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The Colors of Grace: Snow - Understanding Holiness.

Sermon at Church today was lit, literally. An Expose as usual.

I'll keep this brief, hopefully.

The cost of wrong or almost right doctrine is costly.

When it comes to the word of God, it's so crucial that we accurately divide and interpret what the bible truly means. Language is a tool at our disposal, we shouldn't let it get in the way.

The Sermon starts with how colors are used in the bible as a metaphor for our Spiritual Conditions or the state of our heart.

Isaiah 1v17 MSG -- Come. Sit down. Let's argue this out." This is God 's Message: "If your sins are blood-red, they'll be snow-white. If they're red like crimson, they'll be like wool.

This is the second teaching in the Color of Grace series. Last week, we talked about Scarlet Red(I missed my sermon notes, but watch it here )

Today, we talked about Snow (White) - Understanding Holiness.

Holiness - Let's start with what you understand by this word.

You'd likely think it means to be pure, or having a "clean" spiritual posture.

You are not wrong to say that. A scripture like 1 Peter 1:15-16 - "Be ye Holy, for I 'm Holy" may also come to mind as a Christian or someone who has been to Church.

However if we adopt wholly, the meaning of Holiness i.e being pure as it were, what then do we think of God -- Is God trying to stay pure and have a clean heart? Is he "trying" to move from a state of uncleanliness to cleanliness. That would be false. God is Holy as He is and that doesn't change.

What then does this Holiness mean - It means to be Separated, Set Apart for Divine purpose. 
This meaning of Holiness is the one we should emphasize over Staying pure, with that, we get the right perspective of how we see ourselves as Christians.. and this changes everything!

It reinforces your confidence in Christ's salvation work and the Grace we enjoy. It helps you call the devil's bluff when he plays his old trick of projecting a false image of you to your mind. It really does change everything.

Adopting the idea of Holiness as staying pure gives am impression that you have to put some effort to achieve Holiness, but we all know that we are saved by Faith, through Grace. Never by our works, so no one can really claim to have earned it. It's a free gift. Eph 2v8.

A popular scripture that wrongly suggests (due to wrong interpretation) that without Holiness, we cannot see God is Heb 12 v 14 - "Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord".

"See the Lord" has been wrongly interpreted to mean seeing God, making heaven when we pass from Earth, but Pastor Iren (God bless this man of God) explains that "see God" in that context really means Others seeing the God element in us, NOT US seeing God after life on earth.

So what that scripture is simply saying is, for a man or woman who has been saved by Grace through Faith (Just believing the Gospel), your new nature is a call to live in peace with everyone, exhibit the attributes of a saved person (fruits of the Spirit) and be set part for divine purpose - and that's how people can differentiate and SEE that you've got God in you, and that YOU ARE [holy] like Him.

Phew! 

There is a lot more to unpack in this sermon. As always, I encourage you to watch the full sermon.

However, here are a few key points I would like you to take away.

Heb 10v 14 - For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

- Christ in us has made us holy and perfect

- With salvation, the effect is a life of holiness (separation, consecration), it's not something we have to work for or earn.

- As with physical health, there are vital signs to help you gauge your spiritual posture. Observe your conscience. Don't numb it by ignoring the things that feel wrong. Even atheists know it's wrong to kill.

- Don't believe the devil's lies and his ideas that you are not worthy or worth it. Christ already paid for you, in full and forever. Be bold and don't let sin steal that. If you fall, get up again with some gutsy guilt. 

- Holiness is not a requirement for Salvation; it's an effect of Salvation.

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