We are saved by grace to live for Jesus Christ.

What should be the practical result in our lives of believing what Christians (Christlike) are to believe, as set forth in the gospel, the New Testament, and the whole Bible? The answer to this question is addressed by this lesson. Put in simplest terms, orthodoxy (believing what is doctrinally correct) should result in orthopraxis (doing what is right according to holy scripture). Therefore, a survey of major Christian beliefs would not be complete without also saying, Christians believe that saving faith in Jesus Christ will lead us to Christ like living. As it relates to our lifestyle, the goal of our believing in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is that our living will reflect his character.

CALLED TO HOLY LIVING

A. Be Holy in All Your Living

1Pe 1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

…….The loins represent a place of strength and power. In the days this letter was written, in order to run a race one must secure the loose clothing around the loins in order to run without hindrance. In order for every Christian to run the race without stumbling, we must have our minds set directly on the purpose without anything weighing us down! It’s time to strap up! Whatever you need to secure in your walk with the Lord, get it done! Whatever you need to let go of (relationships, worthless hobbies, assets and investments with no value, etc, etc….) let it go! If it’s giving you a headache that may be an answer right there!

…….Be SOBER (abstain from wine, be discreet, watch). To go even further, be alert with spiritual anticipation! Just because it is absent of drugs, alcohol and narcotics doesn’t make it ok! Anything that steals our mind from living in the peace of God is a setback. Hebrews 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,…let go of the weights that tie us down!

1Pe 1:14  As obedient children, not fashioning (conforming) yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

…….Since we have come to the realization of our past sin, we must change the patterns and lifestyles that influenced sin when we were lost.

1Pe 1:15  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (behavior, character, lifestyle);

…….Salvation didn’t happen for only the outward appearance to change and to determine where we can and cannot go, but happened for every single thought process to line up with the person of Christ!

1Pe 1:16  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

…….”Be ye holy” is an action. Because the word is enough instruction, we must live in action a life of Holiness. The Lord spoke in Leviticus 20:26  And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed (cut off, separated) you from other people, that ye should be mine. Matthew 5:48  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

In everything we do, when we strive to the Spiritual betterment for ourselves and others around us, Holiness will impart to us and through us.

1Pe 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

…….Nothing we could do or acquire while living without Christ could ever redeem us from the grip of sin.

1Pe 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

…….It takes the blood of Christ that was shed specifically for our saving and cleansing to produce the supernatural experience of Salvation! The perfect man was crucified to take on the weight of our sin so we could live a life free from condemnation of sin!

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 of sin, ye were free (absent) from righteousness.

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 at times 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 that 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 while living in the flesh prayed for His disciples. This is 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 that 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. We are sanctified by influence of the Holy Scriptures.

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 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 others! The church was built that the world may run to 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!

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.

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.

B. Holy Spirit-Directed Living

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

Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth 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.

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

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

Gal 5:20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Gal 5:21  Envyings, 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, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: 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.