Theology - Holiness - of Heart and Life
I Peter 1:13-23

by Pastor Eldon Reich

Continuing our series- Living what we Believe – A working Theology

Today we look at the Theology of Holiness

Holiness of heart and soul, life and practice.

What is holiness?

How can we apply it to our lives?

What difference will it make?

In our Thursday men’s bible study we discovered that

The temptation of our age is to “look good without being good.”

Cognitive dissonance--- my awareness of the gap between my ideals

and my actions.  What I believe and what I do.

A Pastor was visiting a new family and the little 4 year old little girl whose name was Michelle, tugged on his pants leg and excitedly exclaimed, " I got a new bicycle, do you want to see it?" " Sure Michelle," the pastor said:

  So off to the backyard they went. There was a brand girl's bicycle.
Pastor said: " Michelle! That's a beautiful bicycle. Can you ride it?"
" Yeah, I can ride it," she said. Then with a sad face she pouted, " but it's broke."
The pastor looked at the new bicycle and couldn't see anything wrong with it,

so he asked her,  " What's wrong with it?"
" I don't know," she shrugged, " but every time I ride it, it falls over!"

Cognitive dissonance: being aware of the gap between when I believe and what I do.

It has become a major problem in our society and in the church today.

Haven’t we all faced that problem.

But the Theology of HOLINESS

is bringing into consistency what we believe with what we do.

And Satan our great adversary is the great illusionist

who varnishes the truth and encourages dishonesty.

So if we’re going to be holy as Christ is holy

We need to develop the proper perspective

And that began with the heart and Mind.

THE THEOLOGY OF HOLINESS BEGINS WITH 

I.  INWARD HOLINESS OF HEART AND MIND

Holiness STARTS in the heart,

Only when we get honest with ourselves,

And about what we are in here….our hearts

will we get serious about our condition-

That we are sinners and we are deceiving ourselves.

Mark 7:21-23
For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man `unclean.’"

HOLINESS begins with the willingness to allow God to change the heart and mind.

Every Sunday the English clergy prayed: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name.

Without the Grace of God I in myself will never be holy.

Only when I accept and receive a holy Christ

Can I become Holy.

Christ in me the hope of eternity.

We are so confused that holiness is not even an issue.

Dear Abby :

I am a twenty thee year old liberated woman who has been on the pill for two years. It’s getting expensive and I think my boy friend should share half the cost, but I don’t know him well enough to discuss money with him?

I SAY, What about discussing good old fashioned morality?

We make excuses, cloud the issues, and justify our behavior.

It has become so easy in the church to excuse our imperfections.

Even bumper stickers proclaim, “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.

But friends, in God’s word we are called to go on to perfection.

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” I Peter 1:15-16

Does that mean we can live any way we want with no consequences?

With a half effort

No.

Sometimes children are the most honest.

A pastors five year old daughter noticed that every Sunday when her dad stood behind the pulpit to preach, he would bow his head for moment.

So one day after the service she asked:

“Daddy, Why do you bow your head right before you preach your sermon?”
He answered, “Well Honey, I'm asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon.” The little girl said, Well how come he doesn't do it?”

For John Wesley: perfection:

Was not the Latin word Perfectus -Which meant a finished and complete state of attainment?

It was the Greek verb Teleio – to make perfect, a word implying process, growth, and journey.

Jesus said: “Be holy, because I am holy.” I Peter 1:15-16

Its really not so difficult.

Last week I was watching the Biography of Michael Jordan

Who I think is the greatest basketball player who has every lived.

He holds the scoring record for any single game.

Kids want to be like him.

But they won’t if they just read about him,

They won’t if they just watch him on TV.

You have to get out on the basketball court and

start shooting,

and dribbling,

And jumping and playing as hard as he played.

But they don’t need to stick out their tongue while doing it.

Because not even Michael Jordan is perfect in everything.

Jesus said: “Be holy, because I am holy.” I Peter 1:15-16

That means we must do more than just read about his life.

Or watch a movie or a video about Jesus .

We must start walking with Jesus every day.

speak like Jesus,

live like Jesus

Love like Jesus

Give like Jesus ,

Have a heart like Jesus.

Gilbert Stuart, an artist famed for his beautiful art,

used to say to his pupils, " It’s no use to steal Stuart’s colors

if you want to paint as he does, you must steal his eyes."

The struggle of the Christian life is the temptation to

Sacrifice our inner self for outward acceptance.

Just how honest do we get in what we say and what we do?

1.  Do I discover that I give up chocolate for Lent just to loose five pounds. 

2. I drop hints about my quiet times with God but only to create the impression that I am a man of prayer.

4. I talk about that ten minute I played catch with my son in the backyard to give the impression that I am a good father the rest of the week.

5. I am always talking about how tired or exhausted I am, to impress people about how hard I want them to think I work.

6. I discover that I talk about how I support the ministry of the church but, have never tithed or given sacrificially in my life.

7. We discover that we join several Bible studies because that is a lot easier than to live with civility at home with our family.

Mark 12:38-40 Beware of the scribes…these are the men who swallow the property of widows, while making a show of lengthy prayers.”

T.S. Eliot said the greatest sin was “to do the right thing for the wrong reason.”

For Wesley INWARD HOLINESS meant

the love of God was for us.

But more than that- it was in us.

For Wesley OUTWARD HOLINESS was the love of God coming out of us

In love and kindness to our neighbor and friend around us.

THE THEOLDGY OF INWARD HOLINESS BEGANS WITH

I.  HOLINESS OF HEART AND MIND--INWARD

II. HOLINESS OF LIFE AND PRACTICE-OUTWARD

When God forgave us in Christ.

He gave back to us the ability to choose again.

Between serving self or serving him.

Between doing good or doing evil.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. …forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:12-14

Jesus said: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. 

Not only must we live an inward life of holiness,

But an outward one as well.

John Wesley said: “Christianity is essentially a social religion, and to turn it into a solitary religion is indeed to destroy it. Works V. p296

Oh but we have this wicked streak within us don’t we.

While Janine Brooks was a dental student a man ran into her car and drove away. She was demoralized. Said that was something she would never have done.

The damaged caused considerable financial burden on her student income

But he had just looked at her and her car and left not paying for any damages.

Well now it is 10 years later. Janine Brooks, the student is now a dentist,

and guess who comes to her office needing a tooth to be pulled.

He did not recognize her she did recognize him.

She told him it wouldn’t hurt, she lied.

The hope for us is that OUTWARD HOLINESS DOES TWO THINGS:

1. It creates dissatisfaction in us about our present state of affairs.

2. It causes us to have hope for a better future,

Holiness is obeying God and:

1. Loving one another as God loved us.

2. Loving others when it is against our own interests

3. Loving others when it is not convenient.

4. Loving others when we don’t like them.

You record of personal INWARD holiness might be good.

But how do you rate in your OUTWARD holiness to others?

For John Wesley HOLINESS both

inward (of heart) and outward (of life) changed the world

Because it brought together faith and works.

Faith working out in love for those who are less fortunate around us.

Wesley saw seven areas of ministry where our holiness of life should make a difference.

1.          The Poor- poverty was the misuse of community resources.

          The rich complained that when he preached to the poor he was threatening the         

            social order. He was.  All because he treated the lower classes as humans.

2.          Slavery—His tongue was sharpest against this issue.

3.              Prison- prisoner reforms.  He said: I visited the prison and found them in misery and iron. He said about eleven hundred of them…were confined in that little place without anything to lie on but a little dirty straw…so that they died like rotten sheep. I was much affected.  I went out and raised money for clothes, blankets, and mattresses, so that I believe from this time they were pretty well provided with all the necessities of life.” (Methodist and Socity in historical perspective p 48)

4.          Liquor – Wesley saw this as dangerous as the slave trade.  Because alcohol enslaved and destroyed.

5.          Politics- the state of affairs of the nation and state.

6.          War—war could be a legitimate activity of the state, but he said I am persuaded love and tender measures will do far more than violence.” We are to work at keeping the fire of hell from being kindled.” Letters II p361

7.          Education-  starting school, seminaries, libraries colleges

In our men’s bible Study we discovered that

The real temptation is not a choice between Jesus and Barrabas.

None of us want to choose a notorious sinner.

The real choice is between Jesus and Caiaphas,

Caiaphas the religious ruler who was responsible for Jesus death.

Respected, protection of the institutions and structures of the sacred community,

He was Dedicated to the nation

He was Sacrificial to the temple of brick and mortar.

But no longer a warm human being but a

Impersonal, fixed, rigid, religious person.

The Jews were so proud that the Law was giving through and to them.

that they became rigid protecting it rather then obeying it.

You then that teach others, will you not teach yourself?

You preach against stealing, do you steal?

You that forbid adultery, do you commit adultery?

You that abhor idols, do your rob temples?

You that boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? Rom 2:21-23

The Jews failed to harmonize

character with action

Belief and practice.

COGNITIVE DISSONANCE.

We acknowledge that what makes a man righteous is not obedience to the Law, but faith in Jesus Christ. Galatians 2:16

How are you doing at living your Christian life in the world,

in your home, in your marriage?

Are you going on to holiness and perfection?

Yes pornography, abortion, and same sex marriage are important things but equally serious are issues of aids, famine and corporate greed, runaway divorce and extramarital affairs, spousal abuse, and people dying in their sins.

Holiness demands our reverent treatment of others in all areas of their lives.

We are pro life not because we are warding of death.

But because we believe that no human being is unimportant.

And if we were that child in the womb,

That child dying of Aids in Africa,

That youth in a worn torn suburb of Bagdag

That woman in a hovel in Sudan

What would I want to be done for me?

Just how many nights have you wept for the Iraqi families

Whose children have been killed, and maimed.

How many tears have you shed, dollars have you given,

for the starving children in Africa, the Sudan. and Mozambique.   

Those mothers weep and are broken at their loss of a precious child which they love no less then you your child.

I find I could remember few from myself.

Then I wept not for them,

But for myself.

How hard has my heart grown?

How close has my hand become?

How near to Caiaphas am I living?

Relief comes when we are honest with ourselves.

When I turn back to God,

Away from my illusion, and false pretenses and weakness.

And discover that God love me.

And in that great love offers a place

For me to give back to Him

through loving others,.

through Holy living.

Will you accept the challenge of holiness?

To be Christ like INWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY

As we live in this world making a difference

As a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ who serve Him willingly and well.