Go and Sin No More

Welcome friends for what is going to be a life-changing month here. On the line of fire. This is Michael Brown, committed to infusing you with faith, and truth, and courage every single day to help you stand strong. On the front lines, as all of us today are in the line of fire. But God is with us.

The Spirit lives within us. Jesus, our risen Savior, has gone ahead, and we live in Him, and we are overcomers in the Lord. all this month We're going to talk about a much neglected subject. It is a life-changing subject. It is a subject that is absolutely a life and death issue for the church today.

It is the subject of the beauty of holiness. I believe at the end of this month, your life will be changed as you take in these words, words of wisdom from the Word of God, words of wisdom from Christian leaders in the past, words of wisdom from joint experience of decades together in the Lord. I believe you'll be blessed. Uplifted, encouraged, strengthened. I believe you'll find more grace to overcome sin.

I believe you'll have a better understanding of grace itself. And I believe that as you take hold of these truths, not only will your life be changed, but those around you will be impacted by the change in your life. Your whole view of holiness. I believe is going to shift. this month.

So don't miss a single broadcast. Tell your friends, share it with others. I'm so glad to have you listening today. Our textbook is the Bible and my book, Go. And sin no more, a call to holiness.

Bill Bright, the foreword of this book, said magnificent one of those rare life changing books. I was deeply humbled to hear those words from such a father in the faith as Bill Bright. I believe you will have your life impacted as well. Before we talk about holiness, and what it is. and why it is so beautiful.

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gospel-based moral and cultural revolution. And the redemption Of Israel and all the resources we have to equip you to help you live and stand strong in these dangerous and difficult times.

So that is thelineoffire.org. Sign up. today. Holiness. Most people, even in the church, have a little bit of a problem with the concept of holiness.

You think of it as laws. Dead religion. condemnation It's almost like a dark word. As opposed to being a beautiful, life-filled word, it's almost like a dark word, like a negative. I'm going to be preaching all this month on holiness.

You think of kind of a depressed atmosphere. You think of people walking around in their long religious outfits, judging everybody else. You think of God as like hovering over you with a whip, waiting to see you do one wrong thing, because after all, he is holy. You don't think of joy when you think of holiness. You don't think of peace when you think of holiness.

You don't think of Beauty, when you think of holiness. At least the world does not, and many within the church do not. But when we rightly understand it, It's a beautiful word. It's a glorious word. It's a word that we sing to God.

Many of you know the old hymn, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty. That's not a bad thing. That's a good thing. If God was not holy, I would not want to be in heaven if God was not holy, if he was all powerful and all-knowing and not holy. then everything would be hell.

It would be torture day and night. Who knows what he would do? It's because he's holy. that we want to be with him forever. Maybe sing some of the newer songs, Holy Are You, Lord, and you sing them with joy.

Holiness is is beautiful. Holiness, we're going to describe and open up in this entire month. And as we do, even as I teach on these things, something happens to me. I feel like I'm getting bathed and washed in something very, very beautiful. and becoming more and more like the Lord.

Leviticus Chapter 19, verse 2. Leviticus Chapter 19, verse 2. Speak to the entire assembly of Israel. and say to them, Be holy. Because I The Lord your God am holy.

The Hebrew word for holy Is Kadosh? Kodesh is holiness. Kodushah, another way of speaking of holiness. to set something apart as holy likadesh Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, adonaitz va'ot. Isaiah 6, the seraphim shouting this out: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.

You read in the book of Revelation the elders before the throne, the angelic beings, they're crying out, Holy, holy, holy. But but what exactly is holy? What is holiness? We often say that that holiness is being separated from sin.

Well, that's certainly true. That which is holy is separated from sin. But it doesn't stop there. It's not just separated from sin. It is separated from sin.

to God. Holiness is being separated from sin to God. But but even that falls short. Because God Himself is holy. If God Himself is holy, It doesn't mean that he's separated from sin to himself.

and He was eternally holy before sin existed in God's universe.

So what does it mean to say that God is holy? It is his absolute distinct qualities. To be holy means to be distinguished from others, other things. To be holy speaks of the perfection of everything good and everything right and everything beautiful. That's who God is.

His presence is perfect light with no darkness whatsoever.

So everything holy is good. Nothing unholy. is good. And fundamentally, it is the very nature and essence of God. We'll open that up more as we go, as we speak about the beauty of holiness.

Now, what's interesting... is 1 Peter chapter 1 quotes these words from Leviticus.

Now some believe that 1 Peter was written to Jewish believers. That's possible. A case could be made for that. Others say it was a general letter, Jews and Gentile believers, reading them alike. That's also possible.

But a strong argument can be made that it was written primarily to Gentile believers, just like 1 and 2 Thessalonians were written to Gentile believers.

So a good argument could be made that it was written to Gentile believers. What's interesting is that Peter quotes Leviticus and doesn't say, well, I'm quoting the law, and we know we're not under the law, and the law is full of bondage. No. the truths of the law find their fulfillment in Yeshua. The purpose of the law finds its fulfillment in Jesus.

So 1 Peter chapter 1. versus 15 to 19. But just as he who called you is holy, So be holy. And all you do. For it is written, Be holy.

Because I am holy.

So Peter quotes from Leviticus 19 without hesitation. Since you call on a father, who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here, and reverence fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things, such as silver or gold, that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ. A lamb without blemish. or defect.

That that's That's the other reason. that holiness is so important. One Because our God is holy, we're called to be holy. Two Because the price that's been paid for us is the precious blood of Jesus the Messiah, the precious blood of the Son of God dying. On our behalf, How absolutely extraordinary.

Because of that. B Holy. Let me give you A very, very simple earthly analogy. And compared to the holiness of God and the call on us to be holy, this is one. And the call to be holy is a thousand, okay?

Let's just say You get hired at a job. It's absolutely minimum wage. And it's really rough work. You're on your hands and knees. on the side of the road pulling out weeds all day.

You don't have to get all dressed up. You don't have to buy a wardrobe for that. You don't have to be highly qualified. You're doing. difficult manual labor at minimum wage, that's it.

Now let's turn the tide. Let's shift things.

Now you have gotten out of law school. You get hired at the most prestigious law firm in your city, and you live in New York.

So that's saying a lot. And Your starting salary is $120,000 a year. But in order to work, even as a first-year intern working there, Everybody dresses to the max.

So you've got to get you've got to spend thousands of dollars on new clothes and new shoes and get your hair cut the right way so you look the best because you're the ante has been upped. And there's a certain work ethic where you show up on time or you're out. You get your work in on time or you're out. You do things with excellence or you're out, but you're glad you do it. Because you can make a career here.

You can be making hundreds of thousands of dollars in just a few years. You can be set for life and being associated with this firm, that's gold in the legal world. Be holy because God is holy. We are called into His family. all of our sins, the massive debt of our sins, has been forgiven.

and we've been called into his family. If you do not know forgiveness of sins in your own life, if you have never received that from God, if you've never been born from above, born again, Right now is as good a time as any to say, God, have mercy on me. I've sinned. I've blown it. my religion, my works, whatever done, they're not enough.

I fall short. Have mercy on me, God. Wash me clean. I believe Jesus died for me. I believe he rose from the dead.

Wash me clean. Give me a brand new start. I want to live for you the rest of my days. God will receive you right here and now. and will wash you clean, friend.

And if you pray that, if you cry not from the heart, Let us know. We'd love to help you. Write to us at thelineoffire.org. Just go to the website and click contact the line of fire and said, I. I prayed, I asked the Lord to forgive my sins.

I asked Him to wash me clean. What do I do next? We'd love to help you and point you in the right direction. But for everyone else I'm speaking to as a believer, We've been called into a holy family. We've been called to be brothers and sisters.

of of Jesus. How then should we live? We'll be right back after this important announcement. I'm Paul Burnett, a board-certified doctor of holistic health. I have never met anyone deficient in caffeine or sugar but I have met many people deficient in energy supporting vitamin B twelve.

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Crazy things happening in the world. We're talking about it. We're writing about it. We're giving you resources to help you keep your own mind clear and your heart on fire as we serve as your voice for moral sanity and spiritual clarity, focusing on the beauty of holiness all this month. Why does holiness get a bad rap?

What is holiness? Get a bad rap. Why is it that many Christians Who loved Jesus? Don't love holiness in the same way. or there's a breakdown, they love the Lord, but they struggle with holiness.

Why?

Well, one reason is because of legalism. Many of you grew up in legalistic churches. We're in legalistic homes.

So what is legalism? I define legalism as laws without love. as rules without relationship. as standards without a Savior. Can I say that again?

Holiness, which is a beautiful thing, is very different from legalism. Legalism is laws without love. It is rules without relationship. It is standards without a Savior. It is externally imposed religion.

and for the most part It judges you. By certain standards that are even humanly derived and imposed by tradition. And it judges you by what you do not do. You claim to be a follower of Jesus? And you're wearing makeup?

Sister, you need to repent. That's worldly. Sir, you claim to be a follower of Jesus and your hair goes over the top of your ears. That's sin. You're in rebellion.

You need to repent. Sister, you claim to be a follower of Jesus? And I could see your kneecap. In that dress you're wearing, you need to repent.

Now, those very same people who say no makeup. who say hair can't be too long, who say that dresses need to be a certain length. Those same people may be gossips. They may be watching porn secretly. They may be the most judgmental, mean-spirited people out there, but if the hair length is right, if there's no makeup, there's no jewelry, or you're holy.

No, that's just external standards.

Now a holy person will be a modest person. A holy person will not be a seductive sensual person. Of course. But we get so many of our rules just based on church tradition or based on what we're used to or based on our own convictions and we lay them out on everybody else and then we condemn those who are not part of our group or who don't do it our way. And that's what a lot of people think holiness is and that's one reason they run from it.

You know, there's the old story about two farmers who were talking one day. And One farmer said to the other, Hey, I hear that you're a Christian. Is that true? They said, yeah, I'm a Christian.

So the farmer said So what does it mean to be a Christian? He said, well. I retire. I don't smoke. on a run around with the ladies.

I'm a Christian. The other farmer thought for a minute, and he said You know my mule must be a Christian. Because my mule doesn't drink or smoke or run around with the ladies. No, no, it is not just a definition of what you don't do. Yeah, it's true.

I used to be a heavy drug user. I was shooting heroin at the age of 15. Jesus set me free. And for a period of time, I drank heavily as much as I could. I don't drink anymore.

I don't do drugs anymore. But that doesn't make me saved. And that doesn't make me holy. That's a reflection of the fact that I'm saved and called to holiness.

So that's one reason that holiness gets a bad rap because we associate it with legalism, we associate it with human standards and traditions, we associate it with condemning negative, mean-spirited preaching, and often with hypocrisy. That is not what I'm talking about. And if that's what you've been exposed to, rather than turning the dial. Keep listening because you're going to be infused with life. I know it.

I know it. If you take this in, because we're going to be sharing the word, the word, the word, and you're going to be blessed. And it's going to be life to you. It's going to be nourishing. I just see in my mind's eye these flowers and plants that have been wilted due to bad teaching and bad experiences.

And then the holy water of the word of God is poured in and they begin to blossom. I believe that's going to happen with many of you. Holiness is beautiful, not binding. Holiness is beautiful, not binding. I remember in my early days in the Lord, we'd be ministering to someone and they looked like Walking death, you know what I'm saying?

They just, everything about them was beaten down, and they were polluted by sin. And then you see them a month or two later, they've been gloriously saved and they're glowing. They look younger. Everything change. It's the beauty of holiness.

There's another reason though. There's another reason. that holiness gets a bad rap, and that's the flesh. It's That's because people want to sin. That's because the flesh has intense appetites.

And because of that, the flesh hates holiness. Galatians chapter 5. Verse 17. Galatians 5, 17. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit.

and the desires of the spirit or against the flesh. For these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things you want to do. Following Jesus does mean death to the flesh. Following Jesus does mean making a break with the past. Mickey Cohn was a notorious Jewish gangster in the 50s.

A friend of his encouraged him to go hear Billy Graham preach, which he did. and the friend encouraged him to receive Jesus, which he did. At least he said he did.

So sometime later the friend noticed that Mickey Cohen hadn't changed at all. and he confronted them. And Mickey Cohn said to him, Nobody told me I had to give up my friends, meaning his gangster friends. And then he said, Nobody told me I had to give up my work. Meaning being a gangster, being a criminal.

Billy Graham certainly preached clearly enough, but when he was at the Billy Graham event, he saw a Christian cowboy testify, or a Christian athlete testify, or a Christian actress testify. And he thought, well, he could be a Christian gangster. No, it doesn't work like that. Following Jesus means radical change, but it's change that comes from the inside out. It's change that comes out of an encounter with the living God.

And when his love comes pouring through, you don't want to do the things you used to do. And God's grace living inside of you can empower you to live a new life, a brand new life.

So for many years, I thought about writing a book on holiness. I really wanted to do it. But I thought, I have to get to a place in God where I have even greater mastery over the flesh. where sin is even more the exception to the rule of my life. And where I'm living in this extraordinary intimacy with God, and from that place, I can write a book on holiness.

And it was in the mid-90s, I felt stirred to write Go and Sin No More, a Called the Holiness. And I thought, Lord, I haven't fully arrived yet. Oh, by God's grace, I was living a godly life and there was no scandal taking place in my life, but I. I thought, well, I need to be in a different place. And when I felt the Lord tell me to write, in other words, In this world, you will never fully attain.

You will not attain perfect holiness in this world. But if God's with you and you're living a godly life, you can write the book.

So I wrote the book. It's not a book by a perfect person, the only perfect person was Jesus. It's a book by a fellow human being who understands what it is to struggle, understands the battle with the flesh, but knows that by God's grace we can live transformed lives. Go. And sin no more, call the holiness.

Not only will it really give you definitions, you're going to hear in this month. Lots of amazing quotes, beautiful quotes, wonderful quotes from other authors, and maybe a few decent quotes from me as well. They're all in the book. They're all in Go and Sin No More. We're going to cover a lot of scripture.

This is Dr. Michael Brown. Thanks so much for tuning in. Just a reminder that we are listener supported. If we have been a blessing to you, if you're being enriched in the word and prayer and your own walk with God through this broadcast, then stand with us so that we can reach many, many more and bless many, many more.

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