Sanctifying Grace

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

One of the most challenging commands of Scripture is first mentioned in the

Old Testament and is repeated in the New Testament: The Lord says, “You

shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” God gives this command in

Leviticus 11:44 and 45. Peter repeats the command in 1 Peter 1:16.

For many of us, when we hear this command and think about it, our first

response is “Impossible. There is no way that I can be holy. There is no way

that I can be like God.” But it is very clear that God wants us to be holy. He

wants us to separate ourselves from evil and be devoted to him. He wants us

to take on his character of righteousness and love.

One of the major themes of Village Church Planting is the need to teach God’s

big story from start to finish. We call this Chronological Bible Storytelling.

When we think about God’s big story, we remember from Genesis 1 and 2 that

he is the Creator. He created man and woman in his image. God delighted to

have fellowship with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. But, first the woman

and then the man disobeyed God. They ate the fruit he said that they must not

eat. Because of their sin, they were separated from God.

The rest of God’s big story tells about God’s initiative to restore fellowship

between himself and the people he has created. It’s not easy. In Genesis 6:5,

God observes that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was

only evil all the time. Even so, God saves Noah and his family. Then he calls

Abraham to himself. He blesses Abraham and his descendants in hundreds of

ways. But they seem so unwilling to separate themselves from worldly, unholy

ways. Even so, God never gives up. In the fullness of time, God send his Son

Jesus to save his people from their sins. By his life, death, and resurrection,

Jesus changes everything! Listen to the Good News announced in Romans 8:

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ

Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set

you free from the law of sin and death.  For what the law was powerless to do

because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the

likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the

flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in

us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Did you hear that? “The righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in

us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

Because of the Holy Spirit living in us, as children of God, we can say “No!” to

sin and “Yes!” to righteousness. We can be separated from sin and live for God.

In fact, the common name for Christ followers in the New Testament is “saint.”

What are saints? They are people made holy by the work of Christ and the

presence of His Holy Spirit.

We give thanks to God for his wonderful gift. Won’t you share this good news

with everyone in your church!

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #BeHoly