I
want to speak to you for a few minutes from the question,
"Can men live holy in this life?" This question
living a holy life or a sinless life in this world of
wickedness for years been a controversial question and
will continue to be as long as men resist the teachings of
the word of God. It matters little what I say in regard to
question, but it is of utmost importance what God about
it; and that's all I'm interested in, and that's at I'm
going to give you. We are not going to consider what men
have to say in defense of a life in sin, but what God says
about a life of holiness. There has never been or prophet
or preacher sent of God who defended a sinful life. God
doesn't send men to preach things contrary to his word;
therefore, those who contend the impossibility of sinless
living do not know God, neither hath known him.
First, I call your attention to
Eph. 1:4-5 which tells us that God planned that his people
should live holy lives even before he laid the foundation
of this beautiful world. The doctrine of holy living is
nothing new with God — it was in his mind before he
created Adam and Eve in the beginning, and it is still in
his mind and is his plan for his children. I read in Eph.
1:4-5, "According as, he hath chosen us in him before
the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and
without blame before him in love: having predestinated us
into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself,
according to the good pleasure of his will." The
desire of the heart of God is manifest in these words,
"That we should be holy and without blame before him
in love." This is one thing that God did
predestinate. He did not predestinate any particular
individual to be saved or lost, but he did predestinate
all his children should be adopted into the family of God
through Jesus Christ, and that they all should be holy and
without blame. This was the good pleasure of God even
before the foundation of the world.
This being the desire of God's
heart and his good pleasure that his people should be
holy, he provided a way that they may be holy. He gladly
gave his Son on the cross of Calvary that we might be
delivered from the power of sin and have victory over it.
In Matt. 1:21 we read these words, 'And she shall bring
forth a son (speaking of Mary), and thou shalt call his
name JESUS; for he shall save his people from their
sins." Jesus came into the world to save people from
their sin and not in their sin. Praise God! He does
deliver those who will come to him and accept him in their
hearts. He suffered the ignominious death on the cross to
reconcile all things unto himself. Paul declares this
truth in Col. 1:20-22, "And, having made peace
through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all
things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things
in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime
alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet
now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through
death, to present you holy and unblameable and
unreproveable in his sight." These scriptures tell us
that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary and went to the
cross for the purpose of saving his people from their sins
and to present them holy and unblameable in his sight. If
it is impossible to live a sinless life, we conclude then
that the plan of God was to no avail. It did not
accomplish that which he planned, if so be it is
impossible to live holy. Do you see what men who are
so-called preachers of God are doing when they teach the
impossibility of living holy? They are robbing God of his
power to save; they are robbing the blood of Jesus of its
efficacy to save; in fact, they are robbing the Bible of
its authority as the word of God. They are false prophets;
they were not sent of God, neither do they know God.
Jesus came teaching that men must
be "born again." He said, "Except a man be
born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." At
this point is where so many people are led astray. They
are led to rely on church joining to make them a
Christian, or perhaps on personal confession to a man, or
doing penance. None of these things will make a Christian
of you, dear friend. You must "be born again."
What does he mean? He means you will have to forsake sin
and repent of it before God will save you from it. In so
doing, you will be born of the Spirit and become a
Christian. In John 1:11- 13 we read these words, "He
came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as
many as received him, to them gave he the power to become
the sons of God, even to them that believe his name; which
were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor
of the will of man, but of God." You cannot receive
Jesus unless you forsake and repent of sins. The saving
grace of God does not come in until we have thoroughly
repented, then faith to receive him is inspired in our
hearts and we are born of God, saved from sin and ready to
live a Christian life. Now lets look at a few verses in
the first epistle of John, chapter 3, verses 8-l0.
"He that committeth sin is of the devil for the devil
sineth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God
was manifested, that he might destroy, the works of the
devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for
his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he
is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest,
and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not
righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not
his brother." This is simple and very easily
understood. John says he that commits sin is of the devil,
and whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin. There is
only one of two lives we can live, that is a sinful life
or a sinless life. It is at this point that John
differentiates between the children of God, or Christians,
and the children of the devil, sinners. The one commits
sin and the other does not.
Holy living is sinless living, and
without this kind of life we will miss heaven. Perhaps you
say, "Preacher, I don't know anyone who lives that
kind of life in my community.Ó That doesn't make the word
of God of no effect. You cannot hide, behind that on the
day of judgment; You must meet the word of God just as it
is. It is your responsibility to give your heart and life
to God. and be the first one in your community to put this
kind of life on exhibition. It is scriptural and is
possible . God can and does save from the bondage of sin
and gives power to live without sin. Paul testified to the
Romans once and said. "Sin shall not have dominion
over you.Ó If you ever expect to see God in peace and
enter the pearly white city, you will have to live holy in
this life Heb. 12:14 tells us to "follow peace with
all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the
Lord."
