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Holiness of God (Part 4)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's purity, often described as His holiness, stands as a transcendent quality that surpasses human comprehension. His holiness embodies His beyondness, otherness, and aboveness, revealing a greatness beyond any superlative we can apply. As expressed in I Chronicles 29:10-13, David blesses the Lord, proclaiming His greatness, power, glory, victory, and majesty, acknowledging that all in heaven and earth belongs to Him. This holiness sums up the totality of His excellence, far exceeding our limited senses and vocabulary, which can only offer pale imitations of His true nature. In Revelation 4, angels worship His holiness, and in the so-called Lord's Prayer, we are taught to hallow His name, recognizing His sacred purity. Exodus 15:11 echoes this reverence, with the Israelites singing, "Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?" Isaiah 55:8-9 further illustrates this vast separation, declaring that His thoughts and ways are higher than ours, as the heavens are above the earth. His creative power, reliability, and steadfast love are equally transcendent, as Hebrews 1:10-12 affirms that while the heavens and earth will perish, He remains unchanged, constant in His purity. God's love, described in Romans 8:38-39, is so pure and unyielding that nothing—not death, life, nor any created thing—can separate us from it. This love overturns death, as He raises the dead and restores life. Psalm 147:5 extols His infinite understanding, highlighting that every attribute of His character, including His goodness, mercy, justice, and kindness, reflects this transcendent purity. In I John 1:5-7, God is declared as light with no darkness at all, symbolizing absolute purity radiating from Him, a holiness so intense that sin cannot exist in His presence. This purity calls us to transformation, as I John 3:1-3 urges everyone with hope in Him to purify themselves, just as He is pure. Hebrews 12:14 emphasizes pursuing holiness, without which no one will see the Lord, underscoring that becoming holy is the only way to fulfill the destiny for which He created us. Romans 6:19 presents righteousness as a step toward holiness, a process of ever-increasing righteousness that marks our path to sanctification. Despite the overwhelming difference between His sinless purity and our sinfulness, His purpose is not to crush us but to provide an image of what we are to become, transforming us from glory to glory, as stated in II Corinthians 3:18. Through His grace, as noted in I Peter 1:13-16, we are called to be holy in all conduct, because He who called us is holy. This grace, an active and effective enabling power, bridges the gap between us and His holiness, providing whatever is needed to achieve what we cannot on our own. Romans 12:3-9 reinforces that He gifts us differently according to His grace, enabling each of us to fulfill our function within the body of Christ, united in Him. Thus, while His holiness may seem beyond reach, He ensures the path to purity is attainable through a relationship with Him, established by Jesus Christ, allowing His holiness to be communicated to us and reflected in our lives.
Can God Look on Sin?
Sermonette by Ryan McClureMany believe that God is unable to look on sin, yet many scriptures show that God's eyes run to and fro through the earth, observing the evil and the good.
The Holiness Code
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughA portion of Leviticus, dubbed 'the holiness code,' describes how God lives. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus expanded the application of the holiness code.
Deuteronomy (Part 7)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughSanctification is an incremental process in which we systematically destroy the sin within us as our forebears were asked to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan.
Preparing to Rule (1993)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughSanctification is both a state and a process—a time period between justification and glorification during which overcoming, purification, and holiness takes place.
Amos (Part Six)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughThe favorite-son status of Israel was conditioned on accepting the terms of the covenant with God. Israel, then and now, has placed her trust in material things.
Marriage and the Bride of Christ (Part Eight)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsThe husband is commanded to love his wife as his own body, regarding her as precious and delicate, continually nourishing and protecting her.
River of Life
Sermon by Bill OnisickI Corinthians 13 describes the assaying instrument to detect the purity of love. Our need for love never ends as we move through the sanctification process.
Hebrews (Part Nine): Chapter 1: Jesus' Exultation and Christianity's Claims
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Hebrews 1:3 and Psalm 2 explain how Jesus becomes something He previously was not. Because of Christ's qualifications, Christianity has a claim on all mankind.