By The Rev. Dr. Paul A. Leggett
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Sermon Text: Isaiah 6:1-5
Sermon Theme
No attribute of God is more foundational than that of holiness. God is supremely holy, the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 41:16). Jesus is the Holy One of God (John 6:69). As God’s people we are called to be holy. What does this mean? Our holiness is grounded in the holiness of God. To say God is holy is to say God is completely separate from the world. God’s holiness means that God is pure and perfect. There is no defect or fault in him. Finally, to be holy is to say that God sacrifices himself. God sacrifices himself in sending Jesus Christ into an unholy world. We therefore are to be separate from the world, blameless and prepared to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God. This is only possible in trust and dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon Outline
- Separate. Isaiah sees God as “high and lofty.” God is not contained within the world. God is separated from his creation because the world is finite and physical. God is a spirit who is infinite. God is also separated from the world because of the reality of sin. Sin is a corruption of God’s creation. It is a choice that has been made by both cosmic beings and humans. God is holy. He is neither finite nor sinful. Yet God is active in the world. God is separate from the world in the sense that he is distinct from the world, not in the sense that he is absent from it. We, then, who have been called to be “God’s own people” (I Peter 2:9), are to be distinct from the world but still active in it.
- Sanctified. Holiness signifies purity and cleanness. Scripture often calls this being “blameless” (Genesis 6:9). Sanctification is not purity in some abstract or general sense. To sanctify anything, including ourselves, is to be related to the Lord, to glorify and serve him. In the Old Testament the nation of Israel was sanctified by observing specific requirements of food, clothing and special days. These no longer apply to us. Christ is our sanctification (I Corinthians 1:30). This is not a question of moral effort on our part. Still less does it involve sinless behavior. It is a matter of being fully dependent on Jesus Christ. The greatest obstacle to sanctification is pride. King Uzziah dies of leprosy brought on by an act of spiritual pride. This is why Jesus tells the religious leaders that the tax collectors and prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of them (Matthew 21:28-31).
- Sacrifice. The apostle Paul calls us to present our bodies “as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God” (Romans 12:1). Sacrifice is an essential part of holiness. God the Father sacrifices his Son for us (I John 4:14). Jesus lays down his life of his own accord (John 10:18). The Holy Spirit intercedes for us with “sighs too deep for words” (Romans 8:26). Sacrifice in the Biblical sense is not primarily about giving something up. While it does include forsaking things contrary to God, its main emphasis is on giving things over to God. Sacrifice cannot be forced. Paul, following the example of Jesus himself, sees sacrifice as something that must be done freely. Freedom is never an excuse for self indulgence (Galatians 5:13). Yet freedom cannot be separated from the gospel itself (Galatians 2:4-5). The exercise of this freedom will vary from one believer to another (Romans 14:1-23). To sacrifice is to dedicate. Jesus dedicated himself fully for us. We can do no less for him. In the words of Isaiah, we need to say, “Here am I; send me.”
Questions for Us
- What does it mean for us to be holy in the sense of being “distinct” from the world yet still active in it? What are some Biblical examples of this way of life?
- Why do you think pride is such a major problem in responding to God’s call to holiness?
- Why do you think the ideas of freedom and holiness have so rarely been held together in our understanding of the Christian life? What is the difference between giving something up for God and giving it over to God?
