B. Serve God in Holiness

Rom 6:19  I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

…….As we were rambunctious to serve ourselves in sin, may we be that much more energetic to serve Christ in the Spirit. [SIDE NOTE] The beauty of this is, salvation doesn’t happen once and then there’s nothing. Life in the Spirit will give you that salvation experience continually! This lifestyle of spiritual hunger produces righteousness!

Rom 6:20  For when ye were the servants (slaves) of sin, ye were free (absent) from righteousness.

…….Before Christ set us free from a life of sin, we were all slaves to it. Some may not have experienced as much torture within the bondage, but many of us have. Either way, at the moment of salvation and hereafter, there is a peace of mind in serving Christ! The one who held me captive had no care for my well being or my eternity. The one who now holds me captive has given me freedom in everything I was chasing before salvation!

Rom 6:21  What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

…….. For the sinner, the process of sinning produced a false sense of good fruit. That’s what keeps a sinner sinning. Thats the utopia fruit that Satan strives to deceive with. If he can get you there he will do all he can to keep you there! And then if you’ve been there he will do all he can to remind you of the life of that past. His final goal is to rob the life of heaven from you!

Rom 6:22  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

…….The fruit that holiness produces is a fruit that will never give you a bad reputation, nor leave you feeling guilty of your actions and words! The end of this life is the reward of eternal heaven!

2Co 7:1  Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

…….To reiterate the very beginning of this lesson, let go of anything and everything that holds you back from the will of God in Christ Jesus! There is a cleansing that Christ performs through salvation, and then there is the cleansing that “we” must perform in our actions! May we forever strive to perfect holiness in the fear of God!

LIVING IN SANCTIFICATION

This part of the lesson is used with scripture when Jesus prayed for His disciples. This is also His prayer for all Christians.

Joh 17:14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

…….This scripture gives us comfort that while persecution will come at times, it does not mean we have failed God. Most of the time when you are being mistreated by others, it is the opposite, it is because you won’t mess up! It’s because through it all you have learned to trust in Jesus and others around you become jealous of your “peace in all things” way of living!

Joh 17:15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

…….Jesus prayed that the Lord wouldn’t take us out of the world in the midst of persecution, but that he would give us Spiritual strength to keep us from evil. There is such a great feeling that comes from having peace while the rest of the world is in turmoil!

Joh 17:16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

…….If you want sanctification, read the Bible and listen to His voice. Though the Lord may never be an audible voice for you, He will drop a word in your conscience so loud that you can’t deny it came from Him! We are sanctified by influence of His Word.

Joh 17:18  As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

…….”As thou hast sent me”. Jesus said for the same purpose you sent me into the world, I also send them! What an amazing thought that the Spirit that gave Jesus the power to overcome death we could also be so full of the same Spirit!

Joh 17:19  And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

…….If Christ needed to sanctify Himself, how much more do we need to sanctify ourselves…

Joh 17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

…….This message wasn’t just for the disciples who were present, but those that were abroad and would become disciples.

Joh 17:21  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

…….One of the greatest enemies of the Church is religious division. The problem is, there isn’t enough persecution yet to cause us to bind together in strength! If the message of the individual local church is the fullness of Christ, not one church or organization is better than the other! We must bind together locally and abroad with those who desire to see the lost saved!

Listen to this short conversation Jesus had with His disciples: Luke 9:49  And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.

Luk 9:50  And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

If the world is looking for the right church, it will not be changed by the church who is in division with other churches! The church was built that the world may run to it to find the Lord for salvation! The church must be sanctified and Christlike!

B. Sanctification is God’s Work

1Th 5:22  Abstain (refrain, hold oneself off, stay away) from all appearance of evil.

…….Another action word here, “abstain”. It takes an inward desire so deep that causes us to run from the very appearance of evil! If it’s going to make you appear unsaved, get away from it!

1Th 5:23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

…….Though we must abstain from evil, there is nothing within ourselves that can acquire Gods holiness. It has always been and will always be God through His Spirit who imparts Holiness within us! You take the actions to abstain from evil and the Lord will take the action to make you Holy.

1Th 5:24  Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

…….If He is faithful enough to call you out of sin, He is faithful enough to make you Holy!

SPIRIT-FILLED LIVING

A. Holy Spirit-Empowered Witnesses

Act 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

…….”But ye shall receive power”. Question: power for what?! Have we for too long seen the church prior to our ministries sitting around waiting for God to knock us off the pew? God doesn’t impart His gifts and instill ministries to those who aren’t seeking for them! You can never see yourself in the flesh the same way God will cause you to see it in the Spirit! Some people don’t want to pursue God because they are afraid to work! God isn’t going to call you to do something you hate, and you won’t hate those things living in the Spirit like you did in the flesh!

Act 5:32  And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

…….The Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) and the person who is filled works hand in hand in unison to be a witness of Christ! We must work parallel with the Spirit to obey God. Being a witness is the Spirits main purpose in our life.

B. Holy Spirit-Directed Living

Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust (desires) of the flesh.

Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth (has desires) against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

…….The flesh, the one that follows sin, is totally against the work of the Spirt. All the while, the Spirit is working against the flesh to show humanity the better way!

Gal 5:18  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

…….When we are led by the Spirit we don’t have to worry about the law. We automatically abide lawfully.

Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness (wanting),

Gal 5:20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance (debate), emulations (jealousy), wrath (evil passion), strife, seditions (division), heresies (against belief),

Gal 5:21  Envyings (spitefully jealous), murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), gentleness, goodness, faith,

Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance (self control): against such there is no law.

Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Gal 5:26  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Gal 6:8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Gal 6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Gal 6:10  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.