Biblical Worldview Foundations

Perfecting Holiness - 1

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Biblical Worldview

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2012-01-08

Synopsis: In this introductory sermon, John Weaver begins a series on 'Perfecting Holiness' based on 2 Corinthians 7:1. He distinguishes between positional holiness (God's work in Christ) and practical holiness (the believer's responsibility to cleanse from sin and conform to God's Word). The sermon focuses on the promises in 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 that motivate practical holiness: God will dwell with His people and be their God, and He will be a Father to them. Weaver emphasizes that believers, as priests, must discern holy from unholy, and that acknowledging God as Father implies a responsibility to live as His obedient children.

[John Weaver] 2nd Corinthians chapter 7 and verse 1. Today, I want to start a brief series, I say a brief series will be five messages, and this is the first one today. So Robert, that means you have to come for the next four Sundays to get all these messages. So today will be basically introduction, I want you to look at 2 Corinthians 7 in verse 1. The theme of this series is perfecting holiness. And this message today and next week, of course, will be perfecting holiness and then God as Father, and you will understand why. So look in 2 Corinthians 7, verse 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. Notice that last phrase, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

[John Weaver] I believe that every true child of God genuinely desires to live a holy, godly life. And I might add, if you do not desire to live a holy, godly life, there's a doubt as to whether or not you're really a true child of God. The Bible teaches very clearly and dogmatically that without holiness, no man shall see the Lord. Hebrews 12 and verse 14. Even our Lord said in Matthew 5 in verse 8, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. One of the problems that each of us encounter, one of the problems that each of us possesses in his own life is the problem of ignorance. When I say that, I mean this, we do not know the word of God as we should know it. And consequently, since we do not know the word of God, we do not know how to make application of the word of God to our lives. We don't even know that which God demands. And so if you and I are going to live a holy life, we have to know the word of God.

[John Weaver] We have to know that which God demands. Moreover. If we understand that we are to live a holy life, we must ask ourself, what is a holy life? What is the definition of holy? How do we discern whether or not we are holy? How do we discern whether anyone else is holy or not holy? I want you to understand that it was the duty of the priests in the Old Testament to teach the difference between holy and unholy, and that which is clean and unclean. They had a responsibility to teach this to all of the people of God.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to hold 2 Corinthians 7, but go back in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel chapter 22. Ezekiel 22, and look if you would please at verse 26. Without me multiplying scriptures, I do want to show you at least several right here. Look at Ezekiel 22 and verse 26, where God here condemns these priests. And look what he says specifically. Ezekiel 22 and verse 26, God says her priests have violated my law and have profaned mine holy things. They have put no difference between the holy and profane. Neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean. and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them." So God is condemning the priest here because they put no difference between the holy and the unholy, the clean and the unclean, and He says they profaned My name. Now if you will turn to Ezekiel 44, here is what the true priests indeed are to do. Notice Ezekiel 44 and verse 23. God says this, And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

[John Weaver] So the true priest of God is to teach the difference between the unholy and that which is holy, that which is unclean and that which is clean. It was the duty and responsibility of priests in the Old Testament to teach this. It was the duty and responsibility of the priests in the New Testament to teach this. Someone may be sighing at this particular point and saying, well, I'm thankful I'm not a priest and I'm thankful I don't have that responsibility because that requires a great deal of study and a great deal of information. Well, before you get too thankful, I want to show you a couple of verses. First of all, I want you to turn to First Peter, chapter two and look at verse five. First Peter, chapter two and verse five. And notice particularly what the Word of God says. 1 Peter 2, verse 5, you also as lively or living stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. So the Bible tells us that we are already a holy priesthood.

[John Weaver] And if you would turn in your Bibles to the book of Revelation chapter 1, you will see how we got to be priests. Revelation chapter 1, look at verses 5 and 6. Revelation 1 verse 5. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be

[John Weaver] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. So the Bible then tells us that we have been made priests unto God and our fathers. So since we are priests, Since we have been made priests, we must know and we must be able to discern the difference between that which is holy and that which is unholy, that which is clean and that which is unclean. In fact, Scripture is very, very specific. In 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 7, God said this, For God hath not called you unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. For God hath not called you unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. So if we have a calling then to be holy, we must know what holiness is. The word for holiness literally means to be set apart.

[John Weaver] Now there is a negative and a positive connotation attached to holiness. I want you to go back to our text and second Corinthians chapter 7. We're actually going to be looking at chapter 6 and verse 17, and you will see why just momentarily. But 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 17 then gives us the negative aspect of holiness. Notice 2nd Corinthians 6 and verse 17. Wherefore, come out from among them and be separate, saith the Lord.

[John Weaver] and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you. Notice God says wherefore coming up among them and be separate. Touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you. So here's a negative. If we're going to be set apart, we have to be set apart from something. And that something is whatever is sinful, wicked and wrong.

[John Weaver] Now there's also a positive. aspect of holiness. In Romans chapter 1 and verse 1, the apostle Paul declares that when he says this. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, listen now, separated unto the gospel of God. separated unto the gospel of God. So I want you to note, here's a negative, here's a positive. The negative is we're separated from sin and wickedness, that which is ungodly, unholy, and we're separated to something. We're separated to God and to his word. Now, it's interesting when Paul says, Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ. The word servant is the Greek word thulos, which literally means a slave or a bond slave. So Paul says he's now a slave to the Lord Jesus Christ and to his gospel.

[John Weaver] Thus we could say on the one hand that holiness refers to the fact, one fact, that we have been purged from our sins that we have repented and turned from those sins, and on the other hand, that we have been regenerated, converted, and renewed in our mind and our souls. It means that we have turned from unrighteousness to righteousness. It means that we've turned from sin and wickedness to the Word of God, to the Lord Jesus in truth.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you, if you will turn to 1 Thessalonians, First Thessalonians chapter one and look at verse nine, because here's an excellent picture and an excellent summary. Of what holiness amounts to both the negative and the positive, notice if you would first Thessalonians chapter one in verse nine, the Apostle Paul is talking about the Thessalonians and he says this. In fact, let's let's begin reading in verse seven.

[John Weaver] He said, so that you were in samples or examples to all that believed in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God were to spread abroad, so that we need not speak anything. Now watch. For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how you turned to God, that's positive, from idols, that's negative, to serve the living and true God. So there you have both the negative and the positive. They turn from idols, the negative, to God to serve Him. That's the positive.

[John Weaver] So obviously then, when we're talking about holiness, it means just simply to be set apart. You're set apart from something, and you're set apart unto something.

[John Weaver] Now, when we look at 2 Corinthians 7 and verse 1, the Bible says, having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, Let us cleanse ourselves from all filth and of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." Now, when Paul is talking about perfecting holiness in the fear of God, he is not referring to what is known as positional holiness. You have to understand the difference between positional holiness and practical holiness. Let me tell you what positional holiness is. Positional holiness is that work of God alone. Positional holiness refers to the work of God the Father in Jesus Christ in placing us in the body of Christ, imputing the righteousness of Christ to us and making us acceptable to him in Jesus Christ alone. What is positional holiness? It is something that God alone does. We have no work in positional holiness.

[John Weaver] Let me show you the scriptures. Let's turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and look at verses 30 and 31. Just several passages, just so you can see what is known as positional holiness. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 30 and 31. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 30, But of him, that is God the Father, but of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made of us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, that according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Incidentally, when you see the word sanctification, The word holiness and the word sanctification are synonymous. They're the same exact word in the Greek. So you could read that, but of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made in us wisdom and righteousness and holiness and redemption, that according as it is written, he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. So it is God the Father then who makes us positionally holy in Christ. If you would turn right over to 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 and look at verse 21.

[John Weaver] 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21. Here it is again showing you that it is the work of God the Father. 2nd Corinthians 5 verse 21. The Bible says for he that is God the Father hath made him that is God the Son to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. So God the Father, then, has made us righteous in Jesus Christ. If you would turn right over to the book of Ephesians 1, and let's begin reading there with verse 4. Ephesians 1, just showing you this is the work of God the Father. Ephesians 1, beginning with verse 4. Ephesians 1, verse 4. According as He had chosen us in Him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, when He made us accepted in the Beloved.

[John Weaver] But note, according He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. So, here's positional holiness. Positional holiness is something that God the Father does. It cannot be added to. It cannot be taken from. It is already perfect. You cannot be more holy in Christ positionally than you already are. It's perfect. It's the work of God. But when you get to 2 Corinthians 7 in verse 1, Paul is not talking about positional holiness. He is talking about a practical holiness. Look at verse 1 again. Having, therefore, these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the work of God." Now, what the Apostle Paul is talking about in 2 Corinthians 7 verse 1 is a practical holiness in which you and I are engaged. We're actually doing something in our lives. And that something is seeking to bring our lives and their greater conformity to the word of God.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to see Romans chapter six, if you would turn there, please. Romans chapter six. And verse 19. Let me show you why this is so vitally important. Romans six and verse 19. You say, why is it important that I learn practical holiness? Well, look what the Apostle Paul says in Romans 6 and verse 19. He says, I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh, for as you have yielded your member servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity. Even so, now, yield your member servants to righteousness unto holiness. So before you were converted, you yielded your members, that is your body, your mind, your heart, your limbs, to wickedness, to uncleanness.

[John Weaver] You did those things willingly, delightfully, premeditatedly. Now the Apostle Paul says, just like when you were unconverted, you yielded your body to all of these lustful, wicked things, now that you've been saved by the grace of God, you yield those same members as servants unto righteousness and to holiness. So what is he teaching us? He's teaching us that we have a duty, a responsibility, a privilege, and I might add, a command to bring every area of our lives into conformity to the word of God.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you this again, turn over to first Peter, chapter one. First, Peter, chapter one, and notice if you would be getting there with verse 14. It's amazing how all of these. Different authors say exactly the same thing, but sometimes I see it in a little different wording. We'll look in 1 Peter chapter 1. In fact, let's read verse 13. Peter writes, swear to 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 as obedient children.

[John Weaver] Here's the negative, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lust of your ignorance. That is the way you used to live, but As he hath called you as holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. Notice, if you would please, there is a negative in verse 14. Here's what you are not to do. And then he tells you in verse 15, here's what you are to do. And then he tells you in verse 16 why you are to do it. So.

[John Weaver] In holiness, then, There is obedience required. That's why he said as an obedient child.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just stop and ask you a question. Don't answer it out loud. Have you ever had a disobedient child? Do you know the difference? Every parent Every parent knows the difference between speaking to a child and the child hearing and instantly obey. And the parents speaking to the child and then have to reprimand him and rebuke him and finally end up chastising him just to get him to do what he's supposed to be doing to begin with, right? What's the difference? A lot. Just like we want our children to be obedient, we want them to obey when we speak. God wants us to obey as he speaks. So he says, if we're going to be an obedient child, we're not going to fashion ourselves according to the former lust of our ignorance. But if we're going to be an obedient child, we're going to be holy in all manner of conversation as he is holy because it is written, be holy for I'm holy, saith the Lord.

[John Weaver] Now, remember, I quoted Hebrews 12 and verse 14 earlier. Let me show you how important holiness is. Because in Hebrews 12 and verse 14, the scripture says. Follow peace with all men. Listen carefully and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. So if God has saved us. He has made us positionally holy. If we have been made positionally holy, he now demands that we may A practical holiness in our life.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask that you turn back to Second Corinthians, chapter seven. And let me emphasize something right here, and it's important that you and I understand this distinction. Second Corinthians seven. Notice, if you would please, verse one, having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, look at the next two words. Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. So when it comes to practical holiness, that is your responsibility. However, that does not mean that you may perform practical holiness without the aid, help, and blessing of the Lord. If you and I are to be practically holy, that means we must have the power and the grace and the mercy of God in our lives in order to make us practically holy. You remember what our Lord said in John 15 in verse 5? What is it? Without me you can do how much? Nothing. Well, it's practical holding is something. Well, yes, it is. That means you need the Lord. That means you need his grace, you need his mercy, you need his power, or without him you can do nothing.

[John Weaver] So let me put it like this. Ours is the responsibility. His is the ability. So once again, we need to learn to seek. Our father. for ability to fulfill our responsibility. OK, now, I told you today is just going to be an introduction mainly. I want you to consider one point today, just one point. I want you to consider the promises. And we're going to take up on this next week. We're still going to consider the promises next week, but only one aspect. Look, if you would, at Second Corinthians seven in verse one. Having, therefore, these promises, dearly beloved.

[John Weaver] Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Having, therefore, these promises, what promises? What promises? Well, verse 1 harkens back to chapter 6, verses 14 through 18. So let's go to 2 Corinthians 6 and look at verse 14 through 18. Here, the apostle writes, be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? And what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

[John Weaver] Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you. And you shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." So, the promises that the Apostle talks about in chapter 7 and verse 1 refers back to the promises that are given to us in verses 17 and 18. In other words, Actually, verse 16 as well.

[John Weaver] For he says, In what agreement hath the temple of God with thine? For ye are the temple of the living God. As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. So there are basically two promises here. That's why he used the plural in verse 1. The first promise is given to us in verse 16. The second promise is given unto us in verses 17 and 18. So let's look at the first promise. The first promise found in verse 16, where God says, And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God. As God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Now, first, here is the promise that God will dwell with us, walk with us, He will be our God and we will be his people.

[John Weaver] I want you to note something. This promise is given to us in the context of separating ourselves from idolatry, compromise and corruption. That's why he said in verse 14, be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. And he gives all of these things. You've got to remember, I told you earlier that holiness has a negative and a positive. We have to be separated from something, and we have to be separated unto someone. So holiness then is separation from sin, and it is separation unto God. So God then is demanding in this passage that if we have been made positionally holy in Christ, that there be a corresponding resemblance of that in our lives, that there be a practical holiness. And I might add It is this practical holiness which defines and differentiates between his possessing people and his professing people.

[John Weaver] Like the old black man said, a lot of folks talk about heaven ain't going there. A lot of folks profess Christ, but they do not possess Christ. and their lives are absolutely, totally contrary to Scripture.

[John Weaver] Now, it should be plain based on verses 17 and 18. In fact, let's read them again. Wherefore, come out from among them, verse 16 and 17 it is, and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols before you are the temple of the living God? As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people. Wherefore, In light of that promise, come out from among them and be separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. So is it not plain that these verses, that God is going to be our God and walk among us, is based upon our separation from corruption and wickedness? In other words, It is evidenced by our obedience to God. The evidence that we have taken God as our God is that we've left all of this wickedness, idolatry, and corruption. God is not going to be identified with idolatry or wickedness in any way whatsoever.

[John Weaver] You remember what the Bible says in Hebrews 7 and verse 26, it is concerning Christ. The Bible tells us there concerning Christ that he is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens. So do you mean to tell me the one who is the sinless son of God? We'll have communion with someone who is full of sin and wickedness, and the answer is absolutely no.

[John Weaver] So therefore, he asked, go back, if you would. Look at it in verse 14 when he says, be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers.

[John Weaver] Now, what are these questions? Watch for what fellowship has a righteousness with unrighteousness? What's the answer? None. What communion have light with darkness? None. Light is either going to conquer the darkness or darkness is going to conquer light. What concord or agreement hath Christ with Belial or the devil? None. And what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? None. And what agreement hath the temple of God with the idols? None.

[John Weaver] And so what is he saying? Wherefore, come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord. So the answer to every one of these is Christ has nothing to do with any of these things. So he's telling us then that we should avoid all wickedness and all sin like we would avoid the plague. We don't want to be around. Someone that has an extremely communicable disease. And he said, likewise, you should not want to be around any of these things that are going to pollute your soul and your mind, just like a disease would Do your body now?

[John Weaver] Let me show you two passages. I want you to turn to Isaiah 52. And then the Revelation chapter 18. Look at Isaiah 52 and verse 11. Isaiah 52 verse 11. And then we'll go to Revelation 18. Isaiah 52 verse 11.

[John Weaver] In fact, let's read verse 10. The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Depart ye, depart ye, go you out from fence, touch no unclean thing, go you out of the midst of her, be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Isn't that amazing? He tells us to be clean. By the way, if I had time, I could take you through the New Testament and show that our bodies are the vessels of the Lord. But turn right over to the book of Revelation 18 and look at verse 4.

[John Weaver] You know that there is a commercial Babylon. There is a religious Babylon. And look what our Lord says in Revelation 18 and verse 4. Again, very clear. Revelation 18 and verse 4. He says it like this. And I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins and that you receive not of her plagues. So again, he says. Come out of her.

[John Weaver] So the promise, this first promise is. That God will dwell with us and walk with us and be our God. And he will recognize us and treat us as his people. Now, here's a question. Go back to second Corinthians seven. And let me ask you this question, I want you to think about it. Having, therefore, these promises, dearly beloved. Having, therefore, these promises. Here's my question. How can this promise? That God will dwell with us and walk with us and be our God and will be his people. How can this promise apply to us? If we're already his people.

[John Weaver] What follows? Is to be an encouragement. To believers. Let me ask you. In fact. Let's go ahead and turn to John 15. You will know the answer to the question when I read this look in John 15. John 15.

[John Weaver] And notice, if you would, verses 18 and 19. Our Lord said, if the world hates you, you know that he hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own, but because you're not of the world, but I've chosen you out of the world, therefore, the world hated you. So here's my question. What does the world do to a real, genuine believer who wants to live holy and godly and bring his life in conformity to the Word of God? What does the world do to him? They hate him. They'll persecute him. Do they persecute our Lord? Yes. Do they persecute his disciples? Yes.

[John Weaver] Will they do that today? Yes. So here's what this promise is all about. The Lord is saying to us. When the religious establishment kicks you out the way the Jews did anybody who believed on Christ in the New Testament, when the religious establishment kicks you out and when the world hates you and despises you. I will have nothing to do with you because you belong to Christ. God says, don't worry.

[John Weaver] I will take you under my wings. I will protect you. I will preserve you. I'll keep you as the apple of my eye. I'll build a fire and a wall of protection round about you. And I will walk among you. And I will make sure that you are well taken care of.

[John Weaver] Now, so here is a promise that you and I have in light of our separation from the world and religious idolatry. So our Lord said, if the world hates you, you know that it hated me first.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask that you turn in your Bibles to first Peter two again. Don't want to ask you a question since second Corinthians six is talking about coming out from among them. And here's this promise that God is going to protect us and beat us everything that we need. Look in your Bibles to 1 Peter 2 and verse 9. Again, he says this, But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Now, my question is, how can we show for the praises of him who has called us out of darkness? If we're still participating in darkness? How can we praise him for his marvelous light if we do not see the light for the darkness that we're participating in? This promise. That God will be our God, and we will be his people, and he will walk among us is given to us when we separate ourselves from the world, from idolatry, and we become his bond slave, his personal property.

[John Weaver] Now, go back, if you would, to 2 Corinthians chapter 6. Here is the message that I want to begin for today won't take long, but I want you to see this. The second promise. Is it God will be our father? And that we will be his sons and daughters. For he says in verse 17 and 18, wherefore, come out from among them and be separate, said the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and will be a father unto you. And you shall be my sons and daughters, said the Lord Almighty. Now, I want you to think about something with me today. Here's my first question, has the truth and or the implication of God as our father ever sunk into your soul.

[John Weaver] You remember when the disciples came to our Lord and said, Lord, teach us to pray, John told his disciples to pray, teach us to pray. And our Lord said, all right, when you pray, you say our father. Who are in heaven? Have you ever really thought that God is your father? I want you to turn back to Romans chapter one, and I want you to get ready because we're going to be flipping through the New Testament just momentarily. I want to show you something that you probably have missed as you've read through the scripture. But look at Romans one in verse seven. Here, the apostle Paul writes, giving his salutation to all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I want you to note and I'm going to show you that this salutation is very common to the Apostle Paul. He made it a habit of greeting all the saints this way, by referring to God our Father.

[John Weaver] If there are so many references in the Bible, especially the New Testament, if there are so many references to God being our Father, undoubtedly there have to be implications of this truth. And are we not missing out on something by not recognizing, acknowledging, and confessing God is our Father. Certainly, if God is our Father, that speaks of a relationship, a fellowship, a communion, and I'm afraid one of which most of us are absolutely, totally ignorant concerning. Because most of us have never really considered this fact that God is our Father. Now, I want you to turn to 1 Corinthians 1 and keep your fingers limber, because I just want you to see how many times the apostles refer to God as our Father. Look in 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 3. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 3, Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father, And from the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, we just read that in Romans. Turn over to second Corinthians chapter one and look at verse two. Second Corinthians chapter one, verse two.

[John Weaver] Grace be to you and peace from God, our father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Did you see that? Blessed be God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, verse 3 says, but verse 2, grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Look in the book of Galatians chapter 1 and verse 3. Galatians 1 and verse 3. The Apostle Paul writes, grace be to you and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Look in Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 2. Ephesians 1 and verse 2. Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn right over to the book of Philippians. Philippians chapter 1 and look if you would please at verse 2. Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Look in Philippians 4 and verse 20. Philippians 4 and verse 20. Now unto God our Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Look in Colossians 1 and verse 2.

[John Weaver] To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ, Richard Colossi, grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Then if you turn right over to 1 Thessalonians 1, and look if you would please at verse 1. Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus and to the church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ, grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Skip down to 1 Thessalonians 3 and verse 11. 1 Thessalonians 3 verse 11, Now God Himself and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you. Look in verse 13, To the end that ye may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all of his saints. Look at 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse 1. Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, and to the Church of the Thessalonians, in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Skip down to verse 2.

[John Weaver] We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is needed. Verse 2. Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now skip down to verse 16 of chapter 2. Second Thessalonians 2 verse 16. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God, even our father, which had loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace. Wow. Look, if you would, at first Timothy chapter one in verse two, turn right over to Timothy, my own son in the faith, grace, mercy and peace from God, our father and Jesus Christ, our Lord. Look in 2nd Timothy chapter 1 in verse 2. 2nd Timothy 1 in verse 2. To Timothy, my dearly beloved son, grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Then if you would turn right over.

[John Weaver] To the book of Philemon. Philemon. And notice if you would please. Verse three. Grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you. If God is mentioned as our father so many times. Just in the New Testament. Are there not implications of that truth to our lives? There must be a great deal of significance attached to this truth for it to be repeated so many times in the Bible. And I want you to note that every time we read about God being our father, the father of believers, he's always mentioned as the father of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] So the imagery that is being conveyed to us is twofold. First of all, God is recognized as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is distinct from everyone else because He is uniquely the Son of God. Everyone can quote John 3.16,"...for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son." The word, words, only begotten, Or from one word in the Greek, monogenes, which means one of a kind, unique. There's only one like Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is perfect God and perfect man. He is the Son of Man. He is the Son of God. And God the Father is called His Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. But secondly, he's also called the father of individual believers, and he is our father. By virtue of regeneration. Adoption. And redemption.

[John Weaver] Without me taking you through the New Testament, you will find that when our Lord spoke to his disciples. He used phrases like this, your father. Your father, which is in heaven. Your Heavenly Father, He's called the Father of Mercies, the Father of Glory, the Father of Spirits, and the Father of Lights. The very fact that God is Father is mentioned over and over in the New Testament.

[John Weaver] So, the question has to be asked then, what significance is this to our lives? How do we make application that God, the sovereign, majestic, eternal, infinite, holy God of the universe, is our Father? One thought. I want you to note that it is the Father who begets children. If you are a child of God by faith in Jesus Christ, the Father that begat you is your heavenly Father. He begat you into His kingdom. He adopted you into His family in Christ Jesus. He regenerated you. He converted you. He gave you faith. He gave you repentance. Children do not begat themselves. They are begotten. Children do not decide or determine to be born. They are begotten by the Father.

[John Weaver] As that is true physically, it is also true spiritually. If Jesus Christ, the unique, only begotten Son of God, is the begotten Son of God in the sense that the Father began Him and determined and ordained everything about Him, then obviously, It's the father who begets individual believers as well. In fact, let me show you just several verses. Look in your Bibles to the book of James, chapter one, James, chapter one. And notice, if you would please, verse 18, James one in verse 18.

[John Weaver] I don't know how it could be any plainer, but here it is. James 1 in verse 18. The Bible says concerning God. In fact, let's read verse 17, just so you can see that God the Father is in view. James 1 verse 17. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights with whom is no variable is neither shut up turning of his own will. Begat he us with the word of truth that we should be a kind of first roots of his creatures of his own will. begat he us. We are begotten of the Father. Turn right over to 1 Peter chapter 1 and let's begin reading there with verse 3. 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively or living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, that faith is not a way reserved in heaven for you, who are

[John Weaver] kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. But notice verse 3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us." If you would turn to 1 John chapter 5 and look at verse 1. John says it like this, Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, or has been begotten of God, and everyone that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. Do you realize? Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten of God. That's what the Scripture says. It is God the Father who gives life. There is no life apart from God the Father. If you have been begotten by God the Father, you've been regenerated and you've been converted. If you have not been begotten by God the Father, then you're not a Christian.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you a very simple and obvious implication. All of our physical children look like us. Talk like us, and act like us. Now, the Klinglers and the Klingler children are not here today. But if all the Klinglers were here today, and you look at Janet and Henry, and then you look at their children, could you tell that those children belong to Janet and Henry? Sure you could. Could you look at Tripp and Lacey and tell they belong to Beck and Dean? Of course you could.

[John Weaver] In fact, I see people all the time when I'm around and. I figure out who belongs to who just by the way they look and act and talk, because children look and act like their parents, there is a family resemblance. There's not only a family resemblance in their looks, there is a resemblance in their attitudes and in their actions. I can show you children that walk exactly the way their father walks. You can look at them and tell.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to turn to Matthew 5. You will remember in Matthew 5. Our Lord is correcting. The misinterpretation and the misapplication of God's law that has been promulgated by the Pharisees. He teaches it over and over and over. He corrects it. In fact, if you were to read Matthew chapter five over and over, you would hear our Lord say this. It has been said of them of old time. But I say unto you or you heard that it had been said of them that old time, but I say unto you.

[John Weaver] In other words, here's what they taught, and it's wrong. Here's what I'm telling you is truthful and right. So if you look in Matthew chapter five, beginning there with verse 43, you'll see the last one of these. Look at Matthew five, verse 43, you've heard that have been said. Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. Why?

[John Weaver] That you may be the children of your father who is in heaven. For he maketh his son to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. What did he say? that you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven. In other words, just like Henry and Janet's children look like them and walk like them and talk like them and act like them, God says my children should walk like me and talk like me and act like me, that you may be the children of your Father.

[John Weaver] So when people see you, they know that you're a Christian. They know it. By the way you speak, by the way you walk, the way you act, the way you talk, they know it. The whole emphasis. His children act. Like their parents, and if you ever stop to think about this, every young child. Can't say this about every teenager. But every young child. Wants to please his father. Have you ever stopped to think about that? They want to please the Father. If we are His children, if we have been begotten by Him, there should be in us a desire to please Him.

[John Weaver] I'm working on another series on walking with the Lord. But there's a verse of Scripture that we are to walk pleasing in His sight. So obviously, if we're His children, we're to walk pleasing unto Him. I am to be as my Heavenly Father.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make just two applications. I want you to think about this. Unhappily, most of the time, we do not think about God as our Father. Most of the time when we pray, we'll say something like this. Dear Lord. Or Lord Jesus. There's no problem with praying like that. By the way, let me just say this. I've had people ask me this. They said, how should I pray? Should I pray to the Father? Should I pray in the name of the Son? Should I pray in the Holy Spirit? The biblical way is this.

[John Weaver] Ephesians 2, I believe it is verse 18. We are to go to the Father through Jesus in the Spirit. But since we have one God, not three, it doesn't matter if you say our Father or Lord Jesus or Blessed Holy Spirit, it's still one God. Do you understand that? But he says by him or through him, we have access unto the Father. The emphasis is on the Father.

[John Weaver] In fact, Christ said, turn to 1 Peter 3. Let me show you a verse that just came to my mind. Look in 1 Peter 3. 1 Peter 3, I believe it is. The Scripture says, let me find it right quickly. 1 Peter 3, verse 18. For Christ hath also once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." So, he died to bring us to the Father, unto God. So, when we pray, we may lawfully and legitimately and honestly, if we've been regenerated by the grace of God, say, Our Father. We have a responsibility, and I might add a privilege, to acknowledge and confess God as our Father. As a child, I never had any problem asking my Father for whatever I wanted. He was my Father. I recognize him as my father. We have an obligation, we have a responsibility to recognize, to acknowledge and confess God as our father.

[John Weaver] Why do we not do so more frequently? Because If we acknowledge that we have a responsibility to confess God as our Father, then the corollary is that we have a responsibility to act like His child. You follow me? If He's my Father, I'm His child. I have a responsibility to act like His child and to bring my life into conformity to the Word of God. We need to more frequently acknowledge and confess God as our Father through the person and work of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. Let's pray. Father, we do come to Thee and we do acknowledge today that God, indeed our Father, And Father, you are only our Father by grace, through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. And we glory in the fact that the sovereign, majestic God of heaven and earth is our Father. But Father, we also have a responsibility to act like and live like your children. Father, as we look at this doctrine of holiness, practical holiness. I pray that you would enable us to repent of any and all of our sins, to bring our lives into greater conformity to your word.

[John Weaver] In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask. Amen. This program was produced by Dominion Ministry. For more information about Pastor Weaver's sermons, You may contact Dominion Ministry by mail at 7400 Abercorn, that's A-B-E-R-C-O-R-N Street, Suite 705, P-M-B 175, Savannah, Georgia, 31406. Or give us a call at 912 You can also visit our website at www.dominionministry.com

Perfecting Holiness - 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	216121039152
Subject	Biblical Worldview
Course	Biblical Worldview Foundations
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-01-08
Dictation Name
Book	Book 068: Perfecting Holiness — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	73

Formatted Transcript

Introduction to the Series and Text

Weaver introduces a five-part series on perfecting holiness, beginning with 2 Corinthians 7:1, which calls believers to cleanse themselves and perfect holiness in the fear of God.

2 Corinthians chapter 7 and verse 1. Today, I want to start a brief series—I say a brief series, it will be five messages, and this is the first one today. So Robert, that means you have to come for the next four Sundays to get all these messages. So today will be basically introduction. I want you to look at 2 Corinthians 7 and verse 1. The theme of this series is "Perfecting Holiness." And this message today and next week, of course, will be perfecting holiness and then God as Father, and you will understand why. So look in 2 Corinthians 7, verse 1:

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 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."

Notice that last phrase,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 7:1

"perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

The Necessity of Knowing God's Word for Holiness

Believers must know Scripture to understand God's demands for a holy life, as ignorance hinders application. Priests in the Old Testament were tasked with teaching the difference between holy and unholy.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 12:14

I believe that every true child of God genuinely desires to live a holy, godly life. And I might add, if you do not desire to live a holy, godly life, there's a doubt as to whether or not you're really a true child of God. The Bible teaches very clearly and dogmatically that without holiness, no man shall see the Lord—Hebrews 12 and verse 14. Even our Lord said in Matthew 5 and verse 8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." One of the problems that each of us encounter, one of the problems that each of us possesses in his own life, is the problem of ignorance. When I say that, I mean this: we do not know the Word of God as we should know it. And consequently, since we do not know the Word of God, we do not know how to make application of the Word of God to our lives. We don't even know that which God demands. And so if you and I are going to live a holy life, we have to know the Word of God.

We have to know that which God demands. Moreover, if we understand that we are to live a holy life, we must ask ourselves, what is a holy life? What is the definition of holy? How do we discern whether or not we are holy? How do we discern whether anyone else is holy or not holy? I want you to understand that it was the duty of the priests in the Old Testament to teach the difference between holy and unholy, and that which is clean and unclean. They had a responsibility to teach this to all of the people of God.

Now, I want you to hold 2 Corinthians 7, but go back in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel chapter 22. Ezekiel 22, and look if you would please at verse 26. Without me multiplying scriptures, I do want to show you at least several right here. Look at Ezekiel 22 and verse 26, where God here condemns these priests. And look what He says specifically. Ezekiel 22 and verse 26, God says:

Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 22:26

"Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them."

So God is condemning the priests here because they put no difference between the holy and the unholy, the clean and the unclean, and He says they profaned My name. Now if you will turn to Ezekiel 44, here is what the true priests indeed are to do. Notice Ezekiel 44 and verse 23. God says this:

Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 22:26

"And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean."

Believers as Priests Called to Discern Holiness

New Testament believers are a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5; Revelation 1:5-6) and must discern between clean and unclean, as God has called us to holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:7).

So the true priest of God is to teach the difference between the unholy and that which is holy, that which is unclean and that which is clean. It was the duty and responsibility of priests in the Old Testament to teach this. It was the duty and responsibility of the priests in the New Testament to teach this. Someone may be sighing at this particular point and saying, "Well, I'm thankful I'm not a priest and I'm thankful I don't have that responsibility because that requires a great deal of study and a great deal of information." Well, before you get too thankful, I want to show you a couple of verses. First of all, I want you to turn to 1 Peter chapter 2 and look at verse 5. 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 5. And notice particularly what the Word of God says. 1 Peter 2, verse 5: "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." So the Bible tells us that we are already a holy priesthood.

And if you would turn in your Bibles to the book of Revelation chapter 1, you will see how we got to be priests. Revelation chapter 1, look at verses 5 and 6. Revelation 1 verse 5:

Scripture Reading — Revelation 1:5-6

"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

So the Bible then tells us that we have been made priests unto God and our Father. So since we are priests, since we have been made priests, we must know and we must be able to discern the difference between that which is holy and that which is unholy, that which is clean and that which is unclean. In fact, Scripture is very, very specific. In 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 7, God said this: "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." For God hath not called you unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. So if we have a calling then to be holy, we must know what holiness is. The word for holiness literally means to be set apart.

The Negative and Positive Aspects of Holiness

Holiness means being set apart: negatively, from sin (2 Corinthians 6:17); positively, unto God and His gospel (Romans 1:1). 1 Thessalonians 1:9 illustrates turning from idols to serve God.

Now there is a negative and a positive connotation attached to holiness. I want you to go back to our text in 2 Corinthians chapter 7. We're actually going to be looking at chapter 6 and verse 17, and you will see why just momentarily. But 2 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 17 then gives us the negative aspect of holiness. Notice 2 Corinthians 6 and verse 17:

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 6:17

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you."

Notice God says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 6:17

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate. Touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you."

So here's a negative. If we're going to be set apart, we have to be set apart from something. And that something is whatever is sinful, wicked, and wrong.

Now there's also a positive aspect of holiness. In Romans chapter 1 and verse 1, the apostle Paul declares that when he says this:

Scripture Reading — Romans 1:1

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God."

Separated unto the gospel of God. So I want you to note, here's a negative, here's a positive. The negative is we're separated from sin and wickedness, that which is ungodly, unholy, and we're separated to something. We're separated to God and to His Word. Now, it's interesting when Paul says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 1:1

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ."

The word servant is the Greek word doulos, which literally means a slave or a bond slave. So Paul says he's now a slave to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His gospel.

Thus we could say on the one hand that holiness refers to the fact, one fact, that we have been purged from our sins, that we have repented and turned from those sins, and on the other hand, that we have been regenerated, converted, and renewed in our mind and our souls. It means that we have turned from unrighteousness to righteousness. It means that we've turned from sin and wickedness to the Word of God, to the Lord Jesus in truth. Now, let me show you, if you will turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 and look at verse 9, because here's an excellent picture and an excellent summary of what holiness amounts to, both the negative and the positive. Notice if you would 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse 9. The apostle Paul is talking about the Thessalonians and he says this. In fact, let's begin reading in verse 7.

He said, "So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God." So there you have both the negative and the positive. They turned from idols, the negative, to God to serve Him. That's the positive.

So obviously then, when we're talking about holiness, it means just simply to be set apart. You're set apart from something, and you're set apart unto something.

Positional vs. Practical Holiness

Positional holiness is God's perfect work in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30-31; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 1:4). Practical holiness, as in 2 Corinthians 7:1, involves believers actively cleansing themselves and conforming to God's Word.

Now, when we look at 2 Corinthians 7 and verse 1, the Bible says, "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." Now, when Paul is talking about perfecting holiness in the fear of God, he is not referring to what is known as positional holiness. You have to understand the difference between positional holiness and practical holiness. Let me tell you what positional holiness is. Positional holiness is that work of God alone. Positional holiness refers to the work of God the Father in Jesus Christ in placing us in the body of Christ, imputing the righteousness of Christ to us and making us acceptable to Him in Jesus Christ alone. What is positional holiness? It is something that God alone does. We have no work in positional holiness.

Let me show you the scriptures. Let's turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and look at verses 30 and 31. Just several passages, just so you can see what is known as positional holiness. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 30 and 31:

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 1:30-31

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

Incidentally, when you see the word sanctification, the word holiness and the word sanctification are synonymous. They're the same exact word in the Greek. So you could read that,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 1:30-31

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and holiness, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

So it is God the Father then who makes us positionally holy in Christ. If you would turn right over to 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and look at verse 21.

2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21. Here it is again showing you that it is the work of God the Father. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21:

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 5:21

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

So God the Father, then, has made us righteous in Jesus Christ. If you would turn right over to the book of Ephesians 1, and let's begin reading there with verse 4. Ephesians 1, just showing you this is the work of God the Father. Ephesians 1, beginning with verse 4: "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved."

But note, "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." So, here's positional holiness. Positional holiness is something that God the Father does. It cannot be added to. It cannot be taken from. It is already perfect. You cannot be more holy in Christ positionally than you already are. It's perfect. It's the work of God. But when you get to 2 Corinthians 7 and verse 1, Paul is not talking about positional holiness. He is talking about a practical holiness. Look at verse 1 again: "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." Now, what the apostle Paul is talking about in 2 Corinthians 7 verse 1 is a practical holiness in which you and I are engaged. We're actually doing something in our lives. And that something is seeking to bring our lives into greater conformity to the Word of God.

Now, I want you to see Romans chapter 6, if you would turn there, please. Romans chapter 6 and verse 19. Let me show you why this is so vitally important. Romans 6 and verse 19. You say, "Why is it important that I learn practical holiness?" Well, look what the apostle Paul says in Romans 6 and verse 19. He says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 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."

So before you were converted, you yielded your members—that is your body, your mind, your heart, your limbs—to wickedness, to uncleanness.

The Command to Yield to Righteousness

Romans 6:19 and 1 Peter 1:14-16 command believers to yield their members to righteousness and be holy as God is holy, emphasizing obedience as children of God.

You did those things willingly, delightfully, premeditatedly. Now the apostle Paul says, just like when you were unconverted, you yielded your body to all of these lustful, wicked things, now that you've been saved by the grace of God, you yield those same members as servants unto righteousness and to holiness. So what is he teaching us? He's teaching us that we have a duty, a responsibility, a privilege, and I might add, a command to bring every area of our lives into conformity to the Word of God.

Now, let me show you this again. Turn over to 1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1, and notice if you would beginning there with verse 14. It's amazing how all of these different authors say exactly the same thing, but sometimes I see it in a little different wording. We'll look in 1 Peter chapter 1. In fact, let's read verse 13. Peter writes, "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; as obedient children,

not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." Notice, if you would please, there is a negative in verse 14. Here's what you are not to do. And then he tells you in verse 15, here's what you are to do. And then he tells you in verse 16 why you are to do it. In holiness, then, there is obedience required. That's why he said "as obedient children."

Now, let me just stop and ask you a question. Don't answer it out loud. Have you ever had a disobedient child? Do you know the difference? Every parent knows the difference between speaking to a child and the child hearing and instantly obeying, and the parent speaking to the child and then having to reprimand him and rebuke him and finally end up chastising him just to get him to do what he's supposed to be doing to begin with, right? What's the difference? A lot. Just like we want our children to be obedient, we want them to obey when we speak. God wants us to obey as He speaks. So He says, if we're going to be an obedient child, we're not going to fashion ourselves according to the former lusts of our ignorance. But if we're going to be an obedient child, we're going to be holy in all manner of conversation as He is holy, because it is written, "Be ye holy; for I am holy," saith the Lord.

Now, remember, I quoted Hebrews 12 and verse 14 earlier. Let me show you how important holiness is. Because in Hebrews 12 and verse 14, the Scripture says, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." So if God has saved us, He has made us positionally holy. If we have been made positionally holy, He now demands that we manifest a practical holiness in our life.

The Promises Motivating Practical Holiness

2 Corinthians 7:1 refers back to promises in 6:16-18: God will dwell with His people and be their God, and He will be a Father to those who separate from sin. These promises encourage believers facing world hatred.

Now, let me ask that you turn back to 2 Corinthians chapter 7. And let me emphasize something right here, and it's important that you and I understand this distinction. 2 Corinthians 7. Notice, if you would please, verse 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." So when it comes to practical holiness, that is your responsibility. However, that does not mean that you may perform practical holiness without the aid, help, and blessing of the Lord. If you and I are to be practically holy, that means we must have the power and the grace and the mercy of God in our lives in order to make us practically holy. You remember what our Lord said in John 15 and verse 5? What is it? "Without me ye can do nothing." Well, practical holiness is something. Well, yes, it is. That means you need the Lord. That means you need His grace, you need His mercy, you need His power, or without Him you can do nothing.

So let me put it like this: Ours is the responsibility. His is the ability. So once again, we need to learn to seek our Father for ability to fulfill our responsibility. OK, now, I told you today is just going to be an introduction mainly. I want you to consider one point today, just one point. I want you to consider the promises. And we're going to take up on this next week. We're still going to consider the promises next week, but only one aspect. Look, if you would, at 2 Corinthians 7 and verse 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." Having therefore these promises—what promises? What promises? Well, verse 1 harkens back to chapter 6, verses 14 through 18. So let's go to 2 Corinthians 6 and look at verse 14 through 18. Here, the apostle writes:

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." So, the promises that the apostle talks about in chapter 7 and verse 1 refers back to the promises that are given to us in verses 17 and 18. In other words, actually, verse 16 as well. For he says, "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." So there are basically two promises here. That's why he used the plural in verse 1. The first promise is given to us in verse 16. The second promise is given unto us in verses 17 and 18. So let's look at the first promise. The first promise found in verse 16, where God says, "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." Now, first, here is the promise that God will dwell with us, walk with us, He will be our God and we will be His people.

I want you to note something. This promise is given to us in the context of separating ourselves from idolatry, compromise, and corruption. That's why he said in verse 14, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers." And he gives all of these things. You've got to remember, I told you earlier that holiness has a negative and a positive. We have to be separated from something, and we have to be separated unto someone. So holiness then is separation from sin, and it is separation unto God. So God then is demanding in this passage that if we have been made positionally holy in Christ, that there be a corresponding resemblance of that in our lives, that there be a practical holiness. And I might add, it is this practical holiness which defines and differentiates between His possessing people and His professing people.

Like the old black man said, "A lot of folks talk about heaven ain't going there." A lot of folks profess Christ, but they do not possess Christ, and their lives are absolutely, totally contrary to Scripture. Now, it should be plain based on verses 17 and 18. In fact, let's read them again: "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." Verse 16 and 17 it is: "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." So is it not plain that these verses, that God is going to be our God and walk among us, is based upon our separation from corruption and wickedness? In other words, it is evidenced by our obedience to God. The evidence that we have taken God as our God is that we've left all of this wickedness, idolatry, and corruption. God is not going to be identified with idolatry or wickedness in any way whatsoever.

You remember what the Bible says in Hebrews 7 and verse 26, it is concerning Christ. The Bible tells us there concerning Christ that He is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. So do you mean to tell me the One who is the sinless Son of God will have communion with someone who is full of sin and wickedness? And the answer is absolutely no.

So therefore, he asked—go back, if you would. Look at it in verse 14 when he says, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers." Now, what are these questions? Watch: "For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?" What's the answer? None. "What communion hath light with darkness?" None. Light is either going to conquer the darkness or darkness is going to conquer light. "What concord hath Christ with Belial?" or the devil? None. "Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?" None. "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?" None.

And so what is he saying? "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord." So the answer to every one of these is Christ has nothing to do with any of these things. So he's telling us then that we should avoid all wickedness and all sin like we would avoid the plague. We don't want to be around someone that has an extremely communicable disease. And he said, likewise, you should not want to be around any of these things that are going to pollute your soul and your mind, just like a disease would do your body.

Now, let me show you two passages. I want you to turn to Isaiah 52, and then the Revelation chapter 18. Look at Isaiah 52 and verse 11. Isaiah 52 verse 11. And then we'll go to Revelation 18. Isaiah 52 verse 11.

In fact, let's read verse 10: "The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord." Isn't that amazing? He tells us to be clean. By the way, if I had time, I could take you through the New Testament and show that our bodies are the vessels of the Lord. But turn right over to the book of Revelation 18 and look at verse 4. You know that there is a commercial Babylon. There is a religious Babylon. And look what our Lord says in Revelation 18 and verse 4. Again, very clear. Revelation 18 and verse 4. He says it like this: "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." So again, He says, "Come out of her."

So the promise, this first promise, is that God will dwell with us and walk with us and be our God, and He will recognize us and treat us as His people. Now, here's a question. Go back to 2 Corinthians 7. And let me ask you this question, I want you to think about it. "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved." Having therefore these promises. Here's my question: How can this promise—that God will dwell with us and walk with us and be our God and we will be His people—how can this promise apply to us if we're already His people?

What follows is to be an encouragement to believers. Let me ask you—in fact, let's go ahead and turn to John 15. You will know the answer to the question when I read this. Look in John 15.

And notice, if you would, verses 18 and 19. Our Lord said, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." So here's my question: What does the world do to a real, genuine believer who wants to live holy and godly and bring his life in conformity to the Word of God? What does the world do to him? They hate him. They'll persecute him. Do they persecute our Lord? Yes. Do they persecute His disciples? Yes.

Will they do that today? Yes. So here's what this promise is all about. The Lord is saying to us, when the religious establishment kicks you out the way the Jews did anybody who believed on Christ in the New Testament, when the religious establishment kicks you out and when the world hates you and despises you and will have nothing to do with you because you belong to Christ, God says, "Don't worry. I will take you under my wings. I will protect you. I will preserve you. I'll keep you as the apple of my eye. I'll build a fire and a wall of protection round about you. And I will walk among you. And I will make sure that you are well taken care of."

Now, so here is a promise that you and I have in light of our separation from the world and religious idolatry. So our Lord said, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me first."

God as Father: Implications for Believers

The frequent New Testament references to God as Father (e.g., Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3) imply a relationship where believers, begotten by the Father (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:3), should resemble Him in character and live to please Him.

Now, let me ask that you turn in your Bibles to 1 Peter 2 again. I want to ask you a question since 2 Corinthians 6 is talking about coming out from among them. And here's this promise that God is going to protect us and be to us everything that we need. Look in your Bibles to 1 Peter 2 and verse 9. Again, he says this: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." Now, my question is, how can we show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness if we're still participating in darkness? How can we praise Him for His marvelous light if we do not see the light for the darkness that we're participating in? This promise—that God will be our God, and we will be His people, and He will walk among us—is given to us when we separate ourselves from the world, from idolatry, and we become His bond slave, His personal property.

Now, go back, if you would, to 2 Corinthians chapter 6. Here is the message that I want to begin for today—won't take long, but I want you to see this. The second promise is that God will be our Father, and that we will be His sons and daughters. For He says in verse 17 and 18: "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." Now, I want you to think about something with me today. Here's my first question: Has the truth and/or the implication of God as our Father ever sunk into your soul? You remember when the disciples came to our Lord and said, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." And our Lord said, "All right, when ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven." Have you ever really thought that God is your Father? I want you to turn back to Romans chapter 1, and I want you to get ready because we're going to be flipping through the New Testament just momentarily. I want to show you something that you probably have missed as you've read through the Scripture. But look at Romans 1 and verse 7. Here, the apostle Paul writes, giving his salutation: "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." I want you to note—and I'm going to show you—that this salutation is very common to the apostle Paul. He made it a habit of greeting all the saints this way, by referring to God our Father.

If there are so many references in the Bible, especially the New Testament, if there are so many references to God being our Father, undoubtedly there have to be implications of this truth. And are we not missing out on something by not recognizing, acknowledging, and confessing God is our Father? Certainly, if God is our Father, that speaks of a relationship, a fellowship, a communion, and I'm afraid one of which most of us are absolutely, totally ignorant concerning. Because most of us have never really considered this fact that God is our Father. Now, I want you to turn to 1 Corinthians 1 and keep your fingers limber, because I just want you to see how many times the apostles refer to God as our Father. Look in 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 3: "Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." Now, we just read that in Romans. Turn over to 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and look at verse 2:

"Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." Did you see that? "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," verse 3 says, but verse 2, "Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." Look in the book of Galatians chapter 1 and verse 3: "Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ." Look in Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 2: "Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." Turn right over to the book of Philippians. Philippians chapter 1 and look if you would please at verse 2: "Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." Look in Philippians 4 and verse 20: "Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Look in Colossians 1 and verse 2:

"To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Then if you turn right over to 1 Thessalonians 1, and look if you would please at verse 1: "Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." Skip down to 1 Thessalonians 3 and verse 11: "Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you." Look in verse 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." Look at 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse 1: "Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Skip down to verse 2:

"We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet." Verse 2: "Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Now skip down to verse 16 of chapter 2: "Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace." Wow. Look, if you would, at 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 2: "Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord." Look in 2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 2: "To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." Then if you would turn right over to the book of Philemon. Philemon. And notice if you would please, verse 3: "Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

Now, let me ask you: If God is mentioned as our Father so many times just in the New Testament, are there not implications of that truth to our lives? There must be a great deal of significance attached to this truth for it to be repeated so many times in the Bible. And I want you to note that every time we read about God being our Father, the Father of believers, He's always mentioned as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. So the imagery that is being conveyed to us is twofold. First of all, God is recognized as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is distinct from everyone else because He is uniquely the Son of God. Everyone can quote John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son." The words "only begotten" are from one word in the Greek, monogenes, which means one of a kind, unique. There's only one like Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is perfect God and perfect man. He is the Son of Man. He is the Son of God. And God the Father is called His Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. But secondly, He's also called the Father of individual believers, and He is our Father by virtue of regeneration, adoption, and redemption.

Without me taking you through the New Testament, you will find that when our Lord spoke to His disciples, He used phrases like this: "your Father," "your Father which is in heaven," "your heavenly Father." He's called the Father of mercies, the Father of glory, the Father of spirits, and the Father of lights. The very fact that God is Father is mentioned over and over in the New Testament. So, the question has to be asked then: What significance is this to our lives? How do we make application that God, the sovereign, majestic, eternal, infinite, holy God of the universe, is our Father? One thought: I want you to note that it is the Father who begets children. If you are a child of God by faith in Jesus Christ, the Father that begat you is your heavenly Father. He begat you into His kingdom. He adopted you into His family in Christ Jesus. He regenerated you. He converted you. He gave you faith. He gave you repentance. Children do not beget themselves. They are begotten. Children do not decide or determine to be born. They are begotten by the Father.

As that is true physically, it is also true spiritually. If Jesus Christ, the unique, only begotten Son of God, is the begotten Son of God in the sense that the Father begat Him and determined and ordained everything about Him, then obviously, it's the Father who begets individual believers as well. In fact, let me show you just several verses. Look in your Bibles to the book of James chapter 1. James chapter 1. And notice, if you would please, verse 18. James 1 and verse 18.

I don't know how it could be any plainer, but here it is. James 1 and verse 18. The Bible says concerning God—in fact, let's read verse 17, just so you can see that God the Father is in view. James 1 verse 17: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." Of his own will begat he us. We are begotten of the Father. Turn right over to 1 Peter chapter 1 and let's begin reading there with verse 3. 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are

kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." But notice verse 3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us." If you would turn to 1 John chapter 5 and look at verse 1. John says it like this: "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him." Do you realize? "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." That's what the Scripture says. It is God the Father who gives life. There is no life apart from God the Father. If you have been begotten by God the Father, you've been regenerated and you've been converted. If you have not been begotten by God the Father, then you're not a Christian.

Now, let me show you a very simple and obvious implication. All of our physical children look like us, talk like us, and act like us. Now, the Klinglers and the Klingler children are not here today. But if all the Klinglers were here today, and you look at Janet and Henry, and then you look at their children, could you tell that those children belong to Janet and Henry? Sure you could. Could you look at Tripp and Lacey and tell they belong to Beck and Dean? Of course you could.

In fact, I see people all the time when I'm around and I figure out who belongs to who just by the way they look and act and talk, because children look and act like their parents. There is a family resemblance. There's not only a family resemblance in their looks, there is a resemblance in their attitudes and in their actions. I can show you children that walk exactly the way their father walks. You can look at them and tell.

Now I want you to turn to Matthew 5. You will remember in Matthew 5, our Lord is correcting the misinterpretation and the misapplication of God's law that has been promulgated by the Pharisees. He teaches it over and over and over. He corrects it. In fact, if you were to read Matthew chapter 5 over and over, you would hear our Lord say this: "Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time... But I say unto you..." or "Ye have heard that it hath been said... But I say unto you..."

In other words, here's what they taught, and it's wrong. Here's what I'm telling you is truthful and right. So if you look in Matthew chapter 5, beginning there with verse 43, you'll see the last one of these. Look at Matthew 5, verse 43: "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Why? "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." What did He say? "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven." In other words, just like Henry and Janet's children look like them and walk like them and talk like them and act like them, God says My children should walk like Me and talk like Me and act like Me, "that ye may be the children of your Father."

So when people see you, they know that you're a Christian. They know it by the way you speak, by the way you walk, the way you act, the way you talk. They know it. The whole emphasis: His children act like their parents. And if you ever stop to think about this, every young child—can't say this about every teenager—but every young child wants to please his father. Have you ever stopped to think about that? They want to please the Father. If we are His children, if we have been begotten by Him, there should be in us a desire to please Him.

I'm working on another series on walking with the Lord. But there's a verse of Scripture that we are to walk pleasing in His sight. So obviously, if we're His children, we're to walk pleasing unto Him. I am to be as my heavenly Father.

Now, let me make just two applications. I want you to think about this. Unhappily, most of the time, we do not think about God as our Father. Most of the time when we pray, we'll say something like this: "Dear Lord," or "Lord Jesus." There's no problem with praying like that. By the way, let me just say this. I've had people ask me this. They said, "How should I pray? Should I pray to the Father? Should I pray in the name of the Son? Should I pray in the Holy Spirit?" The biblical way is this.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Practical Holiness as a Believer's Responsibility

Summary: Believers are commanded to actively cleanse themselves from sin and perfect holiness, distinct from the positional holiness accomplished by God in Christ.

Evidence: 2 Corinthians 7:1: 'let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.'

Separation from Sin and Unto God

Summary: Holiness involves both a negative separation from sin and a positive separation unto God, as seen in turning from idols to serve the living God.

Evidence: 1 Thessalonians 1:9: 'how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.'

The Promises of God's Presence and Fatherhood

Summary: God promises to dwell with His people and be their Father when they separate from sin, providing comfort amid world opposition.

Evidence: 2 Corinthians 6:16-18: 'I will dwell in them, and walk in them... and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters.'

Believers as Priests Who Discern Holiness

Summary: As a holy priesthood, believers must teach and discern the difference between holy and unholy, clean and unclean.

Evidence: 1 Peter 2:5: 'Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood.'

God as Father and the Believer's Family Resemblance

Summary: Being begotten by God the Father means believers should resemble Him in character, loving enemies and living as obedient children.

Evidence: Matthew 5:45: 'That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.'

Key Arguments

Ignorance of Scripture hinders holy living

Summary: Believers often fail to live holy lives because they do not know God's Word and thus cannot apply it.

Evidence: We do not know the Word of God as we should know it. And consequently, since we do not know the Word of God, we do not know how to make application of the Word of God to our lives.

Positional holiness is God's work alone

Summary: God the Father makes believers positionally holy in Christ, a perfect work that cannot be added to or diminished.

Evidence: 1 Corinthians 1:30: 'But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us... righteousness, and sanctification.'

Practical holiness requires divine enablement

Summary: While believers are responsible for practical holiness, they cannot achieve it without God's power and grace.

Evidence: John 15:5: 'Without me ye can do nothing.'

Separation from sin is evidence of taking God as our God

Summary: The promise of God dwelling with His people is conditioned on their separation from idolatry and corruption.

Evidence: 2 Corinthians 6:17: 'Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.'

Acknowledging God as Father obligates holy living

Summary: If believers confess God as Father, they must also act like His children, bringing their lives into conformity to His Word.

Evidence: If we acknowledge that we have a responsibility to confess God as our Father, then the corollary is that we have a responsibility to act like His child.

Scripture References

2 Corinthians 7:1

Context: The main text for the series, calling believers to cleanse themselves and perfect holiness in the fear of God.

Hebrews 12:14

Context: Cited to emphasize that without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Matthew 5:8

Context: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Ezekiel 22:26

Context: God condemns priests for not distinguishing between holy and profane, clean and unclean.

Ezekiel 44:23

Context: True priests are to teach the difference between holy and profane, clean and unclean.

1 Peter 2:5

Context: Believers are a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices.

Revelation 1:5-6

Context: Christ has made believers kings and priests unto God.

1 Thessalonians 4:7

Context: God has called us not to uncleanness but to holiness.

2 Corinthians 6:17

Context: The negative aspect of holiness: come out from among them and be separate.

Romans 1:1

Context: Paul, separated unto the gospel of God, illustrating the positive aspect of holiness.

1 Thessalonians 1:9

Context: The Thessalonians turned from idols to serve God, showing both negative and positive holiness.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31

Context: Christ is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption—positional holiness.

2 Corinthians 5:21

Context: God made Christ sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

Ephesians 1:4

Context: God chose us in Christ to be holy and without blame—positional holiness.

Romans 6:19

Context: Yield your members as servants to righteousness unto holiness—practical holiness.

1 Peter 1:14-16

Context: Be holy in all manner of conversation, for God is holy.

John 15:5

Context: Without Christ we can do nothing, emphasizing need for divine help in practical holiness.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Context: The promises referred to in 7:1: God will dwell with His people and be their Father.

Isaiah 52:11

Context: Depart, touch no unclean thing; be clean, you who bear the vessels of the Lord.

Revelation 18:4

Context: Come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins.

Historical References

Old Testament priests' duty to teach holy vs. unholy

Context: Weaver cites Ezekiel 22:26 and 44:23 to show that priests were condemned for failing to teach the difference between holy and profane, and that true priests were to instruct God's people in this discernment.

Pharisees' misinterpretation of the law

Context: In Matthew 5, Jesus corrects the Pharisees' teachings, contrasting 'Ye have heard that it hath been said' with 'But I say unto you,' to teach true righteousness.

Important Quotes

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.

Significance: This is the foundational text for the entire series, emphasizing the believer's active role in pursuing practical holiness.

I believe that every true child of God genuinely desires to live a holy, godly life. And I might add, if you do not desire to live a holy, godly life, there's a doubt as to whether or not you're really a true child of God.

Significance: Establishes the necessity of a desire for holiness as evidence of genuine faith.

Ours is the responsibility. His is the ability.

Significance: Succinctly captures the balance between human effort and divine enablement in practical holiness.

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Significance: The key promise that motivates separation from sin: God's fatherly relationship with believers.

If we acknowledge that we have a responsibility to confess God as our Father, then the corollary is that we have a responsibility to act like His child.

Significance: Draws a direct application: confessing God as Father obligates holy living.

Discussion Questions

What is the difference between positional holiness and practical holiness, and why is it important to understand both?

Context: Weaver explains that positional holiness is God's perfect work in Christ, while practical holiness is the believer's ongoing responsibility to cleanse from sin.

How does the command to 'come out from among them and be separate' apply to believers today in practical terms?

Context: Based on 2 Corinthians 6:17, Weaver discusses separation from sin and idolatry as a condition for enjoying God's promises.

In what ways should acknowledging God as our Father change how we live and pray?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that if God is our Father, we should resemble Him in character and approach Him with confidence as His children.

Why is it necessary for believers to know Scripture in order to live holy lives?

Context: Weaver argues that ignorance of God's Word leads to an inability to apply it and discern holy from unholy.

How can we balance the truth that 'ours is the responsibility, His is the ability' in our pursuit of holiness?

Context: Weaver states that while we must actively cleanse ourselves, we depend on God's power and grace to do so.

Applications

Study Scripture to discern holy from unholy

Summary: Believers must know God's Word to understand His standards of holiness and apply them to their lives.

Evidence: We do not know the Word of God as we should know it... we do not know how to make application of the Word of God to our lives.

Actively pursue practical holiness

Summary: Believers are commanded to cleanse themselves from sin and perfect holiness, cooperating with God's grace.

Evidence: 2 Corinthians 7:1: 'let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.'

Separate from worldly influences and sin

Summary: To enjoy God's presence and fatherly care, believers must separate from idolatry, compromise, and corruption.

Evidence: 2 Corinthians 6:17: 'Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord.'

Acknowledge and confess God as Father

Summary: Believers should frequently and consciously address God as Father, recognizing the relationship and its implications.

Evidence: We have an obligation, we have a responsibility to recognize, to acknowledge, and confess God as our Father.

Live as obedient children who resemble the Father

Summary: Since God is our Father, we should imitate His character, loving enemies and walking in holiness.

Evidence: Matthew 5:45: 'That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.'

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Clean Transcript

Perfecting Holiness - 1

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2 Corinthians chapter 7 and verse 1. Today, I want to start a brief series—I say a brief series, it will be five messages, and this is the first one today. So Robert, that means you have to come for the next four Sundays to get all these messages. So today will be basically introduction. I want you to look at 2 Corinthians 7 and verse 1. The theme of this series is "Perfecting Holiness." And this message today and next week, of course, will be perfecting holiness and then God as Father, and you will understand why. So look in 2 Corinthians 7, verse 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." Notice that last phrase, "perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
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I believe that every true child of God genuinely desires to live a holy, godly life. And I might add, if you do not desire to live a holy, godly life, there's a doubt as to whether or not you're really a true child of God. The Bible teaches very clearly and dogmatically that without holiness, no man shall see the Lord—Hebrews 12 and verse 14. Even our Lord said in Matthew 5 and verse 8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." One of the problems that each of us encounter, one of the problems that each of us possesses in his own life, is the problem of ignorance. When I say that, I mean this: we do not know the Word of God as we should know it. And consequently, since we do not know the Word of God, we do not know how to make application of the Word of God to our lives. We don't even know that which God demands. And so if you and I are going to live a holy life, we have to know the Word of God.
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We have to know that which God demands. Moreover, if we understand that we are to live a holy life, we must ask ourselves, what is a holy life? What is the definition of holy? How do we discern whether or not we are holy? How do we discern whether anyone else is holy or not holy? I want you to understand that it was the duty of the priests in the Old Testament to teach the difference between holy and unholy, and that which is clean and unclean. They had a responsibility to teach this to all of the people of God.
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Now, I want you to hold 2 Corinthians 7, but go back in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel chapter 22. Ezekiel 22, and look if you would please at verse 26. Without me multiplying scriptures, I do want to show you at least several right here. Look at Ezekiel 22 and verse 26, where God here condemns these priests. And look what He says specifically. Ezekiel 22 and verse 26, God says: "Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them." So God is condemning the priests here because they put no difference between the holy and the unholy, the clean and the unclean, and He says they profaned My name. Now if you will turn to Ezekiel 44, here is what the true priests indeed are to do. Notice Ezekiel 44 and verse 23. God says this: "And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean."
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So the true priest of God is to teach the difference between the unholy and that which is holy, that which is unclean and that which is clean. It was the duty and responsibility of priests in the Old Testament to teach this. It was the duty and responsibility of the priests in the New Testament to teach this. Someone may be sighing at this particular point and saying, "Well, I'm thankful I'm not a priest and I'm thankful I don't have that responsibility because that requires a great deal of study and a great deal of information." Well, before you get too thankful, I want to show you a couple of verses. First of all, I want you to turn to 1 Peter chapter 2 and look at verse 5. 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 5. And notice particularly what the Word of God says. 1 Peter 2, verse 5: "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." So the Bible tells us that we are already a holy priesthood.
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And if you would turn in your Bibles to the book of Revelation chapter 1, you will see how we got to be priests. Revelation chapter 1, look at verses 5 and 6. Revelation 1 verse 5: "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be
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glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." So the Bible then tells us that we have been made priests unto God and our Father. So since we are priests, since we have been made priests, we must know and we must be able to discern the difference between that which is holy and that which is unholy, that which is clean and that which is unclean. In fact, Scripture is very, very specific. In 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 7, God said this: "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." For God hath not called you unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. So if we have a calling then to be holy, we must know what holiness is. The word for holiness literally means to be set apart.
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Now there is a negative and a positive connotation attached to holiness. I want you to go back to our text in 2 Corinthians chapter 7. We're actually going to be looking at chapter 6 and verse 17, and you will see why just momentarily. But 2 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 17 then gives us the negative aspect of holiness. Notice 2 Corinthians 6 and verse 17: "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord,
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and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." Notice God says, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate. Touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you." So here's a negative. If we're going to be set apart, we have to be set apart from something. And that something is whatever is sinful, wicked, and wrong.
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Now there's also a positive aspect of holiness. In Romans chapter 1 and verse 1, the apostle Paul declares that when he says this: "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God." Separated unto the gospel of God. So I want you to note, here's a negative, here's a positive. The negative is we're separated from sin and wickedness, that which is ungodly, unholy, and we're separated to something. We're separated to God and to His Word. Now, it's interesting when Paul says, "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ." The word servant is the Greek word doulos, which literally means a slave or a bond slave. So Paul says he's now a slave to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His gospel.
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Thus we could say on the one hand that holiness refers to the fact, one fact, that we have been purged from our sins, that we have repented and turned from those sins, and on the other hand, that we have been regenerated, converted, and renewed in our mind and our souls. It means that we have turned from unrighteousness to righteousness. It means that we've turned from sin and wickedness to the Word of God, to the Lord Jesus in truth.
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Now, let me show you, if you will turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 and look at verse 9, because here's an excellent picture and an excellent summary of what holiness amounts to, both the negative and the positive. Notice if you would 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse 9. The apostle Paul is talking about the Thessalonians and he says this. In fact, let's begin reading in verse 7.
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He said, "So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God." So there you have both the negative and the positive. They turned from idols, the negative, to God to serve Him. That's the positive.
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So obviously then, when we're talking about holiness, it means just simply to be set apart. You're set apart from something, and you're set apart unto something.
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Now, when we look at 2 Corinthians 7 and verse 1, the Bible says, "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." Now, when Paul is talking about perfecting holiness in the fear of God, he is not referring to what is known as positional holiness. You have to understand the difference between positional holiness and practical holiness. Let me tell you what positional holiness is. Positional holiness is that work of God alone. Positional holiness refers to the work of God the Father in Jesus Christ in placing us in the body of Christ, imputing the righteousness of Christ to us and making us acceptable to Him in Jesus Christ alone. What is positional holiness? It is something that God alone does. We have no work in positional holiness.
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Let me show you the scriptures. Let's turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and look at verses 30 and 31. Just several passages, just so you can see what is known as positional holiness. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 30 and 31: "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." Incidentally, when you see the word sanctification, the word holiness and the word sanctification are synonymous. They're the same exact word in the Greek. So you could read that, "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and holiness, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." So it is God the Father then who makes us positionally holy in Christ. If you would turn right over to 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and look at verse 21.
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2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21. Here it is again showing you that it is the work of God the Father. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21: "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." So God the Father, then, has made us righteous in Jesus Christ. If you would turn right over to the book of Ephesians 1, and let's begin reading there with verse 4. Ephesians 1, just showing you this is the work of God the Father. Ephesians 1, beginning with verse 4: "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved."
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But note, "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." So, here's positional holiness. Positional holiness is something that God the Father does. It cannot be added to. It cannot be taken from. It is already perfect. You cannot be more holy in Christ positionally than you already are. It's perfect. It's the work of God. But when you get to 2 Corinthians 7 and verse 1, Paul is not talking about positional holiness. He is talking about a practical holiness. Look at verse 1 again: "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." Now, what the apostle Paul is talking about in 2 Corinthians 7 verse 1 is a practical holiness in which you and I are engaged. We're actually doing something in our lives. And that something is seeking to bring our lives into greater conformity to the Word of God.
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Now, I want you to see Romans chapter 6, if you would turn there, please. Romans chapter 6 and verse 19. Let me show you why this is so vitally important. Romans 6 and verse 19. You say, "Why is it important that I learn practical holiness?" Well, look what the apostle Paul says in Romans 6 and verse 19. He says, "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." So before you were converted, you yielded your members—that is your body, your mind, your heart, your limbs—to wickedness, to uncleanness.
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You did those things willingly, delightfully, premeditatedly. Now the apostle Paul says, just like when you were unconverted, you yielded your body to all of these lustful, wicked things, now that you've been saved by the grace of God, you yield those same members as servants unto righteousness and to holiness. So what is he teaching us? He's teaching us that we have a duty, a responsibility, a privilege, and I might add, a command to bring every area of our lives into conformity to the Word of God.
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Now, let me show you this again. Turn over to 1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1, and notice if you would beginning there with verse 14. It's amazing how all of these different authors say exactly the same thing, but sometimes I see it in a little different wording. We'll look in 1 Peter chapter 1. In fact, let's read verse 13. Peter writes, "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; as obedient children,
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not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." Notice, if you would please, there is a negative in verse 14. Here's what you are not to do. And then he tells you in verse 15, here's what you are to do. And then he tells you in verse 16 why you are to do it.
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In holiness, then, there is obedience required. That's why he said "as obedient children."
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Now, let me just stop and ask you a question. Don't answer it out loud. Have you ever had a disobedient child? Do you know the difference? Every parent knows the difference between speaking to a child and the child hearing and instantly obeying, and the parent speaking to the child and then having to reprimand him and rebuke him and finally end up chastising him just to get him to do what he's supposed to be doing to begin with, right? What's the difference? A lot. Just like we want our children to be obedient, we want them to obey when we speak. God wants us to obey as He speaks. So He says, if we're going to be an obedient child, we're not going to fashion ourselves according to the former lusts of our ignorance. But if we're going to be an obedient child, we're going to be holy in all manner of conversation as He is holy, because it is written, "Be ye holy; for I am holy," saith the Lord.
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Now, remember, I quoted Hebrews 12 and verse 14 earlier. Let me show you how important holiness is. Because in Hebrews 12 and verse 14, the Scripture says, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." So if God has saved us, He has made us positionally holy. If we have been made positionally holy, He now demands that we manifest a practical holiness in our life.
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Now, let me ask that you turn back to 2 Corinthians chapter 7. And let me emphasize something right here, and it's important that you and I understand this distinction. 2 Corinthians 7. Notice, if you would please, verse 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." So when it comes to practical holiness, that is your responsibility. However, that does not mean that you may perform practical holiness without the aid, help, and blessing of the Lord. If you and I are to be practically holy, that means we must have the power and the grace and the mercy of God in our lives in order to make us practically holy. You remember what our Lord said in John 15 and verse 5? What is it? "Without me ye can do nothing." Well, practical holiness is something. Well, yes, it is. That means you need the Lord. That means you need His grace, you need His mercy, you need His power, or without Him you can do nothing.
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So let me put it like this: Ours is the responsibility. His is the ability. So once again, we need to learn to seek our Father for ability to fulfill our responsibility. OK, now, I told you today is just going to be an introduction mainly. I want you to consider one point today, just one point. I want you to consider the promises. And we're going to take up on this next week. We're still going to consider the promises next week, but only one aspect. Look, if you would, at 2 Corinthians 7 and verse 1: "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved,
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let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." Having therefore these promises—what promises? What promises? Well, verse 1 harkens back to chapter 6, verses 14 through 18. So let's go to 2 Corinthians 6 and look at verse 14 through 18. Here, the apostle writes: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
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Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." So, the promises that the apostle talks about in chapter 7 and verse 1 refers back to the promises that are given to us in verses 17 and 18. In other words, actually, verse 16 as well.
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For he says, "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." So there are basically two promises here. That's why he used the plural in verse 1. The first promise is given to us in verse 16. The second promise is given unto us in verses 17 and 18. So let's look at the first promise. The first promise found in verse 16, where God says, "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." Now, first, here is the promise that God will dwell with us, walk with us, He will be our God and we will be His people.
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I want you to note something. This promise is given to us in the context of separating ourselves from idolatry, compromise, and corruption. That's why he said in verse 14, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers." And he gives all of these things. You've got to remember, I told you earlier that holiness has a negative and a positive. We have to be separated from something, and we have to be separated unto someone. So holiness then is separation from sin, and it is separation unto God. So God then is demanding in this passage that if we have been made positionally holy in Christ, that there be a corresponding resemblance of that in our lives, that there be a practical holiness. And I might add, it is this practical holiness which defines and differentiates between His possessing people and His professing people.
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Like the old black man said, "A lot of folks talk about heaven ain't going there." A lot of folks profess Christ, but they do not possess Christ, and their lives are absolutely, totally contrary to Scripture.
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Now, it should be plain based on verses 17 and 18. In fact, let's read them again: "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." Verse 16 and 17 it is: "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." So is it not plain that these verses, that God is going to be our God and walk among us, is based upon our separation from corruption and wickedness? In other words, it is evidenced by our obedience to God. The evidence that we have taken God as our God is that we've left all of this wickedness, idolatry, and corruption. God is not going to be identified with idolatry or wickedness in any way whatsoever.
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You remember what the Bible says in Hebrews 7 and verse 26, it is concerning Christ. The Bible tells us there concerning Christ that He is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. So do you mean to tell me the One who is the sinless Son of God will have communion with someone who is full of sin and wickedness? And the answer is absolutely no.
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So therefore, he asked—go back, if you would. Look at it in verse 14 when he says, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers."
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Now, what are these questions? Watch: "For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?" What's the answer? None. "What communion hath light with darkness?" None. Light is either going to conquer the darkness or darkness is going to conquer light. "What concord hath Christ with Belial?" or the devil? None. "Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?" None. "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?" None.
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And so what is he saying? "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord." So the answer to every one of these is Christ has nothing to do with any of these things. So he's telling us then that we should avoid all wickedness and all sin like we would avoid the plague. We don't want to be around someone that has an extremely communicable disease. And he said, likewise, you should not want to be around any of these things that are going to pollute your soul and your mind, just like a disease would do your body.
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Now, let me show you two passages. I want you to turn to Isaiah 52, and then the Revelation chapter 18. Look at Isaiah 52 and verse 11. Isaiah 52 verse 11. And then we'll go to Revelation 18. Isaiah 52 verse 11.
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In fact, let's read verse 10: "The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord." Isn't that amazing? He tells us to be clean. By the way, if I had time, I could take you through the New Testament and show that our bodies are the vessels of the Lord. But turn right over to the book of Revelation 18 and look at verse 4.
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You know that there is a commercial Babylon. There is a religious Babylon. And look what our Lord says in Revelation 18 and verse 4. Again, very clear. Revelation 18 and verse 4. He says it like this: "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." So again, He says, "Come out of her."
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So the promise, this first promise, is that God will dwell with us and walk with us and be our God, and He will recognize us and treat us as His people. Now, here's a question. Go back to 2 Corinthians 7. And let me ask you this question, I want you to think about it. "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved." Having therefore these promises. Here's my question: How can this promise—that God will dwell with us and walk with us and be our God and we will be His people—how can this promise apply to us if we're already His people?
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What follows is to be an encouragement to believers. Let me ask you—in fact, let's go ahead and turn to John 15. You will know the answer to the question when I read this. Look in John 15.
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And notice, if you would, verses 18 and 19. Our Lord said, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." So here's my question: What does the world do to a real, genuine believer who wants to live holy and godly and bring his life in conformity to the Word of God? What does the world do to him? They hate him. They'll persecute him. Do they persecute our Lord? Yes. Do they persecute His disciples? Yes.
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Will they do that today? Yes. So here's what this promise is all about. The Lord is saying to us, when the religious establishment kicks you out the way the Jews did anybody who believed on Christ in the New Testament, when the religious establishment kicks you out and when the world hates you and despises you and will have nothing to do with you because you belong to Christ, God says, "Don't worry.
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I will take you under my wings. I will protect you. I will preserve you. I'll keep you as the apple of my eye. I'll build a fire and a wall of protection round about you. And I will walk among you. And I will make sure that you are well taken care of."
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Now, so here is a promise that you and I have in light of our separation from the world and religious idolatry. So our Lord said, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me first."
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Now, let me ask that you turn in your Bibles to 1 Peter 2 again. I want to ask you a question since 2 Corinthians 6 is talking about coming out from among them. And here's this promise that God is going to protect us and be to us everything that we need. Look in your Bibles to 1 Peter 2 and verse 9. Again, he says this: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." Now, my question is, how can we show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness if we're still participating in darkness? How can we praise Him for His marvelous light if we do not see the light for the darkness that we're participating in? This promise—that God will be our God, and we will be His people, and He will walk among us—is given to us when we separate ourselves from the world, from idolatry, and we become His bond slave, His personal property.
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Now, go back, if you would, to 2 Corinthians chapter 6. Here is the message that I want to begin for today—won't take long, but I want you to see this. The second promise is that God will be our Father, and that we will be His sons and daughters. For He says in verse 17 and 18: "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." Now, I want you to think about something with me today. Here's my first question: Has the truth and/or the implication of God as our Father ever sunk into your soul?
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You remember when the disciples came to our Lord and said, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." And our Lord said, "All right, when ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven." Have you ever really thought that God is your Father? I want you to turn back to Romans chapter 1, and I want you to get ready because we're going to be flipping through the New Testament just momentarily. I want to show you something that you probably have missed as you've read through the Scripture. But look at Romans 1 and verse 7. Here, the apostle Paul writes, giving his salutation: "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." I want you to note—and I'm going to show you—that this salutation is very common to the apostle Paul. He made it a habit of greeting all the saints this way, by referring to God our Father.
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If there are so many references in the Bible, especially the New Testament, if there are so many references to God being our Father, undoubtedly there have to be implications of this truth. And are we not missing out on something by not recognizing, acknowledging, and confessing God is our Father? Certainly, if God is our Father, that speaks of a relationship, a fellowship, a communion, and I'm afraid one of which most of us are absolutely, totally ignorant concerning. Because most of us have never really considered this fact that God is our Father. Now, I want you to turn to 1 Corinthians 1 and keep your fingers limber, because I just want you to see how many times the apostles refer to God as our Father. Look in 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 3: "Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." Now, we just read that in Romans. Turn over to 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and look at verse 2:
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"Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." Did you see that? "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," verse 3 says, but verse 2, "Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." Look in the book of Galatians chapter 1 and verse 3: "Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ." Look in Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 2: "Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." Turn right over to the book of Philippians. Philippians chapter 1 and look if you would please at verse 2: "Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." Look in Philippians 4 and verse 20: "Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Look in Colossians 1 and verse 2:
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"To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Then if you turn right over to 1 Thessalonians 1, and look if you would please at verse 1: "Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." Skip down to 1 Thessalonians 3 and verse 11: "Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you." Look in verse 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." Look at 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse 1: "Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Skip down to verse 2:
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"We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet." Verse 2: "Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Now skip down to verse 16 of chapter 2: "Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace." Wow. Look, if you would, at 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 2: "Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord." Look in 2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 2: "To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." Then if you would turn right over
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to the book of Philemon. Philemon. And notice if you would please, verse 3: "Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
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Now, let me ask you: If God is mentioned as our Father so many times just in the New Testament, are there not implications of that truth to our lives? There must be a great deal of significance attached to this truth for it to be repeated so many times in the Bible. And I want you to note that every time we read about God being our Father, the Father of believers, He's always mentioned as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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So the imagery that is being conveyed to us is twofold. First of all, God is recognized as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is distinct from everyone else because He is uniquely the Son of God. Everyone can quote John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son." The words "only begotten" are from one word in the Greek, monogenes, which means one of a kind, unique. There's only one like Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is perfect God and perfect man. He is the Son of Man. He is the Son of God. And God the Father is called His Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. But secondly, He's also called the Father of individual believers, and He is our Father by virtue of regeneration, adoption, and redemption.
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Without me taking you through the New Testament, you will find that when our Lord spoke to His disciples, He used phrases like this: "your Father," "your Father which is in heaven," "your heavenly Father." He's called the Father of mercies, the Father of glory, the Father of spirits, and the Father of lights. The very fact that God is Father is mentioned over and over in the New Testament.
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So, the question has to be asked then: What significance is this to our lives? How do we make application that God, the sovereign, majestic, eternal, infinite, holy God of the universe, is our Father? One thought: I want you to note that it is the Father who begets children. If you are a child of God by faith in Jesus Christ, the Father that begat you is your heavenly Father. He begat you into His kingdom. He adopted you into His family in Christ Jesus. He regenerated you. He converted you. He gave you faith. He gave you repentance. Children do not beget themselves. They are begotten. Children do not decide or determine to be born. They are begotten by the Father.
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As that is true physically, it is also true spiritually. If Jesus Christ, the unique, only begotten Son of God, is the begotten Son of God in the sense that the Father begat Him and determined and ordained everything about Him, then obviously, it's the Father who begets individual believers as well. In fact, let me show you just several verses. Look in your Bibles to the book of James chapter 1. James chapter 1. And notice, if you would please, verse 18. James 1 and verse 18.
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I don't know how it could be any plainer, but here it is. James 1 and verse 18. The Bible says concerning God—in fact, let's read verse 17, just so you can see that God the Father is in view. James 1 verse 17: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." Of his own will begat he us. We are begotten of the Father. Turn right over to 1 Peter chapter 1 and let's begin reading there with verse 3. 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are
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kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." But notice verse 3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us." If you would turn to 1 John chapter 5 and look at verse 1. John says it like this: "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him." Do you realize? "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." That's what the Scripture says. It is God the Father who gives life. There is no life apart from God the Father. If you have been begotten by God the Father, you've been regenerated and you've been converted. If you have not been begotten by God the Father, then you're not a Christian.
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Now, let me show you a very simple and obvious implication. All of our physical children look like us, talk like us, and act like us. Now, the Klinglers and the Klingler children are not here today. But if all the Klinglers were here today, and you look at Janet and Henry, and then you look at their children, could you tell that those children belong to Janet and Henry? Sure you could. Could you look at Tripp and Lacey and tell they belong to Beck and Dean? Of course you could.
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In fact, I see people all the time when I'm around and I figure out who belongs to who just by the way they look and act and talk, because children look and act like their parents. There is a family resemblance. There's not only a family resemblance in their looks, there is a resemblance in their attitudes and in their actions. I can show you children that walk exactly the way their father walks. You can look at them and tell.
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Now I want you to turn to Matthew 5. You will remember in Matthew 5, our Lord is correcting the misinterpretation and the misapplication of God's law that has been promulgated by the Pharisees. He teaches it over and over and over. He corrects it. In fact, if you were to read Matthew chapter 5 over and over, you would hear our Lord say this: "Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time... But I say unto you..." or "Ye have heard that it hath been said... But I say unto you..."
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In other words, here's what they taught, and it's wrong. Here's what I'm telling you is truthful and right. So if you look in Matthew chapter 5, beginning there with verse 43, you'll see the last one of these. Look at Matthew 5, verse 43: "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Why?
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"That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." What did He say? "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven." In other words, just like Henry and Janet's children look like them and walk like them and talk like them and act like them, God says My children should walk like Me and talk like Me and act like Me, "that ye may be the children of your Father."
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So when people see you, they know that you're a Christian. They know it by the way you speak, by the way you walk, the way you act, the way you talk. They know it. The whole emphasis: His children act like their parents. And if you ever stop to think about this, every young child—can't say this about every teenager—but every young child wants to please his father. Have you ever stopped to think about that? They want to please the Father. If we are His children, if we have been begotten by Him, there should be in us a desire to please Him.
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I'm working on another series on walking with the Lord. But there's a verse of Scripture that we are to walk pleasing in His sight. So obviously, if we're His children, we're to walk pleasing unto Him. I am to be as my heavenly Father.
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Now, let me make just two applications. I want you to think about this. Unhappily, most of the time, we do not think about God as our Father. Most of the time when we pray, we'll say something like this: "Dear Lord," or "Lord Jesus." There's no problem with praying like that. By the way, let me just say this. I've had people ask me this. They said, "How should I pray? Should I pray to the Father? Should I pray in the name of the Son? Should I pray in the Holy Spirit?" The biblical way is this.
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Ephesians 2, I believe it is verse 18: We are to go to the Father through Jesus in the Spirit. But since we have one God, not three, it doesn't matter if you say "Our Father" or "Lord Jesus" or "Blessed Holy Spirit," it's still one God. Do you understand that? But He says, "By him" or "through him we have access unto the Father." The emphasis is on the Father.
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In fact, Christ said—turn to 1 Peter 3. Let me show you a verse that just came to my mind. Look in 1 Peter 3. 1 Peter 3, I believe it is. The Scripture says—let me find it right quickly. 1 Peter 3, verse 18: "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." So, He died to bring us to the Father, unto God. So, when we pray, we may lawfully and legitimately and honestly, if we've been regenerated by the grace of God, say, "Our Father." We have a responsibility, and I might add a privilege, to acknowledge and confess God as our Father. As a child, I never had any problem asking my Father for whatever I wanted. He was my Father. I recognize him as my Father. We have an obligation, we have a responsibility to recognize, to acknowledge, and confess God as our Father.
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Why do we not do so more frequently? Because if we acknowledge that we have a responsibility to confess God as our Father, then the corollary is that we have a responsibility to act like His child. You follow me? If He's my Father, I'm His child. I have a responsibility to act like His child and to bring my life into conformity to the Word of God. We need to more frequently acknowledge and confess God as our Father through the person and work of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. Let's pray. Father, we do come to Thee and we do acknowledge today that Thou art God, indeed our Father. And Father, Thou art only our Father by grace, through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. And we glory in the fact that the sovereign, majestic God of heaven and earth is our Father. But Father, we also have a responsibility to act like and live like Thy children. Father, as we look at this doctrine of holiness, practical holiness, I pray that Thou would enable us to repent of any and all of our sins, to bring our lives into greater conformity to Thy Word.
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In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask. Amen. This program was produced by Dominion Ministry. For more information about Pastor Weaver's sermons, you may contact Dominion Ministry by mail at 7400 Abercorn, that's A-B-E-R-C-O-R-N Street, Suite 705, PMB 175, Savannah, Georgia, 31406. Or give us a call at 912-... You can also visit our website at www.dominionministry.com.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T20:56:03Z

Perfecting Holiness - 1

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this introductory sermon, John Weaver begins a series on 'Perfecting Holiness' based on 2 Corinthians 7:1. He distinguishes between positional holiness (God's work in Christ) and practical holiness (the believer's responsibility to cleanse from sin and conform to God's Word). The sermon focuses on the promises in 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 that motivate practical holiness: God will dwell with His people and be their God, and He will be a Father to them. Weaver emphasizes that believers, as priests, must discern holy from unholy, and that acknowledging God as Father implies a responsibility to live as His obedient children.

Introduction to the Series and Text

Weaver introduces a five-part series on perfecting holiness, beginning with 2 Corinthians 7:1, which calls believers to cleanse themselves and perfect holiness in the fear of God.

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 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."

Notice that last phrase,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 7:1

"perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

The Necessity of Knowing God's Word for Holiness

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 12:14

I believe that every true child of God genuinely desires to live a holy, godly life. And I might add, if you do not desire to live a holy, godly life, there's a doubt as to whether or not you're really a true child of God. The Bible teaches very clearly and dogmatically that without holiness, no man shall see the Lord—Hebrews 12 and verse 14. Even our Lord said in Matthew 5 and verse 8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." One of the problems that each of us encounter, one of the problems that each of us possesses in his own life, is the problem of ignorance. When I say that, I mean this: we do not know the Word of God as we should know it. And consequently, since we do not know the Word of God, we do not know how to make application of the Word of God to our lives. We don't even know that which God demands. And so if you and I are going to live a holy life, we have to know the Word of God.

Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 22:26

"Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them."

Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 22:26

"And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean."

Believers as Priests Called to Discern Holiness

New Testament believers are a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5; Revelation 1:5-6) and must discern between clean and unclean, as God has called us to holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:7).

And if you would turn in your Bibles to the book of Revelation chapter 1, you will see how we got to be priests. Revelation chapter 1, look at verses 5 and 6. Revelation 1 verse 5:

Scripture Reading — Revelation 1:5-6

"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

The Negative and Positive Aspects of Holiness

Holiness means being set apart: negatively, from sin (2 Corinthians 6:17); positively, unto God and His gospel (Romans 1:1). 1 Thessalonians 1:9 illustrates turning from idols to serve God.

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 6:17

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you."

Notice God says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 6:17

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate. Touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you."

So here's a negative. If we're going to be set apart, we have to be set apart from something. And that something is whatever is sinful, wicked, and wrong.

Now there's also a positive aspect of holiness. In Romans chapter 1 and verse 1, the apostle Paul declares that when he says this:

Scripture Reading — Romans 1:1

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God."

Scripture Reading — Romans 1:1

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ."

The word servant is the Greek word doulos, which literally means a slave or a bond slave. So Paul says he's now a slave to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His gospel.

So obviously then, when we're talking about holiness, it means just simply to be set apart. You're set apart from something, and you're set apart unto something.

Positional vs. Practical Holiness

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 1:30-31

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

Incidentally, when you see the word sanctification, the word holiness and the word sanctification are synonymous. They're the same exact word in the Greek. So you could read that,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 1:30-31

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and holiness, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

So it is God the Father then who makes us positionally holy in Christ. If you would turn right over to 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and look at verse 21.

2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21. Here it is again showing you that it is the work of God the Father. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21:

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 5:21

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

Scripture Reading — Romans 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."

So before you were converted, you yielded your members—that is your body, your mind, your heart, your limbs—to wickedness, to uncleanness.

The Command to Yield to Righteousness

Romans 6:19 and 1 Peter 1:14-16 command believers to yield their members to righteousness and be holy as God is holy, emphasizing obedience as children of God.

The Promises Motivating Practical Holiness

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

What follows is to be an encouragement to believers. Let me ask you—in fact, let's go ahead and turn to John 15. You will know the answer to the question when I read this. Look in John 15.

Now, so here is a promise that you and I have in light of our separation from the world and religious idolatry. So our Lord said, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me first."

God as Father: Implications for Believers

Perfecting Holiness - 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	216121039152
Subject	Biblical Worldview
Course	Biblical Worldview Foundations
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-01-08
Dictation Name
Book	Book 068: Perfecting Holiness — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	73

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction to the Series and Text: Weaver introduces a five-part series on perfecting holiness, beginning with 2 Corinthians 7:1, which calls believers to cleanse themselves and perfect holiness in the fear of God.
The Necessity of Knowing God's Word for Holiness: Believers must know Scripture to understand God's demands for a holy life, as ignorance hinders application. Priests in the Old Testament were tasked with teaching the difference between holy and unholy.
Believers as Priests Called to Discern Holiness: New Testament believers are a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5; Revelation 1:5-6) and must discern between clean and unclean, as God has called us to holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:7).
The Negative and Positive Aspects of Holiness: Holiness means being set apart: negatively, from sin (2 Corinthians 6:17); positively, unto God and His gospel (Romans 1:1). 1 Thessalonians 1:9 illustrates turning from idols to serve God.
Positional vs. Practical Holiness: Positional holiness is God's perfect work in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30-31; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 1:4). Practical holiness, as in 2 Corinthians 7:1, involves believers actively cleansing themselves and conforming to God's Word.
The Command to Yield to Righteousness: Romans 6:19 and 1 Peter 1:14-16 command believers to yield their members to righteousness and be holy as God is holy, emphasizing obedience as children of God.
The Promises Motivating Practical Holiness: 2 Corinthians 7:1 refers back to promises in 6:16-18: God will dwell with His people and be their God, and He will be a Father to those who separate from sin. These promises encourage believers facing world hatred.
God as Father: Implications for Believers: The frequent New Testament references to God as Father (e.g., Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3) imply a relationship where believers, begotten by the Father (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:3), should resemble Him in character and live to please Him.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Ignorance of Scripture hinders holy living

Believers often fail to live holy lives because they do not know God's Word and thus cannot apply it.

We do not know the Word of God as we should know it. And consequently, since we do not know the Word of God, we do not know how to make application of the Word of God to our lives.

Positional holiness is God's work alone

God the Father makes believers positionally holy in Christ, a perfect work that cannot be added to or diminished.

1 Corinthians 1:30: 'But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us... righteousness, and sanctification.'

Practical holiness requires divine enablement

While believers are responsible for practical holiness, they cannot achieve it without God's power and grace.

John 15:5: 'Without me ye can do nothing.'

Separation from sin is evidence of taking God as our God

The promise of God dwelling with His people is conditioned on their separation from idolatry and corruption.

2 Corinthians 6:17: 'Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.'

Acknowledging God as Father obligates holy living

If believers confess God as Father, they must also act like His children, bringing their lives into conformity to His Word.

If we acknowledge that we have a responsibility to confess God as our Father, then the corollary is that we have a responsibility to act like His child.

Scripture References

2 Corinthians 7:1: The main text for the series, calling believers to cleanse themselves and perfect holiness in the fear of God.
Hebrews 12:14: Cited to emphasize that without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Matthew 5:8: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Ezekiel 22:26: God condemns priests for not distinguishing between holy and profane, clean and unclean.
Ezekiel 44:23: True priests are to teach the difference between holy and profane, clean and unclean.
1 Peter 2:5: Believers are a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices.
Revelation 1:5-6: Christ has made believers kings and priests unto God.
1 Thessalonians 4:7: God has called us not to uncleanness but to holiness.
2 Corinthians 6:17: The negative aspect of holiness: come out from among them and be separate.
Romans 1:1: Paul, separated unto the gospel of God, illustrating the positive aspect of holiness.
1 Thessalonians 1:9: The Thessalonians turned from idols to serve God, showing both negative and positive holiness.
1 Corinthians 1:30-31: Christ is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption—positional holiness.
2 Corinthians 5:21: God made Christ sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
Ephesians 1:4: God chose us in Christ to be holy and without blame—positional holiness.
Romans 6:19: Yield your members as servants to righteousness unto holiness—practical holiness.
1 Peter 1:14-16: Be holy in all manner of conversation, for God is holy.
John 15:5: Without Christ we can do nothing, emphasizing need for divine help in practical holiness.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18: The promises referred to in 7:1: God will dwell with His people and be their Father.
Isaiah 52:11: Depart, touch no unclean thing; be clean, you who bear the vessels of the Lord.
Revelation 18:4: Come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins.

Historical References

Old Testament priests' duty to teach holy vs. unholy: Weaver cites Ezekiel 22:26 and 44:23 to show that priests were condemned for failing to teach the difference between holy and profane, and that true priests were to instruct God's people in this discernment.
Pharisees' misinterpretation of the law: In Matthew 5, Jesus corrects the Pharisees' teachings, contrasting 'Ye have heard that it hath been said' with 'But I say unto you,' to teach true righteousness.

Important Quotes

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.

This is the foundational text for the entire series, emphasizing the believer's active role in pursuing practical holiness.

I believe that every true child of God genuinely desires to live a holy, godly life. And I might add, if you do not desire to live a holy, godly life, there's a doubt as to whether or not you're really a true child of God.

Establishes the necessity of a desire for holiness as evidence of genuine faith.

Ours is the responsibility. His is the ability.

Succinctly captures the balance between human effort and divine enablement in practical holiness.

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

The key promise that motivates separation from sin: God's fatherly relationship with believers.

If we acknowledge that we have a responsibility to confess God as our Father, then the corollary is that we have a responsibility to act like His child.

Draws a direct application: confessing God as Father obligates holy living.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What is the difference between positional holiness and practical holiness, and why is it important to understand both?

[Context]

Weaver explains that positional holiness is God's perfect work in Christ, while practical holiness is the believer's ongoing responsibility to cleanse from sin.

[Question]

How does the command to 'come out from among them and be separate' apply to believers today in practical terms?

[Context]

Based on 2 Corinthians 6:17, Weaver discusses separation from sin and idolatry as a condition for enjoying God's promises.

[Question]

In what ways should acknowledging God as our Father change how we live and pray?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that if God is our Father, we should resemble Him in character and approach Him with confidence as His children.

[Question]

Why is it necessary for believers to know Scripture in order to live holy lives?

[Context]

Weaver argues that ignorance of God's Word leads to an inability to apply it and discern holy from unholy.

[Question]

How can we balance the truth that 'ours is the responsibility, His is the ability' in our pursuit of holiness?

[Context]

Weaver states that while we must actively cleanse ourselves, we depend on God's power and grace to do so.

Applications

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