Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. When you go to your physician for a checkup, invariably the doctor checks your heart. Today, I'm not going to check your physical heart, but I'm going to check your spiritual heart. The Puritan John Flavell said, what health is to the heart, holiness is to the soul.
So, how's your heart? How's your soul? Welcome to the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. Many believers struggle with misconceptions about personal holiness. Is it about rigid rule following, perfect behavior?
Today we discover that authentic holiness has a much more inspiring goal. As we continue in 1 Peter, we'll see how God is in the business of transforming His children into the image of His Son.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe with his message: the goal of holiness. Last time I began to give you a spiritual check-up. I want to be a spiritual physician using my stethoscope of the Bible in my examination. As we continue to think of the subject of holiness, I wonder how you're doing. Are you becoming More and more holy?
What does that look like? Last time we thought of some of the false goals of holiness, such as the common but insidious prosperity gospel, legalism. Bible knowledge as an end in itself. These are all traps that we want to avoid. This message will encourage you as we think of the true goal of holiness.
This goal keeps us looking up and is very encouraging. Remember the context. Peter is calling us to live holy lives as we are to be holy as God Himself is holy. First Peter one, verses thirteen through sixteen. Uh read this with me.
Together, please. Therefore, Preparing your minds for action. and being sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, Do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance.
But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written. You shall be holy. For I am holy. Thank you. Please be.
See that We're learning that God calls his people to live holy lives. We read here, and if you have your Bible, you can open it with me, to 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 15. But as he who called you He's talking to believers, as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, you shall be holy, for I am holy. Jesus said, blessed are the pure in heart. For they shall see God.
We are, the scripture says, to pursue holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. And we have learned in these last couple of weeks That this idea of holiness, this sanctification, is being set apart. Set apart from sin, set apart to God. And we have been learning, to put it in theological terms, that sanctification, our sanctification, is the inevitable result. of our justification.
We have been justified, we have been sanctified, set apart from God.
Now, in the grace of God, as we'll learn today, we seek to live holy lives, looking forward to that great day. Glorification. Previously, we considered the call of holiness. And the pattern of holiness. Today we're thinking of the subject of the goal of holiness.
What does holiness look like? The goal of holiness. Is Christ likeness. It's to be like Christ. And the wonder of the gospel Is that God in His grace not only saves us, He has predestined us to be like His perfect Son.
Turn with me in your Bibles to Romans chapter 8. Where we will see this. Romans 8. 28. We love this verse.
We know That for those who love God, All things work together for good. Another incredible promise. I don't understand many things that have happened in my life, but I do know. that God is working them for good. For those who are called according to his purpose, For those whom he foreknew, He also predestined, here it is, to be conformed to the image of his son.
in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined. He also called. And those whom he called, he also justified. And those whom he justified, he also.
Glorified. Brother, sister, You are predestined to be conformed to the image of the Son of God. That's mind-blowing in the simplications, isn't it? We know from scripture That in the beginning, God made us In the image, in his image. We are made in the image of God.
But then sin comes into the Garden of Eden, remember in Genesis 3. And because of sin, The image of God in us is distorted and scarred. It's not totally obliterated. But it's terribly marred and scarred. It's like looking in the mirror.
Uh that has been cracked. And you see yourself, but it's distorted. That's us in our fallen condition. How is the image of God in us going to be restored? Is that possible?
Sin is devastating. Is devastating to ourselves and is devastating in its implications to those around us. What's the answer? Here is the gospel. That God In his love, sends his son into this world not to condemn those who have sinned.
who have these marred and scarred images. But He sends His Son to transform us. Paul writes to the church at Causae that Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God. How can you have an image of of something which is invisible? But Jesus Christ comes.
God is spirit, no one has seen God. But now in Jesus Christ. God comes to us, Emmanuel, God with us. And as we look at Jesus Christ, We see God perfectly. He who has seen me has seen the Father.
He is the perfect image of God. And now, God's plan for his people. Is that they become like his Sander. We're members of this family. God is our Father.
Jesus Christ is the elder brother. And now, through the miracle of the gospel, We are being predestined to become In the image of Jesus Christ.
Some of you, I've never done this, but I have friends who buy cars. which are are wrecked. And uh there they are. This car has been in a terrible accident. It's a very poor representation of the original design and construction.
Once this car was perfect, but now it is broken. It's a wreck. Here's an individual who buys this car. And slowly The process of restoration. begins to restore this car To its original condition.
It takes a lot of time, it takes a lot of care, it takes a lot of money sometimes, and a lot of patience. God Our God, our Father, is in the restoration business. Psalm 23, David writes, He restores my soul. David knew what it was. To dishonor God.
God is in the restoration. business. He takes broken people like us. People who make a wreck of their lives, like us. People who deliberately go against God.
And he reaches down. Not only does he forgive our sins, There has begun now this wonderful work of restoration in us to make us More and more like Jesus. In Psalm 24, the question is asked. Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? Who shall stand in this holy place?
Is there anyone here? who could stand in the holy place. We Sang. The question. It's really the same question as Psalm 23.
Is there anyone worthy to open that scroll? And Revelation 5. In the whole universe, Who is able to stand? in the holy place. Who is worthy and able to open the scroll?
Our Lord Jesus Christ was the first person, as it were, who climbed God's holy mountain. who stood in that holy place. Because those who come are to have Clean hands. and a pure heart. Your hands are dirty.
Your heart is impure. You cannot stand before a holy God. And now what we can do, God in Christ has done. That in the gospel, I want you to grasp this. This is so important.
In the gospel, not only are your sins forgiven, In the gospel, we are united to our Lord Jesus Christ. We sang that about the imputation. That in our salvation, Christ takes our sins and we receive His righteousness. I am united with Christ in His death, His burial, and resurrection. And through this union with Christ, His sanctification.
which he accomplished. For me is now Mine.
So Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1 that in Christ Jesus Christ Jesus has become to us Sanctification.
Now, in the grace of God, I can ascend that holy hill.
Now, in the grace of God, I can stand in the holy place, not because of any innate holiness in myself. Certainly not because of my works, certainly not based on anything I have done, but purely in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. His sanctification is mine. I have received Christ. I am united with him.
And now in this wonderful Spiritual process. If you're a follower of Christ, you're involved in this. I'm involved in this. God. Through his spirit.
is transforming us more and more to be like Jesus. When we receive Christ as our Saviour, God graciously Through his Spirit. begins this process of transformation. This process of progressive sanctification. We are works in process.
Turn with me to see this in 2 Corinthians. This is wonderful. 2 Corinthians 4. Three. 2 Corinthians 3.
Verse 17.
Now, the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. There is again freedom. And we all with unveiled face, unlike Moses going up the mount. is the context. We all with unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord.
Are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. Think of that. The Christian is involved. The word transformed here is the word from which we get metamorphosis.
We're involved in a metamorphosis. We are in a process of being changed. into the image of Jesus Christ. And here's my point. I want you to get it today.
The more you listen to Jesus, The more you look at Jesus, The closer you follow Jesus. The more you'll become like her. Isn't that true? All of us? are involved in this process.
You say, well, it's a very slow process with me, but Could it be Because you're not looking at Christ very much. Robert Murray McShane says, for every look at self, Take ten f take ten looks at Christ. Christian life is looking to Christ. It's beholding the image of Christ. And as I do that, I'm becoming more and more like my Savior.
And the main means of sanctification is the Word of God. Listen to the words of Jesus, familiar verses. John seventeen, verse seventeen, sanctify them. There's our word. Sanctify, make them holy, sanctify them in the truth.
Your word Scripture is truth. As you sent me into the world, Jesus is praying to his father.
So I have sent them into the world. And for their sake, I consecrate myself. Most translations say, I sanctify myself, same word. The verb hagiadzo, from which we get hagiasmos, the sanctification, Jesus is saying, I sanctify myself. That they also may be sanctified in Truth.
How wonderful. Here I am reading my Bible. The truth of God. And as I do so, I'm hearing God. I'm focused.
on the word of god And you say, well, will any of us reach that perfect likeness of Christ? Not during this life. John writes, no, but when we. See him, we shall be like him, for we'll see him as he is. That's our glorification.
But now here we are in time. We're becoming more and more like. Jesus. The goal of holiness is to be like our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says in Romans thirteen, verse fourteen.
He writes. but put on the Lord Jesus Christ. and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires. This morning you got up. We put on our clothes.
This morning, when you get up as a Christian, what are we doing? We're putting on the clothes of Jesus Christ. We're clothing ourselves with Christ. We're putting on the Lord Jesus Christ. You say, John, that sounds very mystical.
What clothes are you putting on? The fruit of the Spirit. Love. Joy. Peace.
Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness.
Self-control. Are you? loving person. You got a lot of information. You you're running around serving the Lord, that that's wonderful, but What about your love?
What about peace?
So many people No not at peace. Remember what Jesus says? And he says to come to me. And learn of me, for I am meek. and lowly in heart.
There's gentleness. There's humility, and you will find rest. for your souls. Why are so many of us lacking peace and rest for our souls? A humble dependence on Jesus produces.
Peace. Humility. Have you noticed the arrogant person, the very proudful person, they're never at peace, they're never at rest. They're always trying to impress someone, they're always trying to put someone down, they're always trying to show their superiority, they never really accept the identity that they have and the gifts and the talents that they have. They're not at peace.
But Jesus says, if you come to me And learn of me. What am I to learn from Jesus? Gentleness. Humility. Joy.
You're a joyful person. What about joy in you? Are you a joyful person? Is there joy in your home? Through joy in your heart, joy in your relationships.
Are you a kind person? It's amazing how unkind Christians can be, can't we? And we have got all of this knowledge, all of this information. Or about self-control? These are The graces that I put on.
Remember Paul says, be kind to one another. Is God kind? Is God gracious? Be kind to one another, tenderhearted. Forgiving one another, even as God in Christ has forgiven you.
And then he goes on to talk in Ephesians 5 about being. Imitating Christ in the self-sacrificial Love, that's it, isn't it? Very convicting, isn't it? Oh, I know a lot about the Bible. I'm a pastor.
I serve the Lord every day. That doesn't mean I'm a holy person. That doesn't mean that I'm exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit. And so I'm very deliberately and consciously put on my Lord Jesus Christ. And if you say you love Christ, you want to listen to Him and you want to be like Him.
And the wonderful thing is, that's not all your own effort. There is a wonderful spiritual transformation. How wonderful when we see it in a brother or sister, don't we?
Someone has come to Christ. and their life. It's changed. Good news just the other day told me that in her maternal grandfather, when he came to Christ, the whole home. was changed.
Different home. different way of speaking to his wife. different way of conducting business. Why? Because we put on the Lord Jesus Christ.
When a painter is painting a portrait, the painter looks to the person and then looks to the canvas. Then back to the person, and then back to the canvas. trying to reproduce on the canvas what she sees. In the person. I'm to keep looking to Jesus.
Keep looking to him. And the more I look to him, the more I will be like him. As I listen to his word, as I commune with him. As I meet with my brothers and sisters who encourage me to be more like Christ and who admonish and rebuke me when I'm.
So often un-Christ-like. We began the service last Sunday by singing in that old chorus. Turn your eyes. On Jesus. Isn't that it?
Do you do that every day? Can you do that? Not your iPhone. But turn your eyes on Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light.
of his glory. And grace.
Some of you here are feeling bathered and scarred by sinancho. You need to come to Christ. You need a touch. of the Master's hand. How wonderful.
And God sees us bruised and broken. and in great love sends his son to rescue us. And he says, Come to me. Will you come? Be touched.
And healed by the touch of the Master's hand, because the Word of God to us today is this. But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct. Since it is written. You shall be holy. For I am holy.
Father, help us. to do that. Thank you. For the means of grace that you give us. We are indwelled by the Spirit.
You give us your word, which is truth. You give us our Lord Jesus Christ. Help us daily to put him. On us. And there are some here who are broken.
Their life is wrecked. Because of sin. Thank you for bringing them here. May they. humble themselves.
repent of their sin. And look to Christ and say, Come. And save me. I may All of us. Be touched and changed.
by that supernatural touch. of the Master's hand. We thank you. And his name. Amen.
This is the verdict with Pastor John Monroe and the conclusion of his message titled The Goal of Holiness. John has more to share in just a moment, so keep listening. Today, we've seen that true holiness isn't about perfectionism. Or religious performance, but about becoming more like Christ through His transforming power. To help deepen your understanding of God's work in your life and develop a biblical big picture view.
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Now, here's Pastor John Monroe with closing remarks.
Well, what's your verdict? What do you think of this spiritual check-up today? How are you doing? How like Jesus are you? not asking your knowledge or adherence to certain rules, but I am inquiring about the condition of your heart.
Because this is a hard issue. As Jesus said to Peter, So I say to you, do you love me? The closer we follow Jesus, the more we look to Him. and the holier we will be. as the goal of holiness is to be like Jesus.
Today. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
