God’s Children Live Holy - True Bible Doctrine

Today I want to challenge your thinking on the topic of “holy living” and what this means for us. Let us look at our Bibles together to learn what God expects from His children. What we will find is God does expect us to live holy lives, and the Bible supports this:

1 Pedro 1: 14-16

“14 Como hijos obedientes, no os conforméis a los deseos anteriores en vuestra ignorancia:

15 Mas, como aquel que os llamó es santo, sed también vosotros santos en toda vuestra manera de vivir;

16 Porque escrito está: Sed santos; porque yo soy santo.

To be holy is to be set apart for sacred use and separate from evil. That is God’s plan and purpose for His children.”

Santidad en la asistencia a la iglesia

Attending church regularly with others that love God is a special time. We should protect and value our time for worship together by making it a priority in our lives. Worshiping together is a time to get our values straight; it’s a time to show God that He is the priority in our life, and it is a time to set an example for all those around us. Worship with God’s people is also an opportunity to learn and grow by receiving spiritual nourishment from the preaching and testimonies of others. We gather strength and encouragement from each other, which is an essential piece of living holy. If we forsake our church attendance, which is where we learn from God’s word together, we will not survive spiritually.

Regular church attendance was Christ’s habit; therefore, it should be ours too. So, we are either forming Christ’s habit of regular church attendance or forming a habit of being absent.

Lucas 4: 16-17

“16 Llegó a Nazaret, donde se había criado; y, como de costumbre, entró en la sinagoga el día de reposo y se levantó a leer.

17 Y le fue entregado el libro del profeta Isaías. Y cuando abrió el libro, encontró el lugar donde estaba escrito "

The following verse in Hebrews is why we come to church.

Heb. 10:24-25

“4 Y considerémonos unos a otros para estimularnos al amor y a las buenas obras:

25 No desampararnos de reunirnos, como lo hacen algunos; pero exhortándonos unos a otros, y mucho más, mientras veis que se acerca el día ”.

When we are in school, attendance plays an important part in our grades. If we are not there, we can not benefit from the instruction and learn from the subject matter. If we have a job and do not show up, we will not get paid a day’s labor. Our church attendance is just as important as these other responsibilities. Let me ask you a question. Is God pleased with your attendance?

Before we continue, let’s look at 1Thessalonians, Chapter 4, verse 7:

1 tesalonicenses 4: 7

“7 Porque no nos llamó Dios a inmundicia, sino a santidad”.

God is clear, in His word, that he has called us to live holy. Keep this scripture in mind as we continue our study.

Santidad en todo lo que leemos

The Bible teaches us that we should avoid anything tainted with evil. Is holiness found in the book, article, or blog we read? There are many novels/articles we should not read and blogs we should not follow. Some books are written about unholy subjects and justify wicked living. Are the books and magazines we choose to read leading us to pure and holy meditation, or do they cause us to think about impure and unholy things? Sometimes, you can see by looking at the book’s cover that someone who loves Jesus should probably not read it. Be aware any literature with pornography is unholy, and as children of God, we should never read these things. When in doubt, we can ask ourselves, “Would Jesus read “this?” and then choose to do the same as we answer.

1 Tesalonicenses 5:22

22 Abstenerse de toda apariencia de mal.

Throw out anything that is tainted with evil. Remember, God did not call us to uncleanness but holiness.

Santidad en todo lo que miramos

What about the things we look at or what we watch?

Salmos 101: 3-4

“No pondré cosa mala delante de mis ojos; Odio la obra de los que se desvían; no se adherirá a mí ".

4 Se apartará de mí el corazón perverso; no conoceré al impío ”.

Remember, God calls us to holiness. When we are careful about what we look at or watch, we will keep our minds and thoughts pure. If we watch or look at unholy things, our thoughts will also become unholy. If we hide what we are watching or looking at, we need to be honest with ourselves and ask, “why am I hiding this?” If we feel we need to hide what we are looking at, we should get rid of it immediately. God’s children obey His commands when they are alone and with others.

Filipenses 2: 12-13

“12 Por tanto, amados míos, como siempre habéis obedecido, no sólo en mi presencia, sino ahora mucho más en mi ausencia, obrad vuestra propia salvación con temor y temblor.

13 Porque Dios es el que obra en vosotros tanto el querer como el hacer según su buena voluntad.

Santidad en todo lo que oímos

What about the music we enjoy? Is it holy or unholy? Much of today’s music has sinful and ungodly messages. For example, here in the United States, rap music is extremely popular with our young people. I recall a time when I was next to a car at an intersection that had very loud music coming from it. The lyrics were unholy, littered with curse words and messages that suggested hurting others. No matter the musical genre, God’s children should not listen to music that contains suggestive and explicit lyrics promoting violence, promiscuous living, or any unholiness. If we fill our minds with unholy messages, we will also become unholy. What about conversations we participate in with those around us? Are we quick to listen to stories about people that are none of our business and possibly untrue? Someone who listens to gossip about others is just as guilty as the one that carried the story. We should walk away from conversations that are unholy. Whether it’s gossip about someone else, dirty jokes, or music with unclean lyrics, God’s children are careful about what they hear because He has called us to holiness; what we listen to matters to God.

Proverbios 19:27

"27 Deja, hijo mío, de oír la instrucción que hace errar las palabras del conocimiento".

Manteniendo nuestros cuerpos santos

If you are young and unmarried, God indeed put powerful desires in us for physical love and companionship. The desire to have love and companionship is not wicked but pursuing these desires outside the holy bonds of marriage is. Our job is to hold back the passion for physical love until marriage. Your bodies are to be kept for the day you are married and then given as a gift to that special one you chose to commit to for life. We should also be modest in our actions and how we dress. Do you remember the study of Joseph and what he did when Potiphar’s wife tempted him? Joseph ran for his life! We need to do the same when temptation presents itself. Joseph is a perfect example of what to do when tempted by sexual pressures before marriage. “Run from it! A young man and a young woman should not be alone together, or the risk of temptation taking over is possible. We should not become so familiar with each other that a fire of passion starts and one loses control. Remember that your boyfriend or girlfriend is not your spouse. The Bible teaches us that sex before marriage is against God’s plan for us.

2Tim. 2:22

22 Huid también de las pasiones juveniles; pero seguid la justicia, la fe, la caridad y la paz con los que invocan al Señor con un corazón puro.

1 Cor. 6: 18-20

“18 Huid de la fornicación. Todo pecado que un hombre comete es sin el cuerpo; pero el que comete fornicación, peca contra su propio cuerpo.

19 ¿Qué? ¿No sabéis que vuestro cuerpo es templo del Espíritu Santo que está en vosotros, el cual tenéis de Dios, y no sois vuestro propio?

20 Porque habéis sido comprados por precio; glorificad, pues, a Dios en vuestro cuerpo y en vuestro espíritu, que son de Dios ”

Holiness in The Way We Present Ourselves

Let’s visit the thought of being modest in the way we dress a little further. God calls His children to live holy, which means how we dress and present ourselves to others should also be holy. So, God expects His children to be modest in their dress and presentation to others. Our clothes should be modest and appropriately fitting, not too tight, revealing, or showy. Our lives should be about showing God, not showing off our bodies or our wealth. We should look at ourselves through God’s eyes and ask if He approves of our presentation of ourselves. Are we presenting ourselves modestly so God can be seen, or are we showing off something of ourselves? We should not deliberately present ourselves in a way that shows we have more than others. God’s people are modest in spirit as well as dress. The principle of modest dress and presentation is just as applicable to men as it is to women.

1 Tim. 2: 9

“9 De la misma manera también, que las mujeres se vistan con ropa modesta, con vergüenza y sobriedad; no con el pelo peinado, ni con oro, ni con perlas, ni con adornos costosos ";

Santidad en nuestros hábitos

What about holiness in our habits? Here in the United States, we have a problem with marijuana and other substance addictions. I talked with many people in their thirties or older that say they started smoking marijuana, drinking alcohol, or smoking cigarettes when they were very young. Now they are addicted and want to quit, but the addiction makes it difficult for them. If one is addicted to a substance that abuses their body, they must get busy before God and gain victory over the addiction. God is not weak. God can break the power of addiction in individuals, I have seen it happen, but it is not easy for a person with the addiction to come to God. It does not make any sense to continue to abuse our bodies with drugs or other substances. Jesus bought us with the price of His blood, and our bodies are the temple of God.

Please see the scriptures below as a sample of what the Bible teaches us about holiness in our habits.

1 Corintios 6: 19-20

“9 ¿Qué? ¿No sabéis que vuestro cuerpo es templo del Espíritu Santo que está en vosotros, el cual tenéis de Dios, y no sois vuestro propio?

20 Porque habéis sido comprados por precio; glorificad, pues, a Dios en vuestro cuerpo y en vuestro espíritu, que son de Dios ”.

Efesios 5:18

“18 Y no os embriaguéis con vino, en que hay exceso; mas sed llenos del Espíritu ”;

Proverbs 31:4-7

“4 No es de los reyes, oh Lemuel, no es de los reyes beber vino; ni para los príncipes sidra:

5 No sea que beban y se olviden de la ley, y perviertan el juicio de los afligidos.

6 Dad sidra al que está a punto de perecer, y vino a los de corazón abatido.

7 Que beba y se olvide de su pobreza, y no se acuerde más de su miseria ”.

Proverbs 23:29-30

“29 ¿Quién tiene ay? ¿Quién tiene dolor? ¿Quién tiene contiendas? ¿Quién balbucea? ¿Quién tiene heridas sin causa? ¿Quién tiene enrojecimiento de los ojos?

30 Los que se demoran mucho en el vino; los que van en busca de vinos mixtos ”.

Lucas 21:34

“34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.”

Romanos 13:13

“13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.”

Galations 5:19-20

“19 Ahora bien, las obras de la carne son manifiestas, que son estas; Adulterio, fornicación, inmundicia, lascivia,

20 La idolatría, la brujería, el odio, la discordia, las emulaciones, la ira, la contienda, las sediciones, las herejías ”.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

“9 ¿No sabéis que los injustos no heredarán el reino de Dios? No os engañéis: ni fornicarios, ni idólatras, ni adúlteros, ni afeminados, ni abusadores de sí mismos con los hombres,

10 Ni los ladrones, ni los avaros, ni los borrachos, ni los injuriosos, ni los estafadores heredarán el reino de Dios ”.

Tito 2: 3

“3 Asimismo, las ancianas, para que se porten como conviene a la santidad, no falsas acusadoras, no dadas a mucho vino, maestras de buenas cosas;

Santidad en nuestras amistades

Jesus was a friend of sinners, and we should be too; however, Jesus never let those friendships pull Him into their wickedness. If we can’t be the influencer instead of the influenced in our friendships, we need to end the relationship. Again, God’s call for us is to holiness and not uncleanness.

1 Tesalonicenses. 4: 7

“7 Porque no nos llamó Dios a inmundicia, sino a santidad”.

Santidad en nuestros hogares

Like many young people, I also grew up with siblings. Every once in a while, my brothers or sister would get on my nerves. So, I understand and know what it’s like to have bothersome siblings. Our siblings can test our patience. So, if someone were to ask your family what you are like at home, what would they say about you? “He gets mad and hits me all the time,” or “She yells at me and calls me names?” Sometimes people are one way in front of others, and they are different at home, but this should not be the case with God’s children. We should be holy with those we live with and are closest to us and those that we see from time to time.

Psalms 101:2

“2 Me comportaré sabiamente de una manera perfecta. ¿Cuándo vendrás a mí? Caminaré dentro de mi casa con un corazón perfecto ”.

Always live by the “golden rule.” Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Holy living is not compatible in a home filled with temper tantrums, anger, arguments, hurtful, disrespectful, or nagging words.

Lastly, I would like to share with you what we do here in California to help us learn the word of God. With each lesson, we assign a memory verse or scripture to memorize. The memory verse helps us retain the information we heard from the lesson but most importantly, it helps us remember the principle, which will stay with us. Throughout this lesson, we already mentioned the verse in different ways. Memorize this verse and allow God to write it upon your heart. It is not long, but it is powerful in that it reminds us who we belong to and what God expects from those who call themselves His children.

1 Tesalonicenses. 4: 7

“7 Porque no nos llamó Dios a inmundicia, sino a santidad”.

RHT