Holiness, Godliness, Usefulness
01/10/2014, by John Kincaid
Lesson 112: Blameless: The Purpose of Salvation
God not only saves us from the penalty of sin, but also from its power over us. The purpose of our salvation is to be 'holy & blameless in his sight'.
Eph.1:4 [God the Father] chose us in Jesus before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy & blameless before him.
A Christian who continues to live in sin is going against God’s purpose for salvation.
1 Thes.3:13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
Holiness is not required before salvation; that would be salvation by works. But holiness is part of the salvation we receive by grace through faith.
God commands His children to be holy after salvation. Believers trust in Christ for salvation; we must also trust in Christ alone for holiness.
At the moment of salvation, we may not be aware that we desire holiness. But the Holy Spirit, who gave us a new heart, will also create a desire for holiness in us. If “faith” does not produce works (a holy life), it is not a living faith.
God’s grace teaches us to say no to temptation, and to live godly lives. When we renounce something, we refuse to follow it any more – abandon it, give it up, reject it, leave it behind.
Titus 2:11-12 the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness & worldly passions, & to live self-controlled, upright & godly lives.
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.
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