Perfecting holiness

Perfecting Holiness

2 Corinthians 7:1

2 Corinthians 7:1

Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

What is HOLINESS?

The Burning Bush

Exodus 3 1. Now Moses was keeping the

flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God, unto Horeb.

2. And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

Exodus 3 3. And Moses said, I will turn aside now, and see this great sight,

why the bush is not burnt. 4. And when Jehovah saw that he turned aside to see, God

called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

5. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

What made this ground holy?

• The PRESENCE of God

• Before God manifested Himself here– It was a common

mountain– It was an ordinary bush– It was a normal parcel of

ground

Exodus 19 1. In the third month after the children of Israel

were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.

2. And when they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mount.

3. And Moses went up unto God, and Jehovah called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:

Exodus 19 4. Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians,

and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.

5. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be mine own possession from among all peoples: for all the earth is mine:

6. and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

What would make this nation...

HOLYGod’s Presence among the people

Exodus 25:8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.

Exodus 29 42. It shall be a continual burnt-offering throughout your

generations at the door of the tent of meeting before Jehovah, where I will meet with you, to speak there unto thee.

43. And there I will meet with the children of Israel; and the Tent shall be sanctified by my glory.

44. And I will sanctify the tent of meeting, and the altar: Aaron also and his sons will I sanctify, to minister to me in the priest's office.

45. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.

46. And they shall know that I am Jehovah their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them: I am Jehovah their God.

Leviticus 26

11. And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.

12. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.

Numbers 9 15. And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up

the cloud covered the tabernacle, even the tent of the testimony: and at even it was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until morning.

16. So it was always: the cloud covered it, and the appearance of fire by night.

17. And whenever the cloud was taken up from over the Tent, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel encamped.

18. At the commandment of Jehovah the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of Jehovah they encamped: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they remained encamped.

19. And when the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of Jehovah, and journeyed not.

Numbers 9 20. And sometimes the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle;

then according to the commandment of Jehovah they remained encamped, and according to the commandment of Jehovah they journeyed.

21. And sometimes the cloud was from evening until morning; and when the cloud was taken up in the morning, they journeyed: or if it continued by day and by night, when the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.

22. Whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, abiding thereon, the children of Israel remained encamped, and journeyed not; but when it was taken up, they journeyed.

23. At the commandment of Jehovah they encamped, and at the commandment of Jehovah they journeyed: they kept the charge of Jehovah, at the commandment of Jehovah by Moses.

2 Samuel 7 5. Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith

Jehovah, Shalt thou build me a house for me to dwell in?

6. for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.

7. In all places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel, spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people Israel, saying, Why have ye not built me a house of cedar?

Holy ThingsExodus 30:25-29

And thou shalt make it a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil. 26. And thou shalt anoint therewith the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, 27. and the table and all the vessels thereof, and the candlestick and the vessels thereof, and the altar of incense, 28. and the altar of burnt-offering with all the vessels thereof, and the laver and the base thereof. 29. And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.

Exodus 30 30. And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and

sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.

31. And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be a holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.

32. Upon the flesh of man shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any like it, according to the composition thereof: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.

33. Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, he shall be cut off from his people.

Exodus 30 34. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet

spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight;

35. and thou shalt make of it incense, a perfume after the art of the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy:

36. and thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.

37. And the incense which thou shalt make, according to the composition thereof ye shall not make for yourselves: it shall be unto thee holy for Jehovah.

38. Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereof, he shall be cut off from his people.

Exodus 31:13

Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily ye shall keep my sabbaths: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am Jehovah who sanctifieth you.

Holiness

• Is determined by the PRESENCE of God• Is appointed for things used in service to

God• Is accomplished when men reflect the

moral qualities & characteristics of God in their lives

2 Corinthians 7:1

• Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

• Consider the preceding context:

2 Corinthians 616. And what agreement hath a temple of God

with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17. Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you,

18. And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Perfecting Holiness

• Accomplished – when we accept God to

be present in our lives– when we devote

ourselves to serve Him– When we purge our

lives of sin

1 Thessalonians 41. Finally then, brethren, we beseech and exhort

you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, even as ye do walk,--that ye abound more and more.

2. For ye know what charge we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

3. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication;

4. that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor,

1 Thessalonians 4

4. that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor,

5. not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who know not God;

6. that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in the matter: because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified.

1 Thessalonians 4

7. For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.

8. Therefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God, who giveth his Holy Spirit unto you.

SanctificationThe presence of God: the indwelling of the Holy

Spirit in the body of the Christian

1 Corinthians 6 18. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is

without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

19. Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own;

20. for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body.

Closer to God?

Is this your desire?

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.

Perfecting Holiness

• Is realized in a life of– Submission– Obedience– Service

A Tale of Two Trees

The Burning BushExodus 3:1-5

• On Fire – due to the presence of God

• Burning, yet NOT consumed

• PRODUCTIVE – a benefit from God’s presence

• LIGHT• SUSTAINED by God

to burn continually

The Unfruitful TreeLuke 13:6-9

• Unfruitful – disconnected from God

• To be burned after cut down and cast out

• UNFRUITFUL – a result of God’s absence

• DARKNESS• Left to waste away, to

wither, to die

Let Him In

Revelation 3:20-22 Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21. He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne. 22. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.