Being holy means being like God. God does far more than “avoiding bad actions.” He also doesn’t want to do bad actions. That is, he doesn’t just say “no” to bad desires. Even his desires are pure. So holiness must also include purified desires. So much so that we can learn to “do as we please” once “what we please” is simply to please Him.

Yes, it means set apart from evil actions. Yes, it means set apart from evil desires. But that isn’t complete enough. How could God ever take up residence among us if the Holy God must always be “separate” or “distant” from anything less than perfect purity?

Sometimes Christians face moral dilemmas. Some one or something moves into town, doing some things you disapprove of. So what should the Christian do in response? One option is to ban, boycott, or avoid. I think there is a time and a place for that. But we have to balance that with the call of Jesus to be salt and light in a dark world. The call to actually rub shoulders with the very people we are trying to reach with the gospel. To be incarnational—like Jesus was. Many in our culture see Christians as always aloof and unapproachable. That Christians are always marking and avoiding anything that smells unchristian. When we act that way, we are able to maintain our purity. But how can we purify anything else?

It turns out God’s holiness has two parts: one part speaks to how different (how high and holy) he is; the other speaks to how willing he is to rub shoulders with those who need his holiness to rub off on them. We see it in Isaiah 57:15: “God’s name is Holy. I dwell in the high and holy place, and also in the lowly of spirit.” Did you catch that? What does it mean to be holy, according to God? To be so high above it, and to also dwell within it—untouched by the evil, but present to help serve those wrapped up in evil.

The sermon today is titled "Progress: The Spirit Makes You Holy." It is the third installment in our "This Present Strength" Series. The Scripture reading is from 1 Corinthians 1:2 and Romans 8:1-11.  Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on September 18, 2022. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under Begin: A Faithful Presence.

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