In pursuit of holiness

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In pursuit of holiness

• The holiness of God
• Holinessan impossible dream?
• Dead to sin alive in Christ
• Holy living with the Holy Spirit

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Weve been looking at the cosmic battle of good
versus evil and Gods rescue plan for the
world. An important question for usCan the
power, presenceand tendency to sin bebroken in
our lives? Yes! But how
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There is continual grace for us. We admit our
sin but dont give in to it. Like a Sat
Nav. Present location tendency to
sin. Destination holiness. There will be
delays diversions butif we allow it,
thesat nav will recalibrate!
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• Some facts about sin.
• Sin is surrounded
• There is grace for sin
• Sin doesnt win
• Paul asks Shall we go on sinning so that grace
  might increase? Rom 61
• But he ends with Now that you have been set free
  from sin the benefit you reap is holiness. Rom
  622

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Romans 6 1 14

• What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning
  so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are
  those who have died to sin how can we live in it
  any longer? 3 Or dont you know that all of us
  who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized
  into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with
  him through baptism into death in order that, just

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• as Christ was raised from the dead through the
  glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
• 5 For if we have been united with him in a death
  like his, we will certainly also be united with
  him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know
  that our old self was crucified with him so that
  the body ruled by sin might be done away with,
  that we should no longer be slaves to
  sin 7 because anyone who has died has been set
  free from sin.

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• 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we
  will also live with him. 9 For we know that since
  Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die
  again death no longer has mastery over
  him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once
  for all but the life he lives, he lives to God.
• 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to
  sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore
  do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that
  you

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• obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part
  of yourself to sin as an instrument of
  wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as
  those who have been brought from death to life
  and offer every part of yourself to him as an
  instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no
  longer be your master, because you are not under
  the law, but under grace.

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Stepping stones suggested by Paul to guide us in
living a holy life
Step four
Step three
Step two
Step one
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Who are we? What is our identity?
Step one
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We need to know who we are before we can know
what to do. Our actions come from our
identity. Sin often defeats us because we dont
understand what Jesus has done for us. As we
understand our new being we can look at our new
doing.
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Our righteousness is a free gift. This is
shocking we need to keep hearing it. We dont
sanctify ourselves and then present ourselves to
God. God finds us and makes us righteous.
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Though your sins are like scarlet they shall
beas white as snow. Is 118 We are guilty but
acquitted. Innocent in the clear without
blame pardoned. Not just let off. Absolute
pardon. New resurrection life, for now. It is
for freedom that Christ has set us free. Gal
51 We have come home to our Father.
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Some slaves at abolition found it hard to
adjust. We can have a slave mentality when we
are no longer a slave legally. We have a new
identity.
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Step two
Know we are dead to sin and alive in Christ
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before
after

• What died with Christ at baptism? v8
• Symbolic of our identification and union with
  Jesus
• God has judged our sin and Jesus death is
  substitute for what we deserve.
• We are a new creation. This isnt simply symbolic
  but transformational.
• Just as Christ was raised from the dead we too
  may live a new life. v4

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Death to our old life our relationship to sin
is a key marker of this. Anyone who has died has
been set free from sin v7 Sin no longer has a
claim on us. We are free from its contamination,
control, condemnation. Were not sinless
butfree from sins shackles. We are no longer
slaves to sin v6
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• Sin has real power lets not be deceived.
• Jesus died to break the power of sin.
• Temptation remains
• We live in a sinful world
• Our minds and bodies fall back to sinful ways.
• BUT sin is no longer the driverin our lives.

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Our new heart is wired for God. Our new status
finds identity in Jesus. Our new start gives us
purpose the bus story.
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Step three
Put into practice what God has done for us
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So if we simply believe hard enough we wont sin
any more? Wishful thinking! Consider yourselves
dead to sin, but alive to God. v11 We need
toknow andconsider ourselvesin the light
ofwhat Jesus has done.
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Why do we still sin then? Its warfare. The
good forces have invaded and taken control but
there is still a guerrilla army hiding out. The
guerrillas have been defeated but still
havethe ability to wound us. But death no
longer has mastery v9
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Do not let sin reign in your mortal body v12 Do
not offer any part of yourself to sin v13 For us
to walk in freedom we remind ourselves of who we
are and the life wehave been given. We tackle
sinhead on.
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Sin will try and get the upper hand. We are
often kept slaves to sin because we dont bring
thingsinto the light. In the light they belong
to Jesus.In the dark, the Devil still has
influence. Hidden sin doesnt go away. Paul
encourages us not to obey its evil desires v12
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Do not v1213 Just stop it! Dont offer any
part of yourself v13 Offering standing next
toin the company of. And remember grace
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Your mortal body v12 Any part of yourself
v13 Ears eyes what we listen to and
watch. Hands feet where we go. Mind and mouth
whatwe think and say. Present ongoing tenacity.
Its dead if it doesnthurt to give up or
wedont take offence.
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Step four
Offer yourself to God
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Do not offer yourselves to sin as an instrument
of wickedness. v13 Who will be our master?
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Offer ourselves to God. v13 We are to stand
before God. Holiness is a life lived facing
God. There is no sitting on the fence. Just as
sin becomes a habit so does holiness.
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We are all slaves to something. v16 At a basic
level some power will shape our lives. We put
ourselvesdaily into thehands of God.
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Sin shall not be a master over youv14 This
isnt a command but a promise. Paul encourages
us to put into practice what we already are in
status. This is our daily, bold step towards
victory over sin.
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Next week

• The holiness of God
• Holiness an impossible dream?
• Dead to sin alive in Christ
• Holy living with the Holy Spirit