Latest / The Daily Word / May 15 – Called to Holiness
Transcript
- Brandon Dirmann: Well, welcome once again to another episode of the Daily Word podcast. Don't know where you're listening to this from today, but I have in my hand a cup of coffee. It's almost empty, which makes me sad. ⁓ But I'm excited today to be able to share with you from God's Word. And so I don't know why I told you that I'm drinking coffee, maybe because I'm hoping you're drinking coffee that maybe we're having a moment together. Whether it's the evening or the morning time and you're sitting down to a cup of coffee or maybe you're a tea drinker I don't know but wherever you're listening to this from whatever you're doing right now. Thank you so much for being a part of this podcast Legitimately every single week at church on Sunday mornings and through you know other means sometimes but mainly at church I have at least one person come to me and just share with me how meaningful the daily word podcast has been to them and so thank you so much for ⁓ tuning in and for ⁓ kind of making this a part of your daily rhythm and routine. I will ask that if you're being blessed by this, like I say it, I think often, but if you're being blessed by this, please take time, please take time and share this with somebody, encourage somebody, help us get the word out for somebody that needs to hear this today and help us to grow our reach and our influence. That being said, Again, welcome to another episode of the Daily Word podcast. Today is May the 15th, May the 15th, and we're in the Book of First Thessalonians. Every single day on the Daily Word podcast, in case you're new, we simply use the Life Journal reading plan that our church uses as a resource, and we take this reading plan, and we're just looking at the New Testament portion, and our goal is to every day, number one, simply be a strength and an encouragement to you. to maybe drop just a nugget of encouragement or wisdom or maybe even correction that you're putting in your pocket and you're letting God use throughout the day. But secondly, it's a reminder that we believe in the power of the secret place, the power of spending time with God every day on a daily basis and letting God speak to us. And so with that being said, let me share with you today from our reading today, 1 Thessalonians chapter four. It's where we're reading today on May the 15th. It's a short chapter. book of 1 and 2 Thessalonians are short books. And so if you haven't been reading the Bible, jump in. It's a great time, great opportunity to jump in. But 1 Thessalonians chapter four, I want to read to you. It's a lot of verses to be honest. And so I'm going to read to you the concluding verses, but I'm going to go back up and I'm going to kind of just kind of pick through this chapter and just kind of, we'll see how it goes. But 1 Thessalonians chapter four, verse seven through eight, here's what it says, for God, did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us his Holy Spirit. Read it again. For God did not call us to uncleanliness. No, he didn't. God called us in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God. who has also given us his Holy Spirit. Here in this chapter in 1 Thessalonians chapter four, the author is speaking about sexual immorality. And while that may be something that you're struggling with, something that you're dealing with in your life right now, we know that these principles can be applied broadly to any area of sin or uncleanliness that's in your life right now. ⁓ Sin, if you need a reminder, it simply is missing the mark. God has a standard. Let's just say his standard is 10 feet and you shoot that basketball and you only shoot at nine and a half feet. Well, was, I was almost there. Well, yeah, but almost doesn't count in basketball. You shoot at nine and a half feet. That's still an air ball. So sin is simply missing the mark that God has set in. And the Bible will teach us cover to cover that sin is destructive. Sin is what separate us from God. Sin is what causes things like shame and guilt and condemnation to creep up in our life. And sin, it is ultimately what leads to destruction and eternal damnation. Sin is a big deal. And yes, absolutely, Jesus has, through the finished work on the cross, he has paid the price for our sins to forgive us of all of our sins. We will be reading here in the next number of weeks in the book of Romans, and Paul will talk about in Romans how there is now therefore no condemnation. for those who are in Christ Jesus. And so yes, we've been forgiven of our sins and yes, we've been cleansed of all of our sins. And at the same time, the Bible teaches us that God calls us to from that position to now begin to aim and through his spirit's empowerment, live a life that is holy, a life that is clean, a life that is well pleasing to God. Here in 1 Thessalonians chapter four, The author writes this, then brethren, verse one, we're urging you and exhorting you in the Lord Jesus that you have received from us how you ought to walk and please God. For you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus for this is the will of God. Listen to this, verse three, it's the will of God, your sanctification, that you should abstain from sexual immorality, that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and in honor. We'll just pause right there. The writer says, listen, the message that we gave to you from the very beginning is that the will of God is your sanctification. The will of God, it is you becoming more like him and cleansing yourself of all unrighteousness. And we read it earlier, it's the verses that I'm keying in on. Verse eight says this, that he who is rejecting this is not rejecting man, but is rejecting God. And that's where I kind of want to conclude with an application today. For most of us, we know these realities that God has called us to flee from sin and pursue righteousness, that God has called us to cleanse ourself and be vessels of honor, that God has called us to be conformed to His image and to walk in the light. And yet, therefore, it's like sometimes we make it an issue between us and another person, us and a pastor, us and an influencer, us and, well, you know, I know what they said, but And in my application today, in my reminder and strong encouragement is that if you are rejecting sanctification and if you are rejecting cleansing yourself and allowing God to make you a vessel of honor, you're not rejecting man, you're rejecting God. That's what he says. He who rejects this does not reject man, but God who has given us his Holy Spirit, who lives and dwells and abides and surely is convicting us of that sin. And so my application today is, we'll just kind of break it into three points that's helpful for my mind. Number one, God has called us to sanctification. He's called us to walk in holiness and righteousness and to flee from sin and purify ourself. Number two, ⁓ if I reject that, I'm rejecting God. So this is an issue between me and God that while I'm forgiven and while I'm cleansed, also God is saying, I'm calling you. to repent, to turn, to change, to cleanse yourself. And number three, that the Holy Spirit has been given to me. And therefore, number one, I need to be listening to His voice. Maybe even today you just say, God, my heart's gotten hard towards you. God, my heart's gotten hard toward listening to your spirit. So Holy Spirit today, would you begin to speak to me again and convict me of sin, convict me of areas of unrighteousness that need to be dealt with, convict me today of areas that I need to change, to repent, to be cleansed from. We have the Holy Spirit and He not only can convict us, but He empowers us to be able to change and to live for God. And so today, let's be reminded that God's called us to holiness. It's an issue between us and God, not us and man, and that God has given us his spirit. And if we'll ask him, he'll convict us and show us those areas that we need to turn from, and he'll empower us to live in that way. And so today, let's respond in prayer. I'm pray for you, but I'd ask that you'd respond by receiving this prayer, maybe even praying your own prayer. Lord, today, we don't wanna be those who reject God. We don't want to be those who are rejecting the commandments and the ways of God. No, we want to be pleasing and honoring to you. So we invite you, Holy Spirit, to soften our hearts and convince and convict us of sin and righteousness in any areas that we need to be convicted today. Help us today, God, to turn, to repent, and to begin to live by your Spirit empowering us in the ways you've called us to. Thank you for forgiveness and for grace, and thank you for empowerment to live. how you've called us to live in Jesus' name, amen. Hey, I know this was a little bit of a stronger podcast today, but I sure hope you were blessed. I love you and I can't wait to see you again tomorrow on another episode of the Daily Word Podcast.