Holiness and The Grace of God
Dramatic absolute statements like – the reason people aren’t healed is because of their lack of faith ; all people who are sick, it’s because of their sin ; all Christians should be materially prosperous – are not true, …but like most of Satan’s deceptions there is some truth, it’s just been twisted or made into an accusing, condemning statement, making people feel bad about themselves, …….just as Satan used Scripture in tempting Jesus.
But here’s a truth, …not always, ….but sometimes we’re going through hardship – sickness, financial problems, relational problems, etc….because we’re struggling with sin…..and God is disciplining us.
We can distort God’s word and have a wrong understanding of His character – to oppress and control others…or to make ourselves feel more comfortable. To have an easier God.
It is a truth - God disciplines us as His children.
Many of you as individuals have been going through God’s discipline.
Some of you still are. But it’s because God loves you.
This chapter encourages us to realise what’s going on and to do something about it.
The key is this :
“How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live” – vs 9.
At the end of the day it’s very simple.
Submit to God, give in, let go, stop struggling against Him.
Your plans, ideas, thoughts, skills, abilities, knowledge, time, experience….give it all up to Him. Your life is not your own, you were bought at a price…the sacrifice of Jesus.
Don’t hang on to sin :
Lust.
Greed.
Pride.
Jealousy.
Fear and anxiety.
Doubt.
Bitterness.
These things will destroy you if you let them. It’s your choice. As a believer you have the power to overcome sin through the grace and power of God within you.
Okay let’s look at this chapter :
Vs 1-3. Look at what ordinary people in the past could do by faith in God.
Don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, throw it off.
Don’t give up the race, keep going.
Look to Jesus, pioneer and finisher, who suffered so much for you.
Vs 4-11. We are in a race, marathon, a ‘struggle’ in fact. But different to how Hitler saw it when he wrote ‘My Struggle’. Evolutionists will always see it as a struggle for survival against outside obstacles and competitors. For Hitler it was the Jews, inferior peoples as he saw it, and opponents. As Christians we recognise that our war is with Satan and his forces, and that our struggle is with sin, whether it be in others or ourselves.
God’s discipline can be severe (vs 6 is ‘scourges’). In our anti capital and anti corporal punishment society, many balk at that.
Why should God be so severe, I thought He was a God of love ?
Because we can be so stubborn and foolish that sometimes His discipline needs to be severe or we don’t learn and change.
So, will God allow someone to become seriously ill or be involved in some bad accident for example, as a discipline ? – yes absolutely.
Because the state of our spirit or soul is so important. He loves you so much.
‘He’s patient with us not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance’.
If you’re a loving parent you discipline your children because you love them and want them to learn right from wrong and choose what is right. God loves us perfectly, and wants us to learn – preferably the easy way be simply being obedient and living holy lives that are a testimony to others….but if not, the hard way.
Don’t focus on the pain of your suffering or struggles in life, focus on the Lord and submit to Him. Then He’ll better be able to teach you and mold you, through it.
Vs 12,13. Drooping hands and weak knees are a sign of despondency, exhaustion – don’t give up, persevere in the race, unimpeded by stuff, and with a right focus.
When a horse is lame…things can go either way – disablement and being put down, or healing. When God disciplines us it is like lameness. If we persist in sin, we can then either become totally disabled, or we can strengthen what is left and make level path.
Where Scripture talks about level paths it is talking of holiness. The highway of holiness. Living God’s way, in His will. Being set apart for Him alone – no other gods or boss, just the Lord. Is that you ?
Vs 14. Some think holiness is about what you don’t do – no drinking, no modern entertainment, no smoking, etc. That’s the way the Pharisees thought.
God says there are some things more important – compassion, justice, mercy, faithfulness. Our attitude towards others is of greater importance to God than keeping a set of rules.
Live in peace with all men. The word is strong, it means to follow, pursue. Take hold of peace with others. Be determined not to be divisive or confrontational, but as far as it is up to you, live at peace with everyone.
Without holiness you won’t see God, i.e. go to be with Him when you die – it’s that important.
Vs 15. Bitter people cause trouble. And spread their cancer of accusation, resentment, and hurting others. Bitterness and unforgiveness are some of the most destructive forces in the Church today. Yeast in the dough. Weeds among the wheat. A spreading virus.
Relationships are damaged as a result.
Be very honest before God, and deal with bitterness before it destroys you and those you love around you.
How does bitterness grow up ?
- When people miss the grace of God. So how does that work ?
God forgives ALL your sin in Jesus Christ – every deed, word, and thought.
When you really grasp that, how terrible your sin is, and that God still forgives you….how can you hold onto bitterness towards another ? You can’t.
The grace of God in our hearts and our relationships, will keep us in God’s ways and makes us holy.
Vs 16,17. We’ve looked before at sexual issues. Immorality is any sexual relationship outside of committed, heterosexual, lifelong marriage. Again we are likely to come under God’s discipline if we persist in bitterness or sexual immorality, because it is not what God wants for us.
But what’s this about Esau ?
Esau gave up something very important for something which didn’t matter at all, but that he chose at the time to be more important.
Are you prepared to give up your inheritance as a Christian, for sin – for the physical gratification of lust, for holding onto bitterness and a grudge, for material possessions, for jealousy of another, for some earthly comfort ? Is it worth it ?
Is the little pleasure you may get now, worth a lost eternity ?
Repent before it’s too late, or you will miss out on what God has for you now in this life, and you could end up in the lake of fire.
Vs 18-21. God taught His people that He brought out of Egypt, that He was a holy perfect God, and that they needed to be holy too, as His people. And that this holiness was to be a testimony to the nations of God and His standards. He still wants that for His people Israel and for His people, the Church, His spotless bride.
Non believers should be able to look at the lives of believers and see something of God’s character through us and the way we love each other.
Vs 22-24. Through the grace of God, and Jesus death for us, we come to something wonderful. Not a scary smoking mountain, but to something even more awesome.
Rather than being struck down for coming near a holy God, through Jesus we can approach the living God in confidence, coming to our Father in Heaven.
But having received this revelation, having received so much from God, …..to then turn away from Him, to make light of His discipline, to continue in our sinful ways, to trample the Son of God underfoot,…is far more serious.
Vs 25-29. Do not refuse Him who speaks to you. The Israelite nation suffered much because it was proud, stubborn, and again and again wouldn’t submit to God.
Do you want to suffer as they did because of rebellion against God’s authority ?
Die to self. Die to pride. Die to rebellion.
There is going to be a great shaking as part of Jesus’ return, both of the heavens and the earth – earthquakes, stuff falling from space, and so on. The created things will be destroyed by fire and there will be a new heaven and new earth.
Bearing that in mind, what’s really important, what’s important to you in your life ?
What will last, or that which will be destroyed ?
There are times when God shakes a nation, or the Church in a nation, or a local church fellowship. And even as individuals.
When He puts us through the fire, to refine us, and see what comes out.
Will gold remain, or will all be burned up ?
Our God is holy. He is a consuming fire which destroys all that is not holy. Let Him burn up the rubbish in your life, so that only what is of Him will remain.
Submit yourself to the Father of our spirits.
Vs 28. ‘Let us be thankful’ is not a good translation. It is rather let us have or be in ‘grace’.
We recognise that God is holy and awesome, that without Him and remaining in Him we are lost. We need His grace and to be in grace every moment of everyday. To have His grace for others, …think about that in all your relationships – undeserved love for everyone.
To demonstrate His grace to the world – this is how people will know that you are my disciples, if you love each other. Is that what people see and hear ?
A mixed, motley, band of people who are committed to each other in love.
If you’ve been coming here regularly for a while, if you’re not committed to loving the others which make up this fellowship, then either you haven’t taken hold of the grace of God yet, or you’re in the wrong place. (Bit of a shake).
To be committed to one another in love is a basic. If we haven’t got that, we don’t have a chance of becoming what God wants.
And all of us need to spread the net and catch more fish. To love others and draw them in by the grace of God. Accepting, forgiving, not condemning, going the extra mile.
The word of God as we share it, and the Holy Spirit will do the work in conversion.
In our attitude, we are called to love and to live in the grace of God.
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