Holy
by Pat McIntosh
There is no other word more associated with God and Christ than the word “holy.” In Isaiah 6:3, Isaiah reported a vision in which he saw the exalted Christ pre-incarnate. He described Him with the phrase “Holy, Holy, Holy.” As Jesus came to this earth, He was divine, therefore, He was holy. He was divine as deity and then chose to live a life characterizing holiness (committed no sin).
Holiness must also characterize the children of God, but we do not have it by right of being divine. We must choose to be holy, choosing to live a life based on the principles contained in God’s word. Paul characterized this concept of holiness by indicating that we must be “crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:20).
A phrase we hear often, especially in the realm of sports is, “If you can’t walk the walk, don’t talk the talk.” It is one thing to claim to be able to do something, but another thing entirely to actually be able to do it. It is one thing to profess Christianity; it is another thing altogether to actually live the Christian life. We must be those who can do both. We must both proclaim our faith and follow through with putting that faith into practice.
For us, holiness will be manifested in our dedication to God, His Word and the Lord’s church. We will devote our time, talents and energies for the cause of Christ. May we be those who are holy and attain that state through obedience to His word.
Sunday A.M. Sermon – Holy (Isa. 6:1-13)
In order to be holy, we must…
- Live a life of dedication — Lk. 2:49-52; Rev. 14:1; Psa. 96:9; Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Pet. 3:15
- Submit ourselves to His will – Matt. 26:39; 25:31; Acts 10:22; Matt. 6:9-11; Heb. 5:8-9; Acts 20:26-27; Mk. 6:20; Lk. 1:70; Eph. 3:5
- Develop Character Consistent with God’s – Mk. 1:24; Heb. 3:1; Rev. 4:8; Lk. 1:49; 2 Cor. 13:14; Acts 5:3-4; Heb. 1:1-4; Gal. 3:26-29; Col. 3:12
- Be morally distinctive – Heb. 7:26-27; Jno. 17:17; Rom. 1:12; 7;12 2 Pet. 2:21
- Be loyal to God – Lk. 1:75; Psa. 16:10; Acts 2:27; 13:35; Titus 1:8; 1 Tim. 2:8; Eph. 4:24
- Allow God to Prepare us for His Presence – Rev. 20:6, 11; 2 Tim. 3:15; 1 Pet. 2:5; Heb. 9:24-25; 1 Cor. 3:17; Eph. 2:21; 5:27; 1 Cor. 6:19; 2 Cor. 5:10
Sunday P.M. Sermon – Avoiding Things That Destroy the Church (Heb. 12:1-2)