SCRIPTURE MANY AND VARIED
TOPIC “HOLINESS OF LIFE” EMPHATIC END OF CHRISTIAN LIVING
What I am doing now is commonly called a “Bible Study”.
The study of the Bible is an exciting and rewarding exercise; but any Bible Study which does not result in a personal experience with Jesus Christ, fails in its purpose.
So my GOAL – is to experience Christ
METHOD – study of Word of God O.T. and N.T.
“The Word of God has within it the power of its own fulfilment,” but to experience it, we must cast ourselves upon it by faith.
II Cor.7:1 Without looking at the context, see need to perfect your holiness.
Within every man is the desire to be beautiful, seen by:
(a) cosmetics
(b) mirrors
(c) hair and/or clothing styles
(d) half an hour in shower
etc…
But there is nowhere where that desire is as far reaching as in spiritual realm.
Acc/- I Chron.16:29
Ps.29:2 We see that holiness in itself is a beauty.
Ps.96:9
We are exhorted to have this holiness and then worship God in it.
II Chron.20:21 shows us that praisers of the beauty of His holiness (lit. Hebrew) were appointed.
As His holiness is beautiful, so must ours be. (Purpose is to find out how).
Instead of the beauty of holiness, we have the filth of sins (Rom. 3:10-18).
Man was in the image of God at creation (Gen.1:26,27; holiness) but in image of Satan at fall (John 8:44; sins).
8 Gk words for sin:
(1) 
hamartia
(2) hamartema The missing of a mark or aim
(3) parabasis The overpassing or transgressing of a line
(4) parkoe The inattentiveness or disobedience to a voice
(5) paraptoma The falling alongside where one should have stood upright
(6) agnoema The doing through ignorance of something wrong where one should have known about it
(7) hettema The coming short of one’s duty
(8) anomia The non-observance of a law
Thus we see that not only is vice or crime called sin, but disobedience against God’s revealed will.
The blood of Christ:
Speaks of the Facts of sin (Heb.12:22-24), (Gen. 4:11; Zech.12:10) There is sin!
Convinces of the Nature of sin – death (John 15:22)
He died!
Convicts of the Presence of sin (Acts 2:23)
Why did He have to die?
Among many other things, the blood of the cross speaks of, or reveals the wrath of God against sin (Rom.1:17-18).
God’s love and righteousness are inseparable:
– righteousness “that sin cannot go unpunished”
– love “I’ll send my Son to bear that punishment”.
Jesus came to make us righteous and holy:
(i) righteousness – imputed, acceptance with God, access into His presence Rom.5:1; Eph.1:6
(ii) holiness – outlived righteousness, Christ-likeness in lifestyle, etc.
I John 5:6; John 19:34
Jesus came by water and blood, and having gone back to the Father, He shed forth Holy Ghost (I John 5:8; Acts 2:33; John 7:39)
Righteousness comes by blood, water, and Spirit, but we are considering their application to holiness.
I. THE BLOOD OF THE CROSS
Colossians 1:1-29 (emphasize verse 20)
His blood received its power at the cross, and therefore accomplished many things for us (four of these relate to holiness).
cf. Exodus emancipation by (a) blood – of Passover lamb
(b)power – outstretched arm
Four blessings of the blood:
(1) Forgiveness of Past Sins
Rom.3:25,26 Jesus died as our substitute; Christ crucified for me deals with the sins I have done.
Prerequisites to forgiveness:
(a) Confession – Matt.3:6 “I acknowledge that what I did was wrong”
(b) Repentance – Matt. 3:2 “I shall not do it again”
cf. John Bapti(zer) whose ministry was to “prepare way” for the Lord’s ministry of forgiveness.
Now our sins are:
(a) forgotten
(b) removed from us so far as the east is from the west
(2) Putting Away of Sin Rom.1:1-5:11
Heb.9:26, II Cor.5:21 Rom. 5:12-8:39
Sin (singular) is a spiritual power that causes us to sin: sin produces sins, cf. trunk branches
John 1:29 Bear, take away sin of the world.
(3) Crucifixion of Old, Rebellious, Corrupt Nature
Rom.6:6 The “goat” nature in us, old Adam
John 19:18; Gal.2:20 I am crucified with Christ renders flesh inoperable, but reactivateable.
“Crucified with” brought into subjection with
Gk. was crucified simple past tense, an historical fact
Whether you know it or not it’s true.
But if you don’t know it, you can’t benefit from it cf. Bank a/c
“Destroyed” rendered inoperable, annulled (not eradicated), but reactivateable.
(4) Total Dedication of Ourselves to God
Rom.12:1,2 In O.T. economy burnt offering all consumed; same with us only one difference, alive not dead.
Alive to Him and righteousness but dead to all sin.
Song.4:10,11 Smell of ointments
Inward, imputed righteousness
Smell of garments
Outward, outworked holiness
Garments of holiness (or outlived righteousness, righteousnesses) for glory and beauty Ex.28:40
Sin Rom.6:6,7; Heb.9:26; II Cor.5:21
= sins Rom.3:25
Old Man Rom.6:6
Sin is like a master who employs a servants to work for him as a means of furthering its end or purpose.
The old man, if not denied, serves sin and commits sins. As an employee, he receives wages at the last day. The wages of sin is death.
However, the blood of Jesus:
Washes God’s memory that we were employed (and so we don’t receive our wages [past sins])
Put away the old “employer” (sin)
Annulled (rendered inoperable) or sacked the employee (old nature).
In accord with Eph.4:22, we should put off the old man with his lusts; and not reactivate him.
Old man serves imputed sin and commits sins; new man serves imputed righteousness unto holiness.
When the old man has his way, sinfulness is outworked in the form of sins.
When the new man has his way, righteousness is outworked in the form of righteousnesses (holiness)
Righteousness Rom.6:19
= fruit unto holiness Rom.6:19
New Man Eph.4:24
II. THE WATER OF THE WORD regeneration, spirit
Eph.5:25-27 This may mean many things; but it has special relation to the Word of God and the Holy Spirit which are inseparable.
John 15:3 The Word of God is a cleanser.
I like to think of the blood of Christ as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but the Holy Ghost applies the Word of God daily for cleansing and also the maintenance of cleanliness. (This is in accord with John 16:8-11). Psalm 119:9,11.
How does the Word of God wash us?
(a) It reveals the need to wash
James 1:23-25 Illustrates the Word as a mirror
This Spiritual mirror, which can reveal the thoughts and intents of the heart (Heb.4:12), reveals the inward spiritual condition, or that which is hidden deep down, cf. Achan
Acting on God’s Word is making the necessary adjustments
(b) It is the divine standard
John 12:47-48 The Word of God is now the final authority.
The Word reflects what we are and shows what Jesus is.
We have to get our lives in line with what Jesus is revealed as.
III. THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD
Lev.8 The priests were anointed after the sacrifice had been slain, and its blood applied.
The birth of Jesus, His death and burial as Christ and His resurrection and ascencion are all preliminary stages of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Having been cleansed by His blood, we can receive His Spirit.
Lev.23:15-22 The Feast of Pentecost had included in it loaves baked with leaven. I Cor. 5:7-8
(i) malice – desire to do wrong
(ii) wickedness – the trunk of evil words and deeds
Why was malice and wickedness included in the Feast of Pentecost?
Answer – Matt.3:11 Baptism in Holy Ghost and fire. The verb to baptize comes from:
bapto – to dip, plunge, or immerse.
iz to cause to be.
Hence, He shall immerse you in (alway “en” in Greek) the Holy Ghost and fire.
Fire is a refiner. It purges out that which is unwanted.
The baptism in the Holy Spirit:
Purges out the leaven in us. Fire – torment, suffering.
It is a sanctifying experience initially and continuously.
Rom.7:14-25 Paul reviews his past condition, being frustrated, wipped and beaten.
The answer to his exasperating question in verse 24 is the whole of chapter eight, especially emphasize verses 1-2. (spirit, 21 times).
Rom.8 (verse 1) We are at no handicap if we walk in response to the voice of the Holy Ghost within us.
(verse 2) This law has made me free from sin.
The law of the Spirit of life sets free from the law of sin and death.
Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty
Results of the baptism in the Holy Spirit:
(a) Rom.8:1,2 Freedom from sin
(b) Acts 1:8 Power to be a witness
(c) Rom.5:5 Shedding abroad of the love of God in our hearts
(d) Rom.8:11 Life (health) to the physical body
(e) II Cor.3:15-17
(f) Acts 2:33 Evidence of victory and glorification of the Master
(g) Heb.6:4,5; Eph.1:13.14 Foretaste of the supernatural life promised us in our inheritance and from second coming eternity!
(h) Rom.8:26,27 Supernatural help in prayer; cf. Lev.6:13 with I Thess.5:17,19
(i) John 16:13; 14:26; I John 2:27 Understanding of the Scriptures as a whole
(j) Rom.8:14 Guidance given, and ability to make that counsel effective
(k) Isa.11:1-3 Establishment of the Lordship of Christ
(l) Isa. 11:1-3 Wisdom and understanding
(m) Isa.11:1-3 Knowledge and the fear of the Lord
All these and many more relate to holiness in our bodies, souls and spirits.
Eph.5:18 says be filled with the Spirit. Gk. the tense is ongoing or continuous.
Consequential alternative translations:
(i) Be continually filled with the Spirit
(ii) Be being filled with the Spirit
(iii) Always be full of the Spirit
ROMANS
CHAPTER 6
In Rom.7 Paul reviews his past condition; in Rom.6 his present condition; and in Rom.8 he reveals the means by which he experienced change.
v. 1 What shall we say then? Following his discussion in Chapter 5 re justification, the new subject of Chapter 6 is, “Shall we continue in sin?”
Our goal is to abound in God’s grace, but to do this, must we keep on sinning? Rom.5:1; Heb.12:28
Since our acceptance is by grace, and the measure of grace is in proportion to the measure of sin, shall we abound in sin?
V. 2 God forbid, implying however that we have a choice. It is entirely up to you, but God says, “No!”
Gk. We have died off to sin. AP-OTH-NACE-KO;
from
and THNAYSKO, which means, to die.
So by death, we have been separated from sin. Illust.
How can a dead person sin?
v. 3 Don’t you know that you are dead?
At conversion we die, but at water baptism that death is brought to fulfilment or completion.
Baptism into Christ (not a denomination or religious sect) = baptism into His death.
We have died to sin and so been separated from its influence.
v. 4 Because we have died, we are also buiried; because we have been buried, we also resurrect: “burial is the evidence of death and the condition of resurrection”.
Death Burial Resurrection. Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father.
Having died and been buried, walk in faith that you will have a new, sinless life. Rom.1:4
Baptism clearly is:
(a) Entire – Gk. BAPTIZO, BAPTO + IZ. To cause to be dipped, plunged or immersed.
(b) Transitional – “Never the same again”.
Cf.
Cf.
v. 5 We have been planted in likeness of His death;
“planted”, John 12:24.
“in likeness of His death”
(1) Suffering, I Peter 2:21 long, drawn-out agony
Psalm 22:1-21, three-fold:
(a) Body ~ physical anguish of His tortured frame (vv. 14-21)
(b) Soul ~ mental sufferings (vv.6-13)
(c) Spirit ~ spiritual agony (vv.1-5)
(2) Innocent, I Peter 2:22
(3) Unresisting, I Peter 2:23
(4) Willing, I Peter 2:24 The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this
(5) Ignominious, I Peter 2:24; Gal.3:13; Deut.21:23
(6) Triumphant, I Peter 2:23
(7) Effective, I Peter 2:23-25
We are planted in this manner of death, but then also in
likeness of His resurrection.
“similar to resurrection”
(1) According to the Scriptures
(2) By mighty power
(3) Declared Him to be the Son of God
(4) Made Him the firstfruits from the dead
(5) At His death He was weak, but now strong
(6) It raised to the heavenliess:
(a) Predestined inheritance for chosen servant
Eph.1:3,4; cf. Gen.13:14,5; Exod.13:5
(b) Jesus, the Divinely ordained leader, opened this for us.
Eph.1:18-22; cf. Josh.1:6; Deut.31:7; Josh.11:23
(c) It is a gift of grace to be received by faith
Eph.2:5-8; cf. Josh.1:1,2
(d) It is the sphere of a striking, Divine revelation.
Eph.3:8-10; Lk 9:18-36; cf. Josh.4:24; Deut.28:10; see Isa.
(e) Described as a scene of conflict.
Eph.6:12
(f) A place of rest
Deut.6:10-11; Lev.26:6
(g) A place of triumph
Deut.7:1; Eph.1:3
(h) A place of bounty
Ex.3:8; Deut.33:28; Lev.26:5; Deut.11:10-12
If we have died in similitude of His death, so also in similitude of His resurrection.
John 12:24 If we die (as a single person) we will resurrect as many. Cf. Abraham Isaac (Gen.22), with Jesus in N.T (John 12:32).
Jesus’ life as sin-bearer was over. He arose as the Son of God (as
opposed to a servant) Phi.2:5-11
v. 6 Literal Gk. “this knowing, that old our man was crucified with (Him), that might be annulled the body of sin, that no longer be subservient we to sin”.
There are two aspects to holiness:
( i) Negative – we do not have to sin
(ii) Positive – we can do righteously
According to this chapter, the negative aspect is experienced by:
(a) Knowing
(b) Reckoning (by faith) verse 11
The first step is knowing.
We have to know and believe that our old man was crucified with Him, that is, that His death was your death.
It is not by struggling and striving that we gain victory over the old man but firstly by simply knowing that Jesus did all the fighting.
He gained victory through His blood for us, so that if we walk not beside or in front of but behind His blood we too can experience sinlessness without striving.
It is all past tense, and we must acquire this knowledge then act on it so that we can benefit from it.
This is what we must know:
A. OLD MAN WAS CRUCIFIED
By nature we are at enmity with God.
This nature is called the old man, flesh, old Adam, or the goat.
This old man, if let go, serves sin and commits sins.
Cf plug in power point = flow of electricity
plug out of power point = no flow of electricity
“Crucified” brought into subjection, cf. Tabernacle
The old man is okay provided you keep him in his place.
B. CHRIST’S DEATH WAS MINE
John 19:18 The two others were crucified with Him.
Gal.2:20 Paul was crucified with Christ, so that it was no longer he that lived, but Christ lived in him.
Heb.12:1-14 The joy that was set before Jesus caused Him to endure the cross.
Chastisement makes us a partaker of His holiness
Lifting up our hands makes us experience victory, cf. Exod.17:8-16 victory over Amalek ws proportional to the holding up of his hands with the rod of God.
Also, Aaron and Joshua were there to help:
(a) Prayer wins victory Eph.6:18
(b) Word of God does too. Lk.4:1-13
(c) To aid us, we have the Holy Spirit Rom.8:26; Eph.6:18; Lk 4:1-13
(d) To aid us, we have Jesus Heb.7:25; not Moses (Law) but Joshua (Grace) brought promised land Heb.7:11,19.
The death of Jesus was my death.
C. OUR OLD MAN WAS CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST IN ORDER THAT THE BODY OF SIN MIGHT BE RENDERED INOPERABLE, ANNULLED
Just as to kill a tree you strike its root, so, when the old man is brought into subjection, sin loses its effect.
Sin makes us sin. But so that we didn’t sin, sin must be rendered inoperable or annulled.
This was done when Jesus died.
The body of sin can be reactivated, and this is done by not keeping the old man in his place, and’but letting him have his own way.
The body of sin is not sin, but the expression or essence of the old nature; its active part.
D. THIS IS DONE SO THAT HENCEFORTH WE SHOULD NOT BE SUBSERVIENT TO SIN
Subservient:
– Serving as a means to further an end or purpose.
The end or purpose of sin is sins.
But we don’t have to be subservient to sin.
“We” – old man, body of sin, and hence “us”.
v. 7 Cf. v.2 Paul illustrates by saying that a dead man no longer sins and sin has no more dominion over him the fact that by subduing the old nature, we are freed from sin.
John 8:34 Everyone that practices sin is a bondman (slave, employee) of sin.
Jesus has done everything to free us from sin, now we just know this, and reckon this (v.11).
Cf. Josh.1:3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given you, as I said unto Moses. Present tense
and future tense
Past tense
B. L. Edwards: “God has no more giving to do, but we have a lot more getting to do”.
v. 8 Do you believe that if you are dead with Christ you shall also live with Him?
Do you believe that you can know, not only the fellowship of sufferings but also the power of His rising? (Phil.3:10)
You can’t believe this to the fullest until you truly are dead.
But the knowing in part motivates the dying.
v. 9 It follows logically, that if we die with Christ, seeing he also rose, we must rise also. Paul introduces the two aspects of holiness.
After Christ rose, death was no longer His, and He would never die again.
His “human life”, a life subject to death, was over.
While He suffered and died, being in hell while while having His body buried, and also rising the third day, He wold have been saying, “I’m doing this for you, John; and I’m looking forward to the joy of when you experience victory over sin too!”
Let’s not let our lover down.
Rev.1:18 Christ – I am He that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive forever more, amen; and have the keys of Hades and of death.
Because of the truth that He died and lives and will live forever more, He received victory over death and its results.
v. 10 He died to sin once; but lives to God forever.
Death and resurrection are the two aspects of holiness.
It may be just as sinful to neglect doing what you should although you are not doing things which you shouldn’t.
We die to sin, then we are alive (unto God only).
v. 11 In the same manner of Jesus’ resurrection so reckon ye also yourselves truly dead to sin (negative), but (positive) alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Hallelujah!
“Reckon” make it your experience by simple faith appropriation.
“Also” who else did it? Christ. Phil. Have same mind
I Peter Arm yourself with the same mind
“Dead indeed” – 100% surety.
Sin will have no more dominion over you, but God will.
Instead of serving sin with the old man, you serve God with the new man.
Always acknowledge that this can only be “through Jesus Christ our Lord”.
v. 12 Whenever there is a therefore, find out what it’s there for.
Seeing Christ has done everything, don’t let sin be the dominator or the chief object in your physical body.
If sin reigns in your body, it is because you have let it.
I’m not ever going to let sin reign in my mortal body for as long as I have it.
If you let sin reign, you will obey your body’s lusts.
If you obey your body’s lusts, it is because you have let sin reign. II Cor.5:10 Captivate all thoughts unto the obedience of Christ.
v. 13 The members here are those of your physical
body, e.g., leg, arm, waist. We should not yield
our members as instruments of unrighteousness
unto sin. The word “yield” implies that there flesh – unto sin
is something calling but you don’t have to give in.
If you did, unrighteousness would be using your
body to express itself and you get the blame.
We should yield to God as living dead people.
And yield our members as instruments of spirit – unto God
righteousness unto God. Bodies are to do
God’s will. Heb.10:5-7
v. 14 This is possible because sin shall not have dominion over you.
No comments:
Post a Comment