Saturday, November 24, 2012

HOW IN THIS WORLD CAN I BE HOLY?



Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price.  Therefore glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 HCSB)

I can resist anything—except temptation.  Do you ever feel that way?  Then, you are in good company.  Even the stalwart champion of faith, the Apostle Paul, had his times of struggle when he found himself doing what he didn’t want to do, and failing to do what he knew he ought to do—and feeling utterly wretched about it (see Romans 7).

Still, he refused to surrender to sin and, instead, in submission to the Spirit found incredible liberty from the downward drag of the world.  What he knew in principle (his death to sin and resurrection to new life, Rom.6) he came to know in practice (Rom.8).

A Holy God has called us to holiness.  Yet, being clean in a corrupt culture is a constant challenge.  We do not overcome by our own effort for we are no match for the Devil.  Our victory is found in Jesus—and the Devil is no match for Him!   It is like the question posed to a young girl, “What do you do when Satan comes knocking on the door of your heart?”  She answered, “I say to Jesus—You answer the door!”  That’s good counsel.

So, do we just, “Let go and let God?”  Yes—and no.  Yes—the victory is by faith and in the power of the Spirit.  But, no—if we understand such faith to be passive, rather than active, (faith without works is dead) and if we fail to recognize that the Spirit works in a body surrendered to His will and not apart from us.

Therefore, being in Christ—and, therefore, holy in position—we can live as Christ—and be holy in practice.  Paul speaks of this synergy in 1 Corinthians 5-8.  This is who we are in Christ: “you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (6:11b) and based on that we are to live clean as we:

“Run from sexual immorality!   ‘Every sin a person can commit is outside the body.’  On the contrary, the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body.  Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.” (6:18-20).

We can be holy, and we must.  How in this world can be?  Paul gives some practical help in this pursuit.

There should be DISCIPLINE IN CHURCH as portrayed in 1 Corinthians 5.

I wrote to you in a letter not to associate with sexually immoral people.  I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world.  But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer who is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person.” (v.9-11)

We are in the world, but not of the world—that is where Jesus wants us to be and how He wants us to behave (see John 17).  We cannot be like Jesus without associating with sinners.  How else can we reach them without being among them?  Paul tells us you would have to leave the world itself not to be around sinful people.  That will only happen when we reach the utterly pure environment of heaven.  For now, we have a mission to the world.  Yet, how in this world can I be holy?

This is where the discipline of the church can help.  There is to be accountability.  We are to be held to a Biblical standard by the body of believers.  If we yield to temptation, we are to be confronted that we might confess sin and be cleansed from it.  If we continue in that sin, then even more forceful measures are to be exercised.  None of this is punitive, but always redemptive.  This is so because of its objectives:

1)     The glory of God.  We are to reflect His holiness and do nothing that would bring reproach to His name.
2)     The testimony to sinners.  How can we call on sinners to repent, if we don’t?  We are branded as hypocrites by the world and rightfully so.
3)     The safety of saints.  When a church member who is tempted knows he or she will be confronted, it gives an extra incentive to reject temptation.  The church provides an environment where germs of sin are sterilized and immunity against the virus of evil is built through a healthy Body of believers.

Like a contagion, sin becomes an epidemic if not cleansed and threatens the very life of the Body.  That was the danger at Corinth.  This is why Paul deals with the matter of church discipline.  It is in the Bible, though rarely practiced today, and for the same reason the church at Corinth was avoiding it.

Unrepentant sin of the filthiest variety was being tolerated in the name of grace and love.  But, it was like grape-nuts cereal—which is neither grapes nor nuts—this was neither grace nor love.  Grace lifts a person out of sin.  Love recognizes that sin is destructive and seeks to drive it out.  When a church functions in a healthy way, then a holy walk is aided.

Another practical help in holy living is DISTINCTION IN CHARACTER as promoted in 1 Corinthians 6.

“Don’t you know that the unjust will not inherit God’s kingdom?  Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or any kind of homosexual, no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom.  And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (v.9-11)

Conduct is the external manifestation of the internal motivation of character.  Character is formed and fortified by conviction—and for the Christian those convictions are based on the commandments of Scripture.  Paul is writing to them under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor.7:40).

We can be consecrated to the commandments which form conviction that determines character and directs conduct because of conversion.  The Spirit of God has regenerated us—if we are indeed saved.  He is the Holy Spirit and His business is to make us holy.  A sinning saint is a contradiction—and may even be a counterfeit.  Capitulation to sin entirely is evidence of a false confession and fraudulent conversion.

Our behavior toward other believers is to be governed by the principle of humility.  Paul was specifically dealing with the matter of church members suing each other.  This was divisive to the fellowship of the church and destructive in their witness to the world.  Had there been cable news in those days, a prominent place in the broadcast would have been given to the brouhaha among the brethren of Corinth.  Stop and think about your public actions and how they may undermine your personal testimony.

We cannot make a difference unless we are different.  Our behavior toward others is marked by the distinctiveness of humility in how we relate to others who might take advantage of us.  Rather than take it to a civil court, we defer to the church and allow them to render a judgment.  Should this fail—the church either refuses to deal with it or makes the wrong judgment—we put it in God’s hands and move on.  He is the ultimate righter of wrongs.

Deference is also important in knowing that our body is to be used for holy purposes, and not sinful passions.  Appetites are God-given—when properly exercised.  Within bounds, they are for our good, and the gift of God.  Eating is good, if not excessive and then it becomes the sin of gluttony.  Sleep is good, if not overly indulged in and becoming the wickedness of sloth.  Sex is good, if in the bonds of holy matrimony and outside of that it is the iniquity of immorality.

Our body is not evil.  It is neutral.  That body can be used for divine purposes or it can be surrendered to defiling passions.  The child of God understands his or her body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and acts accordingly.

You do not have the right to do what you want with your body as a follower of Christ.  You have been purchased out of the slave market of sin—no more in bondage to the Devil—but not free to do what you want.  Now, you are a slave of Christ.  He paid an incalculable price for you—His own body offered on the cross.  Because of this we can glorify God in our body every day and in every way.

Here is another help to holiness that piggybacks on the preceding truths, namely, DEVOTION TO COVENANTS as presented in 1 Corinthians 7.

“Now in response to the matters you wrote about: ‘It is good for a man not to have relations with a woman.’  But because sexual immorality is so common, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.” (v.1-2)

Paul was single—and wanted others to consider celibacy in view of devoting oneself entirely to ministry, without the attention a spouse and children would bring.  He also recognized that celibacy was a special calling from God and not everyone could live that way.  We are created as sexual beings and that desire is strong.  For most it will lead to expression, but that can only legitimately be done in the covenant relationship of a man and woman committed to each other for life.

Self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and if you are unmarried, God has grace greater than your sexual urges which would only be indulged in through a sinful manner apart from having a spouse.  Within the covenant of marriage self-control is fortified by a husband and wife enjoying each other in meaningful sex.  Love is about giving.  Lust is about getting.  In marriage it is about love—freely and fully giving of ourselves to each other in every way, including in the bedroom, and especially there.  Sex becomes a sacred act when seen that way.

Paul says that intercourse should be practiced frequently and only when both partners agree to seasons of fasting and prayer to seek God, should they withdraw from physical intimacy to pursue spiritual intimacy. 

Let me be clear, there is no excuse for infidelity, even if your spouse is as frigid as the arctic icecap.  God’s grace is sufficient.  But, this doesn’t mean that you do not push your mate to the edge of adultery by indifference to their sexual desires.  In living a holy life, we have seen that the discipline of a church can aid us, and so can the delight of a spouse in our bed.  Why should our husband or wife look for baloney in the world when they get steak at home?

Paul also gets into other matters of divorce and remarriage, and in particular with the issue of believers married to unbelievers.  That is always fertile ground for problems.  Again, Paul calls for fidelity on the part of Christians.  If this is your condition then be the most faithful husband you can be to your unbelieving wife, and you might win her soul, as well as her heart.  If you are a woman wed to a non-Christian, be the most affectionate wife you can be, and your interest in him may lead him to interest in Christ.  This faithfulness provides an environment where children can be raised to know the Lord despite the divided household.

Life is tough.  Temptation is strong.  Holding on to holiness will not be easy.  Commitment to the God-ordained covenant of marriage is vital for moral purity.

We might say much more in all these matters preceding, but there is a final point to make, and that concerns DEDICATION TO CHRIST as prescribed in 1 Corinthians 8.

yet for us there is one God, the Father.  All things are from Him, and we [exist] for Him. And [there is] one Lord, Jesus Christ.  All things are through Him, and we [exist] through Him.” (v.6)

This is the overarching principle that governs the believers’ lifestyle.  Our thoughts are to be concentrated on Christ.  Our emotions are to be consumed with Christ.  Our will is to be consecrated to Christ.  He is Lord of all!

Paul says that even in the matter of diet, love for Christ, and for those Christ died for, is fundamental.  We are to set aside our rights and accept our responsibilities.  Our freedom in Christ isn’t to do what we want to do, but what we ought to do.  One thing we must seek to avoid is that which defiles our conscience—and not just ours but another believers’ too!

We can help each other to stand and encourage one another to overcome temptation, or we can contribute to someone stumbling.  It might even be in a matter that we would not consider sinful, but if another person does, then I ought not flaunt my freedom and bring them down.  If they think it is sinful to them it is.

There are weaknesses that others have which we might not and we ought to be sensitive to that.  I think of the matter of drinking alcoholic beverages, for instance.  I will not, and let me tell you why.  It isn’t that you can find a direct command not to drink any thing, although drunkenness is expressly forbidden in Scripture.  You might be able to drink in moderation and never get drunk—though you are walking a tightrope you don’t have to climb on.  But, did you know that the person you are dining with might only need one drop to start them down a path of alcoholism?  You have your refrigerator filled with beer, and your children grow up to see that as acceptable.  The culture is going to call for them to, “Stay thirsty, my friend.”  Do we want to lead them into that temptation?

I don’t need it. I don’t want it.  I don’t desire to be around it.  My desire is to be a stepping-stone to help people to holiness and not be a stumbling block to hinder them.  Being a Pharisee and succumbing to legalism is always a possibility too.  I recognize that.  Yet, it is no better to be a Sadducee and surrender to liberalism.  Grace and truth give balance—yield neither in the pursuit of holiness.  By all means, use every means—these we have provided in this passage, and others—with a passion for purity.

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