Os filhos de Deus vivem santos

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 filhos obedientes, não vos moldando de acordo com as paixões anteriores na vossa ignorância:

15 Mas, assim como aquele que vos chamou é santo, sede santos em toda a maneira de falar;

16 Porque está escrito: Sede santos; pois eu sou 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.”

Santidade na freqüência à igreja

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 E foi ele a Nazaré, onde fora criado; e, como era seu costume, foi no sábado à sinagoga e levantou-se para ler.

17 E foi-lhe entregue o livro do profeta Isaías. E quando ele abriu o livro, ele encontrou o lugar onde estava escrito, ”

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

Heb. 10:24-25 

“4 E consideremo-nos uns aos outros para nos provocarmos ao amor e às boas obras:

25 Não deixando de nos reunir, como é costume de alguns; mas exortando-nos uns aos outros; e tanto mais, à medida que vedes que o dia se aproxima ”.

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 Tessalonicenses 4: 7

“7 Porque Deus não nos chamou para a impureza, mas para a santidade”.

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

Santidade em tudo que lemos

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 Tessalonicenses 5:22

“22 Abstém-te de toda a aparência do mal.”

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

Santidade em tudo que vemos

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

Salmos 101: 3-4

“3 Não porei coisa má diante dos meus olhos; odeio a obra dos que se desviam; não se apegará a mim. ”

4 O coração perverso se afastará de mim; não conhecerei o perverso. ”

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 Portanto, meus amados, como sempre obedecestes, não apenas como na minha presença, mas agora muito mais na minha ausência, operai a vossa própria salvação com temor e tremor.

13 Porque é Deus que opera em vós tanto o querer como o efetuar, segundo a sua boa vontade. ”

Santidade em tudo que ouvimos

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.

Provérbios 19:27

“27 Cessa, meu filho, de ouvir a instrução que faz com que se desviem das palavras do conhecimento.”

Mantendo Nossos Corpos Sagrados

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. 02:22

“22 Fugi também das concupiscências juvenis; mas segue a justiça, a fé, a caridade, a paz com aqueles que invocam o Senhor de coração puro.”

 

1 Cor. 6: 18-20

“18 Fugi da fornicação. Todo pecado que um homem comete é sem o corpo; mas o que comete fornicação peca contra o seu próprio corpo.

19 o quê? Não sabeis vós que o vosso corpo é o templo do Espírito Santo que está em vós, que tendes de Deus e não sois de vós?

20 Porque fostes comprados por bom preço; glorificai a Deus no vosso corpo e no vosso espírito, que são de Deus ”.

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 Da mesma maneira também, que as mulheres se adornem com roupas modestas, com vergonha e sobriedade; não com cabelo com broid, ou ouro, ou pérolas, ou conjunto caro; ”

Santidade em nossos 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 Coríntios 6: 19-20

“9 O quê? Não sabeis vós que o vosso corpo é o templo do Espírito Santo que está em vós, que tendes de Deus e não sois de vós?

20 Porque fostes comprados por bom preço; glorificai a Deus no vosso corpo e no vosso espírito, que são de Deus. ”

 

Ephesians 5:18

“18 E não vos embriagueis com vinho em que sobrou; mas seja cheio do Espírito ”;

 

Proverbs 31:4-7

“4 Não é para reis, ó Lemuel, não é para reis beber vinho; nem para bebida forte de príncipes:

5 para que não bebam, e se esqueçam da lei, e pervertam o direito de nenhum dos aflitos.

6 Dai bebida forte ao que está para perecer, e o vinho aos que estão com o coração pesado.

7 Beba ele, e esqueça sua pobreza, e não se lembre mais de sua miséria ”.

 

Proverbs 23:29-30

“29 Quem tem ai? quem tem tristeza? quem tem contendas? quem está tagarelando? quem fere sem causa? quem tem vermelhidão nos olhos?

30 Os que se demoram no vinho; os que procuram vinho misturado. ”

 

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.”

 

Romans 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 Ora, se manifestam as obras da carne, que são estas; Adultério, fornicação, impureza, lascívia,

20 Idolatria, feitiçaria, ódio, variação, emulações, ira, contenda, sedições, heresias, ”

 

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

“9 Não sabeis que os injustos não herdarão o reino de Deus? Não vos enganeis: nem fornicadores, nem idólatras, nem adúlteros, nem efeminados, nem abusadores de si próprios com os homens,

10 Nem ladrões, nem avarentos, nem bêbados, nem injuriadores, nem extorsionários herdarão o reino de Deus. ”

 

Tito 2: 3

“3 As mulheres idosas da mesma forma, para que se comportem como se fossem santidade, não falsas acusadoras, não dadas a muito vinho, mestras de coisas boas”;

Santidade em nossas amizades

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 Tessalonicenses. 4: 7

“7 Porque Deus não nos chamou para a impureza, mas para a santidade”.

Santidade em nossas casas

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 Vou me comportar com sabedoria de uma maneira perfeita. Oh, quando virás a mim? Eu andarei em minha casa com um coração perfeito. ”

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 Tessalonicenses. 4: 7

“7 Porque Deus não nos chamou para a impureza, mas para a santidade”.

RHT