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3-5-2023 Sunday Sermon Message

Meditations of the Week: Psalm 91:1-16

Main Text: Leviticus 11:44-47

Word Title: Be ye holy; for I am holy!

          When God created man, he made him holy in his own image and likeness. However, the breath of life that God had breathed in the man departed and the soul lost salvation when the old serpent the devil brought sin and the first man accepted the devil’s words and sinned. Not only that, but even the body transformed into a dying, decaying one.

        However, God planned to destroy the devil in the future and restore man to the image of God through the death and resurrection of Christ, his only begotten Son, The Word of God (Genesis 3:15).

        God gave Moses and Aaron laws regarding animals, birds, and every living thing that moves in the waters and on the ground. He said to make a distinction between animals that can be eaten and those that cannot be eaten.

         However, since the law is for the person’s flesh, it was given in order for people to eat only the clean things first. God planned to sanctify even the spirit and soul through Christ.

         God sent Christ Jesus into the world to sanctify the soul of man a second time. In order to take away all the sins of the law, through the death of Christ Jesus once and through His shed blood, He sanctified the soul by removing all the sins that were lodged in the human conscience:

For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:13-14 KJV) ; By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:10 KJV)

       God wants to give the Holy Spirit, the breath of life, to those whose souls are sanctified through the blood of Christ, to quicken their spirits and make them the image of the holy God. Apostle Paul testified of God’s will:

To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. (1 Thessalonians 3:13 KJV)  For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7 KJV)

       In order to restore His image by making Jews and Gentiles holy, God removed all sins through the death of Christ Jesus once and through His resurrection, He already judged the devil, the ruler of death, 2,000 years ago. Also, he brought the Gentiles who were far from God closer by the blood of Christ, and united them with the Jews to make them a holy nation. Regarding this, Apostle Paul testified of the blessings given to the Gentiles when he wrote to the church in Ephesus:

¶ Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. ¶ For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; (Ephesians 2:11-19 KJV)

       Not only that, the Apostle Paul testified that through the blood of Christ, Gentiles, along with Jews, are grown unto a holy temple:

And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:20-22 KJV)

        The Apostle Paul once again testified of the blessings the Gentiles received through the blood of Christ:

That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: (Ephesians 3:6 KJV)

       Although God saves the soul and regenerates the spirit through His own blood, Until the day we take off our bodies, we must practice godliness by subjecting ourselves to holiness by submitting even our bodies to the Word of God. The apostle Peter testified of this:

¶ Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:13-16 KJV)

        Apostle Paul prayed to the church saints of Thessalonica, who were eagerly waiting for the day of Christ, to be kept blameless in holiness until the day of His appearing:

¶ And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 KJV)

Amen! Hallelujah!