A Call to Holiness

Other any authentic followers of Jesus here this morning. Is anyone here who says that they received Christ as their personal savior was nice to have their paws would have a question for you. What difference is it making in your life. You say that you are saved by God's grace are you say that you been born again. You say that you have received Christ as your personal Savior and Lord that's good to know. But my question still remains to you personally want you to take this question very very personally, whoever you are, what difference is this making in your life father's.

My question to you this Father's Day is your life really different from the unbeliever is alarming church on a Sunday, that's good. Maybe the your friend next door is playing golf today.

I don't know what you say and I know this is true but you you say you want to please the Lord, you say that you are here to grow in your faith.

That's good. But as I was visiting my mother in Scotland this week and appreciate all of your prayers.

She's 93, frail, got some dementia but at times when she is very very lucid.

I was looking at her hands and that of the arthritis and some the their swollen and I she's warthogs looking at our hands and this are thinking of the text were looking at you think of one of the questions my mother would have as we came to the table or if we sometimes only occasionally would actually volunteer to help set the table question was this your hands clean hands clean your here and you want to serve the Lord. Some of you have signed up to help with VBS. Some of your going on a go trip. Some of you have just sought a song in the choir. Some of your elders and deacons, and pastors, and some of you are going in a few moments to be teaching Sunday school and leaving the downlines group and some of you yesterday were serving the street people and all of that is wonderful, but my question is are your hands clean question is asked in Psalm 24, who shall ascend to the hill of the Lord who will stand in his holy place who is the individual who is going to come into the presence of the Lord is the one who is going to ascend the hill on which the temple was the answer regarding to Psalm 24 is he who has what clean hands and a pure heart. So answer the question.

My mother used to ask me many many years ago John on your hands clean, spiritually speaking your hands clean.

They have a pure heart. Robert Marty McShane says according to your holiness shall be your success. A holy man is an awesome weapon in the hands of the Lord will put Jesus said blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. The right of Hebrews says in Hebrews 12 verse 14 strive for peace with everyone and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. We been saying about the holiness of God you love is God you want to serve this God. I know you do and that's why you're here, to be strengthened in your faith that you can lead your family that you can be a vital witness wherever God has placed you and that is a good desire but I still ask your friends clean. Are you pursuing holiness, weeks ago. As we looked at the last verses of Romans chapter 5 the magnificent passage we thought of God's abiding doing grace and Paul is going to tell us in Romans chapter 6 that this a binding grace not only saves your soul. This binding grace transforms your life. Surely there must be a difference of love gone from condemnation to justification.

Surely there must be a difference of of gone from spiritual dad to spiritual life. If we have gone from sin to righteousness. As Paul is arguing that in the Romans five. Surely that makes a difference.

The Lord said in Leviticus, quoted by Peter in first Peter one. The Lord says you shall be holy, for I holy, so today I give a call for holiness and we come to Romans chapter 6 of you have your Bibles I invite you to open them to this wonderful chapter this very very important chapter which deals with this important subject of holiness, or it is sometimes translated sanctification. Sometimes people say we should use big words we but I want to use a biblical word and the biblical word is holiness.

If you look at Romans chapter 6 verse 19 we have the word Paul says I'm speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impunity and to lawlessness, leading to more lawlessness.

So now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. Verse 22 but now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its and eternal life if you were brought up as I was an old King James on if you're looking at the new international version translates these words holiness, but the ESV that we are using uses this word this theological word called sign to vacation. What does Paul mean when he talks about sanctification holiness.

It is the continuing work of God in the believer sending us apart from evil and setting us apart to good. Setting us apart to God. It is the continuing work on God in the life of the follower of Jesus justification is God's word for us.

Sanctification is God's work in us justification.

We learned is imputed righteousness, sanctification is imparted righteousness. What does it mean to be only parsing the means to love God.

It means this out God and it also means to obey God, who is a holy person who is the holiest person at Calvary church when the loneliest person is the one who is most like Jesus not necessarily the one who was the most knowledge who can answer questions, although that's important.

Obviously, we must know our Bibles.

But the one who is like Jesus and as we grow in our faith as we follow Jesus will become more and more like him. And Paul is going to address this and work on the learners in this wonderful chapter of Romans chapter 6. My question to you is this is holiness an option for the authentic follower of Jesus that we recognize that that kind of two tiers. There's a holy Christian to be admired and respected by the little scary little unusual. A little fanatical is that Mr. Hawley has and then Mr. unholy the kind of average person so you can opt as you follow Jesus into category one category two absolutely not.

Paul is going to say. Can someone be saved truly saved and opt out of holy living. Does this doctrine of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone that we rejoice in. Does this mean that we can live a casual lifestyle doesn't find grace promotes sin and God's grace is greater than our sin is policy that is at the end of Romans chapter 5. Does that not mean that we should send more and more, so there could be more grace. Because if God's grace is always greater than theirs and send more and more, and there can be more and more grace is that the arguments use Paul's question in Romans six, verse one is the question. Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound is the question you answer, let's read the text before we go any further and I want to go back to Romans chapter 5 and three from verse 18, so that we have the context when looking at verses one and two of Romans six, but here's God's word to his Romans five verse 18. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life at all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners is Adam so by the one man's obedience, our Savior the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord was we say then I went to continue in sin that grace may by by no means how can we who die to sin still live in Paul is going to say Romans chapter 6 that this grace with a binding grace is grace that we love this amazing grace.

This grace produces a radical transformation in our lives.

You have that this grace lauds a binding grace revealed through our Lord Jesus Christ not only saves us and produces a radical transformation in our lives. That is, those who are truly saved are going to live holy lives is the question in verse one really two questions, what shall we say then understand the context onto are we to continue in sin that grace man finds his falls reply is is is very emotional as needed and note to James it was God for bed, but by no means absolutely not. Paul is passionate about that. That is a total misunderstanding of grace. If you think that you can keep on sinning that there would be more grace. After all, Paul had been slandered about this. Go back to Romans three verse eight to member this in his arguments. Romans three verse eight.

And why not do evil that good may come over saying this is what Paul is saying. I do evil so that good may come the more evil that is God's goodness is greater as some people slanderously charge us with saying that condemnation is just the idea that salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone promotes sin and encourages sin is absolutely unthinkable and individual who says that he or she is saved by God's grace and doesn't have a desire to live a holy life. Not only has never understood the power of the grace of God, but certainly has never experienced that in their souls.

Paul is saying that those who are true followers of Jesus Christ cannot presume it cannot continue to live in the lifestyle of sin would not that kind of people is Paul's argument will absolutely not those that would say that in those that would argue that because God salvation is purely by grace, not that we are saved we can just live as we like that is a total distortion of the wonder of the grace of God revealed in our Lord Jesus Christ. And Paul is going to elaborate in this central chapter of Romans six, if you haven't read and reread and reread and studied Romans that you need to do it is of vital central chapter in our sanctification, and thus becoming more and more like Jesus was God's plan of salvation thing of the wonder of it. When God saves us he saves us from our sin he doesn't save us so that we can continue in our sin, after all were born again by walk by the holy spirit. When you dwell by the holy God holy Savior gave himself for us on the cross. This is a holy God.

It's true, we sometimes sin. It's sure that that the flash is still there. And Paul is going to talk about that in Romans six, seven, the natives true. It's true that when we come to Christ and their sins are forgiven of sin is not eradicated. Of course it's not, it's still there, but we don't live in it because grace produces a radical transformation in Paul's argument if I can summarize it in Romans chapter 6 is that those who are truly saved by the grace of God are so united to our Lord Jesus Christ that our justification and our sanctification while they can be distinguished. They are inseparable. That is grace not only justifies us grace sanctifies us and far from encouraging sin, the grace of God alone has the power to defeat.

That said, so John Calvin writes those who separate these two doctrines as though Christ might justify without giving newness of life shamefully render Christ is under the Westminster larger catechism states that in justification, our sin is pardoned in sanctification. Our sin is being subdued.

Romans six then, is dealing with our sanctification is dealing with those who have truly been saved by the grace of God whose sins are forgiven and no size. Paul rejoice in this, that you are free. No from the power of sin in your life.

So to say that you can continue to live as you once did prior to coming to Christ is totally contrary to the teaching not only of Paul, but of the New Testament. Just think of this occasionally. I meet with a couple of the matter with but as they begin to tell the problems it's obvious that the man could be the woman but let's say the man, although he says he still loves his wife and he wants to continue to be married to this particular woman is lifestyle is not that of the moneyman. This grade is jolly. In fact, is going to be with his buddies. He doesn't think it's all that wrong relate to date other women and he will say something like this but my wife is very forgiving.

My wife is very gracious. My wife is a very patient woman and you think what kind of man is this because you have a wife who forgives you because you have a wife who is patient with you and because you have a wife who was who loves you that I should be a great motivation to loving her and being loyal to her rather than that promoting your own sinful lifestyle is a policy decision of Christ what you love Christ, can you go on loving that all sinful lifestylePaul but is what he says in verse two. How can we die to sin still live in it. Paul answers the question of mesh one by asking another question: can we who died to sin still live in it now July. When asked that question we might have been tempted to go back to the law.

If we were faced with this individual who said they would a professing Christian but was continuing in the lifestyle of sin, we might say to them. Let me remind you of the 10 Commandments and to go through the but Paul doesn't bring us back to the law. Yes, the loss of function for the Christian that is true, but he doesn't say to them.

Your problem is that you don't obey God's commands. As nobody says he teaches us more and more about this funding grace. He said listen, don't you understand this, that you who have died to sin cannot continue to live in it.

See, once you are saved by the grace of God, the reign of sin and the power of sin and your life is ended, you have died to sin on this produces is Paul's going to say in verse four and newness of life is what he says we too might walk." The old life course not like a month like a man who is married and is married but he continues to live as if he was single. He said that yes you got loving wife with his unthinkable a married man live as a married man policy was that you can do that is grace that saves you the grace which transforms her and you have died to sin, and so how can you possibly continue to live in that sense I like Sunday will think a little more of the meaning of what does it mean to die to sin when me say this. At this point.

Followers of Jesus. This is wonderful good news. This is the gospel followers of Jesus not only have been delivered from the penalty of sin, but from the power the rain the terminate the authority and the masquerade of sin in our lives we done to verse 14, we can anticipate Paul's brilliant argument for sin will have no dominion over you since you're not under law but under what grace grace grace produces a radical transformation. Freedom from the mastery and tyranny of sin. Yes, I can still choose it. Robin is no longer my master. I can go back to that slavery by being set free from that tyranny and that mastery of sin and are not to live in newness of life.

So Paul says in second Corinthians 517 if anyone is in Christ is a new creature of new creation you build is gone, the new has come. Grace produces a radical transformation in the light.

Let me just whiten that little bit further and to say this, that grace results in good works in our lives but you say John that I thought you been telling us up always been arguing that were not saved by works. That's true in regard to one thing Paul has been teaching it is that would justify my faith alone, apart from the law. Apart from the works he says in chapter 3, for example, there's 28 for we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. But here's the point. It is true we are justified by faith alone, but the faith which justifies is not alone together. Think about it we are justified by faith alone, but the faith which justifies is not allowed. Some of you as we been teaching in the book of Romans have said to be, but what about the apostle James, a dozen James say that that faith apart from works is meaningless is what is the relationship between faith and good works well at stud in the Bible is the James chapter 2 and will return for the apostle size on this James chapter 2.

This is a big subject, but surely the apostle James is not contradicting the apostle Paul was no contradictions in Scripture is the same Holy Spirit inspiring the apostles. There's no contradiction.

No, what we will see is this that James is writing a fight of faith which is dad not a living faith in Christ for the dead faith. For example, James two � 14. What good is that my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works cannot faith save him. Verse 17.

So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Verse 20. Do you want to be showing you foolish person that faith apart from works is useless. Verse 26 for as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. Was James writing about James is dealing with something which is very very important. He's looking at in a sense a different subject than Paul is dealing with an MK profession of faith, of faith, which is no end in reality, it may be a faith which is doctrinally correct. He says in verse 19 you believe that God is one. You do well is true God is one.

Even the demons believe and shudder. What sets us back doesn't it. With the demons believe in some sense, but this is not a living faith. This is not saving faith of faith that doesn't produce works is a dead faith through saving faith results in a change, a change of heart and it produces fruit good works are the fruits of saving faith, not the roots, but the fruit is a there is a faith which is purely intellectual of faith which believe certain things about God and he said people all the time I set out to the labor basic doctrine of historic orthodox Christianity.

They would pick up the box and say yes I believe in the Trinidad believe God's victory that I believe that Jesus Christ is God. I believe that Jesus is the son of God I believe is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. I believe he died on the cross for our sins. I believe he was married. I believe he rose again as I probably when I think about it.

I probably believed that he's coming back not saved. There's never been a radical transformation in their life. They have an intellectual belief about certain facts about Christ, but that is totally different from personally trusting in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ can remind you that Christian is one who knows Jesus Christ not just about Christ, but one has believed in Christ as our relationship outliving vibrant, growing relationship with the son of God who loved us, who gave himself for us and is alive forever more of you can say prayer you can walk the style you can put up your hand. You can repeat a prayer after your Sunday school teacher know your VBS leader and still you can do all of that and still not be saved just because a man tells me he loves his wife doesn't mean he loves her.

As with the say that is a profession, but as the reality no.

The reality of this faith is demonstrated in the way we live is demonstrated in good works. They are not the condition of our salvation, but they are the consequence they are the overflow of a life committed to Jesus Christ of this life of grace. Of course it brings freedom, but the true understanding of grace brings a great desire to please God and to tighten from sin to have that desire, a desire to please God.

One of the new members Peter said as he quoted first Corinthians 1031 that whatever we do with it, we don't drink over to do all to the glory of God desire to do everything to the glory of God. Know that I succeed in doing that, but I'm imperfect. I sin, but this is my desire that desire is going to be is going to show evidence in my life. You we love the him don't way. It's one of her favorites. At Calvary we sing at the weddings we sing it at funerals.

We sing about get-togethers, amazing grace, even on believer sing it.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me I once was lost but now I'm found was blind but no I see John Newton knew his theology, but knew the him doesn't finish their he's got another verse which we sing but I don't know if we really understand it throughout. Another verse that says this was grace that taught my heart to do well to fear think that's strange, but John Newton knew his Bible. He knew his theology that this grace is not something soft is not something sentimental is not a mere emotion, although it is an emotion is more than that was grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved to no understanding of the grace of God doesn't promote sin doesn't encourage sin but does the very opposite button with me where Paul makes is very clear in Titus Titus chapter 2. This is so important were saying saved by faith alone. Don't misunderstand me with the faith which saves is not alone results in a changed life in a holy life and acts of compassion and mercy and so on.

Mere profession of faith doesn't result in salvation. Titus 213 for the grace of God has appeared, that's in the Lord Jesus Christ, bringing salvation for all people wonder that this salvation comes to you and may we rejoice in the upper policy finished training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live controlled upright and godly lives in the present age waiting for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Notice what Paul says in verse 14 verse 11.

Rather, this grace of God among other things, it trains us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions of your view renounce ungodliness and worldly passions swing to those of you who say your affected followers of Jesus that you receive Christ. What ungodliness, what worldly passions have being romance in your life. If there are none.

You really need to question yourself as the weather.

You understand and have experienced the true grace of God. Paul says here in verse 14 that God wants to redeem us from all lawlessness that will help that will happen ultimately in our glorification when Christ comes. But even though he is purifying for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works, well was installed when they met with the son and daughter of a cousin of mine. I knew him he had died.

He died suddenly, and the woman I met with was only one for the father dies and her brother was three in the door asking me of what I knew about their dad because I need is my first cousin and that we were having lunch in a city in Scotland called Katahdin fact where the Prime Minister former Prime Minister Gordon Brian was from and we started talking about churches in the area and I told him the story. I said remember when I was eating on 19 is either last unit high school the first year university and after church service in our hometown, which was about 15 miles from her quality myself fighting when my brother some of her friends. We drove to Cook County.

This conversation was being held to attend a youth service young people got together and have a kind of a youth speaker, very effervescent, somewhat emotional and the little more upbeat razzmatazz than our local church which wasn't so upbeat sometimes. So we went there and after it a number of young people profess to be saved said they were saved by come home, the living room of that certain everything is Bible places who have even been this youth meeting and cutting wonderful thing happened. I said I forget the number.

Let's say six or seven people were saved tonight. I thought my dad was going to say hallelujah praise God and to serve as Bible. He looked up, but this is Scotland's right different culture from here and in the company said that what you mean John is six or seven people profess to be saved who I thought that's can the negative is making a very good point was in the fact that someone says I'm a Christian. The fact that someone at Calvary church says I'm a believer in Jesus Christ, doesn't mean that there's been a true work of grace. A supernatural work in the life so you can believe facts about Christ, but not have faith in Christ you can believe what you had, but is never touched your heart you may come to church, but you've never come to Christ. You may profess salvation, but do you possess salvation. You may have a religion about Christ but do you have a relationship with Christ through faith results in good works results in a change life.

Jesus says that you love them by your fruits. And these words are not the root of our salvation, but they are the fruit of our salvation. The wonderful passage in John 15. Some of you know well. Others of you have never read it in John 15, where Jesus gives the illustration of the vine and the branches and he wants us to bear fruit doesn't take and he wants us to our buying in the vine, JC Ryle says the branch which bears no fruit is no living branch of the vine do union with Christ which produces no effect on the heart and life is a mere formal union which is worthless before God, the faith which is not a sanctifying influence on the character is no better than the faith of devils where there is no sanctification of life.

There is no real faith in Christ is pretty strongly that is strong made me stop and read it again and I thought you know one of the wonderful experiences I have surpassed the recovery is meeting people like you like these new members who are begin to see in them as I get to know them something of Jesus something of his kindness something of his grace something of his forgiveness something of his holiness is something of his truth is a binding grace.

I desire to read the Bible as some of you come to me and other people and say I John help man when I went to get to know the word of God.

I want to grow help me with my prayer life or someone comes and says you know I am a follower of Christ, but what about this giving constructive money you open when people start talking about the pocketbook you realize something is really happening. One thing to say. I'll give everything to Jesus and hello. The offering to the past but another thing, don't we. When we realize this, Lord Jesus was saved and he owns everything I have one of the greatest privileges as to give to him in worship. A desire to tell others about Jesus was happening all this grace, which saves them is transforming them in the beginning yes imperfectly yes stumbling late.

Yes, making many many mistakes but beginning Tova Nyman's lien holiness in the ungodliness and the life and to live a life that pleases God how wonderful to hear our young wife say that when my husband now that he's come to Christ the way he speaks is different swimming. The cursing the harshness of our home is gone is a different man. He's more tender is more loving is more kind. The way he speaks the children the way they speaks to me what is happening with this grace of God has saved us is transforming our lives. When asked the question, what difference does Jesus make in your life could be up to now you've just profess salvation could be there's a hollowness even a hypocrisy, an emptiness in your heart because you truly do not know the Savior know it's not just about believing about Jesus. It is personally trusting to believe in him to the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved and then to know this grace, which saves us, as Paul says in Ephesians 2 verse eight. Events 10 but God has prepared for us. Good works that we are his workmanship prepared for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them that we understand that God in his grace has saved us and now has a purpose for us that he has sent out and we want to fulfill that purpose in his life whatever it is I challenged our new members eyes. I met with them in the caf� before the service to be praying. How is God going to use them. What ministry because God's has prepared for them.

Good works that they should walk in them. Listen following Jesus and knowing Jesus makes a difference I had today early in the week number of our children and teens what Some of you what account and have come to saving faith in Christ, we tell you the will be a difference I can't.

The camp came to Christ.

The camp knows 12 years old knows that this before and the quotas that we sang. I had sung it at the beginning of the camp but it was just words but after I came to Christ. It was a different song in my heart.

Words of the little quotas were this. These things are different now. Something happened to me when I gave my heart to Jesus things I love far more things I love before have passed away things I love far more have come to say things are different now. Something happened to me when I gave my heart to Jesus in a sense, I really didn't know why was singing about, but I knew this but when I was saved. There was a fundamental change in my life. It was the most important event in my life. It marked my eternal destiny changed my life that now belong to Christ difference does it make in your life, man, this Father's Day task is an holiness in your life. Is there is something you need to renounce secret sin, perhaps us and others know about it, but stopping you from fulfilling the purposes of God in your someone holiness is correct into your life. Whether you to do your to ask God's forgiveness for his power. Part of his grace, which is greater than the sin" will help you to live a holy life, you need to eradicate that you need to rooted out. Sometimes in the early mornings about side the house getting the paper whatever and seems unbelievable was such a small yard around these weeds and I go over and I trying to let the week and sometimes they come up very easily the whole weed and the roots, but quite often all I get is the green part and the room is still there because some of them have very long roots in the city to go back to clear and horizontal in all kinds of directions and I really don't have the time to read the Martin's are just take out the top and it looks as if it's gone, but I know in my heart is still there and is going to grow with the many to do with sin, you need to rooted not just to be respectable not just pay lip service to it but you need to rooted that does not harm that takes time. Yes it does in the presence of God that you're reaching out these on the holy habits and see which destroys the listen again to the words I can finish with the words of Peter the apostle says in first Peter one verse 14 as obedient children, one of the characteristics of the follower of Christ as abrasions as obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance going to be different Peter to say, but as he call who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.

Since it is written, you shall be holy, for I told you choose today to follow Christ never committed your life to Christ.

We if you are an authentic follower of Christ confess that sin rooted out in the low, the grace of God to overwhelm you because God's grace is always greater than your sin of father we thank you for the Scriptures they humbled us. Yet the inspired us the positive your grace. Father, that grace which is greater than our sin.

We thank you that were no longer under the law but under grace. Help is not to presume on your grace to live holy lives for those here father, who have not truly trusted Christ draw them to the Savior bring them to the cross open their eyes to see the beauty of our Lord Jesus Christ, and help each of us to live holy lives in Christ name