One cannot in himself merit salvation through personal holiness.
Scripture repeatedly refers to the obedience and righteousness of Christ on our behalf (Ro 5:19; 1 Peter 3:18) Two aspects of Christ's work on our behalf:
1. Active obedience--Christ's sinless life on earth, perfect obedience, absolute holiness; 2. Passive obedience--His death on the cross through which He fully paid the penalty for our sins and placated the wrath of God toward us.
Conclusion: Our holiness before God depends entirely on the work of Jesus Christ for us, by God's will.
Scripture speaks of both a holiness which we have in Christ before God, and a holiness which we are to strive after.
The purpose of our salvation is that we be "holy and blameless in His sight" (Eph 1:4).
To continue to live in sin as a Christian is to go contrary to God's very own purpose for our salvation.
No one can trust in Christ for true salvation unless he trusts Him for holiness.
Holiness is required for:
1. Fellowship with God; 2. Our own well-being; 3. Effective Service to God; 4. Assurance of Salvation
Louis XIV died September 1, 1715. This same Louis who called himself "the Great" is also the same monarch who declared, "I am the State!" His court was the most magnificent in Europe (he reigned for 72 years), and his funeral was said to be quite spectacular.
During the funeral, as his body lay in a golden coffin, orders were given that the cathedral would remain dimly lighted, and a single special candle was set above the coffin.
Thousands waited in hushed silence.
Bishop Massilon began to speak: slowly reaching down, he snuffed out the single candle and said, "Only God is Great!"
The dying words of "the Great" were, "Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina (O Lord, make haste to help me)."
1 Samuel 13:13-14,"Samuel said to Saul, 'You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man afer His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.'"
God does not compromise and expects His commandments to be kept. He is light, and in HIm is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). Keeping God's commands are closely knit with our love for Him (John 14:15). Saul lost the kingdom because he did not seek after God's heart, which was evident by his failing to obey God's commands. There was no contrition on Saul's part after he lost the kingdom. Picture the child who when he cannot get his own way, storms off and says, "Fine! I didn't want to play anyway." I wonder how much I have lost when I've sinned against God by faltering in my love for Him and not keeping His commandments . . .
Psalm 51:4, "Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge."
David sinned against God, but when made to realize how God saw his heart, he wept and repented. He surrendered his selfish love and threw himself on the mercy of God. He readjusted his love-motive and did not lose the kingdom. When we agree with how God sees our hearts and the evil we do in His sight, we are without excuse and can either receive the due penalty for our sin, or repent and find grace, forgiveness, love and restoration. Confession of sin is a major step toward walking in holiness.
Isaiah 6:1-5, "In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, 'Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.' And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, 'Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."
If we see God as He is, just as we are, then we are destroyed--that's really what Isaiah said, "I am destroyed." I often wonder at those who say they've had visions of God, yet remain unchanged. I often wonder at those who seek to encounter "God." Do they know what they are after? The whole earth contains two kinds of evidence concerning God: first, that He is; and second, that He is perfect. God's character is seen as absolutes that show up like His own fingerprints on the canvas of nature: breath-taking beauty; majesty; goodness; love, to name a few. How can we see these things and not marvel at His Majesty and our smallness.
Isaiah 40:25, "'To whom then will you liken Me that I would be his equal?' says the Holy One."
How dare we even consider the thought.
Jeremiah 51:5, "For neither Israel nor Judah has been forsaken by his God, the LORD of hosts, although their land if full of guilt before the Holy One of Israel."
God does not forget those to whom He has promised. Nor does God take lightly those who have sinned against Him.
Ezekiel 39:7, "My holy name I will make known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I may the LORD, the Holy One in Israel."
God has a reputation and He will protect His reputation which is summed up in His Holy Name, which is high and lifted up. Everything about Him is uncommon, so He will not be lowered nor let His reputation be profaned by any degree. When all is said and done, the nations will know that He is the Lord. This should be taken seriously, as He has made certain of this before. Read Exodus 6:2-8; 7:5; 7:17; 8:10; 9:14; 9:29; 10:2; 12:12 for some examples.
Romans 6:14, "For sin shall not be master of you, for you are not under law but under grace."
We. Do. Not. Have. To. Sin. God's grace has covered our guilt and God's mercy has covered our shame. Walking in Holiness means we must be mastered by the God of holiness.
Revelation 22:11, "Let no one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy."
The story is told of a man who was caught stealing a loaf of bread. When the judge investigated he found that the man had no job, could not get work and since his family was hungry, he felt he needed to steal the loaf of bread.
The judge told the man, "I'm sorry, but the law can make no exceptions. You stole, therefore I have to punish you. I have to assess a fine of ten dollars." As he said this, the judge reached into his pocket, pulled out a ten dollar bill and handed it to the man. "I want to pay the fine myself," the judge said.
As the man took the money, the judge added, "Now, I also want to remit the fine." This means the judge laid the fine aside. He released the man from the guilt or penalty of the fine, which means the man could keep the money.
"Furthermore," the judge said, "I am going to instruct the bailiff to pass around a hat to everyone in this courtroom, and I am fining everybody in this courtroom fifty cents for living in a city where a man has to steal in order to have bread to eat."
When the money was collected he gave it to the defendant.
The tract simply read, "Overwhelmingly The Greatest Life Insurance and Investment Plan Ever Concieved: A Contract Everyone Can Afford with Unlimited Assets, All Benefits (Free Health Care), Great Building Policy Underway."
At the end it said, "Just sign here and you've got Jesus!"
Another tract said, "Free! Beautiful Homes Given Away in the Perfect City! No Bills! Pure Water! Beautiful Music!"
’Why Believe in a God?’ Ad Campaign Launches on D.C. Buses
Category: Religion and Philosophy
Wednesday, November 12, 2008 WASHINGTON, D.C. —
You better watch out. There is a new combatant in the Christmas wars.
Ads proclaiming, "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake," will appear on Washington, D.C., buses starting next week and running through December. The American Humanist Association unveiled the provocative $40,000 holiday ad campaign Tuesday.
In lifting lyrics from "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," the Washington-based group is wading into what has become a perennial debate over commercialism, religion in the public square and the meaning of Christmas.
It all started in 1829. A Philadelphia man by the name of George Wilson committed multiple acts of robbery against the U.S. Mail and jeopardizing the life another person during the act of robbery. Wilson and his accomplice was arrested, brought to trial, found to be guilty and was sentenced to be hanged.
Some friends of Wilson's intervened on his behalf, and were finally able to obtain a pardon for him from President Jackson himself. When Wilson was informed of the pardon, he refused to accept it.
The Sheriff had a problem. How could he hang a pardoned man?
He sent an appeal to President Jackson, who equally perplexed, took the problem to the Supreme Court to decide the case. The Chief Justice gave this ruling: "There is nothing peculiar in a pardon which ought to distinguish it in this respect from other facts; no legal principle known to the court will sustain such a distinction. A pardon is a deed to the validity of which delivery is essential, and delivery is not complete without acceptance. It may then be rejected by the person to whom it is tendered, and if it be rejected, we have discovered no power in a court to force it on him."
In other words: a pardon is a piece of paper, the value of which depends on its acceptance by the person implicated. It is hardly supposed that a person under the sentence of death would refuse to accept a pardon, but if it is refused, it is no pardon at all. George Wilson must be hanged.
So George Wilson was executed, although his pardon lay on the Sheriff's desk.
bouncy
okay
