Holiness

"Pursue...sanctification (holiness, set-apartness) without which no one will see the Lord." - Hebrews 12:14

 

"It is time for us Christians, to face up to our responsibility for holiness. Too often we say we are “defeated” by this or that sin. No, we are not defeated; we are simply disobedient. It might be well if we stopped using the terms victory and defeat to describe our progress in holiness. Rather we should use the terms obedience and disobedience." - Jerry Bridges

What does it look like to be holy? What does it mean to obey God and "be holy as I am holy?" (1Pet. 1:17) What is happening in our churches, in our families, in my own life that tempts us and lures us and ensnares us so that we sin and disobey our Lord and Christ? “Sin is what you do when your heart is not satisfied with God. No one sins out of duty. We sin because it holds out some promise of happiness. That promise enslaves us until we believe God is more to be desired than life itself.” (John Piper)

God forgive us! Give me a heart for holiness! Break away any desire for even the slightest sin. Let me love Your goodness, Word, presence, conviction, discipline, commands. Let sin be so bitter to me, and let me discover that only in Christ is the sweetest fellowship and most blissful communion found! I am willing, because of the Cross which motivates me and the Holy Spirit who lives within me, to relinquish any movie, book, music, friend, website, media, hobby, attitude, action, or thought that would cause me to love sin, distance myself from Christ, pursue worldliness, dishonor my neighbor, or follow my own lust.

 

Let me remember that this world is not my home, and I am no longer my own. Give me the grace needed to obey You and the courage to fear You more than any man.

 

"Stamp eternity upon my eyeballs!" (Edwards) and let me live this life at all times with one eye upon heaven and Christ, my joy and my great reward!

 

"For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification (holiness). So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you." - 1 Thess. 4:7-8

Consecration and Worship

My God,

I feel it is heaven to please thee,

and to be what thou wouldst have me be.

O that I were holy as thou art holy,

pure as Christ is pure,

perfect as thy Spirit is perfect!

These, I feel, are the best commands in thy Book,

and shall I break them? must I break them?

am I under such a necessity as long as I live here?

Woe, woe is me that I am a sinner,

that I grieve this blessed God,

who is infinite in goodness and grace!

O, if he would punish me for my sins,

it would not wound my heart so deep

to offend him;

But though I sin continually,

he continually repeats his kindness to me.

At times I feel I could bear any suffering,

but how can I dishonour this glorious God?

What shall I do to glorify and worship

this best of beings?

O that I could consecrate my soul and body

to his service,

without restraint, for ever!

O that I could give myself up to him,

so as never more to attempt to be my own!

or have any will or affections

that are not perfectly conformed to his will

and his love!

But, alas, I cannot live and not sin.

O may angels glorify him incessantly,

and, if possible, prostrate themselves lower

before the blessed King of heaven!

I long to bear a part with them in ceaseless praise;

But when I have done all I can to eternity

I shall not be able to offer more than

a small fraction of the homage

that the glorious God deserves.

Give me a heart full of divine, heavenly love.

- Valley of Vision

Grace In Trials - Valley of Vision

Father of Mercies,
 Hear me for Jesus’ sake.
 I am sinful even in my closest walk with thee; it is of thy mercy I died not long ago; Thy grace has given me in the cross by which thou hast reconciled thyself to me and me to thee, drawing me by thy great love, reckoning me as innocent in Christ though guilty in myself.
Giver of all graces, I look to thee for strength to maintain them in me, for it is hard to practise what I believe. Strengthen me against temptations. My heart is an unexhausted fountain of sin, a river of corruption since childhood days, flowing on in every pattern of behaviour; Thou hast disarmed me of the means in which I trusted, and I have no strength but in thee.
Thou alone canst hold back my evil ways, but without thy grace to sustain me I fall. Satan’s darts quickly inflame me, and the shield that should quench them easily drops from my hand: Empower me against his wiles and assaults. Keep me sensible of my weakness, and of my dependence upon thy strength. Let every trial teach me more of thy peace, more of thy love.
Thy Holy Spirit is given to increase thy graces, and I cannot preserve or improve them unless he works continually in me. May he confirm my trust in thy promised help, and let me walk humbly in dependence upon thee, for Jesus’ sake.

-The Awakened Sinner, Valley of Vision

O my forgetful soul,
Awake from thy wandering dream, turn from chasing vanities, look inward, forward, upward, view thyself, reflect upon thyself, who and what thou art, why here, what thou must soon be.

Thou art a creature of God, formed and furnished by him, lodged in a body like a shepherd in his tent; Dost thou not desire to know God’s ways?

... O God, Thou injured, neglected, provoked Benefactor, when I think upon thy greatness and thy goodness I am ashamed at my insensibility, I blush to lift up my face, for I have foolishly erred. Shall I go on neglecting thee, when every one of thy rational creatures should love thee, and take every care to please thee?

I confess that thou hast not been in all my thoughts, that the knowledge of thyself as the end of my being has been strangely overlooked, that I have never seriously considered my heart-need. But although my mind is perplexed and divided, my nature perverse, yet my secret dispositions still desire thee. Let me not delay to come to thee; Break the fatal enchantment that binds my evil affections, and bring me to a happy mind that rests in thee, for thou hast made me and canst not forget me.

Let thy Spirit teach me the vital lessons of Christ, for I am slow to learn;
And hear thou my broken cries.
 

Living the Cross Centered Life: Parts Four and Five

Living the Cross Centered Life

Chapter Four
The Divine Dilemma: An Inescapable Penalty and a Longed-for Salvation

“Men are opposed to God in their sin,
And God is opposed to men in His holiness.”
-
J.I. Packer

· Why do you think many Christians are unfazed when they hear that God loves them?
Could it have anything to do with the fact that modern-day evangelicalism makes
little of God’s wrath against sin and focuses most of its attention on God’s
love and forgiveness? How can this be dangerous?
· When we begin to grasp the “terrible threat facing each of us in our human
condition”, shouldn’t we be more amazed and astounded at God’s love and
forgiveness?
· Contrast Psalm 5:5 in the NASB with the message:

“The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate
all those who do iniquity.”

“Hot-Air-Boaster collapses in front of you; you shake your head over Mischief-Maker.”

· Does God merely “shake His head” over our “mischief” or is He personally offended
and angered at our sin?
· The Divine Dilemma: 1 Timothy 1:17 vs. 1 Timothy 1:9-10
· C.J. writes, “For God, the divine dilemma comes about because He isn’t
indifferent to any of this sinfulness on mankind’s part. He is, in fact,
righteously and furiously opposed to every bit of it. He cannot simply overlook
or excuse it. In light of His holiness and justice, He has no alternative but
to punish sin and punish the sinner.”
· In our sinfulness, we have no other hope for redemption and forgiveness except to
cry out for a mediator, the Mediator, Jesus Christ, to save us.

Living the Cross Centered Life

Chapter Five
The Divine Rescue: Why Only Jesus Christ Could Save Us

“The debt was so great, that while man alone owed it,
only God could payit.”
-
Anselm

· Blood was necessary for forgiveness, but it doesn’t have to be our own.
·
Hebrews 9:22, “...without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
· 1 Timothy 2:5-6, “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and
men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony
given at the proper time.”
· How do you respond to the truth that God, the righteous and offended party, in
amazing grace “toward those who thoroughly deserve only His wrath”, not only
allowed but planned the death and substitutionary work of His perfect Son,
Jesus Christ, so that unworthy wretches like you and me could stand blameless
and forgiven in His sight? 2 Corinthians 5:21/Hebrews 4:14-16/ 1 John 3:5
· Do I recognize my responsibility and do I have the desire to share this great news
with a lost and dying world, even if it will cost me? Luke 14:26-27

Living the Cross Centered Life: Part Three

Living the Cross Centered Life

Chapter Three
Searching the Mystery: A Captivating Picture of His Love

“Lest I forget Gethsemane
Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me,
Lead me to Calvary.”

-Jennie Hussey

·
Do I adequately understand the deepest reasons behind the cross?
·
How can I grasp the depth of the meaning of the cross in order to be more compelled
to share its good news of grace with others and to more fully and personally
experience its “unsearchable riches”?
·
What do I need to remove from my life that may be hindering me from clearly seeing
the cross? Am I willing to surrender those things in order to be radically and
recklessly abandoned to Jesus Christ?
·
Am I burdened to “search the mystery of His wounds”? Do I want to know why He died
and what that death accomplished for all who have repented of their sin and put
their trust in Him?
·
Question:
Why did Jesus Have to Die? Answer: Isaiah 53
Vs 4 He bore Our grief’s
He carried Our sorrows
Vs 5 He was pierced For our transgressions
He was crushed For our iniquities
He was chastened For our well-being

Vs 6 Our iniquity fell on Him
Vs 7 He was oppressed and afflicted
He was led away like a lamb to the slaughter
Though perfectly
innocent, He did not protest, but submitted Himself to cruelty and false
accusation
Vs 8 He was oppressed and judged He was cut off for the transgression of those who deserved the punishment
Vs 10 “The Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief.”
Vs 12 “He poured out Himself to death”
“(He) was numbered with the transgressors”

“He Himself bore the sin of many and interceded for the transgressors.”

“His appearance was marred more than any man and His form more than the sons of
men.” Isaiah 53:14

“When we behold the disfigurement of the Son of God, when we find ourselves appalled by
His marred appearance, we need to reckon afresh that it is upon ourselves we
gaze, for He stood in our place.” – John Calvin

·
We face the righteous threat of furious wrath from a holy God. We are indeed
guilty of sin and deserving punishment. But the innocent One, the holy One –
God the Son – stepped forward to die for the rest of us. On that cross the
Servant suffered FOR sinners like you and me, BECAUSE of sinners like you and
me – and as the SUBSTITUE for sinners like you and me.
·
Those who have been granted new eyes perceive that He was indeed smitten by God and
afflicted – not for His sin, but for ours.

“Jesus the Nazarene...this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and
foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and
put Him to death.” Acts 2:23

“For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant
Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the
Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your
purpose predestined to occur.”
Acts 4:27-28
“The Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief.” (Isaiah 53:10) – The death of the Servant was not the fruit of human initiative and design; it was God’s plan, God’s purpose,
God’s will.
·
“When you are tempted to doubt God’s love for
you, stand before the cross and look at the wounded, dying, disfigured Savior,
and realize why He is there. I believe His Father would whisper to us, ‘Isn’t
that sufficient? I haven’t spared My own Son; I deformed and disfigured and
crushed Him – for you. What more could I do to persuade you that I love you?’”
·
“The Cross is the heart of the Gospel; it makes the Gospel good news. Christ died
for us; He has stood in our place before God’s judgment seat; He has borne our
sins. God has done something on the cross which we could never do for
ourselves. But God does something to
us as well as for us through the
cross. He persuades us that He loves us.”
·
Are you persuaded? If not, what more could God possibly do to persuade you?


“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

Don’t let these words be so familiar to you. Let their meaning pierce your heart and
life and cause you to rejoice in the forgiveness and hope that we have in Jesus
Christ, our great God and Savior.

“The mystery of the cross I cannot comprehend, the agonies of
Calvary
You the perfect Holy One, crushed Your Son,
who drank the bitter cup reserved for me
Your blood has washed away my sin, Jesus, thank You
The Father’s wrath completely satisfied, Jesus, thank You
Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table, Jesus, thank You
By Your perfect sacrifice I’ve been brought near, Your enemy
You’ve made Your friend
Pouring out the riches of Your glorious grace, Your mercy and Your kindness
know no end
Lover of my soul, I want to live for You”
© 2003 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (ASCAP)/Sovereign Grace Worship
(ASCAP).

Living the Cross Centered Life: Part Two

Living the Cross Centered Life

Chapter 2
The Divine Order: What You Feel vs. What is Real

“Oh, the havoc that is wrought, and the tragedy, the misery, and the
wretchedness that are to be found in the world, simply because people do not
know how to handle their own feelings!” – D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones


Do we live by “good” or
“bad” feelings?
Do I live by truth?
Do I determine where I stand
before God based on my emotions or based on Scriptural truth?
Do I realize that living by
my feelings and not by God’s Word is pride, a sin God is fiercely opposed
to? (James 4:6 says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the
humble.”)
Living by our feelings makes
us miserable.
When we focus on truth, our
feelings follow, and those feelings can be real, deep, and profound
because they are the effect of Scripture rightly understood and believed.
When you are tempted to
listen to yourself:

Stop!
Ask God for help
Invite another godly person
into the situation
Ask the other person to
help you see the sin that is distracting you
Review the Gospel

Don’t focus on the inward
and the subjective; focus on the outward, the upward, and the objective!
The Gospel is objective truth; it never changes!
Where do you consistently
direct your faith? What does it rest on? Is it your emotional state...or
the objective realities that the Word of God and the Spirit of God have
revealed?
When you read or hear
biblical truth proclaimed, what internal conversation takes place in your
soul? Is your first reaction, ‘What
do I feel about this?’ If so, do you plan to continue submitting
everything ultimately to your feelings? Or will you instead trust in God’s
testimony, so that whenever you encounter biblical truth, your initial
question will always be, ‘Do I
believe it?’

Many, in waiting upon the Lord, find immediate
answers, but this is not the case with all. Some are turned from darkness into
light in a moment, but others are plants of slower growth. A deeper sense of
sin may be given to you instead of a sense of pardon, and in such a case you
will need patience to bear the heavy blow. Though you may be beaten and
bruised, trust God. Though He gives you an angry word, believe in the love of
His heart. Do not give up seeking or trusting the Master because you have not
yet obtained the blessed joy you long for. Cast yourself on Him, and
perseveringly depend even when you cannot enjoy hope. -C.H. Spurgeon

Living the Cross Centered Life: Part One

I have been reading through a wonderfully simple yet profound book with some friends called "Living the Cross Centered Life" by C.J. Mahaney. God has used this little book to encourage me, strengthen my faith, and ultimately draw me closer to Jesus Christ. I have grown in my love for Him through each chapter simply because Mr. Mahaney constantly and faithfully points me back to Scriptural truth.

I have gathered together favorite verses, quotations, and profound realities that have impacted me through this study in a basic summary of each chapter, and I wanted to share them with you.

I would highly recommend this book. Consider purchasing it online or from your local Christian bookstore. I know it will encourage you and exhort you to live a Cross Centered life for the glory of Christ!


Living the Cross Centered Life

Introduction
At the Core: Life’s Most Important Truth Can Be the Easiest to Forget

“The Cross is the blazing fire at which the flame of our love is kindled, but we have to get near enough for its sparks to fall on us.” – John Stott

• What is your life centered on? What are you most passionate about? What defines you?
• 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” This is the one transcendent truth that should define our lives. It should “motivate all our work and affect every part of who we are.”
• Nothing is greater or more important than the fact that “God sent His Son to the Cross to bear His wrath for sinners like you and me.”
• “The gospel is not only the most important message in all of history; it is the only essential message in all of history. Yet we allow thousands of professing Christians to live their entire lives without clearly understanding it and experiencing the joy of living by it.” –Jerry Bridges
• The Cross must remain our MAIN focus.
• Things that cloud out our focus on the Cross:
1. Subjectivism – basing our view of God on our changing feelings and emotions
2. Legalism – basing our relationship with God on our own performance
3. Condemnation – being more focused on our sin than on God’s grace
• If the Gospel is not the main thing in my life, am I willing to repent to God and reorder my life with His help?
• We never get over the Cross!
• Grace is more amazing when we look intently at the Cross


Chapter One
The Climax and the Key: Why the Cross Should Define Our Lives

“The Gospel cannot be preached and heard enough, for it cannot be grasped well enough...Moreover, our greatest task is to keep you faithful to this article and to bequeath this treasure to you when we die.” – Martin Luther

• Am I held captive by the Gospel?
• In order to live a cross centered life, I must have a life that is saved and transformed by the Cross
• Do I minimize the seriousness of sin?
• Do I understand that God is fiercely opposed to sin and that He must punish it?
• Aware of God’s wrath – amazed at God’s grace!
• The Gospel is the key to joy, growth, and passion!



“There has never been one moment in your life that has not been tainted by sin, and there was never one moment in the life of Jesus Christ that had been tainted by sin.” –Paul Washer

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

A.W. Pink (The Sovereignty of God)

The new birth is very, very much more than simply shedding a few tears due to a temporary remorse over sin. It is far more than changing our course of life, the leaving off of bad habits and the substituting of good ones. It is something different from the mere cherishing and practising of noble ideals. It goes infinitely deeper than coming forward to take some popular evangelist by the hand, signing a pledge-card, or “joining the church.” The new birth is no mere turning over a new leaf but is the inception and reception of a new life. It is no mere reformation but a complete transformation. In short, the new birth is a miracle, the result of the supernatural operation of God. It is radical, revolutionary, lasting.

Here then is the first thing, in time, which God does in His own elect. He lays hold of those who are spiritually dead and quickens them into newness of life. He takes up one who was shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin, and conforms him to the image of His Son. He seizes a captive of the Devil and makes him a member of the household of faith. He picks up a beggar and makes him joint-heir with Christ. He comes to one who is full of enmity against Him and gives him a new heart that is full of love for Him. He stoops to one who by nature is a rebel and works in him both to will and to do of His own good pleasure. By His irresistible power He transforms a sinner into a saint, an enemy into a friend, a slave of the Devil into a child of God.