The Church Holy
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
12/26/2010 AM
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Text:
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I Peter 2;
Lord's Day 21
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Psalters: |
373, 328, 268, 133 |
- The fact.
- The Church is not visibly perfect, yet God’s Word describes the Church as holy.
- First, consider what holiness is.
- It is a virtue of God. He is the Holy One (Lev. 19:2; 20:7; Matt. 5:48).
- Objectively, holiness is to be taken out of the world and set aside for the service of the holy God.
- Subjectively, God makes the church ethically holy within via regeneration by the Holy Spirit.
- Holiness relates to the essence of the Church, and is not just a characteristic of it.
- Holiness (separated from sin and dedicated to God) is what constitutes it the Church.
- The Church of Christ is the only organization in the world which is holy.
- How does the Church on earth possess and experience this holiness?
- First, her holiness is a gift of God’s grace in Jesus Christ.
- The Church’s holiness is experienced, though never perfectly in this life, only in the way of her conscious submission to the Spirit’s leading her into the Truth of Jesus.
- The holiness of the Church is manifested in the Church performing her calling.
- The Church has a holy ministry to fulfill, the ministry of the Word.
- The Church’s holiness is manifested in the holy walk of the members.
- The Church is holy, for that is how God sees her and that is how He made her.
- See the church as God views her: spotless in the Lamb.
- The chief manifestations of the holiness of the Church while she is on earth are the following: