Personal Holiness and Christlikeness, Part 1

Introduction: The Challenge of Personal Holiness as a Ministerial Passion

0:00 The following sermon was delivered on Wednesday morning, October 20th, 2010, at Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey, during the Trinity Baptist Annual Pastors Conference. The preacher is Pastor Albert N. Martin. In these two hours, I want to set before you what I have called, again, typical Puritan fashion, because I don't have that gift of nice, succinct, terse, catchy sermon titles, a challenge to pursue personal holiness and likeness to Christ as a primary ministerial passion.

0:43 And as there are three primary. colors, yellow, red, and blue, from which the full spectrum of colors is composed, I believe the scriptures set before us some primary ministerial passions that ought both to drive and to regulate how we think, how we spend our time, how we expend our energies as the servant of God. One of those passions is the ministry of God. One of those passions is the ministry of God.

1:16 One of those passions is being highlighted in the theme of this conference, namely, Preach the Word. I trust it is a passion of every one of us gathered here to be a Bible-saturated, accurate, passionate, and pointed preacher of the Word of God. And that passion has its taproots in some of those watershed texts which tell us what we are to be about. I trust it is a passion of every one of us gathered here to be a Bible-saturated, accurate, passionate, and pointed preacher of the Word of God.

2:16 I trust it is a passion of every one of us gathered here to be a Bible-saturated, accurate, passionate, and pointed preacher of the Word of God. I trust it is a passion of every one of us gathered here to be a Bible-saturated, accurate, passionate, and pointed preacher of the Word of God.

3:16 I trust it is a passion of every one of us gathered here to be a Bible-saturated, accurate, passionate, and pointed preacher of the Word of God. I trust it is a passion of every one of us gathered here to be a Bible-saturated, accurate, passionate, and pointed preacher of the Word of God.

4:16 I trust it is a passion of every one of us gathered here to be a Bible-saturated, accurate, passionate, and pointed preacher of the Word of God. I trust it is a passion of every one of us gathered here to be a Bible-saturated, accurate, passionate, and pointed preacher of the Word of God.

5:16 I trust it is a passion of every one of us gathered here to be a Bible-saturated, accurate, passionate, and pointed preacher of the Word of God. I trust it is a passion of every one of us gathered here to be a Bible-saturated, accurate, passionate, and pointed preacher of the Word of God.

God the Father's Purpose: Conforming to Christ's Image

6:17 I trust it is a passion of every one of us gathered here to be a Bible-saturated, accurate, passionate, and pointed preacher of the Word of God. In all of his purposes and works, we discover from Scripture that in the unfolding of the plan of redemption, certain acts and purposes are specifically said to be the activity of the Father, some others of the Son, and others of the Holy Spirit within that larger framework of oneness of will and purpose within the Triune God.

7:17 In all of his purposes and works, we discover from Scripture that in the unfolding of the plan of redemption, certain acts and purposes are specifically said to be the activity of the Father, some others of the Son, and others of the Holy Spirit within that larger framework of oneness of will and purpose within the Triune God. In all of his purposes and works, we discover from Scripture that in the unfolding of the plan of redemption, certain acts and purposes are specifically said to be the activity of the Father, some others of the Son, and others of the Holy Spirit within that larger framework of oneness of will and purpose within the Triune God.

8:17 In all of his purposes and works, we discover from Scripture that in the unfolding of the plan of redemption, certain acts and purposes are specifically said to be the activity of the Father, some others of the Son, and others of the Holy Spirit within that larger framework of oneness of will and purpose within the Triune God. In all of his purposes and works, we discover from Scripture that in the unfolding of the plan of redemption, certain acts and purposes are specifically said to be the activity of the Father, some others of the Son, and others of the Holy Spirit within that larger framework of oneness of will and purpose within the Triune God.

9:19 In all of his purposes and works, we discover from Scripture that in the unfolding of the plan of redemption, certain acts and purposes are specifically said to be the activity of the Father, some others of the Son, and others of the Holy Spirit within that larger framework of oneness of will and purpose within the Triune God. In all of his purposes and works, we discover from Scripture that in the unfolding of the plan of redemption, certain acts and purposes are specifically said to be the activity of the Father, some others of the Son, and others of the Holy Spirit within that larger framework of oneness of will and purpose within the Triune God.

10:19 In all of his purposes and works, we discover from Scripture that in the unfolding of the plan of redemption, certain acts and purposes are specifically said to be the activity of the Father, some others of the Son, and others of the Holy Spirit within that larger framework of oneness of will and purpose within the Triune God. In all of his purposes and works, we discover from Scripture that in the unfolding of the plan of redemption, certain acts and purposes are specifically said to be the activity of the Father, some others of the Son, and others of the Holy Spirit within that larger framework of oneness of will and purpose within the Triune God.

11:23 In all of his purposes and works, we discover from Scripture that in the unfolding of the plan of redemption, certain acts and purposes are specifically said to be the activity of the Father, some others of the Son, and others of the Holy Spirit within that larger framework of oneness of will and purpose within the Triune God. In all of his purposes and works, we discover from Scripture that in the unfolding of the plan of redemption, certain acts and purposes are specifically said to be the activity of the Father, some others of the Son, and others of the Holy Spirit within that larger framework of oneness of will and purpose within the Triune God.

12:36 In all of his purposes and works, we discover from Scripture that in the unfolding of the plan of redemption, certain acts and purposes are specifically said to be the activity of the Father, some others of the Son, and others of the Holy Spirit within that larger framework of oneness of will and purpose within the Triune God. In other words, and I shall never forget the first time I read this, as long as God has had being, his love has been set upon his chosen ones. It's an astounding thought. How long has God had being? From everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

13:40 And to think that we were upon his mind? As long as he has had being, with a view that we should be blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ, and that the intention of that blessing, traced to its taproots in his free, sovereign love, is that his image be fully restored, we should be wholly, totally, completely set apart unto him from sin, and without blemish.

14:16 Then when we turn to Romans chapter 8, we find the same purpose coming to expression with a measure of refinement. And this is why I have used the two words, the pursuit of personal holiness, and likeness to Christ, and holiness after the pattern of our Lord Jesus. Romans chapter 8, you know the verses as well as I do, that we are those who need the confidence. Confidence that in all of the tangledness of our lives, there is a God constantly at work.

14:53 He's never taking his hand off, he's engineering, ordering, directing all things, working together for good, even to them that are called according to purpose. They have been called in perfect consonance with the divine purpose. And that purpose is the free sovereign. So he goes on to say, For whom he foreknew, that is, those upon whom he set his love beforehand, he ought to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he, the Son, might be the firstborn among many brethren. When God set his love upon us with the intention of bringing us within the orbit of redemption, in redemptive privileges and redemptive grace, it was to this end, that when he was done, we would be perfectly conformed to the moral likeness of his Son,

16:03 that when God gathers his family together in the last day, he will be the chief among them, the firstborn, the true heir of all things, who shares his heirship with us. And the family likeness will be...

16:19 It will be extensive in every single one of them, that when you look upon the firstborn and look down from him to the family, you distinguish the family likeness in every single one of them. We have reason to believe we'll retain many of our individual characteristics when John sees the redeemed multitude. He sees them still with their ethnic and national and tribalism. He sees their tribal identities out of every kindred and tribe and tongue and nation.

16:56 But amidst all of that beautiful diversity, there will be a family likeness that is absolutely unmistakable. Sometimes when I meet families who've been helped by my ministry and maybe corresponded to them and I've been with them and I've never met them, I meet the whole family and you look at them, sometimes three, four, five, six, some instances recently I went into a church that a number of people have seven to nine kids. And often you look at them and you say, well, in those four, the family likeness is unmistakable. Stick those four kids amongst a hundred kids, set their parents in front of them, you can pick them all out, those four.

17:40 But often there's one or two others you say, where in the world did you come from?

17:47 No features that really resemble the parents. Parents, there'll be none of that. When the elder brother gathers his family together, he looks just like Jesus. He acts just like Jesus.

18:04 He desires just like Jesus. He wills just like Jesus. That was the intention of God, whom he foreknew. He predestined, he determined that they shall bear.

18:21 Perfectly the likeness of his son. And when he's done with us, we will have perfected spirits, inhabiting deathless bodies, and the Bible calls that glorification. And Paul goes on to say, God is going to realize the accomplishment of his purpose for whom he remembered to what he foreordained them. Total conformity to his son.

18:52 He begins it when he calls them, whom he called, he justified, whom he justified, them he also glorified. And what is glorification? It's the completion of that divine purpose. When our perfected spirits will inhabit deathless bodies, and we shall be forever with the Lord in the new heavens and in the new earth.

19:20 Brethren, think what that will mean. If you could have a perfected spirit for a half an hour, right now, you know what would happen? Your body would burn out before the half hour. If you had a spirit capable, here and now, of keeping the first commandment, loving God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, perfectly loving your neighbor as yourself.

19:54 Imagine a spirit suffused with God. Both challenge desire and a plenarity to keep that command. You ain't got in that body to do it, nor do I. Perfected spirit with nothing but whole passions and holy desire, ambitions, and holy responses and reactions to others.

20:26 Inhabiting a deathless body that will need no sleep.

20:32 It's heavenly task. That's glorification. And no wonder John said, It does not. Yes.

20:39 Let it appear what we shall be. But we know that when he shall be manifested, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And why Paul said, A time is coming when our blessed Lord shall fashion the body of our humiliation, like unto the body, now notice, of his glory. While his resurrection body in those 40 days had capacities unique to it, it wasn't yet the body of his glory.

21:13 It was still suited in some ways to life on earth. And yet in other ways for the life of heaven. He could pass through the walls, the doors being shut. He's walking with a couple of people, sits down for a meal.

21:28 The next thing you know, boom, he's gone. He's found somewhere else. But it's the body of his glory. What physical capacities does our exalted Lord now possess?

21:41 At the right hand. At the right hand of the Father. And our affected bodies will be fashioned like unto the body of his glory. So we see in the Father's loving purpose and choice of specific sinners to be the recipients of grace, holiness, and likeness to his Son are central to that purpose.

God the Son's Procurement: Sanctifying His Church

22:08 Not peripheral. Central to that saving purpose. Well then, secondly, consider God the Son in the actual procurement of our redemption by his saving acts.

22:26 When the eternal word took man's soul from Mary's womb, was it only by which the constructiousness, which by imputation could be placed upon us, was it only? Was it only?

22:54 The writer to Hebrews. He might destroy him that had the pot and deliver them who object to bondage. Did he take true humanity to himself simply or which to create righteousness with which we would be clothed?

23:21 Did he take flesh and blood only for death?

23:32 No. He took that humanity to himself. Other reasons that are central to his own conscious engagement. In the work of our redemption.

23:46 And we find that explicitly stated in Ephesians chapter 5. And as you well know, some of the richest theology set before us in the New Testament grows out of the most practical pastoral theology. It's when the apostle and the other writers are pressing the duties and responsibilities of believers that they show their tap roots. In the rich theology that is set before us.

24:20 And certainly we have that in Ephesians chapter 5. Paul's taking us bozos who have a wedding ring on and sitting us down and saying, Now listen to me, you men. She's not just there to wash your dirty underwear and your dirty socks and put some meals on the table and plant a kiss on your cheek and give you thrills in bed. You husbands, listen to me.

24:45 Love your husbands. Your wives. And then he puts two equal signs. Overwhelming responsibility.

24:54 Even as Christ loved the church. And then later on, you love yourself. I am to love this woman with a love that has some signs of reflection to the love that drove my Lord to the agonies of the cross. Giving up himself for me.

25:18 And the love that I'm natively. Have for myself. That when my fingers pinched in the door, I immediately tracked it. If I need to cleanse it and put a band-aid on it or go to the emergency room and get stitches, everything else is put aside.

25:35 I naturally love myself. I nourish and I cherish my own body. She is my body. I'm to nourish and cherish her.

25:45 But now as Paul unfolds that duty. Notice what he says in verse. Twenty-five. Husbands, love your wives even as you love the church.

25:59 And gave himself up for it. That he might sanctify it. Set it apart unto himself. Having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word.

26:15 That he might present the church to himself a glorious church. Not having. A spot or ring such thing, but that the divine purpose in election should be realized. The same words are before us again, but that it should be whole.

26:35 Now, does that mean that the Lord poured out his life's blood to the end that he might his church to him?

26:51 Beautiful wedding garment, but under the garment of bride who was still twisted versity and stick. That will. That will be as beautiful within as her garment is beautiful without. That he might present that bride himself.

27:18 Holy spot. Jesus died that you Christians, yes, and in the morning as those who traffic in preaching Christ and in crucified. The wonder of his death. The effects of his death.

27:41 The purpose of his death. Who then should embody that purpose? This being worked out in intensified measure, but those of who are proclaiming. Then surely as one who holds the glow, the privileges and the motives of Christian living that out of the cross Christian living is strong.

28:17 And that's what we're trafficking. And then surely brethren, what a contradiction. If we are not passionately pursuing the holiness and the conformity to Christ. The very thing.

28:32 He died in his people. And then there is Titus chapter two Titus chapter two where the apostle begins chapter two by saying to Titus. As you not only supply things that are lacking in the government and oversight of the church ordaining elders in every city. Also speak the things that be fit the sound or the healthy teaching.

29:08 And then he goes on. That's specific. And let me just pause to say, this is why we believe in pointed specific applicatory preaching. Paul did not say now Titus speak the things that be fit sound doctrine and the Holy Spirit will teach you what it is.

29:25 And he'll teach the people what it is. Just tell them live in a way consistent with the healthy doctrine. I'm teaching you. I don't want to play Holy Spirit and tell you specifically what that means.

29:36 Paul says to Titus, you better give the Holy Spirit something to. To that end, namely that the aged men be temperate, grave, sober minded, sound in faith, in love and patience, that the aged women be reverent in demeanor, et cetera. And he focuses in upon all these various segments of people within the congregation, giving specific ethical conditioning of their consciences as to what it is to live a life that befits the healthy teaching of. Apostolic gospel.

30:13 Having done that, he then, after dealing with servants or slave, he says, here's the great end in view. Verse 10, not stealing, but showing all good fidelity that they may not dress themselves up in the doctrine of God, but that they may dress the doctrine of God a savior in all things. There's the doctrine of the gospel. Now he says.

30:42 Teach the people to live this way that they may dress up that gospel and make it attractive. Why? Well, he goes on to say, for the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to the intent that denying ungodliness and worldly lust. Oh, you mean there still are such things as ungodliness and worldly lust?

31:12 Christian liberalism. Liberty can't extend itself into the neutering of those words. No, it cannot. And you indulge in that as an expression of your liberty.

31:30 Tell them to deny which is inherently us, which must be denied, not cover the skewed doctrine of Christian liberty, instructing them to deny ungodliness and worldly lust. On the positive side that we should. We should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of God in our Savior Jesus Christ. Well, Paul, why is this so vital?

32:12 Why is this so important that I, Titus, labor to this end among the saints at Crete? He says, this is why. He says, because. The Savior gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, purify people for his own possession, boiling with intense passion, zealous of good works.

32:47 These things command and teach and reprove with all authority. And look at the last imperative. Let no. No man despise you.

33:04 Despise you for what?

33:08 The people would hear this read in their assemblies, no doubt. Don't despise Titus as an apostolic representative, being my alter ego among you for the ongoing maturation of the church. But is that all that's involved? I think not.

33:26 Because he had said in verse 7, after giving this litany of specific directives, Oh, by the way, Titus, everything you point out to others as the thing they should be in showing an example, a tupos of good works in everything to which you call gold as their example. But if they say, Pastor Titus, what does that mean? You can say to them, be followers. Be followers of me as I am of Christ. Oh, you say, but isn't that a unique apostolic privilege? No, it is not. For an apostle wrote to a church at Philippi and said in chapter 3 in verse 17, Mark those among you who walk so as you have an example and follow them into which we call our.

34:39 We are under a solemn obligation. So to walk. That when we call them to this lifestyle, they don't think lightly of us. They don't despise us.

34:55 Big deal. He calls us to a life of being filled with the spirit, manifesting ever increasing aspects of the fruit of the spirit. The last of which is what? Self control.

35:10 Self control. And he hangs his big belly on. The pulpit while he calls us to such a lifestyle.

35:21 Let no man despise.

35:27 Example in all.

35:31 They see you get out of the car in the car park. When I have Brits among us, I don't call it parking lot. I call it car park. Automatically kicks in.

35:42 And you get out your door and start walking. They see your wife sitting there. She gets out her door. They don't see you going around doing the little things.

35:52 The things that show she's important to you. Most of us will live and die and never be called to rescue our wives from a burning building in an act of momentary heroism. We show we really love her by the accumulation of the little tokens that she's our queen. We honor her.

36:15 We help her on with her coat down in the foyer. And young men look and say, hey, they've been married 35 years. And he still treats her like he's courting her. That's what it means to love her as Christ loved the church.

36:30 To love her as he loves himself. Now you can trace that out in all kinds of areas, brethren. Let no man despise you. In all of those areas where God calls us to growing conformity to his son.

36:51 And to a holiness that is concretized. In these words, zealous of good works. Works mandated by God. Done out of gospel motives to the glory.

37:09 Conscious of our dependence upon God. But at the end of the day, zealous of good works. In all things showing ourselves an example of good works. My brothers, if Jesus died to this end.

37:28 Must not his purpose. Become our passion. If we really love him. If our passion is that of the apostle as he articulates it in passages like Colossians 1.

37:43 To present every man mature in Christ. Must we not with all the acknowledgements of our sins and our failures. And the things that ooze out of our pastoral prayers. In which our people would have to be totally nuts.

37:59 To every man. To every thing that we claim perfection. That we've arrived. When we become their mouthpiece at the throne.

38:07 We confess our sins. We acknowledge our dullness. We acknowledge our waywardness. But as they be.

38:17 They can not only model their prayers after ours. Naked honesty before God at the throne of grace. But they see in us.

38:30 True progress in holiness. And increasing conformity to Christ. Where once perhaps when our passions were stirred in our preaching. Or in our pastoral dealings.

38:45 There were edges of irritation that we had to confess to God and to our people. Now more of the meekness and the gentleness of Christ. Begins to ooze out in our labors. Publicly.

39:00 Privately. More thoughtfulness. More consideration.

39:06 My brothers. Jesus died to make you such a man. He died to make me such a man. Well.

God the Holy Spirit's Application: Sanctification and Obedience

39:13 What then of God the Holy Spirit? In the actual application of this salvation. Purposed by the Father. In which holiness and likeness to Christ is central.

39:28 In this salvation procured by the Lord Jesus. By his perfect life under the law. And his giving up himself to be our vicarious curse bearer. As we heard so movingly last night.

39:48 What is the purpose of the Holy Spirit. When there is assigned to him. A peculiar function in bringing that salvation home. To those specific individual sinners.

40:02 Chosen by the Father. And purchased by the Son. Now I know calling is attributed to the Father. First Corinthians 1.9.

40:12 And some of our catechetical and confessional standards. Are a little bit imprecise. When they attribute calling entirely to the Holy Spirit. I know that.

40:22 You know that. So forget it. All right.

40:25 But that which actually connects us. Vitally. Experientially. To this salvation.

40:34 Purposed and purchased. And by the Son. It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We are born of the Spirit.

40:44 There is a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit. That is unto faith and repentance. And there is the gift of the Spirit. Not a different Spirit.

40:55 Not some post conversion experience. But exegesis demands that we somehow express the difference. Between the work of the Spirit. That is.

41:06 Unto repentance and faith. And the gift of the Spirit of adoption. That is to faith. And scripture makes that plain.

41:15 Repent. Be baptized every one of you. Unto the remission of sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

41:23 Or Galatians 3. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law. That the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles. That we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

41:35 By.

41:37 Receive you the Spirit. By the hearing of the law. The works of the law. Or the hearing of.

41:45 Brethren. Make that distinction in your ministry. And it is a little aside. Make that a part of your gospel appeal.

41:53 Tell sinners. As God graciously commands them to repent and to believe. He promises to every penitent believer. The gift of his Spirit.

42:05 To indwell them. To empower them. To suffuse them with motivation. And grace.

42:11 To live the life to which God calls them. That's just a little pastoral theology on the side. But coming back now. To our theme.

42:21 Why should I pursue holiness and likeness to Christ. As a primary ministerial passion. I say. Because when God the Holy Spirit applies this salvation.

42:36 One of his dominant purposes. Is our holiness. And conformity. To Christ.

42:48 Let's look at a couple of texts. Second Thessalonians chapter 2. Second Thessalonians. And chapter 2.

42:56 Verse 13.

43:00 We are bound to give thanks to God always for you. Brethren. Beloved of the Lord. For that God chose you from the beginning.

43:11 Unto salvation. In. Sanctification of the Spirit. And belief of the truth.

43:21 God's free choice of you. Is with respect to a salvation. That has as its orbit. Two things.

43:31 The sanctifying operation of the Spirit. In conjunction with. Belief of the truth. So wherever an elect sinner.

43:41 Is brought by transforming internal work of the Spirit. In conjunction with. Belief of the truth. To faith.

43:48 He is also brought. Home of the sanctifying ministry. Of the Spirit. He is fundamentally.

43:57 Radically. Separated. From the world. From a life.

44:04 Liberate indifference to. And violation. Of the law of God. In fact the Bible.

44:10 So far as to say. As by faith he is united to Christ. In union with Christ. He actually dies to sin.

44:19 There is a radical severance. To the dominion of sin. As radical as death. Separates us from this life.

44:27 And this world.

44:30 That's what the Spirit does. When he applies this salvation. That has as its eternals. I'm going to make him like Christ.

44:39 I'm going to make him a holy man. When Christ went into the bowels. Of the abyss. In the abandonment of Golgoth.

44:48 What was his purpose? I want to have a bride. That I can present to myself. Holy.

44:56 And without spot. Well it's unthinkable. That the Holy Spirit. Who is of one will.

45:01 With the Son and the Father. Would internally apply this salvation. And not radically alter our relationship. To this matter of holiness.

45:13 And likeness to Christ. So Paul gives thanks. For these Thessalonians. Not only that God.

45:20 Chose them. But God called them. In sanctification of the Spirit. And belief of the truth.

45:28 Where unto he called you. Through it will issue. In obtaining the very glory. Of the resurrected Christ.

45:40 But none will attain that glory. Into a salvation. In sanctification of the Spirit. As well as.

45:52 Belief of the truth. Then 2 Peter 1. And verse 2. 2 Peter 1.

45:59 And verse 2.

46:05 Simon Peter. Servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. To them that have obtained alike. No.

46:14 Shouldn't be 2 Peter. I'm sorry. It's 1 Peter. I'm sorry.

46:17 1 Peter. I'm sorry.

46:20 Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ. To the elect. Who are sojourners of the dispersion. In Pontus.

46:27 Galatia. Cappadocia. Asia. And Bithynia.

46:30 In Lent. That is. According to the foreknowledge of God the Father. In sanctification of the Spirit.

46:40 Unto obedience. And sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace. Be multiplied.

46:50 As Peter thinks of those believers. Scattered through Asia Minor. In all those various areas. How does he envision them?

46:59 He envisions them. As a. People loved before him. And chosen by God.

47:08 Sanctifying. Of the Spirit. And unto. And who.

47:14 A life.

47:17 And. Of the blood of Christ. The Holy Spirit. In his regenerating work.

47:25 Imparts that heart of flesh. Into which he places his spirit. And as God says in the promise of the new covenant. In Ezekiel 36.

47:35 I will cause them. To keep my spirit. Statutes. And my judgments.

47:41 Or in Jeremiah 32. I will put my fear within them. That they may not depart.

47:48 This is what the Holy Spirit does. If I may say it. And not be irreverent. The Father.

47:56 Has chosen these. That they should be holy. And without blemish before him. The Son is dying.

48:05 To make them a holy people. What else can I do. But so work. As is within my power.

48:11 To take out. That internal aversion. To light. And truth.

48:17 And holiness. And pleasing God. And serving God. And radically change it.

48:23 And implant within them. Those perspectives. And desires. And pacities.

The Regenerated Heart's Longing for Holiness

48:30 To be the obedient children. Of this gracious God. Well brethren. I trust I've persuaded your judgment.

48:40 That God's great commandment. And concern and redemptive grace. Is nothing less. Than that of taking these marred.

48:48 Twisted. Grotesquely distorted. Defiled image bearers of God. And radically.

48:58 And completely. Ultimately restoring them. To his image. After the pattern.

49:05 Of his own beloved son. And my closing. Summary and application. To several things.

49:14 I want to say quickly. Number one. When we are regenerated. By the spirit of God.

49:21 We are impregnated. With a longing passion. To become in the present. That which we will be.

49:33 In the future.

49:36 Let me repeat that. When we are regenerated. By the spirit of God. We are impregnated.

49:43 With a longing. And a passion. To become in the present. That which will characterize us.

49:54 In the future. And on what basis. Do I make such a dogmatic. Passionate affirmation.

50:02 On this basis. Beloved.

50:06 Now. Be the children of God. It's not yet made manifest. What we shall be.

50:14 He shall be manifested. We shall. We will see him even as he is. John says.

50:25 We all know. What we're going to be like. When God's done with us. We're going to be like Christ.

50:33 Formed to Christ. But he doesn't stop there. What's the next verse? And everyone that hath this hope set on him.

50:46 Is continually purifying himself. As he is pure. He resonates us with a passion. To be what we shall be.

51:02 Then. That's why.

51:10 Irritation is that God has not chosen. But we shall have.

51:22 The Christian life.

51:24 Contradictions. That's why I believe. 714 in fall. Is speaking of the ongoing existential awareness of this.

51:34 In the heart of a true believer. It's not the whole bottom of the Christian life. But it is a vital aspect of it. Rabbi Duncan.

51:44 Of whom we heard last night. He captured. This reality. So perceptively.

51:52 And strikingly. He wrote these words. Nobody's perfect.

51:58 He said those words. Are the hypocrites pillow. They are the true believers. Bed of thorns.

52:06 My brother.

52:09 I believe the host. And hostess at Trinity. Have given you a nice comfortable bed. But they can't remove your bed of thorns.

52:18 If you're the real deal.

52:21 John Owen was bold. Enough to say quote. He to whom the reality of his remaining sin. Is not his greatest grief and burden.

52:31 Is no Christian.

52:36 That's what makes you wonder. Why the health wealth and prosperity guys. Are followed by their thousands. Because for those people.

52:46 Their greatest concern. And grief and burden. Is their physical sickness. Their semi-poverty.

52:55 Their physical sickness. Their frustrations. Not sin.

53:02 Is Owen overstating the case? I don't believe so. I believe he and Rabbi Duncan. Are stating reality brethren.

Ministerial Obligation to Exemplify Holiness

53:11 And surely then. If you and I are trafficking. In the stuff of expounding. And applying those biblical truths.

53:20 Focused on God's redemptive purposes. Provisions. And activities. We above.

53:30 Ought to. Exemplify that we have.

53:36 Passionately pursuing that holiness. And likeness to Christ. Which are central. To the whole redemptive.

53:45 Purpose and activity. Of our blessed triune God. I close with directing your attention. To the apostles words.

53:55 In first Thessalonians. In this hour. First Thessalonians. Chapter one.

54:08 The apostle writes. We give thanks to God. Always for you all. Making mention of you in our prayers.

54:15 Remembering without ceasing. Your work of faith. Labor of love. Patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

54:24 Before our God and Father. Knowing brethren. Beloved of God. How that our God.

54:32 Not unto you only. But also in and in the Holy Spirit. And in much assurance. We are persuaded.

54:43 Of your election. By your evident effectual calling. The gospel did not simply come. Framed in apostolic accuracy.

54:55 And bounce off your ears. The Holy Spirit took that gospel. And by his mysterious. Efficacious work.

55:03 He brought you to faith. And he goes on in this chapter. To say what the evidences of that were. They had joy.

55:10 In receiving that word. In the midst of affliction. They became followers. Of the apostles.

55:16 And other exemplary believers. The word of God sounded out from them. They turned to God. From their idols.

55:24 With a disposition of submission. They turned to serve as a bond slave. This God. All of those were evidences.

55:33 That the gospel had come. Not in word only. But also in power. But notice what Paul inserts.

55:41 He said we know your election. Because of your effectiveness. And your effectual calling. Even as you know.

55:49 What manner of men. We showed ourselves to work. For your sake. He said just as we are confident.

56:00 Of your election. In the face of your effectual calling. And the transformation flowing from it. You know the manner of men.

56:10 We were for your sake. For your sake we brought the gospel. But for your sake. And what was that lifestyle.

56:25 Over to chapter 2. Where he delineates it in specifics.

56:31 Chapter 2. 1 Thessalonians. Verse 10. You are witnesses.

56:39 And God. What you saw. Is what God saw. What you knew.

56:48 They weren't two different things. You were witnesses. And God.

56:56 Righteously.

57:03 Goes toward that belief.

57:08 Brethren. I ask you. A simple question. Must we.

57:15 Put a fence around that text. And cover it with a big capital A. That's for apostles only.

57:25 Or can we say by the grace of God. I want to be able to say to my people.

57:35 And so is God. How holily. Justly. And unblameably.

57:42 We behaved ourselves among you. I come right back full circle to where I began. I challenge. You my brothers.

57:53 In the ministry. To make. Personal holiness. And likeness to Christ.

58:00 A primary. Ministerial. Priority. Let's pray.

Prayer for Greater Holiness and Christlikeness

58:11 Father we're so thankful for your word. We are ashamed.

58:18 Ashamed oh God. Of how sloppily. We often live. How careless we are with our words.

58:26 The use of our. Time. The manner in which we relate to others that. So unlike your beloved son.

58:36 But we own our sin. We mourn our sin. We run to the fountain open for sin and uncleanness. And we refuse to believe.

58:48 That what you have purposed. And that for which you have given us gracious. In dooms by the Holy Spirit. Is simply an ideal.

58:58 Standard to be looked at and nodded at. So we pray come and fill us with your Holy Spirit. And produce we pray abundance of his fruit in us and through us. Lord Jesus take us in hand in new measures and in new areas of our lives.

59:20 That we may be made more like you continue with us as we reflect in the next hour. On those practical. Disciplines which you have ordained by which with the blessing of the spirit. We shall become more like Christ.

59:38 Seal then your word bless our time together in this break. Make it profitable to us all we ask in Jesus name. Amen.