What Does It Mean to Be a “Holy Person”?

Living a Jesus Kind of Life
What Does It Mean to Be a “Holy Person”?

I. Introduction

A. “What does it mean to be a ‘’ person?”

B. Matthew 5:3-4 (NLT) ³“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. ⁴God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

C. Matthew 5:13a, 14a (NLT) ¹³“You are the salt of the earth.” ¹⁴“You are the light of the world.”

D. Matthew 5:21-22 (NLT) ²¹“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ ²²But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.”

E. Matthew 5:27-30 (NLT) ²⁷“You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ ²⁸But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”

1. “The of the Scribes and the Pharisees”

2. “How can I be ?”

3. They thought about “goodness” primarily in terms of sin .

4. It’s what is of us that matters! And, what is inside of us will always out of us!

F. Mark 7:20-23 (NLT) ²⁰“It is what comes from inside that defiles you. ²¹For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, ²²adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. ²³All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”

1. Becoming “holy” means I become the kind of person who actually to do what is , and good, and noble!

G. John 15:5 (NLT) “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

II. Two Practices We All Need to Cultivate

A. Adventures in

1. John 14:15 (NAS) “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

2. “At the end of the day, it’s good to ask the question: ‘What did I seek to do today just because Jesus said to do it?’” (George MacDonald)

3. Matthew 15:11 (NAS) “It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”

4. James 3:2 (NAS) “If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.”

5. “Starting tomorrow at 11:00 a.m., go 24 hours without saying anything negative, anything dishonest. No complaining, no whining, no gossip, no excuses, no minimization, no rationalization, no denial, no defensiveness, no blaming. Don’t pass judgment. This includes body language: no eye rolling, no sighs of exasperation, no cold shoulders, no clucking of the tongue. For 24 hours, assume the world can exist without you correcting everybody and managing the flow of information.” (Richard Foster)

B. The practice of

1. I John 1:9 (NAS) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2. James 5:16a (NAS) Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.

3. “In failing to confess, Lord, I would only hide You from myself, not myself from You.” (Saint Augustine)

4. John Wesley’s

5. There is so much power in being with other people where you don’t have to anymore!

III. Conclusion