At the U.S. Naval Observatory. When we get out of sync.

[26:14] In our life. With holiness. What do we do? Do we look over at our brother. And say. I'm good to go.

[26:24] Compared to him. I'm pretty holy. Compared to her. I'm not as bad as she is. No. We come to the master clock.

[26:35] We come to Jesus Christ. The son of God. And we set our clocks. By the son. By him. Who is absolutely. Pure. Without sin.

[26:49] You say. Wow. That's a humbling standard. It is. And nothing less. Is required of the Christian. We need to be humbled.

[26:59] At the impossibility. Of being like Christ. So that we'll cry out. To the spirit of Christ. Oh. Make me like Jesus. Make me like. The son of God.

[27:10] Be like Jesus. This my song. In the home. And in the throng. Be like Jesus. All day long. I would be. Like Jesus. That's a holy life.

[27:23] But thirdly. A holy life. Is a life. Of killing. Sin. It's a life. Of killing. Sin. If obedience. Or if holiness. Is obeying God's commandments.

[27:34] And being like. The holy Jesus. Then sin. Is the antithesis. Of holiness. Sin is the opposite. Of holiness. Sin. First John.

[27:45] Three. Four. For everyone. Who sins. Breaks the law. In fact. Sin is lawlessness. So. If obeying the law.

[27:56] Is holiness. Disobeying it. Is sin. Then sin. Is the enemy. Of holiness. And if I want. To be holy. I must be given. Over. To the activity.

[28:07] Of killing. My sin. Sin. Is the thing. That defiles us. It makes us. Unclean. It makes us. Impure. Unholy.

[28:18] Unlike Jesus. And you know. That this sin. Doesn't originate. Out there. In the theaters. And in the schools. You know. That this sin.

[28:29] Begins. Right here. This uncleanness. Starts within. Jesus says. What comes out. Of the man. Is what makes him. Unclean. Not what goes. Into him.

[28:40] For from within. Out of men's hearts. Come evil thoughts. Sexual immorality. Theft. Murder. Adultery. Greed. Malice. Deceit. Lewdness.

[28:50] Envy. Slander. Arrogance. And folly. All these evils. Come from. Inside. And make a man. Unclean. Unfit for God.

[29:01] Unholy. So. If sin. Is uncleanness. Then any serious. This. Regard for holiness. Will inevitably. Bring you. Into an all out war.

[29:12] With sin. And that's exactly. Where Jesus calls us. To a sin killing life. You say. Oh. But that's a precious thing.

[29:23] To me. It could be. A thing. As precious. As your right hand. But if it's causing you. To stumble. You will want to cut it off. Jesus says. Matthew 5.

[29:35] Could be as precious. As your right eye. But if it's. Impeding you. From living a holy life. You'll want to pluck it out. It could be. As valuable. As a right leg.

[29:45] A right foot. But. If it is causing you. To stumble. Into sin. Cut it off. It's better. To enter into heaven. With one eye. One foot. One hand. Than to enter into hell.

[29:56] With two. You see. Jesus calls us. To the killing. Of our sins. The apostle Paul. Does the same. In Colossians 3. 5. Put to death. Therefore. Whatever belongs. To your earthly nature.

[30:07] Sexual immorality. Impurity. Lust. Evil desires. And greed. Which is idolatry. Put them to death. Romans 8. 13. For if you live.

[30:18] According to the sinful nature. You will die. But if by the spirit. You put to death. The misdeeds of the body. You will live. Yes. A holy life.

[30:29] Does not toy. With sin. We don't put up. With sin. We aim at their death. And destruction. You know. They're aiming for your death.

[30:40] And destruction. James 1. 15. Sin. When it's finished. Brings forth death. Did you know. What that little. Seemingly innocent. Slip. Is going for.

[30:50] It's going for the jugular. When it's done. It'll have you dead. It'll have you down. So it seeks. Our destruction. We must seek it. John Owen had a lot to say.

[31:01] About the killing of our sins. And he said. Be killing sin. Or it will be killing you. And he said. Let not that man think. That he makes any progress.

[31:12] In holiness. Who walks not. Over the bellies. Of his lusts. It's the picture. Of the. The conquering. Army. And they have. The defeated foe.

[31:24] Laid out before them. And they walk across. The bellies. Of their enemies. And that's what Owen is saying. Don't think that you've made. Any progress with holiness. If you are not. Walking. On the belly.

[31:35] Of your lusts. Or your evil desires. How different. From the. The spirit of our age. Today's Christian message. Is lighten up. Chill out.

[31:46] Take it easy. Don't take this holiness stuff. Too seriously. Relax. After all. God loves you. Yes. He does. And dear Christian.

[31:57] He loves you so much. He will not let you go on. In sin. Because sin profanes. His holy name. Sin. Brings harm. To you. It brings harm. To the name of Christ.

[32:08] The church of Christ. To the world. Sin. Is the evil thing. That hampers our usefulness. To the master. So Paul can say. To Timothy. That we need.

[32:20] To cleanse ourselves. From all uncleanness. That we might be an instrument. For noble purposes. Made holy. Useful to the master. And prepared for any good work.

[32:32] Spurgeon says. The beauty of a holy life. Is the most powerful influence. In the world. Next to the might. Of God's own spirit. The beauty of a holy life.

[32:43] That demonstrates the power of God. To save from sin. Your life. A demonstration of the power. Of godliness. Holiness. So we.

[32:57] Come out. From among them. That's the idea of holiness. We. Set ourselves apart. From the world. And its ways. Its way of thinking. And living.

[33:07] That are sinful. We come out. From among them. And are separate. From them. And we cleanse ourselves. From everything. That defiles us. In spirit.

[33:18] And body. Perfecting holiness. In the fear. Of God. Purify. Ourselves. From everything.

[33:30] That contaminates. Body. And spirit. Anybody. Conclude that. About you. At the end of following you. Through a week. Week. I mean. If they could be inside your mind.

[33:41] And see where your eyeballs run. And where your thoughts go. Would they come to the end of the week. And say. That woman. Is running hard. After holiness. And she is.

[33:53] Seeking to purify herself. From everything. That contaminates her. In body. And spirit. Holiness. Is not cleaning yourself up. In order to come to Christ.

[34:04] No. We purify ourselves. By washing. Afresh. In the fountain. Open for sin. And uncleanness. He alone. Christ alone. Has the power. To break the chains.

[34:17] Of reigning sin. So. As Owen says. Holiness means. Bringing your sins. To Jesus. For the killing of them. Lord. Here is a. Here is an evil desire.

[34:28] That resist your reign. In my heart. Rise up. And kill him. Come and slay. This dragon. Within. Come and help me. Help me. To put my foot upon it. Help me. To pluck it out.

[34:38] Of my life. We come to Christ. With our sins. For the killing of them. Remember. In the Old Testament.

[34:48] What was the most holy place. In all the earth. In the Old Testament. What was called that. The most holy place. The NIV calls it that. We called it in the King James.

[34:59] The holy of holies. Didn't we? It was that inner sanctum. Of the temple. Where God dwelt. Oh. That was the holiest place. In the whole universe. Where God is the holiest place.

[35:11] On the earth. And no one unclean. Could enter in. They must first. Be made ceremonially clean. By the shedding of blood.

[35:21] And by the washing. Of water. Everything holy. Had to be carried. By poles. That would come into the. The temple. And the tabernacle. So that no man.

[35:31] Would touch it. And thereby defile it. Many restrictions. To keep the temple. And its furnishings. Holy. And undefiled. And if you. If you. You're reading through your Old Testament.

[35:42] You know exactly what I'm talking about. Many regulations. To that end. What is it saying to us? It's saying. God's holy place. Must be kept. Holy. Okay. Come with me to the New Testament.

[35:55] Do you not know. That your body. Christian. Is the temple. Of the Holy Spirit. What is the most holy place. On the earth. Today. Well you show me a Christian.

[36:08] Christian. And I'll show you. Where the Holy One dwells. He lives in a high. And a holy place. But also with him. Who is humble. And contrite in heart.

[36:21] Have you thought of yourself. That way lately. As your heart. Being the most holy place. Where God. Dwells. Oh.

[36:34] We must be busy. Clearing the temple. Of our hearts. Of all that. Is defiling. Hezekiah was the king of Judah.

[36:45] And he distinguished himself. By. One of his earliest acts. When he came to the throne. Was to purify the temple. Second Chronicles 29. Listen to me Levites. Consecrate yourselves now.

[36:56] And consecrate the temple. Of the Lord. That means. Make it holy. Make yourselves holy. And make the temple of the Lord. The God of your fathers holy. Remove all defilement.

[37:06] From the sanctuary. So they set to work. And after they consecrated themselves. They went in. To purify the temple. Of the Lord. As the king had ordered. Following the word of the Lord.

[37:18] And they brought out. To the courtyard. Of the Lord's temple. Everything unclean. That they found. In the temple. Of the Lord. The Levites took it. And carried it out.

[37:28] To the Kidron Valley. And it took them. Sixteen days. To haul out. Everything unclean. Where? Not in.

[37:39] The temple to Dagon. In Philistia. But in the holy. Temple. Of Jehovah. In Jerusalem. And then they reported.

[37:52] To the king. We have purified. The entire. Temple. Of the Lord. A short. One hundred years later. Josiah. Is now king. Of Judah. And we find.

[38:03] All sorts of. Defilements. Have made their way. Back into the temple. Of the Lord. And so he too. Set himself. To purify the temple. That had been defiled. Second Kings 23. And he ordered. That the temple.

[38:13] Be cleared. Of all idols. Vessels. And altars. Made for Baal. And Ashtoreth. And the hosts of heaven. Images of horses. And chariots. Dedicated to the sun.

[38:24] And so again. The temple. Was purified. You see. The purifying of the temple. Was not a once for all thing then. Nor is it today.

[38:36] We find all sorts. Idols. Have a way of making their way. Back into the temples. Of our hearts. Idols. And it doesn't take a hundred years.

[38:48] It can happen in your lifetime. That some sin that you cleanse back here. Is back. And it's back with a vengeance. It can happen in a week. It can happen in a day.

[39:00] The sin you confessed. In your morning. Devotions. Can need to be confessed. Before the night. Find you pillow in your head. Idols.

[39:12] That find their way back in our hearts. And what is our heart? But the temple. Of the holy God. So we must be ever cleansing.

[39:23] The temple. Of our hearts. Of idolatrous desires. Of things that we give. Godlike status to. That we say. I won't be happy. Unless I have this. And unless this happens.

[39:34] I won't be satisfied. Those things must be cleansed. Over and over. Get rid of sin. Mortify it. Kill it. Remove it. And how do we do it?

[39:44] By confession. Forsaking it. But we also must remove. The stain and defilement. Of the temple. So that it will be a fit dwelling. For the Lord. Now in the Old Testament.

[39:57] All that was unclean. Was cleansed from its defilement. By the sprinkling of blood. That leads us to the Lamb of God. The Lord Jesus.

[40:09] Hebrews says. In the same way. Moses sprinkled with blood. Both the tabernacle. And everything in it. In fact. The law requires. That nearly everything. Be cleansed by blood.

[40:21] And so the blood of bulls. And goats. And ashes of a heifer. Sprinkled on those. Who are ceremonially unclean. Sanctified them. So that they were outwardly clean. How much more than. Will the blood of Christ.

[40:32] Who through the eternal spirit. Offered himself. Unblemished to God. Cleanse our consciences. From acts that lead to death. That we may serve the living God.

[40:43] So we regularly bring our sins to Jesus. And we confess them. Before him. We renounce them. We look again to his blood.

[40:54] That was shed. To take away sin. An act done once for all. His offering. Of his blood. Once for all. We come. And we look afresh. To that fountain.

[41:04] We look afresh. To be cleansed. Cleansed in our consciences. From sin. That we might serve God. As holy priesthood. Acting fresh faith.

[41:17] On the blood of Christ. For if we confess our sins. He is faithful and just. He will forgive your sins. He will cleanse you. From all unrighteousness.

[41:29] All defilement. What a precious. Savior. And it's in that way. That we walk in the light. With him who is in the light. Constantly cleansing our sins. In the blood of Christ.

[41:41] So a holy life. Is a life of killing sin. A life in which we aim. To be like Jesus. We aim not to sin. We get up in the morning.

[41:51] With an aim to not sin. But if anyone sin. We have an advocate with the Father. Jesus Christ. The righteous one. And he is the propitiation.

[42:02] For our sins. And not only ours. But also for the sins. Of the whole world. But lastly. This morning. A holy life. Is a life of sexual purity.

[42:16] Now holiness. Is far more than sexual purity. It includes this. And this aspect. Of purity. Receives special emphasis.

[42:26] In the word of God. And it's teaching. On holiness. Yes. Many sins are referred to. On the teaching on holiness. But this.

[42:37] Sin. Receives special emphasis. To read the Bible. Is to discover. That it's ever one of the chief strategies. Of the devil. To destroy holiness. Through sexual immorality.

[42:48] Just read your Bible. And you know what I'm talking about. So the Bible is calling us. To a holy life. And it repeatedly calls us. To sexual purity.

[43:00] First Thessalonians. Four. Three to eight. It is God's will. That you should be sanctified. That means. Holy. Be made holy. It's God's will. That you be holy.

[43:11] That you should avoid. Sexual immorality. There we have it. In the same breath. What is holiness? What does it mean to be. It means to avoid. Sexual immorality.

[43:21] That's what. Holiness. Means. Means far more. But doesn't mean less than that. And when Paul speaks. Of being holy. Then he at once. Tells us to avoid.

[43:32] This form of unholiness. Because it's a most popular. Form of defilement. And uncleanness. Before the Lord. Verse four. That each of you. Should learn to control.

[43:43] His own body. In a way that is holy. That is set apart to God. Holy and honorable. Not in passionate lust. Like the heathen. Who do not know God.

[43:55] Yes. They're living this way. In sexual immorality. But you're not to be like those. Who don't know God. You are to keep your body. Holy. Because.

[44:06] Verse six. The Lord is an avenger. Of all such sins. As we've already told you. And warned you. For God did not call us. To be impure. But to live a holy life.

[44:18] Therefore. He who rejects. This instruction. Does not reject man. But God. God who gives you. His holy spirit. Paul's word. To the Thessalonians.

[44:29] And then when he speaks. To the Corinthians. In a. A church. In the midst of. Las Vegas. What does he say to them? He says to them. In chapter six.

[44:39] In verse eighteen. Flee from sexual immorality. Flee it. Run from it. Run for your life. Don't you know. That your body.

[44:50] Is a temple. Of the Holy Spirit. Who is in you. Whom you have received. From God. You are not your own. You were bought. At a price. Therefore. Honor God. With your body. You see.

[45:00] The temple. Complex. This temple. Idea. Is to ever be. In our. In our minds. We are. We are. The dwelling place. We're the most holy place. Where the holy one lives.

[45:12] And this temple. Is to be kept. Holy. And not. Defiled. Oh. But my neighbors. Doing it. You're right. They are. It's a very common sin.

[45:23] In Corinth. It's a very common sin. In America. In Bremen. In the twenty-first century. But it's totally. Out of place. In the temple. Of the living God. Totally.

[45:35] Out of place. Keep your temple. Holy. Flee. From sexual. Immorality. Ephesians.

[45:47] Ephesians. What about the Ephesian churches? Ephesians 5. 3. But among you. Whatever is going on out there. But among you. There must not be even a hint.

[45:58] Of sexual immorality. Or of any kind of impurity. Or of greed. Because these are improper. For God's holy people.

[46:11] Improper. For God's holy people. For God's holy people. Isn't that something? There's not to even be a hint. Of sin in God's holiness.

[46:24] There's not. There isn't a hint in God's holiness. There shouldn't be in you. In your holiness either. A hint of sexual immorality. You say. John. That's an impossible standard. Living in the world we live in.

[46:36] Well it's not. Dagon. Or Baal. Or Ashtaroth. That we worship. It's the holy one. And as he has no hint.

[46:47] Of sexual immorality. In him. There must be no hint. Of sexuality. Immorality. In his temple. Either. Don't ask you ladies.

[47:00] Young ladies. Is there even a hint. Of sexual immorality. In the way you dress. And if you don't know. Ask. Your father.

[47:13] If you're really serious. About holiness. Ask. Your father. Dad. I want. To dress. Without a hint. I realize. My body. Is.

[47:23] A temple. Of the holy one. Would you help me. In this area. I'll be most happy. To do so. Is there even. A hint.

[47:34] Of sexual immorality. In the music. You listen to. Some music. Is musical. Pornography. And it likes rap.

[47:47] For some reason. Is there even. A hint. That's not the only form. Please. I'm not up here. To talk. I'm talking about. Hints of sexual immorality.

[47:58] Wherever you find it. If it's a classical. Treatment. Of some. Some. A hint. Of sexual immorality. What about the movies. You watch. The television shows.

[48:08] That you keep coming back to. It's one thing. To be caught off guard. Wow. That's nasty. Done with that. But it's another thing. To know. It's this time. It's nine o'clock. It's. Let's go.

[48:19] Let's go watch it. Among you. There must not even be a hint. Of sexual immorality. These things are improper. For God's people. But everybody else. The school's doing it. If it's improper.

[48:30] For the holy people. Of God. Paul says. What about the novels. You read. What about your use. Of the internet. What about your speech. And jokes.

[48:40] Is there anything. Of a hint. Of sexual immorality. Oh. We're called to be holy. Let us be holy. In an unholy age.

[48:51] Let us uphold. Sexual purity. In a sexually immoral age. And kids. Never get the idea. That God is against sex. Don't think.

[49:01] Because we've read these verses. That God must be against sex. No. He's the inventor of it. He's all for it. But it's. All for it. In its place.

[49:13] Hebrews 13. For marriage should be honored by all. And the marriage bed kept. Pure. For God will judge the adulterer. And all the sexually immoral. All the sex that's done outside of marriage.

[49:27] God will judge all that. But you keep the marriage bed pure. And God smiles upon it. That's what holiness looks like. Healthy relations.

[49:38] With the wife. The husband. That God has given you. Yes. God is no prude. God is the one. Who knows the joys.

[49:48] That he's planned for you. In this area. And therefore wants you to be kept. From all the cheap imitations. And all that profanes his holy name. Be holy.

[49:59] Because I am holy. So this morning. We've seen a hint. Of what. Of what. Holiness. Looks like. A couple questions. In conclusion. Are you growing.

[50:12] In holiness. Which way is the directional. Arrow. Arrow. Of your life. Pointing. Are you becoming more. And more. Like him. Are you becoming. In his image.

[50:22] In his likeness. With ever increasing. Glory. Or are you slipping. And going backwards. Identify the slippage. This morning.

[50:34] What place are you giving. To the sanctifying truth. Of God's word. You expecting to live a holy life. Without eating. What changes have you made recently.

[50:45] Because you want to be more like Jesus. What sins are you putting to death. In the power of the Holy Spirit. And are you cutting yourself slack. In any areas.

[50:56] Of a hint even. Of sexual immorality. Hebrews 12. For in your struggle against sin. You have not yet resisted. To the point of shedding your blood.

[51:09] So resist on. There was one who resisted. To the point of shedding his blood. Jesus so loved holiness. That he resisted sin.

[51:21] Even when it meant his blood. All he had to do was say. I'm not the son of God. One word. And he spared. All he had to do is bow down to the devil. Spared. No holiness.

[51:33] It's too precious to the son of God. And he resisted to the point of shedding his blood. There's grace in Jesus. To help you. To resist sin. He said to his disciples.

[51:44] Says of his disciples. To the father. For them. I sanctify myself. That they too may be truly sanctified. Sanctified. John 17. 18.

[51:55] Jesus perfectly sanctified himself. For them. For his people. He kept himself holy. For the good of his people. That they might be made holy.

[52:06] Tempted in every way. Like we. Yet without sin. Why? For us. Have you? Have you? When you follow Jesus through the gospels. And you see him tempted. And you see him.

[52:18] Conquering. He did that for me. He did that for me. He kept himself holy. For me. Why? That I might be made holy. Because if it's an unholy.

[52:29] Sacrifice. That makes its way to the center cross of Golgotha. There's no virtue for me. No. He must be a spotless. Pure. Lamb. And so he is sanctifying himself.

[52:40] Perfectly. That he might make me holy. Through the offering of his blood. Doesn't that make you love Jesus? Then thank him by living a holy life.

[52:53] Can you identify. This morning. What needs to change. That you might be more. Like the savior. In all you do. Let's take it to the savior.

[53:05] As we have dealings with him now. In private prayer. And then I'll close. Oh Lord Jesus Christ. None so holy as you. What.

[53:17] What a use you made. Of the holy scriptures. To maintain your holy. Spotless life. None. Like you. Who is so like your father.

[53:28] Godliness. God. Godliness. At every step. In you we see. How to keep ourselves holy. How to handle conflict.

[53:39] And see it resolved. In a holy way. How to. Keep ourselves pure. In an unholy world. In you. We see. No foothold. Being given to sin.

[53:50] Or to the devil. In you. We. We see our hope. As sinners. To be washed. And made holy. In the blood of the lamb. So we worship you.

[54:01] We ask. Holy spirit. That you would. Show us more and more. Of Christ. That we would. Be made. Like him. To the praise. Of his holiness.

[54:12]  We ask it for his holy name's sake. Amen.