November 7th
NOVEMBER 7th
One of the biggest battles as a Christian is our mindset. Too often we fall back on the “I am just a sinner saved by grace” excuse for our behavior. Oh that is a true statement-except for one word. We put the emphasis on the word “just” instead of the word “saved.” The word “just” should not even be in there. That one word makes it a false statement. We are not “JUST” anything. The list of terms that defines our identity in the Word of God is very long and someday we will spend some time on that the way the youth did in their service last week. For now though, we will tackle one thing.
When we have the mindset of being just a sinner we can mistakenly place ourselves either in a place of continuous striving to try and arrive at some perfect point or a place of defeat that keeps us from even trying (“I’ll never be holy so why even try”). Neither of those reflect the truth.
We have to realize that by the blood of Jesus we have already been declared holy. We are holy, so we need to live like it. We don’t live to try to become holy, we are holy so we live like it. We absolutely must turn our thinking around. If we don’t, we are exactly where the enemy wants us, defeated before we start.
So let me prove my case. God is holy. We find that all over the Word of God…
Isaiah 6:1-4 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
Revelation 4:8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “ ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”
I can think of at least 3 reasons that we ought to have the mindset that we are holy, the first of which we will cover today:
God is Holy and we are made in His image.
Ephesians 4:22-24 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 1:1-4 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
The fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden tainted that and so we had to be rescued and restored. For that reason, God sent Jesus to become sin so that we could be restored to righteousness.
2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
It doesn’t say so that we might try to become the righteousness of God. It says so that we might become the righteousness of God. It says, “in him.” The blood of Jesus did it all, all of the work, completely. He became sin and gave us His righteousness.
We must get it in our head and our heart that we ARE holy! Not by our own merit but by the blood, and that is exactly why we can stand here and say that we are holy! If we don’t stake that claim, we won’t live it.
Holy, Holy, Holy are you Lord God Almighty. Thank you for rescuing me and creating me to be holy and righteous. Help me to grasp that Truth Lord. Holy Spirit help me to remember that through my day today. Remind me that I was chosen to be holy! Thank you for your presence and help me to walk in your presence today.