Holiness, Godliness, Usefulness
08/14/2013, by John Kincaid
Lesson 5: 3 Obstacles to Holiness (Part 2)
Our View of Sin
We tend to think that some sins are unacceptable, but others are not so bad. We tolerate those. We fail to take those sins seriously. We defend this view by pointing at the Pharisees’ legalism. Look how they nit-picked every detail, and demanded obedience to the letter of the law.
Song of Solomon 2:15 - “little foxes that spoil the vineyard.” The road to ruin is paved with compromise on small issues. Why should we obey God? The issue is not whether the sin is big or small. Andrew Bonar said we must obey because of “the majesty of the Lawgiver”.
In the Garden of Eden, the Ten Commandments and other laws had not been given. God gave Adam one little rule: don’t eat from one tree. It seemed like a tiny sin.
Gen.2:17 of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.
Gen.3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed one little rule, it was the original sin, the Fall of Man. It is the same issue for us: Should we obey God in all things, whatever He says? Can we call sin ‘sin’ not because it is big or little, but because God forbids it? If God called it a sin, do you agree with God?
Before we can grow in holiness, we must commit with God’s help to overcome these obstacles: Look at sin as an offense against a holy God, not just a personal weakness. Take responsibility for your sin, which is only possible if you depend on God’s grace. Decide to obey God in all areas, even if it seems unimportant.
About This Series
The goal of this series is to become more useful in serving the Lord Jesus Christ, as an instrument in the Redeemer's hand. The theme verses for the series are Ephesians 4:22-24, Philemon 11, 2 Timothy 2:21
- to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
- and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
- Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.
- Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
