We know that in the last days sin is going to abound (Matthew 24:12). So in light of that knowledge, here is a timeless truth: In these last days, God expects His children to be holy. "Holy" means to be separate, distinct, separated to God. There is to be an obvious distinction between a child of God and a child of the devil. Jesus said to some very “religious” people in John 8:44: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” These had a claim and a pretense to godliness, but they did not have God in their hearts and lives. How would you like for the Lord Jesus to say that to you? If we truly believe we are living in the last days, we should want to live as holy lives as possible. Because we will soon stand before our Lord. Because of the lost who need to be saved and need to see true Christians in this world. If you wonder what is wrong with the Lord’s churches today, here it is. There are many who are undedicated, uncommitted, unholy, even some who are unregenerated in the membership of churches today. This offers two great problems that churches face: 1) The unregenerated have no heart for God or the things of God. They just don’t care. 2) The undedicated, uncommitted, unholy, unrepentant ones, though they ARE saved, have been living like the world for so long they have forgotten they ever were saved. Listen to what Peter says in II Peter 1:5-9: “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; (6) And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; (7) And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.” (He’s talking about growing as a child of God here.) "(8) For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (9) But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” Where do you and I stand in all of this? Committed, holy, serving the Lord? Or uncommitted and unfaithful? By the way, here is a quick warning. If you are committed and faithful, be careful about becoming arrogant about it (i.e., “all those unfaithful, uncommitted people need to repent”). REPEAT: God expects His children to be holy (separated, set apart), especially in these last days. This message is to encourage us to live holy, separated lives and offers four incentives for doing so. They are:

I. OUR ANTICIPATION OF CHRIST’S COMING -- VS. 13.

II. OUR IDENTIFICATION WITH HIS CHARACTER -- VV. 14-16.

III. OUR EXAMINATION AS HIS CHILDREN -- VS. 17.

IV. OUR EMANCIPATION BY HIS CROSS -- VV. 18-21.