Holiness Inside and Out

As Taught at Bible Study on 5_25_21

Holiness - Inside and Out

 

I grew up in a Pentecostal Church but when I was around 16 years of age, there was a church split.  It caused me to question what I believed.  Rather than just disregarding everything, I went straight to God at 16 years of age and began to ask Him to reveal HIS Truth to me.  I wanted to know what was REALLY Truth – whether it was the Baptist way, the Methodist way, the Church of God way or the Pentecostal way.  I wanted God to reveal it to me and show me which way truly was the right way, especially concerning Holiness. And He did. 

It didn’t come overnight but slowly, little by little, God began to open my understanding and reveal things to me – BECAUSE I went to Him seeking HIS way, not my own.

He began to open my understanding to Modesty and Holiness.
He began to deal with me concerning things I thought were innocent and harmless…movies, cartoons, books, clothing, even a watch that was more like a bracelet than a watch because it had gems and dangled loosely as it sparkled.  He dealt with me to get rid of it so I did.

He spoke to me when my children were young to “Cleanse your house CONTINUALLY, not just occasionally.”

I wish I could say I followed that at all times but little by little, things that God dealt with me to get rid of would slowly creep back into the house before I realized it.  Then God would deal with me again to get it out of our home!

Guard your heart, mind, and home that you don’t excuse the stuff away and bring it back in. If God dealt with you to get rid of it, there’s a reason!

Jesus is coming back soon and He’s dealing with His bride to get ready.

He’s coming for a bride without spot or wrinkle – sin can not enter there!

 

HOLINESS TO THE LORD

Exodus 28:36 – Thou shalt make a plate of pure gold and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet (signature ring) HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

Holiness = a sacred place or thing, consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing)

This wording was placed on blue lace then placed on Aaron’s forehead

          à Holiness covers and protects the mind!

 

Vs 40 – thou shalt make COATS (root word means ‘to cover’) and girdles (belts) and bonnets (a cap) And thou shalt make them for GLORY and for BEAUTY

Vs 41 – thou shalt put them upon Aaron and his sons and shalt ANOINT them, And CONSECRATE them, and SANCTIFY them to minister unto Me.       

Minister = mediate in religious services

This would be Ministry = singers, instruments, preaching, teaching, etc

 

Why we have platform requirements…

          When someone is placed in a leadership role even if it’s
                *singing or *playing an instrument on the platform or
                *teaching classes,  they are placed in a position for others to
                 follow their lead and example.

And whatever you allow on the platform or in a classroom is what will be in the pew. 

Those on the pew know the life that person is or is not living.

 

I watched a lady at another church become so confused seeing people in leadership positions who were not dressing or living right. 

She kept asking WHY they were place in those positions although we teach to live opposite of the way they were living, but she kept getting brushed off.

She finally gave up dressing holy and now dresses immodest and with so much makeup that it looks awful.   She regressed rather than progressed in her walk with God.

Teaching about HOLINESS inside and out IS important – so you understand and know WHY we believe what we believe.

Those who ministered in the Tabernacle had certain guidelines and rules they had to follow or they were removed from position – sometimes God killed them. Because holiness is serious to God.

They had to purify their self  INWARD and OUTWARD, removing all sin from their life.

Because God is a holy God.  We are to be holy as well.

Paul said follow me as I follow Christ. People are watching. Children are watching.

          They see our pictures on social media.
          They imitate those they admire.      
          What example are you displaying?

Exodus 28:42 – make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness from the loins (waist) even unto the thighs they shall reach.

            (Breeches <britches> were drawers under their priestly robe they wore to conceal their private parts)

Vs 43 – and they shall be upon Aaron and his sons when they come into the Tabernacle of the congregation or when they come near unto
            the altar to minister in the HOLY Place, that they bear not
            iniquity and die:
            it shall be a statute (a rule/ordinance) FOREVER.

 

Modesty and Holiness go hand in hand.

MODESTY WAS IMPORTANT TO GOD!  Even for the men.

 

We recently posted on the Church page a post on modesty – using the banana analogy   **1.5 k likes              8.8 k shares

We were not expecting it to go viral like it has but the majority have supported what was posted.

2 Chron 16:29 – worship the LORD in the beauty of Holiness

2 Chron 20:21 – appointed singers unto the LORD that they should
             PRAISE the BEAUTY of Holiness (H6944) as they went before
             the army
             (H1984 Halal = to shine, to make a show, to boast, to rave,   
                                           to celebrate)
             (Beauty = decoration, honor)

**The singers led the way into Battle!
             What would happen if they had sin in their life?
             They would cost the army the war just as Achan’s sin did.
              That’s one of the reasons why we have platform requirements

 

Holiness is not just for those in ministry positions…

2 Chron 31:18 – they ALL, self (ministry), wives, sons, daughters, and
         through ALL the congregation sanctified themselves in holiness.

 

Psalm 29:2 – worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness

Psalm 96:9 - worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness, FEAR before Him, all the earth.

Not enough people fear God anymore – the main focus is on love and mercy.

Yes, God is a God of love and mercy but He is also a God of judgment and requires Holiness from His people.

Sin cannot enter into Heaven….

Isaiah 35:8 – An highway shall be there, and a WAY, and it shall be called THE WAY OF HOLINESS, the unclean shall not pass over it.

 

Jeremiah 2:3 - God’s people were to be HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD

 

There are some who believe that Holiness shouldn’t be taught unless they ask?

God didn’t wait for people to ask – He told them what he required.
Paul and other Apostles didn’t wait for people to ask – they wrote Epistles, letters of instructions on how to live holy in this present world.

 

Titus 2:12 – teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly (with sound mind/moderately), righteously, and godly in this present world.

 

Because we were once servants to sinful ways…..

Romans 6:19 – For as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness, and inquity unto iniquity, even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto HOLINESS.

Yield = submit your will

 

Romans 6:22 – but now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your FRUIT UNTO HOLINESS and the end
        everlasting life.

2 Cor 7:1 – Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us
        CLEANSE OURSELVES from ALL FILTHINESS of the FLESH and spirit, PERFECTING HOLINESS in the fear of God.

spirit is what is going on inside  -   flesh is what is going on the outside.

 

Eph 4:24 – Put on the NEW MAN which after God is created in
           RIGHTEOUSNESS and TRUE Holiness. 

1 Thess 3:13 – to the end He may stablish your hearts unblameable in
          HOLINESS before God.

1 Thess 4:7 – For God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto
         Holiness

Heb 12:14 – Follow peace with all men, and HOLINESS, without which no man shall see the LORD

 

Lev 11:44, 45 + 19:2 + 20:7, 26 + 21:8 - Be holy for I AM Holy

God is a holy God and requires us to be holy INSIDE and OUT!

It is not something to be despised.
Holiness is for our good – it is putting away of the filth of the flesh

 

Generally: Women battle vanity and pride. 
                    While Men battle lust and anger.

1 Tim 2:9 – tells the women to adorn themselves in MODEST apparel with Shamefacedness – not attention seeking
           and Sobriety – soundness of mind, self control
           not with broided hair – ungodly hairdos motivated by the spirit              of the world
          or with gold or pearls – which draw undue attention to self
               (there is a spirit attached – watch how a person acts and moves around the gem they are wearing whether it’s a ring or necklace)
           or with costly array – all lead to pride and vanity (which are
               works of the flesh)

Men are told in 1 Tim 2:8 – to pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath or doubting (disputing)

 It can be reversed as we see in this mixed up world we’re living in. 

Even the men are needing to be taught about Modesty nowadays.

After Jesus died, Peter and the other disciples went back to fishing.  While on the boat, Peter stripped off his fisherman’s coat to make it easier to work. The Bible records he was naked, but by today’s terms, we would just label him perhaps a little immodest.  Bible commentators record that he did have on another garment under his fisherman’s coat but it was considered immodest back then to reveal that garment alone. 

As they’re working, a man appears on the shore and asks if they caught any fish.  They responded despondently that they have worked all night but hadn’t caught anything.  The man on the shore responded, “Cast your net on the other side.”  They did and the net became so full it was near the breaking point. One of the other Apostles realized that man was Jesus.

When Peter realized it was Jesus standing on the shore, he quickly threw his fisherman’s coat around himself. He remembered his need for modesty.  Then, the really interesting part is this…. He jumped in the water and swam to shore WITH ALL HIS CLOTHES ON!  He didn’t remove his fisherman’s coat to make it easier to swim.  No, he kept his undergarment AND his out coat on while swimming to shore to get to Jesus.  Peter understood the need for modesty.

 

When Adam and Eve transgressed in the Garden, they sewed fig leaves together to try to cover their nakedness.  But those skimpy coverings were not adequate enough in God’s eyes, so He sewed them COATS (coverings) to cover and teach modesty now that their innocence was gone.   

Modesty is important.  Holiness is important.

We see many examples and Scriptures throughout the Bible that teach us the ways of modesty.
Because Holiness IS important – inside and out.