OUR BEHAVIORAL HOLINESS

Today I am going to continue with the same focus as last weeks session, but we are going to look at what is called "Behavioral Holiness". Beginning with the same scriptures in Philippians:

Philippians 1: 9-11 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:27 only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come to see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, striving together for the faith of the gospel

Last week we looked at our position of holiness, a position not based on our merit, our accomplishments but on the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Today we are going to look at our lifestyle and how we live, what we say, how we behave reflects who we believe in. When the unbeliever sees us what do they see? The world or Jesus? Though we are not perfect, we are to reflect the light of Christ to all we come in contact with. The light of Christ is hard to see in someone who is filled with more darkness than Holy Spirit. 

There is a biblical principle of "putting off and putting on". This is an ongoing process known in the church as sanctification, a process that may look different in different people, we do not all mature at the same time, and we must be very careful not to compare ourselves with others and others with ourselves. This process happens the more we renew our minds with the word of God. Now renewing does not mean gaining more knowledge, this renewing takes that knowledge with understanding and transforms us to be more like Christ. Too often Christians remain babes in Christ because they do not spend time in His word and they do not put off and put on. Let's look at some scriptures.

Colossians 3:8-10 But now you yourselves are to put off all these anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.

I suggest you open your word and read all of Colossians chapter 3.

Romans 6:11-12 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

Jesus died that the power of sin would no longer have control over us. Since we have been set free from the bondage and slavery of sin, our lifestyle, our words, our thought life, our actions should no longer reflect the sin nature we once had, but the new nature will now be evident in our lives. The evidence of this new nature is called fruit. Which we read in Philippians 1:11 called fruits of righteousness.

Romans 6:21-22 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

In Philippians 1:27 it says let our conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ. The gospel of Christ is the good news, Christ the Son of God has come, He came to reconcile us to God the Father and give us eternal life, that life began the moment we were born again into the family of God. So the question we must ask ourselves, "Does my conduct reflect the One who came to give me eternal life?" Or "Am I still living life controlled by my old nature?"

1 Peter 1:14-16 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance,  but as He who called you is holy, also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy.

1 John 3:3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself,  just as He is pure.

Again I am not proclaiming "perfection" I am declaring a daily transformation of our lives. As we pursue God we also should pursue a godly lifestyle. So many other scriptures that talk about putting off the works of the flesh, submitting unto God and resisting the devil, walking in the spirit and not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.  Looking back at Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 33:13 When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity he has committed, he shall die.

Just as we must know that our righteousness cannot bring us salvation, we must also understand each day we make a decision "Today I will live my life pleasing God."

One more verse in Ezekiel that really spoke to me; how often have we said "God that's not fair!" Years ago and maybe last week (Smiling) I have said "God, that's just not fair, they seem to get by doing things, you never let me get by with." Yet, look at this verse:

Ezekiel 33:17 Yet the children of your people say,"The way of the LORD is not fair." But it is their way which is not fair.

God is just and He deals with us without partiality of persons yet with each of us He deals in our areas that He is removing and transforming. So at times in our finite minds it appears not fair. My own life example:

Before I became a Christian I had a filthy mouth, curse words would roll off my tongue without any hesitation.  When I became a Christian the first book I read was the book of James and chapter 3 leaped off the page at me and I noticed the first difference I saw in me was God touched my tongue and cleaned up my mouth. I began to do some teaching nothing major, then twelve years later out of anger over my failed marriage I began to run from God and what came back in my life was the filthy mouth. Then when I came back to the Lord in repentance, once more He touched my tongue and cleaned up my mouth, and I began to teach. As I would hear other Christians language I would say "Lord, why do they get by with it and I didn't?" That takes me back to a verse I had not paid close attention to as a new Christian, but it explains a lot.

James 3:1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

There it was, God had given me the gift of teaching, and my mouth could not bring forth both fresh and bitter water.  For me to be used of God as He intended, to hear Him and speak His truth He had to touch my unclean lips as He did with Isaiah so I might be able to use my voice to bring Him glory.

In Ephesians 5:27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

In the verse 26 we are told we are sanctified and cleansed with the washing of water by the word. This cleansing also becomes part of our responsibility not God's.

Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His wife has made herself ready.

Next week we look at chapter 2 in Philippians. Have a blessed week

OUR POSITION IN HOLINESS

Today we will finish Philippians chapter one by looking at four specific verses:

Philippians 1: 9-11 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:27 only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come to see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, striving together for the faith of the gospel

Before we look into the focus of this session, I want to touch on the very last part of verse 27, to reiterate what we said in previous sessions; Jesus's desire for His church is that we be, in one spirit, in one accord, in unity, working together in the kingdom of God, remaining steadfast in the gospel of Christ. Refresh your memory by looking again at Acts 2:42 and 46. As it was in the first church so it should still be in today's church. And because the church was in one accord Acts 2:47 happened: "praising God and having favor with all people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." Yet we do not have to go much further in the New Testament to realize trouble, strife and division came into the church then and today. This is a tool of Satan to cause discord within the body of Christ, God is never the author of strife or division, He never wants to see churches split and people go off and start their own church, because they became offended where they were and collected their supporters to stand with them and leave with them to begin their own church. I experienced this in the 70's  it was not of God and it did not succeed because God was not in it. Now God does give seasons to His people to be in one church and when that season is over God will place you in another church to fulfill His purpose. But enough of this onto the focus of this session:

1. Our position of holiness/ righteousness

2. Our behavioral holiness/ righteousness.

In looking at verse 9 in Philippians we see Paul speak about their love may abound more and more in knowledge and discernment. This love we have for our Lord and Savior, for our God and for others will cause us to press deeper into the very word of God and will enable us to listen to the Holy Spirit and discern what is in keeping with God verses our flesh, the devil and the world. In 2017 we see a definite need for the people of God to have and use discernment as we see more and more of the world and its standards, based on the lies of Satan, entering not only the homes but even many churches. Now in verse 10 we see the reason we need both knowledge and discernment: that we may approve the things that are excellent. That word excellent means "superior" . Our daily walk should reflect a lifestyle that is a more excellent lifestyle than what this world can offer. Yet, no one on their own can choose the more excellent way, many people are morally good people, they may do great deeds, accomplish many humanitarian awards, yet their righteousness/ holiness is as filthy rags.

Romans 3:10 As it is written:There is none righteous, no, not one;

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousness are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our inquiries, like the wind, carry us away.

About 4 am I woke up with specific scriptures on my mind Ezekiel 33:12-17. We will be looking at what these scriptures mean in relationship to this Bible study. I will not write all these verses but those that spoke to me.

Ezekiel 33:13 When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity he has committed, he shall die.

Pay close attention to the verse above, if God felt it important enough to place in my thoughts as I slept, then it must be something we need to really get an understanding in. Now the verse is saying that we cannot trust in our own righteousness,  our own righteousness can not stone for our sins, because God sees our sin since we are still sinners. Too many are seeing good works as a means to salvation. Yet, man can not achieve salvation by good works, if that were so why would we need Jesus?

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, least anyone should boast.

We know that the Jews looked to following the letter of the law as a basis for their righteousness. Look at what Paul says in:

Philippians 3:4-7 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. Of anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcized the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.

To study more about the law, I suggest you go to my website and do the study on the book of Galatians.

God's word goes on to says "Be holy, for I am holy". We will actually look at this more closely a little later. So if our righteousness is nothing, and our righteousness cannot atone for our sins, then what?

At the very moment we surrendered and received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior our position before God the Father changed.

A substitute took place on the cross, just as all our sins were placed on Jesus; I used a personal tone in this because salvation is very intimate and personal, one on one. He took your sins on the cross. And just as He took He also gave, He gave us His righteousness/holiness. Now something new has taken place, I no longer trust in my righteousness, my good works, but I trust in the righteousness of Christ that He placed in me.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him

As a Christian we now are in right standing with God, because God sees the Righteousness of Christ in us. Here is our position before God the Father.

In Ezekiel 33:14-16 He is speaking of the wicked if they turn from their wicked ways and do what is right they will live. Some would think that this shows works, but you must remember this is before the cross. At the moment of our salvation, we repented from our past, a good illustration has been we "repented" from the direction we were heading which was away from God and turned around and headed toward God. Yet repentance doesn't end there, but in our daily walk, as we find ourselves in sin, in our thoughts, words and actions we repent of these sinful ways and turn toward God. In both the verses in Philippians and Ezekiel we are given choices to make each day we choose to follow Christ or the pleasures of sin.

Well, I am not surprised are you, that I did not finish the focus of this session. I will do a part B and we will look at what our behavioral righteousness/holiness is and is it really important in the kingdom of God?

THE JOY OF THE LORD

As we continue our study today I want to consider 3 words found in chapter one verses 4-6.

Philippians 1:4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy.

That little word "joy" in both the Greek and the Hebrew can have different meanings, depending on the word that is used. But all have a common meaning, "a great delight".  What delights you? Being with family, friends, sports, money, what brings you great joy, great pleasure? Paul said his very remembrance of his fellow believers, his prayers for them were with joy. Can we say the same as we think and pray for members in our local churches, or even for those in the body of Christ that we may not know personally? I must confess I have not given it much thought until now. We know that in Galatians 5:22 "joy" is part of the fruit of the Spirit, we who are believers have the fruit of the Spirit within us yet do we exercise that fruit that is within us? The more we walk in the Spirit, the more the fruit of the Spirit comes forth naturally the more it is seen in us by others.

Joy can mean: pleasure, brightness, beauty, delight, source of our joy, shout, loud cheering at the time of victory, singing, rejoicing in jubilation.

The jubilant joy of loud cheering in victory is Rinnah and here are a few verses where that joy is found:

Psalm 30:5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night but joy (jubilant rejoicing in victory) comes in the morning.

Sort of seeing it more clearly when we know the meaning.

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice "Rinnah" over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice "Rinnah" with singing.

This literally means God finds such joy, delight in the victory of our salvation that He dances and sings with great joy. Do we have that same kind of joy when someone is saved, or when someone is delivered or healed?

Paul found great joy in knowing that the brethren, a new creation in Christ, were continuing their walk in Christ Jesus our Lord. What about us, in those moments when all seems to fall apart, when we don't know what may be happening even in the next moment, do we throw away our joy.? Do we see our problems greater than the source of our joy, do we see failure or do we see victory? Do we look for temporary happiness or eternal joy? The joy of the Lord is internal within us Satan may attempt to steal our joy but he can never take anything God has given unless we give it to him. Many cannot understand that when we as followers of Christ come under distress and hardship how can we still have joy? It is because we walk in the fullness of His joy, not happy thoughts but joy that can not be expressed in words.

Luke 2:10-11 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people, For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

John 15:11 These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Romans 12:15 Let us rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

Let us rejoice with exceeding joy when we are in our times of testing, in our valleys knowing that the source of our joy is not in our circumstance but in Christ Jesus our Lord. Let us rejoice with our brethren as they rejoice and weep with them who weep. We are victorious in Christ because He has secured victory for us so that we can have great joy that no one can take from us.

The next word is found in:

Philippians 1:5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now

See how Paul tells them that their fellowship brings him joy. It is the word "fellowship" I want to look at. Too often we think of getting together talking,  laughing and eating which is a form of fellowship.

Yet in this verse and others this word in the Greek is "koinonia" and means partnership, unity, sharing, communion. As believers in Christ we are in unity and partnership together in the kingdom of God, believing in the gospel of Christ and sharing the good news to those who do not know Him. We have a common goal and His name is Jesus, being like minded in Christ we can walk together in unity. More than anything Jesus desires for His people to walk in unity. How can the lost find hope in Christ when they see God's people throwing stones at one another?

Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayer

1 John 1:3-4 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy might be full.

Psalm 133:1 Behold how good and how pleasant it is, For brethren to dwell together in unity.

For Paul to see the church of the Philippians walking together in this kind of fellowship together brought him great joy. The church is a community of believers, ministering one to another,  strengthening one another by encouraging, inspiring, comforting, teaching, helping, praying for and with one another. It pleases the Father when He sees His people lay aside disagreements that have nothing to do with the kingdom of God, have nothing to do with the eternal but everything to do with what is temporal. It is the desire of the enemy to sow discord and division within the church and he will begin with a whisper of "offense". They did not speak to you, the pastor likes them more than you, etc.

Philippians 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Where have we placed our confidence? Have we placed it in people, positions, possessions, in the temporary or the eternal? When we allow our outward circumstances, which are temporary,  to dictate what God is doing within us then we are missing His purpose of transforming us inwardly. The inward transformation has an eternal purpose.

Hebrews 3:6 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end

Hebrews 3:14 For we are partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.

Our confidence is found in who Jesus Christ is and who we are in Him. It is knowing that He has saved us, that He is transforming us to be more like Him and less like the world. To be in fellowship with a body of believers who come along beside you to help when you are feeling defeated and help lift up your arms and reassure you that our confidence is and always will be our Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God.

Lets consider the word "good". Many use that word to describe a good person, a good deed, it is a good thing.

In the Greek the word is "agathos", in the physical and moral sense produces benefits. I am reminded from John 15, Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches as we are attached to Him by salvation and abiding in Him daily, through prayer, His word, fellowship, we will bear His fruit that others will see. This is fruit that produces benefits. Notice Paul says " begun  good work in us". This is God working and changing us inwardly, He is always working on the internal that we will see the external with His perspective. This verse is not about us performing good works it is about God performing a good work in us that will be seen in our daily walk with others. God continually is working in us and will continue to do so until the very end. I once heard a preacher say "Many go to the cross but then don't want to go through the cross." That going through the cross is the good work God is doing in us, often called the sanctification process. A person who is not surrendered to the work of the Holy Spirit will not see transformation in their lives. These will continue to go about life in the natural, walking by sight not faith. How can I say such a thing, you ask?

Mark 8:34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me".

This verse above and below is speaking of the surrender of our will, our wants our agenda to the Father's will, wants and agenda. It is here in this place of surrender we will see change take place within us, less of me and more of Him.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life I now live in the flesh (human body) I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Ephesians 4:13-14 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect (mature) man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ

Each of us grow at a different speed, the closer we walk with Jesus, by seeking Him through prayer, His word, and listening and obeying the Holy Spirit the more we mature. We are never to consider other Christians less because of where they are in their maturity level. But we all are expected to grow up.

Let's sum these three verses up: As Paul prayed for the church of the Philippians, he had great joy in hearing of their partnership in the gospel of Christ. He gave them this assurance; what God had begun in them God would complete.

This study will not be all focused on certain words, but just following the leading of the Holy Spirit we may even at times focus on a verse, or summarize a whole chapter. Let's just see where God takes us.

THE STUDY OF PHILIPPIANS, THE BOOK OF JOY

As we begin this study, let us look at who Paul is writing to. The church in Philippi was founded by the Apostle Paul on his second missionary journey. He had a very close relationship with this church and they had offered financial gifts to support Paul's ministry. The main theme of this letter is JOY.

Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi,  with the bishops and deacons.

Two words I want to expound on in this verse, the first one is : Bondservants, a bondservant has a different position in the master's house than just a servant. Often times in the culture and customs of their day the servants, we would call slaves. Some were bought from slave traders, often victims of wars, while owed debt and would sell themselves into servitude until the debt was paid. When the debt was met then they were released by their master and given their freedom. Here is where the bondservant comes in; at times the servant by his own free will, will desire to stay and continue to serve his master. Having made that decision, the master would take the servant to the doorpost and pierce his ear with a ring that identified him as a bondservant. But also he becomes a part of the family and sits with the family for meals. Do you see the comparison for a Christian? The moment we receive Christ we are now positioned as a bondservant, we having received the seal of the Holy Spirit now serve along our Lord and Master Jesus Christ for the kingdom of God. We are BONDSERVANTS a position of service, not bondage but serving.

Jesus taught us in John 13 that we were to serve one another. In Luke 22:24 the disciples were discussing among themselves who would be the greatest this took place right before the Last Supper. Now the custom of their day was the least of the servants would wash the feet of all the guests as they would enter for a meal, yet none had done this for each other or for Jesus. So at the end of the meal, Jesus girded Himself with a towel and began to wash the disciples feet. Hear what Jesus said:

John 13:13-14 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you then ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example,  that you should do as I have done to you.

Also in Philippians 2:7 it tells us that Jesus, Himself took on the form of a bondservant. We will talk about this verse later.

The second word in this verse we want to look at is: SAINTS,  who are the saints is often been a theological discussion. Yet the scriptures teach that the word "saint" refers to one set apart, one of holiness. Some teach that one has to earn sainthood and is given to them after their death, if they have fulfilled the qualifications that their traditions require for one to be called a saint, this is not founded in scripture. It is our "position" in Christ that qualifies us as saints. Because of His holiness at our salvation we were made holy "in Him" and set apart from the world "in Him", this is our positional state of holiness and being set apart qualifying us to be saints. 

Jude 1:14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints.....

Now Jude has been talking about the apostates of the last days, but what I wanted to look at is the last part of this verse; when we read ten thousands this is an amount that cannot be put into our vocabulary. These are the believers in Christ throughout the church age who will come with Christ in the final battle recorded in Revelation 19:11-16. 

Ephesians 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love

Though we have been given a position of holiness in Christ, which is how God the Father views us, it does in no way excuse us from living unholy lifes.

1Peter 1:15-16 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."

1John 3:3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure

Going back to Philippians Paul goes on in that verse to speak of the Bishops and Deacons, these are the pastors and church leadership to also include the elders spoken of many times in the Epistles. All the letters written in the New Testament were to be read to the whole body and passed from church to church and town to town. Therefore the letters of the Apostles were written to and for everyone.

I will close this out for now this was just an introductory to the study. Looking forward to next week's session.