HOLINESS FOR
THE LONG-HAUL
James 1:2-4;
Hebrews 12:7
A couple of years ago, my son Jon got
me started on his favorite novel, The
Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas.
At first I looked at the length of the book (700+) I was discouraged
from starting. Soon I was caught and
next thing I knew I was finished and wanting more. I found other Dumas books, The
Count of Monte Cristo, (1100+), and then Twenty Years After (800+) and realized that by persisting bit by
bit I was able not only to finish each book but thoroughly enjoy each one. Rather than allowing the magnitude of the
task turn me away, my son’s encouragement and high regard for Dumas prompted me
to dig in for the long-haul.
For some who
come to Christ, the overwhelming nature of the calling to become holy is so
daunting that they never turn the first page to see what this magnificent
journey is all about. They want the instant version and when they
realize it cannot be had, they tire quickly of the daily-ness of the call to
holiness and Christ-likeness and give it up without really trying.
Perhaps we have
gotten so used to instantaneous everything (from microwaves to broadband
internet access to air travel) that we cannot imagine what could be worth an
investment in something that promises to take an entire lifetime!
THESIS: Living for Christ can never be an occasional
matter but requires that we pursue Him in His holiness day in and day out over
the entire course of our lives.
I. GOD’S
COMMITMENT TO COMPLETE THE WORK
--Although God has called each of us to respond to His
command to be holy, He makes it clear that when we make that commitment, we are
never alone in keeping it.
A. HE ALWAYS
KEEPS HIS PROMISES
--The success we hope to enjoy in personal holiness depends
on God’s promises far more than on our persistence.
--Consider the commitments He has made to completing the
work of sanctification in our lives.
Phil. 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that
He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
1Th. 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may
your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete,
without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sometimes in sales, the salesman makes promises the company cannot
fulfill. Our confidence goes up when he
puts himself on the line and assures us that he will be there personally to see
to it that his promises are fulfilled.
A few years ago I bought a cell phone from a major company and asked
why I should pay a few dollars more to get the phone from the company store
instead of from a discount store. The
salesman told me, “Because when you buy it here, you get me…I will be your
personal contact if anything goes wrong or if you need anything. They are the middle man and cannot make that
promise!” So I bought to phone and
service from him…unfortunately he did not keep his promise and once the sale
was made, I was part of his past successes, not his future plans. God is not like that and always keeps His
word!
--God promises us that our sanctification is His business in
us and that He Himself will see to it that the job is finished, that His work
is completed.
B. HE NEVER
HIDES HIS INTENTIONS
--Our natural tendency is to “sugar-coat” things or leave
out the hard parts when we anticipate any objections to the things we want
people to do.
When we recruit for a job, we sometimes play up the less strenuous
parts and downplay the hard stuff in order to entice people to take the
job. If we start with the vacation plan
and the fun people to work with, we may get them to overlook the long hours and
stressful deadlines. Not exactly an
‘above board’ way to handle things!
--God never pulls any punches when He calls us follow Christ
and pursue a call to holiness.
Luke 9:23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
--He never hides His intentions in an effort to sign us up
and then tell us the hard part after we are already on board.
--Today as we consider the call to holiness, there are three
aspects of His calling that He makes clear right up front:
1. Endurance
is a priority in this pursuit.
--From God’s perspective, the process that leads to holiness
requires endurance because nothing about holiness comes quickly, nothing about
it can be gained without paying a price.
--In the New Testament, there are two words used to refer to
the discipline
of endurance needed to grow in holiness and Christ-like maturity.
Patience (makroqumia)
– Patience is the passive response, never striking back, never giving in, never
broken not matter what the provocation.
·
Pressure and hard work threaten to crush us but with
patience we endure in godliness
·
Disease or accident or old age afflict us but we do not let
them break our trust that God is good
·
Discouragement and disappointment surround us but we
recognize that in Christ we are the victors and so we hold on with confidence
·
People abuse and attack us but we do not allow them to get
the best of us and endure with patience
Perseverance (upomonhj) –Perseverance is not passive at all, not sitting back
putting up with trials and troubles, but confronts them head on, conquering
them and confidently taking a stand against them knowing that through them he
is not intended to be beaten down but to be strengthened and learn how to face
life in the power of Jesus Christ.
Heb. 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that when
you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.
Heb. 12:1-2 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of
witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin
which so easily entangles us, and let us run
with endurance the race that is set before us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author
and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the
right hand of the throne of God.
A couple of years ago I started lifting weights to
rebuild some muscle tone and to get in shape.
The first week, I thought I was going to die! Good health should never be so painful!
But I realized that the goal was worth the initial
pain—to build muscle tone, I needed to endure the pain at first, not backing
off just because it hurt at first—I had to wash my hair my bending my head down
to my hands since I could not lift my arms!
To get stronger, I had to stick with it!
Too many Christians bail out at the first sign of
trouble, at the first stiff breeze blowing against them. Their pursuit of holiness lasts only as long
as everything is favorable, as long as all is well.
The fact is that we never get any stronger than the
forces that press against us and so many Christians never grow in holiness
because of their impatience and tendency to give up when life gets harder than
they think they should have to handle!
2. Suffering
is a part of the process.
--The gospel is indeed good news, but the bad news is that a
part of the process by which you are conformed to the image of Jesus Christ
there will be suffering… and this should not surprise us or discourage us.
1Pet. 4:12
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon
you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the
sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His
glory, you may rejoice with exultation.
14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because
the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
--In fact, God wants us to recognize that the most useful
tool available to Him to shape our lives is our own pain…we are far too
independent of Him when we are at ease, far too indifferent to Him when all is
well.
What exactly does He mean by suffering? J. I. Packer defines suffering as “getting what you do not want while wanting what you do not get.”
Lifting weights, I suffered
when I got what I did not want (sore
muscles) and did not get what I
wanted (well-toned muscles).
--To be made holy, each of us must endure through painful
moments in the refiner’s fire where all our impurities, all our unholiness is
burned off, all our weaknesses are exercised and strengthened.
Packer writes: “We are shockingly unaware that suffering
Christianly is an integral aspect of biblical holiness, and a regular part of business as usual for the
believer.
a. Suffering
as part of a fallen world.
--Life is not fair, does not pass out its favors or failures
or fury according to our merit or lack of it.
Matt. 5:45 … for He causes His sun to rise on the evil
and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
--All who live in a fallen world are subject to the rigors
of its fallenness—the good will die young, the mean will live long; the poor
will suffer calamities and the rich will live securely—and then the opposite
will happen without rhyme or reason from a human perspective.
--A holy life often will bear the marks of hard blows struck
while on the anvil, still white hot from the refining fires of fiery trials.
--But God’s promises are good and He will see us through
those hard times and produce what only He can see as He forms us through the
fires!
b. Suffering
at the hands of fallen people.
2Tim. 3:12
And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted
--Some of our worst pain comes at the hands of others who
wound us, persecute us, attack us and in countless ways break our hearts.
Heartless unbelievers will strike without conscience and
hurt us without a second thought.
John 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, you know that it
has hated Me before it hated you. 19 “If you were of the world, the world would
love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the
world, therefore the world hates you.
Insensitive believers will pound us carelessly and revile us
callously.
--Sometimes they do it thinking they are doing what God
wants, not realizing they are wounding His heart by hurting His children.
--Sometimes they do it without thinking about anyone but
themselves and we just happen to get in the way as they run over us to get what
they want.
Psa. 41:9 Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who
shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. (cf. Ps 35:11-18)
--The suffering we experience should come as no surprise,
nor should we resist it or resent it when it comes our way—for from
that way come the seeds of holiness as the character of Jesus Christ emerges in
those who endure it for His name’s sake!
3.
Discipline has a place in the plan.
--If we were to ask today if you wanted to be holy, as
Christ is holy, nearly everyone would say yes.
--But when it becomes clear that there is a price to pay,
that holiness requires that we exercise discipline and commit ourselves to
endurance through times of suffering, the percentage of those ready to go on
drops immediately.
--Why does God put us through the rigors of tough times and
force us to endure with patience the difficulties of life in a fallen world?
Heb. 12:7 It is for discipline that you endure; God
deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not
discipline?
Somehow we knew there had to be a catch—God wants us
to be holy, but He expects us to submit to His discipline in order to become
holy.
I was playing golf with a friend several years ago
who had spent some time on the Florida tour.
After he had hit another amazing shot, I asked him how he could do that
time after time, and I not only couldn’t do it consistently, I could not do it
at all!
I’ll never forget his
response: “I’ve probably hit at least a
million more practice balls than you.
It takes discipline to go to the practice range every day and hit
thousands of balls.”
The truth?
Even with the practice I probably could not have been as good—but the
bottom line is that I was not prepared to pay that kind of price to improve.
Too many Christians have insufficient discipline
because they have insufficient desire!
4. Trust
gives the power to prevail.
--Regardless of how attractive the goal, how sufficient the
provision, or how confident the will, if we do not trust that God will be
faithful to carry us through, we will not stick with it for the long-haul.
--We need to know that God is with us and will provide for
us and enable us to endure, no matter what!
--We have to be confident of His calling and character
before we will endure to the end.
a. Trust
that He is able.
--If I am afraid to face times of suffering and trials, I
will shy away from putting myself in a position to rely on Him to strengthen
me.
--But when I trust that God is able, that nothing is
impossible for Him, and that I can do all things through Him who strengthens
me, no power on earth will keep me from enduring all things knowing that
through them God is at work to make me more like Jesus—holy!
b. Trust
that He is good.
--My frame of reference is also critical if I am going to
endure with patience and persevere with confidence.
--I have to know that whatever comes my way, God is good and
only does what is good—whether it concerns the dreadful circumstances in which
I find myself, or if it concerns those times of profound pleasure.
--If He can be trusted to be good always, I can trust Him
always and give Him thanks even when the outward appearance of things looks
dreary—I can rest knowing that all will work for His glory and my good!
Rom. 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to
work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according
to His purpose.
--And then to accentuate that point, Paul addresses his own
life in terms of his ability to trust that God is both able and good.
2Cor. 12:9-10 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power
is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my
weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with
insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s
sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
c. Trust
that He is faithful.
--Finally, we have to be able to trust that He is
faithful…for even if He is able and good, if He is inconsistent and we do not
know if we can count on Him, how can we trust Him?
1Cor. 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as
is common to man; and God is faithful,
who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the
temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure
it.
II. OUR
CALLING TO FINISH THE RACE
--So God has called us to holiness and expects us to endure
all the way to the end so that we finish the race, complete the course.
2Tim. 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the course, I have kept the faith;
A.
CONCENTRATION ON THE FINISH LINE
--Many distractions will present themselves along the course
of the race, but our eyes need to be focused as we concentrate on the finish
line.
B. COURAGE
FOR THE COMING FIRES
--Knowing up front that we will face suffering and troubles
along the way prepares us to remain alert and diligent about holding on to the
hand of Christ.
--With Christ, we need to know that we have no need to be
afraid but can face the trials that come with courage and a fortitude born of a
steadfast trust in Him.
C.
CONSISTENCY OVER THE LONG-HAUL
--Holiness will escape us if consistency eludes us.
--Holiness requires a daily commitment to submit to Christ
in everything that comes our way knowing that when we endure we become stronger
in Him.
--When we agree to follow Christ and accept His calling, we
must understand that there are no days off, no changing course, no sitting
down, nothing less than a consistent, disciplined life of steadfast
perseverance as we endure with patience all that God brings our way to shape
our lives so that we conform to the holy image of Jesus Christ!
The old saying goes, “Inch by inch,
life’s a cinch; yard by yard, it’s very hard.”
God does not expect us to make massive strides each day in becoming
holy. He does expect us to inch our way
along though, progressing and growing day by day, as we endure, persist,
persevere, practice consistency and discipline.
Holiness is not instantly achieved, nor is it immediately won, but it is gloriously promised to all who hold fast to Christ and keep their eyes focused on the finish line where He waits for us holding the victor’s crown for those who have been made holy and endured to the end.
Do you value the
prize enough to keep on when all around you others are falling away, sitting it
out and turning to other pursuits? God
assures us that all who endure to the end will be satisfied with the joy of
becoming like Jesus Christ in all His holiness! Let’s press on together and be encouraged along the way by those
who pursue holiness for His name’s sake!
August 24, 2003
© David Horner 2003
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