Gospel Holiness: Foundational Perspectives

The Essential Importance of Gospel Holiness

0:04 Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 14.

0:10 Follow peace with all men and holiness without which man shall see the Lord. The American standard renders it this way. Of the RSV's revised standard, strive for peace with all men and the holiness without which part of the text deals with what we might call our specific duty toward our fellow men. Strive for peace with all men.

0:48 That might well be the theme of a weekend of ministry. How to live at peace with all men. Might start with the first person that it's hardest to be at peace with, yourself. Then move out to the next circle, your wife or your husband, then your children, your neighbors and your fellow church members.

1:07 And perhaps in some future day this might be a good theme for a whole weekend of ministry. Strive at peace with all men. A verse that we are particularly interested in during this weekend, strive for that holiness, the sub-spiritual holiness using this text as a basic reference to consider by way of whetting our appetites for this subject, for some of you this might seem like a rather boring subject to contemplate the whole weekend, as to the tremendous importance and the great breadth of the subject that is before us, and if we just look at this text in a very cursory way, we see, first of all, the importance of the doctrine and subject of gospel holiness, because this text tells us, in the first place, that holiness is an essential element of salvation. The writer to the Hebrews would urge upon his readers to be concerned that they strive after this holiness, whatever it is.

2:30 He does so by reminding them that this is not a non-essential or peripheral issue. He said, strive for that holiness without which we see the Lord. And, he was telling them, in this way, that this holiness after which they were to strive was an essential element of biblical salvation. See the Lord is used in the sense of looking upon you in that peculiar vision of delight and rapture, which will be the portion of all of God's children.

3:12 For the Scripture says, we shall be like Him for we shall see Him. So, we are the disciples. See the Lord, and the truths and the words we're going to be speaking are like His own. We're the disciples.

3:17 We're the disciples. Seek Him and take Him in your heart. as he is. One of the great delights in Revelation 22.4 is that his servants shall see his face.

3:29 With that look of delight and love and affection. And this text says that no one shall look upon him in that way. The holy dread at which the scripture speaks when it says they shall see him. And when they see him they shall call upon the rocks and the mountains saying from the face and from the wrath. See his face but see it with a heart. See it with a dread that will make them call upon rocks and mountains to utterly obliterate them. Because it shall be that look of horror that attends the awesome judgment of God. The look of this text. The rapturous delight which will be the portion of the saints of God when they are brought into his presence and made like him. Now do you have any hopes of seeing

4:35 him in that sense? Do you have any hopes that the sight of him will be a rapturous experience? Then this text says you must be a pursuer of holiness. It is an ascension of Jesus Christ. A foundation can no man lay that which is laid which is Christ. It is not just a foundation. It has a superstructure. And the purposes of God and grace are not only foundational but they have this superstructure. And part of the superstructure is this holiness. At the outset

Holiness is Not Optional, Peripheral, or Merely Positional

5:23 we must not be a pursuer of holiness. We must not be a pursuer of holiness. We must not look upon the subject of holiness and the pursuit of holiness as something that is optional. There is much confusion in our day on the subject of holiness and very little interest in some evangelical circles because holiness is looked upon as something to be desired but in the end it is looked upon as something that is optional. But it is not optional.

5:50 Without it no man shall see the Lord. There is a doctrine that holiness or lack of it is simply a matter of rewards. Maybe having a few more chunks of gold in your pocket to play catch with in heaven. But to not look upon is a matter of attaining or missing the glory of God. This text would tell us that we must never view holiness as something that is optional, merely a matter of rewards or lack of them. This text would tell us that it is not optional in the sense that we should look upon holiness as the attainment of some spiritual elite, some upper cross of spiritual society, some little...

6:33 of the esoteric group that are concerned about holiness. Though there is this general sweeping statement, without it no man is looking upon it as something that is peripheral, something that is on the outer fringe of Christian truth. In fact you have heard it said that in the theory of divine revelation there are root doctrines. That God is revealed is important and we must never speak on... Now here are people relegating certain truths of the word of God to the realm of the non-essential, that is an insult to God.

7:30 If God says that there is no God, then we are not talking about the truth of the word of God. But if we are talking about the truth of God, we are talking about the truth of off it to reveal it, it's essential. But there is a relative importance in what God has revealed. God would put holiness in that area.

7:41 If we're agreed, they would say on the great objective truths of the Word of God, the inspiration and authority of the Scriptures, constitutionary death, His second coming in glory. These are the things about which we ought all to be concerned. The holiness, listen, this text places it right at the very core of Christian experience. And Christian doctrine. If we actually conceived Savior, we would have no salvation. If we supernaturally imparted holiness and personally attained holiness, we will not know the benefits. We must not look upon it as something peripheral. And we must not look upon it as something merely positional.

8:44 I remember speaking on the subject of holiness one Sunday night, and we had a visitor in the church. And he came up after it. He was an older man. And generally, he's young.

8:56 He should respect the hoary head. In spite of the general drift of the philosophy in our day, if somebody's over 30, suspected. Don't listen to a thing he has to say. He's antiquated. He can't know anything about nothing. The hoary head. And if we're to be scriptural, we should. And I try to make that my practice. And so this elder, rather elderly gentleman came up to me. But he hadn't talked long before it was obvious that this poor soul had no understanding of this text. In fact, I think it was this very text that I was preaching on. And he said, young man, in essence, I'd like to straighten you out.

9:37 You see, the only holiness I'm concerned about, he said, is that holiness which I have in Jesus Christ by virtue of the fact that he has imputed to me, God has imputed to me, his righteousness. I'm accepted in the beloved. That's the only holiness that I'm concerned about, and the only holiness that you should be preaching about. The concept of holiness was one that was positional.

10:02 And he had no understanding or appreciation of the experimental aspects of biblical. It's our thinking that the word of God will purge that from our minds. In Hebrews 12, 14, it's not a positional holiness, but an experimental and practical holiness, one that is to be wrought out in your life and in mine. What strikes us as we look at the text is that holiness is an essential element, foundational.

The Nature of the Pursuit of Holiness

10:43 Holiness is our foundation. It is not optional, it is not peripheral, it is not positional. And we do well to believe the statement of one of the old Puritan writers who said, say not by veins, by pedigree, by daring to,

11:18 by veins, by daring to, must be the pursuit of every true child of God. The letter to the Hebrews says, holiness, and the word follows a very strong use throughout the New Testament, persecute. If you summon, what do you do? Well, you find, first of all, the object, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, that you desire to persecute, then you do like Paul did.

11:59 He'd track them down into a house, out of a house, down an alley, into a synagogue, wherever he could find people who were naming the name of Christ and confessing in his eyes this imposter as the Messiah, he'd lay hold of them and commit them to prison, and some of them even to death. Now God says that's what you and I are to do with holiness. We're to set our eyes upon it. We're to track it down. We're to bring into play all of our God's given faculties in the pursuit of that holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. It must be the pursuit of every true child of God. Now let's analyze that pursuit just for a few minutes. First of all, it must be a conscious pursuit, doing something that is not done in the realm of the subconscious.

12:52 We are to follow our holiness. This is to be a conscious pursuit, something of which we are aware. The second place is to be a constant pursuit. The writer uses a present imperative, which we could rightly translate, be ye continually following after or striving after that holiness, without which we shall see the Lord.

13:18 It's to be a conscious pursuit, constant pursuit, not one that we're involved in by bits and pieces. It's to be the tenor of our lives, a pursuit after gospel holiness. Then, in the third place, it's to be a clearly defined pursuit. He uses the article there, the particular kind of holiness without which no man shall see. We're not to follow after ecstatic experiences. We're not to follow after some kind of weird, occult, spiritual fantasies. We are to pursue, track that, follow after that kind of holiness without which we shall see the Lord. Well, you say, what is that holiness? Well, may I suggest

14:14 to you a very simple, and I hope, or simplified definition. What is holiness? To you, that the holiness spoken of here in this text and in many other places of the Bible is that of the whole man to the revealed will of God appointed me. The place of holiness, let's put this definition.

14:54 After that conformity of the whole man to the revealed will of God, the Holy Spirit in the use of the God appointed me, without which speak this week of holiness, and I assume this is true of the other speakers, are speaking of something that's very practical, that involves the conformity of the whole man, the whole woman. Holiness resides not primarily or exclusively in what I think, or primarily or exclusively in what I feel, or merely in what I do, but it involves the whole man, my thinking, my feeling, my affections, and my life, my actions, the whole man, being conformed to the revealed will of God. Revealed in the scripture by specific precepts, the ten commandments, by other commands given by the apostles and prophets, by the revelation of the will of God in Jesus Christ, he that saith he abideth in him ought to walk, even as he walked, he hath left us an example, that we should follow in his steps, so it's conformity of the whole to the revealed will of God.

Holiness in God's Redemptive Purpose: From Election to Glorification

16:23 He is the one who sanctifies us, and we shall see many texts which indicate this, in the use of the God-appointed means. It's not something in which we are passive, but his activity will come to light in our activity, and we shall be considering what some of those means. So I set before you these two very simple and yet obvious principles that lie on the surface of this text, this theme text, about which no man will see the Lord. Principle number one, this is an essential element of, and secondly, must be the pursuit of, in order to think our way through the subject, I trust this has whetted your appetite. As time permits, I would like tonight to give what I would call some foundational objectives on the subject of holiness, and I would like to start with this, why is it an essential element of salvation? Why should we spend a whole weekend considering the subject of gospel holiness? Well, first of all, we can see in a large spectrum, in a broad spectrum tonight,

17:51 the purpose of God in redemption. Here we think continually from the standpoint of our own interest, in our own concern, what do I get? What can I have in every realm? And when we come to try to think of the matter of salvation, it's so difficult for us to back up, and as it were, pull up the reins on ourselves and say, now wait a minute, the whole idea of taking out of the race of lost humanity of people and making them the objects of special grace, and bringing them from a state of sin into a state of grace, and ultimately into a state of glory. Who conceived all of this in the first place? Well, it's obvious, God did. The scripture tells us that of him, and through him, and unto him, are all to whom be glory forever and ever. And so when we begin to

18:50 consider the matter of salvation, we must start with asking this question, what does the God who planned this work of redemption purpose in the redemption that he himself conceived and planned and is bringing to pass? He does his ultimate end, his glory and man's well-being. Yes, he does. But now how will he accomplish that? Will his glory be secured in the work of redemption? And how will man's highest well-being be realized? I'll submit to you that from eternity to eternity in the purposes of God and redemption, God's glory and man's blessedness as God in his word allows us to go, in the counsels of God and his electing purposes, what did he have in mind when he chose a people in Christ Jesus out of his own mere good pleasure? For no foreseen faith or good works, what was his

20:01 purpose? Well, in Ephesians chapter 1 we are told in very clear terms the electing love of the Father was that he might have Ephesians chapter 1 and 4 be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which were blessings in heavenly places in Christ as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be safe to the end of God's purpose of salvation simply to make some sinners safe from the penalty of what the text says. He chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be happy. Some view man's happiness as the great end of God's electing purposes, if they even conceive of his electing purpose. But this text declares that he chose us in him before the foundation of the world.

21:26 That we should be holy and without blame or blemish before him. And the commentators differ and they also, and I can't make any conclusion whether the period ought to come and be in love down to verse 5, or whether this holiness and without blemish before him is in the climate of perfected love, but whether that perfection is realized in love, or whether that love is the motivation behind his predestination mentioned in verse 5, this much is clear that he chose us in him that we should be holy. Not essentially that we should be happy or that we should be safe, but that we should be holy. We trace the electing love of the Father to the very purposes of holiness. Then of course that classic passage in Romans chapter 8, where in verses 29 and 30 we read, for whom he did foreknow,

22:32 he also did predestinate, to be conformed to the image. It doesn't mean that God is going to make us into what we conceive to be the image of Christ in terms of some popular picture of Christ. From that standpoint, I believe pictures of him have done great harm because a picture can only bring out one aspect or quality of the moral perfections of Christ and most of them bring out what we might call the perfection of the feminine qualities that exist in the Lord Jesus, the specimen of humanity. But to be conformed to the image of his Son means to be made into his moral likeness.

23:17 And here we're told that those whom God foreknew, he did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. He predestinated us to be like, to be perfected in holiness. And so as we think of the purpose of God in redemption and trace it, back and trace it, we see that the purpose of the Father's electing love was to have a holy people. Now the Lord Jesus came to accomplish the will of the Father. He came from heaven. He told us not to do his own will, but the will of him that sent him. So as we look for statements which would declare to us the goal of the dying love of the Son, we should expect that the goal of his dying love would match up with the goal of the Father's electing purpose. And we're not disappointed, for we read in Titus chapter 2 a very clear statement concerning the goal of God when he took his own in love to the cross with him and died in their

24:34 room. Step up to verse 13. See the subject of verse 14. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, a people who would be his distinct possession.

25:16 He did not give himself for us, that he might make us redeemable and purifiable. He did not give himself for us any other purpose, but that he might actually redeem us and actually purify us.

25:37 Just as surely as the electing love of the Father is the holiness of his chosen, he could purify and shed his precious blood. A clear statement in Ephesians chapter 5 where it speaks of Christ and his relationship to the church under the figure of the bride and the bridegroom. In Ephesians chapter 5, 26, 27, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, not again that he might make it sanctifiable, did not die simply to make something possible, but he died to realize something.

26:40 He died that he might sanctify it with the washing of water by the word and that he might present it to himself, the glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be without. Statement of our Lord in John 17, 19. In the interest of time, I'll now turn to it where he said, for there's sanctify myself. This ministry of the high priest, he's about to go to the cross. For what end?

27:20 That they also might be sanctified. I set myself apart for the task of being a sin bearer that they might be set apart.

27:31 And the practice,

27:36 the love of the Father shows us that we should be holy. The goal of the dying love of the Son that we should be a purified, sanctified people. And now the Lord Jesus has gone to the right hand of the Father and he intercedes for his own. And we should expect if there is harmony in the working of the triune God in redemption, that his present work of intercession would have as its focus that for which he died in fulfillment of that which the Father purposed. And again, we're not disappointed. For as we read his high priestly prayer, the 17th of John, we notice that that prayer focuses upon several great issues. The realized union of his people with himself, with each other, and then the other great focus is this matter of holiness. John chapter 17, verses 15 to 17.

28:37 I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth, his truth. His prayer is that his people might be holy. He does not pray that we shall be exempt from sickness, from calamity, from those pressures that come upon all other men. No indication that our Lord in any way that we shall be kept from those common pressures of life. No, no. For they can't hurt us. There's only one thing that will cause him as a bearer of the name of Christ to bring reproach to the one whose name he bears. That will wound the conscience and kill the spirit of prayer and cut the nerve of vile witness. There's only one thing that can hurt the child of God. That's sin.

29:49 For all things there is. Life, death. Apostle Paul is the classic illustration of this. He speaks of everything from imprisonment to peace and floggings. He speaks of these things as his friend. He's his friend.

30:14 To the bosom of anything that presses. Sanctify them through the truth. As we trace this matter of holiness back to the electing love of the Father, it is his purpose to have a holy people. In love of the Son, he dies that he might have a holy people. In love of the intercession that he might have a purified holy people. Now what of the work of the Spirit who applies with power that which was purchased by the Son in keeping with the purpose of the Father? What of the work of the Spirit who is the counterpart here on earth of the intercession and pleadings of the Son at the right hand of the Father? Well, he's called, it's interesting, among all the things that he could be called, that name which is peculiarly his name other than the advocate is the Holy Spirit.

31:25 He is the powerful Spirit. He is the mighty Spirit. He is the omniscient Spirit. He's called the Holy Spirit. So the Scripture tells us that his work in applying with power the redemption purchased by the Son is a work of sanctifying the people of God. In 1 Peter 1-2 we are told that the people of God are saved and brought into the faith in keeping with the foreknowledge of God the Father and the sanctification of the Holy Spirit. In Thessalonians 2-13 the Apostle rejoices and says that he gives thanks that God is from the beginning chosen them unto salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and believe the

32:15 truth. In the hearts and lives of God's people is that he might bring them into the likeness of Jesus Christ and then when our Lord comes and redemption is consummated in the life of the individual believer, what is the essence of its consummation? John tells us in 1 John chapter 3, Beloved now are we the sons of God yet it doth not appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is. And then that which the Father purposed in eternity which has begun in time by the mighty work of the Spirit based upon the objective work of Christ upon the cross and his present work at the right hand of the Father, that work which he has begun will be fully brought to its fruition and we shall be like him, seeing him just as we've sought to bring into focus for these several passages of the word of God, something of the purpose of God and redemption that we'll see the tremendous importance of this matter of holiness. Holiness is not our Savior. Christ is our Savior but he's a holy making Savior.

Humanity Divided: The Holy and the Unholy

33:45 His gospel is as McShane said, a holy making gospel and so let none of us do what would really be a subtle kind of evasion of the issue say, well really, I just want to be so occupied with Christ I have no time to think and meditate and examine myself in the area of holiness. That's an evasion. For if you honestly deal with Christ, you must honestly face the issue that is set before us in our text after that holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. And then another great area of truth that I want us to look on or look at for a few minutes tonight that forms sort of this, what I call for lack of a better term a doctrinal foundation for a consideration of the subject of holiness is the division by God of all mankind into but two classes of people the holy and the unholy. Just as surely as holiness stands at the forefront of the purpose of God in redemption from his electing love to the consummation of that redemption, so as God views humanity, he divides humanity into two classes, the holy and the unholy the sanctified and the

35:13 unsanctified and there's no third class. In the interest of time, will you turn please to the eighth chapter of the book of Romans and then we shall look at a few verses in the fifth chapter of the book of Galatians. Romans chapter 8 beginning with verse 5 Romans 8 verse 5 and we shall read through verse 9 and then verses to 14 They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the spirit, the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded or fleshly minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace because the carnal or fleshly mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God, but ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ

36:39 he is none of his. Verse 12 Therefore brethren we are debtors, not to the flesh to live after the flesh for if ye live after the flesh ye shall die. Not a matter of rewards, not a matter of the gaining or losing of privilege, it's a matter of life and death, spiritual life spiritual death. If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, but if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live for as many as are led by the spirit of God, that marks off a certain kind of people for as many as are led by the spirit of God they, and they only are the sons does in this passage he sets in one of two categories all men. In verse 5 they that are after the flesh they prove that they are after the flesh by giving themselves to the things of the flesh. Here's another class, those that are after the spirit verse 6, those that walk in this path, it's the path of death. Those who walk in this path, the path of life then he describes this path. This path of fleshiness

37:54 is basically one of enmity to God, one of insubordination to God one in which the heart and the will is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Verse 8, it's a state in which nothing that the person does is acceptable unto God. They that are in the flesh cannot please God but on the other hand he said there are those who are not in the flesh by virtue of the fact now notice, that the spirit of God dwells in them they have been brought into that relationship where the spirit of God now dwells in them, they are no longer here, but here and he says if you're not here if the spirit is not dwelling you you're still over here, you're in the flesh, you're none of his, there's nothing you do that is acceptable unto God. Then he goes down to say in those other verses, verse 11 to 14, those who give themselves over to the appetites and passions of sinful flesh put them to death and it's only those who put them to death that have any promise that they shall live for they are the ones who show their sonship by being led by the spirit of God.

39:09 Now you find essentially the same thing in Galatians chapter 5 I shall simply read the passage with very little comment and then make several comments on both of these passages. Galatians chapter 5 you notice that the apostle is setting before us two basic spheres of existence of practice, of thought of attitude, action of reaction. In verse 19 now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these adultery, fornication uncleanness, lasciviousness idolatry, witchcraft hatred, emulations strife, seditions heresies, endings drunkenness, revelings and such are completed the of the which I tell you before as I told you in time past that they who do such things, they who live in the practice of such things, those who are given over to such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Now here's the contrast, the fruit of the spirit there's another realm here's the realm of flesh, those who live in it destined for perdition but the fruit of the spirit is love, peace long-suffering, gentleness, goodness faith, meekness, self-control

40:38 such there is no law now don't stop, we must read the next verse. But generally verses 22 and 23 are held out as the ideal which a few elite Christians attain and verses 19 to 21 as the general practice of most so-called Christians but notice what Paul says in verse 24 and they that have Christ not they who've attained some great degree of spiritual maturity not they who've come to some great attainments in the secrets of the victorious life of Christ the affections and love from the realm of into the realm of the spirit. Now it's not a perfect severance. I'm to say in the next two verses if we lived in the spirit let us walk by the spirit let us not be desirous of vain glory provoking one another and being one another. Though the deliverance is basic and real it's not perfect. There's always the

41:52 possibility of reverting to one of the ways of the flesh in a given area. But this is a far cry from the implication given so often in our day that a person can be dominated by verses 19 to 21 and still be a Christian and it's only a matter of losing a few rewards. Oh no Paul says. If you're Christ there's been a crucifying a severing with that.

42:17 And an emergence in this. Precisely what Paul says in Romans 8 under different terminology when he says if you are Christ you're no longer in this realm of flesh. This is not your basic sphere of experience and existence. Now why is it so important that we face the implication of these two passages and there are others. 1 John 3 verses 4 to 10. Some of you may want to jot that down and read it at your leisure. Which show that all of mankind are basically divided as the holy the unholy. The sanctified the unsanctified.

43:03 It's important because you and I are continually by virtue of the deception of our own hearts trying to find a mediating ground between the two. And wholeness of the Christian life and teaching on how to live the Christian life have emerged on the basis of the Christian life. The basis of man's itch to find some place between the two. Because it's obvious that upon this realm of the flesh rests the condemnation of God and those who are given over for it to not inherit the kingdom of God. So by the terrors of natural conscience we don't want to be so much over there that we have the threat of judgment over us. And yet on the other hand the demands of biblical holiness are so stringent. They talk about plucking out right eyes and cutting off right hands. They talk about a narrow gate and few there be that find it.

44:00 The demands of biblical holiness are such that they talk about the Lord Jesus not tolerating any rival of his affection in our hearts. Even husband, wife, mother, children and my own life. Between these two things only to the realm of the flesh is to walk and live in the realm of a tormented conscience. Judgment is upon that as he faces the sphere of the strict demands of gospel holiness.

44:37 His flesh fringes and says, oh no, I cannot give up my lust if that's what it is. No, no, I must find some mediating position. Far enough from here that my conscience will be at ease. My darling, there is none. And the man who is not here in the middle, he's over here and possibly in worse condition than the man who is overtly in that position. This weekend, any real involvement in this matter of holiness until we see that his almighty promise in this place he sees but two kind of people. And those who are to the flesh

46:01 no matter how we find it. There's no middle. Degrees to which we are pursuing holiness, yes. Degrees to which men give themselves over to the works of the flesh, yes.

46:17 But no middle class. Works of the flesh, the fruit of the spirit. Kindly minded, spiritually minded, yes. Until that principle and theological concept grips us, I doubt we'll take seriously the text that is before us.

The Radical Effect of Regeneration on Holiness

46:37 Follow after the holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. And then in the five minutes that remain may I bring into focus another foundational principle, biblical, call it if you want, theological principle. And that is a recognition of the radical effect of regeneration. We're to appreciate gospel holiness. We must back off and see something of the purpose of God reaching back into election and forward to glorification and seeing the fact that holiness encompasses it all. We would appreciate gospel holiness. We must see that all of mankind is divided into one of two classes. Those who are pursuing it and those who are given over to the flesh.

47:31 Then in the third place, if we would make any progress in the pursuit of gospel holiness, we must catch something of the declaration of scripture concerning the radical change which regeneration brings in the life. What I need to do in the interest of time to remind you of this is to take you back to a text that we read just a few minutes ago. Having described the realm of the flesh and those that are in the flesh that they cannot please God. They cannot please God.

48:05 Nothing an unregenerate man does is acceptable to God. I've believed that for a long time but it just gripped me in the past couple of weeks. Nothing! If you're not in the realm of the flesh nothing you do is acceptable to God.

48:19 Nothing. You cannot please God. For to please God of deed and act must have a right end. The glory of God must be done by a right rule. The law of God must be done out of a right motive. Love to God. And the unregenerate man has none of those things. The glory of God is not his goal.

48:40 The law of God, he's in enmity with it. He has no love for God. But now what changes a man from that state where he cannot please God living in the realm of the flesh what brings about the change? Verse 9, Romans 8 But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if ye see that the Spirit of God the Holy Spirit has taken up his residence in you, then the severance the cleavage has occurred you've been taken out of the realm of the flesh you've been put basically into the realm of the Spirit Paul said essentially the same thing in Galatians 5, they that are Christ those who have been savingly joined to Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and the lusts thereof. The reason there's so much confusion in the area of sanctification and biblical holiness is because there is a lack of appreciation of the radical nature of regeneration. Now I did not say that your experience of God's regeneration must be spectacular the ways of the Spirit are like the wind, Christ said there's an element of divine mystery I don't know when the Lord regenerated me I can't point to a time when he was pleased to quicken me

50:07 I can't even point to a month I can point to a little block in my life when I think I began to see some signs of light so I'm not talking about a spectacular conversion experience in which your regeneration came to light bells ringing and lights flashing and horns tooting, no no don't misunderstand me I'm not saying that I'm saying that the effect the result of quickening a dead sinner is a radical thing and we must appreciate that for the scriptural turn to this workmanship created in Christ Jesus if any man be in Christ he is a new creation you have made alive who were dead that change is not perfect in degree there are areas that he changes that need more change it's not complete in its extent but it is basic ye were the servants of sin Paul says ye've been made the servants of Christ it's a powerful change and it's what I'm calling a germinal change the work of regeneration has in it of that life which will come to full fruition when we shall be like him and we see him as he is don't minimize what God does

51:35 when he brings a sinner out of darkness into light when he quickens a dead sinner for the scripture says we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works and I submit for your careful study this week again trying to buy up every opportunity for spiritual profit take some time during the afternoon and read through the book of 1 John and notice all those things that John says are the fruit of an advanced stage of spiritual experience not of some coat of many colors kind of a spiritual second or third or fourth work of grace no no he said all of those things are the fruit of regeneration hereby do we know that we are born of God if we love the presence if if if and those things are the evidences that God has implanted light follow after the holiness without which no man shall see the Lord in the light of this text I trust that we are convinced that holiness is an essential element of biblical salvation that holiness is the pursuit of every true child of God and in order that we might think intelligently and biblically in these days let us meditate upon the place of holiness in these great areas

53:03 of biblical truth in the purpose of God in grace from election to glorification is that he might have a holy people as God looks down and classifies this assembly he sees them as holy and unholy sanctified unsanctified as God is pleased to quicken men by his regenerating power he brings them into the realm of the spirit and then there is the beginning of that work progressive sanctification and pursuit after holiness about which I trust we shall not only learn much from God's servants this week within which we shall make some personal and decided strides it would be a curse to go away with a head full of facts about sanctification and not be any further along the road in our pursuit and personal experience of gospel holiness God grant that we shall learn all we need to learn unto our own experience to the glory of God