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Why has the word HOLY become an ugly four-letter word?

I have a question for those who consider themselves a Christian. (It is borrowed from Pastor HH Barber)
— If you were to list 10 things that you consider important in life, what would they be?

— As an example, I ask you to rate each of these from 1-10 (#1 being the most important)
__ Money; __ Health; __ Popularity; __ a Good Job; __ a Good Reputation;
__ Success loved ones; __ Beauty; __ Speaking Ability; __ Musical Talent; __ Holiness;

Where does Holiness rank in your estimation? (Wherever you place it, it is probably not #1)
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Where did Holiness rank in your estimation? (Wherever you placed it, it probably wasn’t #1)

Do we understand that Holiness is the first attribute of God? (1st Peter 1:16 …since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”)
— Can we honestly think that we can stand before God in our own goodness and righteousness? (SEE: “Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me (Of God), are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him.” (Isaiah 45:24)

And yet our nature fights against holiness… Human nature leads us to fleshly, self-centered thinking.

Our human nature fights against holiness… It leads us to fleshly, self-centered thinking.
— IN ALL HONESTY, would you admit that in a dangerous situation, your FIRST, perhaps fleeting instinct, is to look after NUMBER 1 (Your own self)? ~ Self-preservation is entirely instinctual.

— Maybe you’ve heard the phrase “Fight or Flight”? ~ When we choose ‘flight’ we choose self-preservation.

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So what is HOLINESS? ~ To find God’s definition SEE…

Exodus 3:3-5  And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”  (4)  When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”  (5)  Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” (This ground is different from the other soil around it… KK)

Exodus 29:32-34  And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread that is in the basket in the entrance of the tent of meeting.  (33)  They shall eat those things with which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration, but an outsider shall not eat of them, because they are holy.  (34)  And if any of the flesh for the ordination or of the bread remain until the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire. It shall not be eaten, because it is holy. (The food dedicated to the ordination of Aaron and sons is different from the other food … KK)

Exodus 30:31-32  And you shall say to the people of Israel, ‘This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations.  (32)  It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it in composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. (This oil is different from the other oils… KK)

Romans 11:16  If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. (Holiness is not a partial thing… KK)

1st Corinthians 3:16-17  Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?  (17)  If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. (What belongs to God is holy… KK)
~ (Quick Question: Who belongs to God?)

1st Peter 1:14-16  As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,  (15)  but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,  (16)  since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (God calls us from a fleshly self to a holy self… KK)

Can you see in these God defines holiness as “to be SET APART for Himself”?

(A definition from DICTIONARY.COM) ~ holy = specially recognized as or declared sacred by religious use or authority; consecrated…
~ consecrated = sacred or SET APART; dedicated to the service or worship of a deity or for a spiritual or religious purpose…

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Now let’s read Hebrews 12:3-17… Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.  (4)  In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.  (5)  And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.  (6)  For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”  (7)  It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?  (8)  If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.  (9)  Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?  (10)  For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.  (11)  For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.  (12)  Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,  (13)  and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.  (14)  Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.  (15)  See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;  (16)  that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.  (17)  For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

Now let’s break these verses down, so we can dig a little deeper…

Hebrews 12:3-4… Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.  (4)  In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
— Can we safely assume that seeking holiness is to try to resist our sinful nature?
— How does this vs.3 call us to find courage and strength?

Hebrews 12:5-8… And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.  (6)  For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”  (7)  It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?  (8)  If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
— What encouragement do we find in these verses? (HINT: Who is the target of God’s discipline?)
— What sort of SEPARATION is written of here? (HINT vs.8)

Hebrews 12:9-13… Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?  (10)  For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.  (11)  For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.  (12)  Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,  (13)  and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.
— Can you find in these verses where God says He is sharing with us 1/ His holiness… (Vs.10)
2/ some peaceful fruit… (Vs.11) 3/ strength… 4/ guidance… 5/ a walk of health… (Vs.12-13)?
— How does this show us these things are accomplished in us?

Hebrews 12:14… Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
— What action described here separates us from our fleshly reactions?

Hebrews 12:15… See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;
— What action described here separates us from fleshly thought unto holy thinking? (HINT: This Godly action prevents bitterness.)

Hebrews 12:15… that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.
— What are two things we warned about here that could keep us from being holy in God’s eyes?
— Why is Esau’s failure focussed on here? (How could that apply to us?)

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Holiness is essential to any Christian, for how can we obey God if we fail to heed His command from Leviticus 19:1-2  And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,  (2)  “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.
~ Here we see that if we are to be adopted into the family of God, we are also to seek after what God considers HOLY.

— Do you pursue holiness, or do you see it as a wall, a barrier between you and the world. It shouldn’t be a barrier, but it must be a separation.
— Does holiness seem like a pursuit of a no fun, no joy lifestyle? It shouldn’t turn us into sour Christians, but it should limit what we consider pleasurable.

Last thought for today…

How did Jesus handle His holiness?
— For indeed Jesus was (and is) just as HOLY as any part of the Godhead?

— To discuss this further look at Mark 2:13-17  He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them.  (14)  And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.  (15)  And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.  (16)  And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  (17)  And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Any confusion about how Jesus behaved in these verses can be settled by looking closely at vs.17…
If we consider what Jesus might be talking with these SINNERS about.

— What was the focus of Jesus in His conversing and socializing with these needy souls?
— We should follow the example of Jesus, and not seek isolation from needy souls, but instead seek an opportunity to tell others about how they can be saved from eternal destruction, and delivered with us into God’s eternal Kingdom. Always showing GRACE, but never JOINING IN SIN… (KK)