Living in Gospel Holiness: Declaring War on Sin.
I don’t want to be a Jack of all trades and then be a Master of none.
Persons
George Washington, John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards
Books
Ex, Deut. Ps, Isaiah John, Romans, Eph.
Words
Holy, Glory, and Worship show Bible today looking at holy
The title of this series is called The Gospel Story: Evangelical Convictions.
So many Christians miss out on the fullness of life. The Gospel fits all situations of our lives.
Last week we saw there is a real battle today, different types of battles in our hearts:
The Battle of the Two Chairs. Religion vs. Grace and the liberating beauty of the gospel.
The great Puritan and known author of Pilgrim’s Progress John Bunyan was put into prison by the
leaders of the church for preaching the gospel (of chair 2). They told him,
“You can’t go on telling people that Christ’s righteousness has been credited to them in full.
If they believe that, they’ll feel like they can do whatever they want”. He replied,
“If people really see that Christ’s righteousness has been given to them entirely as a gift,
they’ll do whatever He wants”.
For the next 2 weeks we will talk about sin, allegiance and doing what God wants.
This is a long title for a sermon but there it is…
Living in Gospel Holiness: Declaring War on Sin
Warring Against the Pleasures of Sin with the Pleasure and Passion for God
PRAY
One of my best friends growing up- Tim- we have so much in common. One of the main
problems I have with Tim, a WI boy is his choice of Sport teams. It is an option for Tim.
We have many options in life: music styles, food, cars, fashion.
Is holiness an option? No.
1 Peter 1:16 8 times in scripture God says be holy- John 3:16 is only there once.
We are to reflect the one who saved us.
Not just look like a Christian- No that is religion (Chair 1) imitation Christian.
Chair 1 says “Be a successful Christian” following rules and external conformity
Chair 2 - successful Christian, that is redundant. Treasure God
First let’s look at the word holy.
Holy- set apart, pure, not common. To be sanctified is to be made holy, consecrate.
Take for example an item that would be used in the temple
Chosen and set apart
Lev 20:22-26 We have been called out, set apart, holy
Cleaned and made pure, holy.
Dedicated for the work of the Lord.
Most embarrassing statement about me is not you are weird, lame, bad hair, etc...
- You are no different from anybody else. – most hurtful comment to a Christian
- You are typical, common.
Why? Because holiness calls us to not be common.
We have been called out, set apart, holy. The New Covenant calls us to be different.
Don’t be average – you are set apart.
This is what we are called to but there is a problem and that is sin. How do we fight against sin?
Declaring War on Sin
Warring Against the Pleasures of Sin with the Pleasure and Passion for God
First we must see this as a war.
Romans 8:12-13
So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh
for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die;
but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live
I have learned much about this by reading John Owen Mortification of Sin in Believers.
"Mortify" was a term centuries ago that means "kill".
“Do you mortify? Do you make it your daily work? Be always at it while you live;
Cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you”
Heb. 12:14 - Make every effort
We are at war with sin, and we must declare war on sin, and learn the art of this battle.
Cut it out of your lives Imagine walking on a road ahead you see a man drink poison and die
Would you go and drink it up?
Then why do we fall after the sins of this would that we know will destroy our lives?
You are to be skilled at killing your own sins.
“The vigor and power and comfort of our spiritual life depends on
our mortification of deeds of the flesh.”
As your pastor I am going to these next 3 weeks walk with you in the Word
And in the next years fight with you.
I am not a hypocrite but a pro in this area, a topic I have thought and struggled with often.
Secondly we must see this as a battle of worship.
Years ago I was asked to talk about purity for guys.
“I want to share a Purity talk. Not a sex talk, not a dating talk. This is a Worship talk.
The question not of the style of worship but of the OBJECT of worship.
Who will you worship?”
The Biblical Worship series comes in a few weeks but we have been talking about worship this
whole month. Christ died for our sins, Christ is the Lord- the center of the table
Loving God, and obedience that comes from grace.
The battle of sin in our lives is a battle of ultimately of worship.
Third we must see that the pleasures of God are designed.
to far outweigh the fleeting pleasures of sin.
Say to your soul I will treasure God – “Be Thou My Vision”has been our steady diet.
Think greatly of the greatness of God. Owen
James 1:14-15
see the outcome of sin, its fleeting pleasures lead to death
See the end result of sin- destruction. Envy will lead to murder and destruction.
The treasures of God are intended to eclipse the fleeting pleasures of sin.
Colossians 3:1-2 – "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above,
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on
things that are on earth."
“fill your affections with the cross of Christ, that there may, be no more room for sin” John Owen
We war against the pleasures of sin with the pleasure and treasure for God
Romans 2:4
God’s kindness leads to repentance.
One of the best ways to fight sin comes from having a correct view of God who wants you to
experience freedom and have pure joy in your life.
As stated six months ago- most of our problems come from an incorrect view of God.
One of the main problems is that many Christians want power, where few want holiness.
Churches don’t talk about sin anymore because that may scare people away.
Many Christians today want the resurrected fullness of life, little want the death of the cross.
We want revival and full churches, but rarely do we have true repentance.
The problem is that we are so preoccupied with self.
We have no thirst for God because we do not truly see the holiness of God
We are so weak in our fight against sin because our vision and knowledge of God is weak.
Until we fully engage with the gospel of grace the human heart cannot and will not change.
We must live biblically, sound in our doctrine and in our understanding the gospel.
in order to live obediently, liberated and joyfully in this present world.
So “fill your affections with the cross of Christ, that there may, be no more room for sin
Have an unquenchable thirst for God. Fixate your passions upon God.
More than a drug addict has a need for a fix, fixate on the gospel of grace.
When the gospel comes into our lives, what we cherish and treasure changes
As John Wesley says, fear nothing but God and hate nothing but sin.
Honeymoon and the breakfast meal- I was so fixated on Amber I did not notice.
There is a war, and ultimately it is a battle of Worship, get the grand view of God and see the
provision God has for His children .
Yet in this battle it is very hard. We struggle to separate ourselves and be different from the
ways of the world. We are called as God’s redeemed people to reflect our Redeemer and be
holy, abstain from the sinful lusts that war against our soul. We are called to crucify the flesh,
called to live a sanctified life, called to be set apart. The power and remedy is the Gospel
message. One of the best ways to weaken the influence of the world is to treasure God.
35 REASONS NOT TO SIN
Adore the God of your salvation.