HOLINESS OF LIFE

Written by John Edwards in 1981

HOLINESS OF LIFE is the 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 Liberty in comprehending and beholding the “glory that excels” in the Old Testament
(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