How can we live to be "a people holy to the LORD" today? The Call to Holiness Remains Deuteronomy 28:9: “The LORD will establish you as His holy people, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways.” • “Holy” means set apart for God’s exclusive use—distinct in belief, conduct, and purpose. • Though addressed to Israel under the Mosaic covenant, the principle of belonging wholly to God carries forward (1 Peter 1:15-16). • God Himself establishes holiness; our role is to live out what He declares true. Foundation: The Finished Work of Christ • Christ fulfills the law’s demands (Matthew 5:17). • Through His sacrifice we are “sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). • Holiness begins with new birth, not moral self-improvement (John 3:3). Responding with Obedience • Faith that saves also obeys: “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:17). • Obedience flows from love: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). • Practical steps: – Daily Scripture intake to know His commands (Psalm 119:11). – Quick confession and repentance when we sin (1 John 1:9). – Purposeful alignment of decisions with biblical principles (Colossians 3:17). Walking in His Ways Daily • Depend on the Spirit: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). • Cultivate the fruit of the Spirit—evidence of holiness in relationships (Galatians 5:22-23). • Guard input: choose media, conversations, and activities that promote purity (Philippians 4:8). • Practice Sabbath rhythms of worship and rest to keep the heart centered on the Lord (Exodus 20:8-11; Mark 2:27). Community Implications • Holiness is communal: “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5). • Commit to a local body for mutual exhortation and accountability (Hebrews 10:24-25). • Serve one another in love, displaying God’s character to the world (John 13:34-35). Encouragement for Perseverance • Holiness is both position and process—“being transformed into His image from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). • God’s promise secures the outcome: “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion” (Philippians 1:6). • Fix hope on the coming King: “Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3). |
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