How to retain holiness
“And the Lord make you
to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as
we do toward you: [13] To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in
holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
with all his saints.” [1 Thessalonians 3:12 – 13]
“Wherefore the rather,
brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do
these things, ye shall never fall.” [2 Peter 1:10]
(Illustration: “It is not necessary to teach us how to lose
our health.” [B.T. Roberts] “So the Bible does not teach us how to lose
holiness. It gives very explicit
directions how to keep it.” [BTR])
I. Fact: God
requires an investment from us.
A. “…there is something spoken of for us
to do if we would keep holiness and get through to Heaven.” [BTR]
1. “love toward another and toward all
men” (Love is the defining quality of holiness)
a. John Wesley defined “Christian perfection”
in terms of “knowledge” and “love.”
b. Spiritual failure is seldom a lack of
knowledge… it becomes a matter of our love for God.
2. “give diligence to make your calling
and election sure; for if ye do these things, you shall never fall.”
a. Caution: we are often caught chasing
the “latest and greatest.”
b. (Ill.) Companies know that to keep or
attract some people, there has to be something new all the time (monthly
specials). PROBLEM… the pursuit of these
things can wear us out, weaken us, and dissipate our energy.
***** “No matter how much grace a person received when he
was converted, and how great an increase was realized when he was sanctified
wholly, if he does not go on in his experience and grow in grace he will become
dry and unfruitful, spiritually dead, and insensible to his condition.”
[BTR] *****
B. The condition of someone who does not
grow:
1. “His outward conduct may be without
reproach, but his power is gone.” [BTR]
a. Input but no output… (Ill. The Dead Sea)
b. That is why useful service is so
important…. Power is expressed in the work accomplished.
2. The stale Christian complex…
a. Roberts noted that many keep the
profession but lose the blessing.
(Reasoning is correct, habits are correct, no need of the Holy Spirit.)
b. The symptom: no fruit. (no joy, no gentleness, no meekness…)
3. Caution: there may be “dry times” in a
person’s life, times when physically we are suffering, and times when life
simply stinks…. (that does not mean the power is gone).
a. The lies the devil whispers… “it’s no
use,””God’s not listening,” “you are on your own.”
b. Here’s the problem, we have become more
dependent on feelings than on truth.
“Who are kept by the
power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time.” [1 Peter 1:5]
II. Fact: God
supplies the ability!
A. God has given us “power” that keeps us…
1. Dependent on faith (not giving up).
2. Dependent on salvation (right
relationship with God).
3. NOTICE the “keeping” part of this
power.
a. Armenian/Wesleyan often focus on things
like “loosing salvation.”
b. Roberts was trying to refocus us on
doing the healthy spiritual thing… thus, “loosing” is never going to be an
issue.
B. God “is willing, nay anxious to keep us
all.” [BTR]
1. The witness of the Holy Spirit…
2. The clear conscious… (as witnessed by
the Holy Spirit).
“Have you had a clear experience of being sanctified wholly?
If not, then seek it at once. You cannot
afford to live another day without it.” [BTR]
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