In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of holiness in the life of a Christian. He states that without holiness, no one can see the Lord. The speaker highlights that biblical holiness is a result of a saving union with Christ and is an outcome of regeneration. He also emphasizes that living a holy life is essential for doing good to others and that our actions can either do good or harm to those around us. The speaker shares personal experiences and struggles with striving for holiness, including a time when he focused solely on reading Romans 7 until he could quote three chapters.

You know there's a place in Isaiah chapter 41 verse 7 where it says the carpenters encouraged the goldsmiths. Well we've had the goldsmiths and I hope this carpenter this morning can encourage the goldsmiths a bit. Last night before Pastor Martin preached we prayed together and he said to me Ernie every time he was referring to preaching he said every time is like the first time. Well the Lord must have thought we need to hear much about the subject we're going to hear about because as I listened to Dr. Packer I wonder if he had left me anything to say and I began to think he's not only stole the time but he stole everything else. There will be some overlapping but I couldn't change what I'd already I already had the material for this paper and so I can't change it and the only thing I can figure out is the Lord wanted underscored with you it's not because he was I didn't think he was clear it's not because I didn't think he was able but I figured the Lord must want it underscored that he led me in a way that he has. At one point this week I felt like that young seminarian who had it was his turn to give his trial sermon before his professor and before his classmates and he had always trembled at the thought of this because he heard his he heard his classmates being scrutinized and and criticized and sometimes ridiculed and he he feared the day when he had a preached that sermon but it came that he was nervous and he got up and he said you all know he said you don't know what I'm going to say do you and they said no he said either do I he said he said he said let's he said let's stand for the benediction and he thought because he thought because if that was somebody else was due to do it the next day that he was home free but the professor was too wise he said you you come back tomorrow and so he came back tomorrow and he said you all know what I'm going to say don't you and they shook their head and he says well there's no use me saying it professor was really perturbed and he said he said you come back tomorrow so the fellow just as nervous as he was the first day he came back the third day and he said you don't know what I'm going to say do you about half of them shook their heads no and about a half of them shook their heads yes he said those of you who know tell those who don't know wouldn't do this in the Sunday morning but in a Sunday morning service but a little holy birth is right and and I do feel stuff like that well the subject I have is a very large subject as we've already been acquainted with and I in case I in case I don't get said what I'd like to say what's on my heart what's on my note and that's always possible I don't get said what's on my notes I want to at least do something else recommend a few books and these books have been the source of the material that I've drawn from in trying to put this paper together first of all the Bible is a pretty good book on holiness you know it's a holy Bible I hope before I die I find somebody that picks it up and reads it and bleeds it wouldn't that be something to find somebody that picked up the Bible and bleeds it and read it and then the Westminster Confession of faith chapter 13 years ago and I'm not sure how many years ago pastor Martin gave a series and he took the shorter catechism question and the larger catechism question on sanctification and then he took the confession and those messages I forget whether there were three or five but they were so great that Morton Smith made those required listening for his seminary students and then of course other books that have been mentioned John Owen volume 3 and volume 6 now that's not bedtime that's not bedtime reading and if you're lazy just forget about that recommendation Thomas Goodwin gospel holiness in the heart and life volume 7 Horatius Bonar God's way of holiness I recommend Martin Lloyd-Jones on several sermons on the text Romans 8 verses 12 and 13 has some excellent material on mortification and then two little volumes that have come across my path in the last three years I mentioned the one is the great doctrine of the Bible the way of holiness by KFW prior it's an intervarsity publication and of course the book I mentioned last night that has become a companion with me months ago I was reading this book on a plane and the on the plane and I noticed the stewardess trying to find out what I was reading I guess she thought I was reading I thought what she thinks I'm reading some pornographic magazine but she kept looking and finally she said to me she said is that Jerry Bridget pursuit of holiness that you're reading I said yes well then she told me that they had this aviation of some kind of Christian organization among people in the airline and she said I live in Chicago and she said we've just studied that book to great profit to our soul I recommend it very highly well I want to read some scriptures without comment on this as a kind of a springboard for what I hope to say try to say I want to read a few passages of scripture you know you're not you're not in trouble trying to find passages on holiness in the Bible fact is your problem is trying to eliminate which passage you don't want to read well let me just read a few for our scripture lesson this morning 2nd Corinthians 7 1 therefore having these beloved let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit perfecting holiness in the spirit of God 2nd Corinthians 7 1 but as he who is called you is holy you also be holy in all your conduct because it is written be holy for I am holy 1 Peter 1 5 15 and 16 and then I suppose if I had a text it would be this this text pursue peace with all men with and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord these texts and many more contain some of the most solemn sobering searching truth in the Bible and I want to just first give some general general statements about holiness and it will be some overlapping of statements has already been made but I want to make him in carpenter fashion and carpenters down just general statements about the subject before we look into it first of all everyone who picks up the Bible with a serious heart will soon see that the Bible says God is holy he is called in the scripture by such names as the Holy One the Holy One of Israel holy is often is more often I should say holy is more often used as a prefix to his name than any other attribute holiness is the perfection of all his other attributes his power is holy power his love is holy love his mercy is holy mercy his wisdom is holy wisdom well this should this fact alone should make us anxious to worship him and praise him because he is worthy for living creatures as we read about in Revelation 4 who were gathered around the throne never stopped saying holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty when Isaiah vision in that vision the Prophet saw this truth and reports what the seraphim were crying when they said holy holy holy thrice holy is the Lord of hosts Moses sang of God's holiness in Exodus 1611 who is like unto thee majestic in holiness the life that God described for his people by Isaiah is called the way of holiness but it's not enough just to state this and acknowledge it as true but God demands his people to be holy be holy for I am holy when God takes back the veil and lets us enter into the prayer closet of our Savior in that great great prayer allows us to come into his very prayer closet and hear his own words in prayer part of that prayer is sanctified him through truth thy word is true great apostle when he lays down several weighty and particular evangelical duties first Thessalonians he lays down these evangelical duties and he connects them with several motives for enforcement of these duties and then he ends with a fervent prayer for them he lays out the duties he enforces these duties the motives for these duties and then he prays this is his prayer and the very God of peace sanctify you holy for I pray your whole spirit soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ my Texas holiness without which no man will see the Lord now in many if not most there are those who seek a holy life so they do not have a biblical definition or an idea of holiness nevertheless there's something about religions other religions where they seek holiness many of our Catholic friends who have gone into the monasteries practice a monastic life many cases back of that was seeking to be holy and out of the world our Mormon friends use no tobacco or alcohol or coffee and back of that is an idea that this is holiness in our evangelical circle there are many different ideas about what holiness is and just as many different teachings on how to attain it now every man who is born again has some desire to be a holy if he doesn't have some desire to be holy and to be like Christ he's not a Christian but many dear sincere true Christians have no clear idea about our biblical understanding of precisely what biblical holiness is and there are more differences among true Christians on the doctrine of sanctification and how to pursue it than any other major doctrine in the Bible there are many this morning who would agree on justification who do not agree on sanctification and I don't doubt this crowd that would be those who we have perfect unanimity on the doctrine of justification but not on sanctification many agree that holiness is a part of salvation but they do not agree on how it is related to justification and other important Bible doctrine of the New Testament many denominations have come into being not over the doctrine of regeneration or not over the doctrine of justification but over the doctrine of sanctification what it is and how to obtain it think in your own mind of the many denominations and groups that are divided over the doctrine of sanctification in my circles they call some people the holiness people I said to some Baptist what do you think Baptists are meant to be unholy people holiness groups all the holiness groups there are many theories advanced and many experiences claimed in this whole area and I personally believe that if the experiences would be interpreted by Scripture instead of interpreting Scripture by the experience we'd have a little less confusion and a few less denominations and less divisions among Christians you know something else preachers are not likely to get in trouble preaching the doctrine of justification everybody wants the free gift but I tell you when a preacher begins to bear down seriously about the doctrine of sanctification and holiness its necessity I'll tell you he'll make a few waves and like we heard last night sometimes he'll be like John the Baptist it'll cost him his head however sanctification is just as important as justification because they are inseparably joined together in the application of God's salvation just the same as faith and repentance are entirely two different things but inseparably joined together in the application of God's salvation you young preachers ought to hold tenaciously to that in your preaching and in your practice evangelical doctrine regardless what it is is useless useless unless this be it is accompanied by a holy life and teaching on biblical holiness in fact is it's worse than useless evangelical apart from holiness can do harm it is by a holy life says Paul that we adore the doctrine of God and holiness is a powerful thing you look for powerful things to make your church growing you seek for holiness is a powerful thing I'll tell you Satan knows it the power of true holiness that injures his kingdom and I'll tell you it's easier to preach that is to practice holiness is a very practical truth because it has to do with present-day living and present-day life rather than with future heavenly existence Spurgeon said in the treasure of the Bible I found this quote where Spurgeon said and I quote it would be a great pity if in the process of being qualified for the next life we become disqualified for this it would be very strange thing if in order to fit be fit for the company of angels we should grow unfit to associate with men it would be a singular circumstance if those who speak of heaven have nothing to say concerning the way thither he went on to say true religion has as much to do with this world as with the world to come it's always urging us onward to higher and better life but it does so by processes and precepts which fit us worthily to spend our days here below well another general remark every second work of grace teaching irrespective of the name every second work of grace teaching at the bottom of it there is and there are too many dimensions but at the bottom of it is an erroneous view of the doctrine of sanctification and particularly as it relates to justification and regeneration at the bottom of that second work of grace of the error is the basic error is a faulty erroneous view of the doctrine of sanctification and particularly as it relates to justification and regeneration the whole carnal history heresy and history of it and it's the world is pregnant with it our country is pregnant with that heresy the whole carnal Christian heresy is a result of an arm biblical view of the relationship between justification and sanctification in the application of God's salvation all forms of legalism every kind of legalism all forms of antinomianism is a result of a wrong view of true biblical holiness and its relationship to the moral law as it's summarized in that fixed eternal standard for biblical holiness now in summarizing these general statements that I've just made I want you to get two points just in summarizing those general statements that I made I'd like you to get two points and not miss it the first one is it very simple the subject of biblical holiness is vital it's vital in its importance Thomas Goodwin commenting on Ephesians 1 said this God never at first God never at first cast a thought on to be in Christ but with the intention that we should be holy he went on to say quote holiness is an essential component to being in Christ it goes alongside of it and then the second summary statement and those general remarks is this that there are more mistakes and errors on the subject among this subject among true Christians than any other essential doctrine in the Bible the mistakes are many and great one of the reasons we wanted to have this subject as the principal subject and thrust of this conference is just because of that the mistake are many and great and I could add disastrous well so much for those just general broad remarks and before I talk about some remarks about what it is and what it costs if I ever get there before I do I want to make one point very clear and that is the root and soil of practical holiness you know sometimes we can miss things but we must when we talk about it we must never forget the root and soil of practical holiness and before discussing the subject of practical holiness I to be very very very clear on this point and that is the root and soil of practical home you know every plant must have both soil and root my wife's great on great on plants and she's always have to repot them seems like she's repotting plants all the time the reason is because the soil gets all and it's all roots and if she doesn't repot them they die and so there's two aspects the soil and the root without both of these there can be no growth or fruit you will notice in the text that I read there's a link between holiness and peace follow after peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord speaking on these two things the racist Bonar said and I quote holiness must have these he was talking about root he must they must have these two things root and soil and then he said this the root is peace with God the soil in which the root strikes itself and out of which it draws its vital sap is the free love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord and then he quotes rooted in love is the Apostles description of a holy man holiness is not a sting of a gloom carrying out the great work of making us holy God speaks to us as the God of peace the very God of peace Thessalonians and him being our peace Ephesians 2 14 the which that which we receive from him is set as merely as such as is not merely peace with God but peace through our Lord Jesus Christ who said my feet my joy well again let me emphasize I want to emphasize this point before we pursue it because this is this is where some of the people they miss the root and the ground of truly and I want to repeat Memphis to be savingly joined to Christ is the essential is the first essential step toward a holy life and until your people or you are in Christ we have not one dot of biblical holiness union with Christ by saving faith is both the beginning and the continuing of a holy life why am I saying this I'm saying this because if you would be holy you must begin with Christ Christ is the foundation of true holiness and other foundations can no man lay first Corinthians 30 teaches us that God has made Christ unto us wisdom regeneration sanctification and redemption I found a strong true statement by Robert trail when he said on this verse he said wisdom without Christ is damning folly righteousness without Christ is guilt and condemnation sanctification without Christ is filth and sin redemption without Christ is bondage and slavery men want to attain holiness they must go to Christ holiness comes from Christ it is the fruit of being a living branch in the true vine then we continue in the path of Christ they must abide in Christ because he's the manner that men daily eat he's the rock on which men must daily drink now whatever I have to say on this point I want to be very clear on this major premise there is no holiness apart from Christ however this is not my thrust today but it must be understood in respect to what I'm about to say I'm talking a little bit on the human side of things from here on out I'm talking about personal exertion not passive sanctification that's the enemy of the doctrine passive sanctification and so I'm going to talk about personal exertion the scriptures are also just as clear in light of all that I've said they're just as clear that personal exertion human responsibility and holiness if you will is necessary the expressions in the Bible such as I fight that doesn't sound very passive I wore and these are Bible expressions I keep under my body let us cleanse ourselves I run let us labor strive to enter in lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset you these and many more expressions should strike a death blow to all the false teachings of passive sanctification such as let go and let God stop trying and start trusting just turn your life over and let him live his life through you one great preacher I heard him say why you're just a drain pipe and Christ through you true holiness does not commit does not consist in merely bleeding and feeling but rather in doing bearing practical practical exhibition of both active and passive grace our tongues our tempers our natural passions and inclinations our conduct as parents and children as masters and servants as husbands and wives as rulers and subjects our dress how we spend our time how we conduct our business our demeanor in sickness and health our demeanor in riches and poverty all these are matters which are fully treated in the Holy Scriptures and the Scriptures are not content only with general statements they go to particulars that's what some of you preachers won't do when you preach you won't go to the particulars and that's why you have churches that are filled with people who know nothing about Bible holiness because you're afraid to get down to the particulars no no true holiness does not merely consist in inward sensations and vague impressions it's more than a few tears and sighs and bodily excitement something of the image of a holy Christ it's something of an image of a holy Christ which can be seen and observed by others in our private life habit and character and in our doing it's something that can be seen it's not some mystical thing floating around somewhere and as long as Hebrews 12 14 is in the Bible the subject of Bible holiness will be in season follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord when have you preached on biblical holiness how many times in the last year have you preached on biblical holiness yes it is a solemn text and it's a solemn thing to hear almighty God say without holiness no man shall see the Lord it's a solemn text a wise man tells us there's a time to weep there's a time to laugh there's a time to keep silent there's a time to speak but there is no time no hour no moment when a man ought not to be holy and I ask you are you holy one of the reasons we don't have holy people not the only reason because we don't have holy preachers are you holy that's a good question further are you seeking to lead your people into holiness if I could follow you to your prayer closet for the last couple months would I hear you breathing out to God saying oh God make my people holy you won't have to worry so much about churning up some cranking up some silly ditty of canned evangelism you get some holy people you'll find evangelism this is no idle question for preachers I'll tell you it's a question that concerns all ranks and conditions of men rich and poor learned or unlearned masters or favor servants young or old there is no rank no condition in life which men ought not to be holy that's why I ask if you're preaching it I'm not scolding you dear brothers I'm in the same war in the same battle not my not my purpose to put some kind of false guilt on you I'm asking you a question the Bible is pregnant with the subject God is a holy God how can you go a year without preaching on Bible holiness how can you go and your whole ministry not praying for your people to be holy what is true biblical holiness well it's a hard question and I'm not going to be trying to answer the question by some doctrinal definition of sanctification of what biblical holiness is that's pretty easy I doubt if there's a man here that couldn't do that I'm not interested this morning in just some theological knowledge about the doctrine of sanctification it's not just zeal for religious truth that I'm interested in this morning it's not just merely an outward respectable morality many have decent conduct but know nothing of biblical holiness and I know a lot of preachers personally some of them pretty intimately could do wonderful defining and preaching on holiness but they don't know anything about it what is true biblical holiness I say is a hard question and there are a thousand different teachers running on the contemporary scene with quick answers quick fixes on such a profound subject of inexhaustible first point out then that there are two kinds of holiness John Owen speaks of a two-fold holiness in the scripture the first has reference to is common to person and things consisting of a peculiar dedication or consecration or separation of the service of God such as the priests were dedicated and consecrated the Levites the altar was dedicated consecrated separated the tabernacle and the temple was sanctified and made holy indeed well in all holiness whatsoever this is a peculiar there there is a peculiar dedication and separation to God but the second kind of holiness is more what I'm talking about this morning that is where this separation to God that'd be the first thing but there is rather an effect the second thing is rather an effect to the first there is a real real internal internal if you will internal and personal this is done by God Almighty putting the principle of holiness in our natures thus manifesting itself in acts and duties of holy obedience to our concern just now as a second kind of holiness that is the real the practical the personal it's not my intention to speak therefore so much about the doctrinal aspect but the practical and I don't suggest by that statement that all doctrine is not practical because all doctrine has a practical application but I want to approach it by asking a question this is a question what kind of person are those whom God Almighty calls holy what kind of person are they that God Almighty calls holy first a holy person will be of one mind with God according as he finds that mind revealed in the holy scriptures he'll be one mind with God he will hate what God hates and he will love what God hates he will have a decided bent of his mind toward God he'll have a hearty desire to do the will of God he'll feel what Paul felt when he said I delight in the law of God after the inward man he'll feel something of that or what David felt when he said I esteem all thy precepts and all thy precepts includes the moral law expressed in a decalogue he said David said I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way that's what I mean when I say he'll be a person of one mind with God according as he finds God's mind expressed in the scriptures David said my soul follows hard after thee secondly a holy man will strive to be like our Lord Jesus Christ Dr. Packer touched this so well yesterday that I hardly feel like saying anything about it but since my words are not that polished Oxford English I'm going to say it to you in carpenter language my soul followeth hard after thee a holy man will strive to be like our Lord Jesus Christ he will seek to have the mind of Christ he will seek to be conformed to the image of Christ he will be unselfish even as Christ pleased not himself be like Christ he will remember he will remember that Christ was a faithful witness to the truth in every condition in every circumstance he'll remember that Christ came not to do his own wills but it was his meat to do the will of his father he will be continually denying himself in order to minister to others that he thought more you'll remember that Christ thought more of the godly poor than the kings of the earth you'll remember that Christ was full of love and compassion for sinners oh God almighty give us as preachers some of that you don't have an ounce of it by nature it was never born on Adam's vine it never came from Adam's vine if you knew any of the compassion of Christ it will be as you walk with him and talk with him not something pumped up well this man who wants to be with like Christ will have some compassion of Christ for sinners he'll be bold and uncompromising and denouncing sin Christ was bold and uncompromising and denouncing sin and he sought not the praise of men one of the preacher killers a preacher killer seeking the praise of men our Lord Jesus Christ thought sought not the praise of men though he may have had it he would not even let his nearest relatives mother stand between him and the work of God that was to be done all these things and more holy men will try to remember about Jesus he will lay to heart man seeking to be holy will lay to heart the sayings of John when he said he that sayeth he abideth in Christ ought himself also so to walk even as he walked he'll remember the sayings of Peter where it says Christ suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow in his steps secondly the man God calls holy will be something and some desire to be like Christ and third a holy man will follow meekness long-suffering gentleness patience he will bear much a holy man will not only bear much he'll forbear you know there's two bears in the bible not three bears there are two bears in the bible and you dear brethren know something about it in the ministry we got the bear and forbear and Christ is a great example of forbear a holy man will follow after temperance and self-denial if you don't know what self-denial is please please read pastor Chantry's book the shadow of the cross I beg you to read pastor Chantry's book the shadow of the cross he will able to mortify the desires of his body crucify the flesh with his affections and lusts he'll seek to curb his passions oh what a word what a word is that of our Lord to his apostles in Luke when he said and I quote our Lord Jesus be careful all your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the anxieties of this life Luke 21 30 the apostle put it a different way the same idea I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by the means when I've preached to others I myself should be a catched away a holy man will follow after charity brotherly kindness he that loveth another that fulfills the law a holy man will follow after the spirit of mercy and benevolence toward others Paul could say I will be very gladly spend and be spent a holy man will follow after humility a holy man will follow after faithfulness in all his duties and relationships of life a holy man will keep before him the words of Paul whatever I do do it heartily as unto the Lord not slothful in business fervent in spirit serving the Lord our Lord once put a searching question to his people when he said what do you more than others what do you more than others preacher may I put that question to you what do you more than others in all these lives well a three holy man will follow after spiritual mindedness he will endeavor he will endeavor to set his sections on things above and hold the things of earth very loosely in his hand regardless how immense that may be or how little it may be well these eight little things they're not so little but they're just an outline just a outline of practical holiness just a few of the main features but when you preach this and when I preach it to you this morning we must be very careful and I want to be very careful not misunderstood I don't want my meaning mistaken I don't want my meaning mistaken unless this practical description of holiness should discourage some tender conscience or make some truly righteous heart sad or less just put a stumbling block in the way of a weak leader I want to say at once what I have just outlined does not shut out the presence of indwelling sin that we have been hearing about it doesn't shut it out remaining sin in the christian is a very prominent and important thing in fact is as every true christian here knows this morning the greatest misery of a holy man is he carries in his body he carries with him the body of death that often when he would do good evil is present with him that old principle of remaining sin and always affecting him always hindering his movements always drawing him back always seeking to turn him out of the way the work of sanctification is like nehemiah building the walls of salvation at jerusalem and hanging the great gates of praise the building went on even in the midst of great trouble and our progress in sanctification must go on we must build the walls and hang the gates in the midst of great trouble you see the work of sanctification is just like that work of nehemiah good parallel I wish it were something that would happen overnight but it's a progressive work it's always imperfect in this life the history of some of god's brightest saints show their crooked steps the history of some of god's brightest saints it's recorded in the book that the winds of temptation have blown their little ship off course and you know i've found great comfort not that i comfort in their errors but that when god gives the biography he's not like human people giving biography painting all the beauty things i've found comfort in the sins of the saints i've went through psalm 51 more than once not because i was glorying in david's mistake well no it's not and it's imperfect in this life the gold will never be without some drops the light will never shine without the clouds until we reach the celestial the life of the most holy man the most holy man is a continual warfare against sin and self and the world and the devil Galatians 5 17 will always be true newton john newton put this what i'm talking about just now john newton put this in a most beautiful way in a most beautiful and accurate way in a poem that i've used before i like it let me tell you what he said strange and mysterious is my life what opposites i feel within a stable peace a constant strike the rule of grace and the power of sin too often i am captive-led but daily triumph in my head i prize the privilege of prayer but oh what backwardness to pray though on the lord i cast my care i feel its burden every day i seek his will in all i do yet find my own is present too you ever find that i call it promises my own i prize them more than gold yet through their sweetness but yet though their sweetness i have known they leave me unimpressed and cold one hour in the truth i see the next i know not what i read i love the holy day of rest when jesus meets his gathered guests sweet day of all the week the best for it for its return my spirit pants yet often through my unbelief it proves a day while on my savior i rely i feel my i know my foes shall lose their aim and therefore dare their power defy assured of conquest through his name but soon my confidence is slain and all my fears return again thus different powers within me strive and grace and sin by turns prevail all i grieve rejoice decline revive and victory hangs in doubtful scale but jesus has his promised path the grace the grace shall overcome samuel rutherford said the devil's war is better than the devil's peace the devil's war is better than the devil's peace yes though that warfare is true nevertheless true holiness it's something in men that can be seen it can be known it can be marked it can be felt by all those around the holy man because it's light if it exists and it will show itself it's soft if it exists and its presence cannot be hid oh yes there's backsliding i know all about that i don't need any courses on it there are times of deadness i know all about that there are times of dawnless and too christian there's a time when it's winter time in your soul nevertheless without holiness no man shall see the lord let me summarize in statement form before i pass on to something else i want to say you know i was thrilled to watch away this morning because i'm not going to pay any attention to it anyway i'm going to finish if i miss my plane in chicago let me summarize in sentence form all i've tried to say and if i didn't say it concise and succinct then you'll maybe you'll get it from the summer what have i said biblical holiness is the result of a saving union with christ which true faith is which true faith gives to every christian biblical holiness second is an outcome an inseparable consequence of regeneration there are three truths that stand or fall together regeneration justification and sanctification and you can't touch one without touching them all thirdly summary biblical holiness is the only certain evidence of the indwelling indwelling spirit which is which is essential to salvation biblical holiness is the only sure mark of god's election fifthly biblical holiness is a thing which every believer is personally responsible biblical holiness may have many degrees the thing which admits growth and maturity biblical holiness is a thing which depends greatly on a diligent use of the holy scriptures it depends greatly on the use of holy scriptures thy word have i hid in my heart that i might not sin against thee now you are clean through the word which i have spoken unto you sanctify them through thy truth thy word is true does that sound like the scriptures have some relationship to a holy life basically summary biblical holiness will not prevent one from having inward spiritual conflict lastly biblical holiness cannot justify a man and yet a man has no reason to believe that he's justified without it why should we be holy it's no it's no question about that we ought to be that's clear but why should we be holy well for one thing we must be holy because the voice of scripture plainly commands it we must be holy because the voice of scripture plainly plainly commands it secondly we must be holy because it is the one grand end and purpose for which christ came into the world oh yes we tell people he came to save sinners true enough but i say we must be holy because it is the one grand end and purpose for which christ came into the world paul writes to the corinthians he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died and rose again he writes to the ephesians and he said christ loved the church and gave himself for that he might sanctify us and cleanse it he writes to titus he gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify purify purify himself unto himself a zealous of good works in short the talk of men being saved from the guilt of sin without being at the same time saved from its dominion in their hearts is to contradict the witness of holy scripture the witness of all scripture our believers elect it is through the sanctification of the spirit are they predestined it is to be fought to conform to the image of christ are they chosen it is to be holy are they called it is a holy calling are they afflicted it is to be made partakers of holiness jesus is a complete savior he doesn't merely take away the guilt of believer's sin he does more he does more he does more he breaks the power we must be holy because it is the only evidence we have of saving faith in our lord jesus christ the only evidence robert mary mcshane who's dead but lives on said this let me quote that blessed man of god who lives in many of our hearts let me quote it he said it's a holy making god all evidences are vain dear friends you have awakenings and enlightenings and experiences and many do sign but without holy fruit all evidences are vain he goes on to say if you lack holiness you'll never see the lord and then he said this a real desire after complete holiness is the truest mark of being born again notice what he said a real desire after complete holiness god deliver those for me from those people who found it i'm looking for the fellow who has a desire after it and i want to stay away from the people who got it a real desire listen to this a real desire after complete holiness is the truest mark of being born again jesus is a holy savior he first covers the soul with his right raiment then he makes the soul glorious within restoring the lost image of god and fills the soul with pure heavenly holiness i'm regenerate men among you cannot bear this testimony robert trail said that man's state is not and his faith unsound find not his hopes of glory purifying his heart and life he doesn't find his hope and glory purifying his heart he said it's like well we must be holy since we be it's the way to do the most good to others you want to do good to others be holy we cannot live ourselves only in this world we don't live by ourselves we all know that our lives are always either doing good or harm to others who see us there are silent sermons cannot be read i think the first mark of a true witness is the power of a holy life and let me tell you something i stand before you this morning i stand before you this morning on the human side because god put a man beside me on a construction job that was holy and i wouldn't have paid any attention to the priests or the preachers but i couldn't gain say his holiness and i couldn't live beside him more than a year so i either had to get away from him or learn something he had i say we must be holy because it's the most likely way to do good to others i think it's one of the most important aspects in evangelism and lastly the reason we must be holy is because without holiness on earth we shall never enjoy heaven what are some of these ungodly people think they're saved who hate holiness what do you think they would do in heaven i don't know where they'd go i don't know who they'd associate with holy holiness is written on everything in heaven the book of revelations says there shall there shall in no wise enter in anything that is defiled neither whatsoever work as abomination or make us a lie how to pursue it well how to pursue it how do we pursue it well first of all not by seeking a second experience write that down if you don't get anything else all week you got it from dr packer i'm going to underscore it how do we how do we pursue it not by seeking a second experience one of the most popular and common errors of our day and one has done no small amount of damage and made many ship wrecks and the unfortunate part about this some of the most able and sincere and true christians are trapped in it and don't you laugh at them because many of these people i'm going to talk about i'm not going to name them i'm going to talk about the system many of them are true christians and they are seeking holiness they just have their head screwed on not quite right on the subject they have never had it i'm going to tell you what it is it's the kezik movement and it's many children and stepchildren and grandchildren because kezik has many stepchildren grandchildren and all it is the same old thing with a little different twist and pre a little different twist in the presentation but at the bottom line is this victory over sin by an experience it's not the way you find it is the teaching this is the teaching that divides christians into two classes the haves and the have-nots the have-nots are those who've been supposed to be saved but their life hadn't changed much they still live like the world and act like the world and talk like the world and they love the world but they made some kind of a little profession the second class are the halves they have it they are those who have some kind of a second crisis experience of consecration goes by a thousand names some call it the higher life the victorious life the spiritual life there are many designations such as those who are filled with the spirit those who are baptized with the spirit thousand names what is important for my purpose just now is this this teaching however it is emphasizes a definite second experience and puts christians into a special class one of the most common ways to express this they express other christians as defeated christians they call themselves the victorious christians dr packer gave his testimony yesterday and when he was given it's almost many parallels to mine let me tell you the reason i say be kind to him because i traveled that road i chased that carrot i chased that rabbit and i chased him probably more than some of you let me tell you what i did there was a time i heard this get out of romans 7 and get romans 8 that i said lord i'm not going to read the rest of the bible it's no use me reading it out as long as i'm as long as i'm in this roman 7 i'm just going to read this i read it morning noon and night until i could quote three chapters and i used to go to a bible conference just for a retreat over in center of new york gospel tabernacle ab simpson's old church they had a missionary conference and i used to go principally to hear aw tozer and a few good speakers and i rented a room in the new yorker which is near the new yorker hotel was right near and i could rent that room and walk over to the gospel tabernacle and i could miss all those people i didn't want to hear without without any awkwardness i never signed up for the conference i just rented a room and took in the meetings and i remember this one night and i did this for a revival in my soul i did it regularly and i went over there and i read in my room and i went that first night and there was a powerful preacher speaking and he was an able speaker and i mean an able preacher which i could preach like he could but he described that man in romans 7 and i want to tell you it was it was me from beginning to end and then the next night he was going to tell you how to get in romans 8 and i tell you i had a sleepless night i couldn't wait this is a fact i couldn't wait to get back to the next night and i i'll tell you i wasn't sitting on the background i was listening because this was my i've been going through months of reading nothing but romans six seven and eight praying through it i listened i couldn't find out how he made that transition i listened and i thought well maybe if i have a meeting with him and he was very busy but i tried to see him the next day and i did and he talked to me and i still couldn't get it and i knew i wasn't that stupid now let me tell you let me tell you what i did i said where are you going to speak next i thought i'll listen more this is a true story that's why i don't want you to laugh at those people you can laugh at this story but don't laugh at those people don't laugh at those people i want to tell you and i look you in your eternity bound faces today and say i was truly seeking holiness as much then as i am now i said where are you going to preach next he said i'm going to be at founders week in chicago and i'm going to tell you what i did i called my wife on the phone and i said honey if you can have in this world what this guy's talking about i said if i said i'd i'd i'd do anything now god is my witness and i say with joe my records of high i said i won't be home i'm going to chicago and i drove my car from new york city to chicago and i'm still in roman seven you know what dr packard said yesterday when he says what what he was quoting that great scott and he said as long as i'm your priest well these things are usually marked by the way i think this thing really has its roots in roman catholicism i know the protestant version is about only about 100 years old but you know the catholics do this their old writers they mentioned penitent sinners and saints so it may have its roots in roman catholicism but you can always tell these things by the books and just go in a christian bookstore the key to triumph living much more the taste of new wine the second touch and then a dangerous book because because it's half good that's why it makes it so dangerous the christian secret of a happy life well when you see a woman wrote it that ought to scare you enough over that you know i i think my time is gone but let me let me tell you how to pursue it like by by jerry bridge's book in chapter six you'll see the battle for holiness some of you some of you can't handle john owen by by jerry brooke's book he digested it chapter seven is help in the daily battle chapter eight is obedience not victory oh that's a good chapter obedience not victory some good point chapter nine based on colossians 3 5 put him sin to death read god's way of holiness by oratious bomar well it's the first time i never got to my topic i was supposed to tell you what it costs well i'll tell you what it costs very simple there's two aspects inwardly it'll cost something because you see it begins in the heart it begins in the heart let me give you the verse i had at least i'll give you the verse proverbs 4 23 keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life it must begin there and if you want some real help on keeping your heart let me suggest to you john flavel volume 5 you see jesus knew it was in he knew the problem was there that's why he said from within the heart from within the heart sanctification there's a there's a holy keeping of the heart from within are the hearts of men precede evil thoughts adulteries fornications murders theft covetous wickedness deceit lasciviousness pride all these evil things said jesus come from within and that covers the water front what does it cost the keeping of the heart and secondly there is the not only the sanctification of the inner life which is keeping the heart but there is mortification the outer life and that'll cost you some holy concerns for your time well i'm just gonna quit you know that's holy holy lord god almighty as we go from this great con all lord jesus christ help us as preachers to be help us to preach holiness to us so that they too would be forgive us of not preaching it help us we pray