chrisschellenberg.com

“The Heart of Holiness”
Colossians 2:6-10
Pastor Dunlop

“Paul admonished us to have no confidence in the flesh; Jesus said, ‘Without me, ye can do nothing’.

Holiness is more than a personal checklist – it isn’t something we just wake up one morning and decide to do. God knows our hearts – where are we in the matter of personal holiness tonight?

Mark 7:20-23 says, ‘And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.’

Lists and standards are not the equivalent of Holiness. Standards are necessary, but they are a means to an end – they are not an end in themselves. Holiness is not merely a list; it is a relationship with a Holy God.

Holiness is possible in the Christian life, for God commands us to be Holy! 1 Peter 1:15 says, ‘But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.’

We must understand Holiness from God’s perspective, not our own. We can’t depend on what we see others doing – we must depend upon God’s Word! Set your sights on God, not on man. Go off of God’s Holiness.

Proverbs 12:15/30:12 – ‘The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.’

Jeremiah accused Israel correctly of walking after the imaginations of their own hearts. We can very easily be guilty of the same today! Don’t be content with your life based on mans standards – go by God’s standards, and make things right.

Make the decision that you are not going to just conjure up niceness – Let God transform you from the inside-out tonight!

Lev. 20:26: ‘And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.’”