This morning we are going to start a short lesson series about holiness. I want to be Holy...Holy Like You. The next few weeks we will discuss what holiness is and how to achieve it? Like anything, it is a process but the more you know the better you will be able to achieve your goal.
Tell me what you think of when I say the word...Holiness?
Perhaps you think about our dress (apparel), the outside part of holiness...you are right, but that is just a small part of holiness, but that is a good starting place.
First, let’s take a look at the definition for Holy from the Strong’s concordance—
The Hebrew word for Holy—H6918-Kadoshe—means saint or set apart, pure & clean, void of sin or uncleanness.
The Greek word for Holy—most holy thing, a saint, of things on which on account have some connection with God, possess a certain distinction and claim to reverence, set apart to God, to be, as it were, exclusively his. Sacred, set apart, special different.
Since our dress has been mentioned let’s start with this from the bible
Luke 11:39-40—
Here we see Jesus having dinner with a Pharisee. Pharisees were the Jewish religious leaders of that day, the scribes and priests, Levites, those in the ministry. Here the Pharisee was astounded because Jesus didn’t wash his hands before he ate dinner. Jesus answered him back but not about having washed hands. He said “now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness”. What do you think he meant?
He was talking about the Pharisees attitude. He said you made sure your outside is clean but, you have a problem, your inside is wicked. He was talking about “holiness”. He said you appear to be holy on the outside but on the inside you are wicked, unclean.
Matt. 23:25-28—
Here again we see Jesus talking to Scribes and Pharisees. He called them hypocrites. Once again he said you are worried about appearance when the things on the inside are in pour shape. He said they are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Okay so we see and understand from these passages that holiness is more than just our dress or outward appearance. Holiness comes from the inside and it is an attitude.
Isaiah 35:8—And an highway shall be there and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
Matt. 7:13-14—Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
The bible talks in these passages about a way, an highway that leads to life. No it is not talking about a literal “road”, it is talking about a “way” of life. A “high” way. I higher standard of living. A particular way to live. We can’t see this highway, it’s not a literal one, but we can get on it.
The bible tells us that this way is strait and narrow and it leads to life. That means that there are some set standards where there is no swaying and no bending from. It is solid and sure.
You know a curvy road has bends and movement, but the way of holiness is strait. It don’t bend and shift with every whim or trend of society or wave of doctrine that comes around. God set his way out in the bible and any other way is wrong. Remember the little children’s song....There’s only one, one, one; one way to God. It’s not a broad way that has enough room to accept any new idea and craze the world finds fun and exciting. It is a narrow way, only able to hold the things that God has chosen to allow and that has already been set and established by Him.
With that in mind, if you wish to be holy, which by the way is necessary to get to heaven, you have to live according to God’s set standards, but as we have already learned there is more than just clothing and appearance. True Holiness comes from the inside.
Memory Verse: 1 Peter 1:16—Because, it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy.
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