Daily Bread – December 7, 2021 (The Third Day – Genesis 1:9-13) Romans 6:19 – I speak as a man because of the frailty of your flesh; for as you have yielded your members as slaves to impurity and to iniquity unto iniquity; in the same way, now yield your members as servants to righteousness unto holiness. Part 3 ~ Holy As He Is Holy In the New Testament, those who have believed in Christ Jesus are referred to as “saints”, or “holy ones”, sixty-three times. When we consider that God’s people are only called Christians three times in the New Testament, we are impacted by the true identity of the believer. Holiness is so important to New Testament theology we are told that, without it, we will not see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). Just as the Lord Jesus Christ is our righteousness, He is also our holiness (1 Corinthians 1:30; Hebrews 2:11). Just as the Lord Jesus made us righteous, He also made us holy. He made us holy through the new birth, and the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:2; Titus 3:5). Through this radical transformation of nature and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we are able to live holy lives and truly be the saints of God. The conduct of holiness is righteousness. Therefore, because we have been made holy and live under the leadership of God, we yield our members as servants to righteousness (Romans 6:11-23). ‘Hagiasmós’ (“sanctification”) is similar to ‘dikaíosis’ (“justification”) which denotes not only the act of God’s free grace in justifying sinners, but also the result of justification upon the sinner in making him just, and equipping him to recognize the rights of God on his life. Hagiasmós refers not only to the activity of the Holy Spirit in setting man apart unto salvation and transferring him into the ranks of the redeemed, but also to enabling him to be holy even as God is holy” (2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:15-16) (Zodhiates, S. [2000, c1992, c1993] The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament). Blessings, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
Daily Bread 12/7/2021
