Perfecting Holiness

1. Perfecting Holiness
2 Corinthians 7:1

2. 2 Corinthians 7:1
Having therefore
these promises,
beloved, let us
cleanse ourselves
from all defilement of
flesh and spirit,
perfecting holiness
in the fear of God.

3. What is HOLINESS?

4. The Burning Bush
Exodus 3
1. Now Moses was keeping the
flock of Jethro his father-in-law,
the priest of Midian: and he led
the flock to the back of the
wilderness, and came to the
mountain of God, unto Horeb.
2. And the angel of Jehovah
appeared unto him in a flame
of fire out of the midst of a
bush: and he looked, and,
behold, the bush burned
with fire, and the bush was
not consumed.

5. Exodus 3
3. And Moses said, I will turn aside now, and see this great sight,
why the bush is not burnt.
4. And when Jehovah saw that he turned aside to see, God
called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said,
Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
5. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy
feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

6. What made this ground holy?
• The PRESENCE of God
• Before God manifested
Himself here
– It was a common
mountain
– It was an ordinary bush
– It was a normal parcel of
ground

7. Exodus 19
1. In the third month after the children of Israel
were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the
same day came they into the wilderness of
Sinai.
2. And when they were departed from Rephidim,
and were come to the wilderness of Sinai, they
encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel
encamped before the mount.
3. And Moses went up unto God, and Jehovah
called unto him out of the mountain, saying,
Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and
tell the children of Israel:

8. Exodus 19
4. Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians,
and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and
brought you unto myself.
5. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed,
and keep my covenant, then ye shall be mine
own possession from among all peoples: for all
the earth is mine:
6. and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of
priests, and a holy nation. These are the
words which thou shalt speak unto the children
of Israel.

9. What would make this nation...
HOLY
God’s Presence
among the people
Exodus 25:8
And let them make me
a sanctuary, that I may
dwell among them.

10. Exodus 29
42. It shall be a continual burnt-offering throughout your
generations at the door of the tent of meeting before
Jehovah, where I will meet with you, to speak there
unto thee.
43. And there I will meet with the children of Israel; and
the Tent shall be sanctified by my glory.
44. And I will sanctify the tent of meeting, and the altar:
Aaron also and his sons will I sanctify, to minister to me
in the priest's office.
45. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and
will be their God.
46. And they shall know that I am Jehovah their God, that
brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I might
dwell among them: I am Jehovah their God.

11. Leviticus 26
11. And I will set my
tabernacle among
you: and my soul
shall not abhor you.
12. And I will walk
among you, and will
be your God, and ye
shall be my people.

12. Numbers 9
15. And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up
the cloud covered the tabernacle, even the tent of the
testimony: and at even it was upon the tabernacle as it
were the appearance of fire, until morning.
16. So it was always: the cloud covered it, and the
appearance of fire by night.
17. And whenever the cloud was taken up from over the
Tent, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and
in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of
Israel encamped.
18. At the commandment of Jehovah the children of Israel
journeyed, and at the commandment of Jehovah they
encamped: as long as the cloud abode upon the
tabernacle they remained encamped.
19. And when the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle many
days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of
Jehovah, and journeyed not.

13. Numbers 9
20. And sometimes the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle;
then according to the commandment of Jehovah they remained
encamped, and according to the commandment of Jehovah they
journeyed.
21. And sometimes the cloud was from evening until morning; and
when the cloud was taken up in the morning, they journeyed: or if it
continued by day and by night, when the cloud was taken up, they
journeyed.
22. Whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud
tarried upon the tabernacle, abiding thereon, the children of Israel
remained encamped, and journeyed not; but when it was taken up,
they journeyed.
23. At the commandment of Jehovah they encamped, and at the
commandment of Jehovah they journeyed: they kept the charge of
Jehovah, at the commandment of Jehovah by Moses.

14. 2 Samuel 7
5. Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith
Jehovah, Shalt thou build me a house for me to
dwell in?
6. for I have not dwelt in a house since the day
that I brought up the children of Israel out of
Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a
tent and in a tabernacle.
7. In all places wherein I have walked with all
the children of Israel, spake I a word with any
of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to be
shepherd of my people Israel, saying, Why have
ye not built me a house of cedar?

15. Holy Things
Exodus 30:25-29
And thou shalt make it a holy anointing oil, a
perfume compounded after the art of the
perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil. 26.
And thou shalt anoint therewith the tent of
meeting, and the ark of the testimony, 27. and
the table and all the vessels thereof, and the
candlestick and the vessels thereof, and the
altar of incense, 28. and the altar of burnt-
offering with all the vessels thereof, and the
laver and the base thereof. 29. And thou shalt
sanctify them, that they may be most holy:
whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.

16. Exodus 30
30. And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and
sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the
priest's office.
31. And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel,
saying, This shall be a holy anointing oil unto me
throughout your generations.
32. Upon the flesh of man shall it not be poured, neither
shall ye make any like it, according to the composition
thereof: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.
33. Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever
putteth any of it upon a stranger, he shall be cut off from
his people.

17. Exodus 30
34. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet
spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; sweet spices
with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like
weight;
35. and thou shalt make of it incense, a perfume after the
art of the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy:
36. and thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put
of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting,
where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most
holy.
37. And the incense which thou shalt make, according to
the composition thereof ye shall not make for yourselves:
it shall be unto thee holy for Jehovah.
38. Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereof,
he shall be cut off from his people.

18. Exodus 31:13
Speak thou also unto the children of Israel,
saying, Verily ye shall keep my sabbaths:
for it is a sign between me and you
throughout your generations; that ye may
know that I am Jehovah who sanctifieth
you.

19. Holiness
• Is determined by the PRESENCE of God
• Is appointed for things used in service to
God
• Is accomplished when men reflect the
moral qualities & characteristics of God in
their lives

20. 2 Corinthians 7:1
• Having therefore these promises, beloved,
let us cleanse ourselves from all
defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting
holiness in the fear of God.
• Consider the preceding context:

21. 2 Corinthians 6
16. And what agreement hath a temple of God
with idols? for we are a temple of the living
God; even as God said, I will dwell in them,
and walk in them; and I will be their God, and
they shall be my people.
17. Wherefore Come ye out from among them,
and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch
no unclean thing; And I will receive you,
18. And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to
me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

22. Perfecting Holiness
• Accomplished
– when we accept God to
be present in our lives
– when we devote
ourselves to serve Him
– When we purge our
lives of sin

23. 1 Thessalonians 4
1. Finally then, brethren, we beseech and exhort
you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye received of us
how ye ought to walk and to please God, even
as ye do walk,--that ye abound more and more.
2. For ye know what charge we gave you through
the Lord Jesus.
3. For this is the will of God, even your
sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication;
4. that each one of you know how to possess
himself of his own vessel in sanctification
and honor,

24. 1 Thessalonians 4
4. that each one of you know how to
possess himself of his own vessel in
sanctification and honor,
5. not in the passion of lust, even as the
Gentiles who know not God;
6. that no man transgress, and wrong his
brother in the matter: because the Lord is
an avenger in all these things, as also we
forewarned you and testified.

25. 1 Thessalonians 4
7. For God called us not for uncleanness,
but in sanctification.
8. Therefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth not
man, but God, who giveth his Holy Spirit
unto you.

26. Sanctification
The presence of God: the indwelling of the
Holy Spirit in the body of the Christian
1 Corinthians 6
18. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is
without the body; but he that committeth fornication
sinneth against his own body.
19. Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the
Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God?
and ye are not your own;
20. for ye were bought with a price: glorify God
therefore in your body.

27. Closer to God?
Is this your desire?
James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will
draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye
sinners; and purify your hearts, ye
doubleminded.

28. Perfecting Holiness
• Is realized in a life of
– Submission
– Obedience
– Service

29. A Tale of Two Trees

30. The Burning Bush
Exodus 3:1-5
• On Fire – due to the
presence of God
• Burning, yet NOT
consumed
• PRODUCTIVE – a
benefit from God’s
presence
• LIGHT
• SUSTAINED by God
to burn continually
The Unfruitful Tree
Luke 13:6-9
• Unfruitful – disconnected
from God
• To be burned after cut
down and cast out
• UNFRUITFUL – a result
of God’s absence
• DARKNESS
• Left to waste away, to
wither, to die

31. Let Him In
Revelation 3:20-22
Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any
man hear my voice and open the door, I will
come in to him, and will sup with him, and he
with me. 21. He that overcometh, I will give to
him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also
overcame, and sat down with my Father in his
throne. 22. He that hath an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit saith to the churches.