I Believe in Holy Living
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I Believe in Holy Living
1. We Must Grow to Be Like Christ
We believe that God's justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. Justification is God's declaration that we are righteous because of Jesus' work and our faith. But it doesn’t stop there. Sanctification is the necessary outworking of that justification.
God doesn't save us only to leave us as newborns in the faith. He calls us to grow into Christlikeness. As Paul wrote, "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son." (Romans 8:29)
Sanctification is the evidence of true justification. James affirms this: "Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (James 2:17) If we have genuinely submitted our lives to Christ and received the indwelling Spirit of God, it will be evident through transformation—through fruit.
We will increasingly display qualities like patience, peace, kindness, goodness, and self-control. If there is no growth, we must ask if there was ever true belief.
2. We Must Extend Love
Love is central to Scripture. God is love. God loves us. And we are called to love in return—both God and others.
Love God Supremely
When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus answered:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Matthew 22:37)
This is not just duty; it's an invitation. The God who created and saved us invites us into relationship. We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).
We express this love through worship—not as flattery, but as right acknowledgment of who God is. Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only (Matthew 4:10). We show love when we thank Him, seek Him in His Word, pray, listen, guard our hearts, and obey His commands.
As Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commands." (John 14:15)
Love for God must be both inward and outward. Empty words or hidden thoughts alone are not enough. True love expresses itself.
Love Others Sacrificially
The second part of the great commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:39)
Who is our neighbor? Certainly fellow believers. Jesus said, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
But love extends beyond the Church. We are called to care for the poor and the oppressed. This includes widows, orphans, the elderly, the unborn, the disabled, and others unable to meet their own needs.
"Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses." (Proverbs 28:27)
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (James 1:27)
"Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." (Psalm 82:3–4)
As a church, we engage locally and globally. We send mission teams to Panama, North Carolina, and the Dominican Republic. We partner with ministries in Kenya. We support Operation Christmas Child and local food pantries. We visit the jail, work with Trails ministries, support women's shelters, and pursue racial reconciliation.
But this call isn’t just corporate. Each of us must personally respond. The church is made up of individuals. Love must live in your hands, your schedule, your giving, your serving.
Find the needs around you. Don’t turn away. Speak up. Serve. Mentor. Foster. Adopt. Provide. Engage.
3. We Must Combat Evil
Evil is not neutral or passive. There is a force behind it, and that force is Satan. Peter warns us:
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith." (1 Peter 5:8)
We are called to resist, which means we can. Victory is possible because of what we have in Christ:
God’s Word: The enemy is a liar. Jesus said, "There is no truth in him... he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44) Truth is our weapon.
The Spirit’s Power: "The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." (1 John 4:4)
Prayer in Jesus' Name: "Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." (Ephesians 6:18)
This trinitarian arsenal empowers us to resist temptation, reject lies, and walk in freedom.
4. We Must Make Disciples
We don’t just fight evil; we fight for the kingdom. Before ascending, Jesus gave this command:
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them... and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19–20)
This is not a suggestion. It is a command to every believer. We often think of this as a commission only for missionaries or pastors, but it's for all of us.
Our role is to:
Draw people into relationship with Jesus
Help believers grow deeply in faith
This mission touches every part of the world: our neighborhoods, our region, our nation, and to the ends of the earth. It starts at home. It includes global work, but never ignores the person across the street.
We are all commissioned. And if we say we believe in Christ, if we believe in His sacrifice, in the reality of hell, and in the truth of salvation, how can we not go? How can we not speak?
If we don't, we must ask if we truly believe.
Conclusion
This eighth statement in our doctrinal series is deeply practical. It is the "so what" of our faith. It challenges us not just to believe in theory, but to prove that belief through action.
We must grow. We must love. We must resist. We must go.
That’s how we show: I believe in holy living.
SERMON DETAILS
Speaker: Jeff McNicol
Series: I Believe
Sermon Title: I Believe in Holy Living
Date: Jun 15, 2025
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Romans 8:29
James 2:17
Matthew 22:37
1 John 4:19
Matthew 4:10
John 14:15
Matthew 22:39
John 13:35
Proverbs 28:27
James 1:27
Psalm 82:3–4
1 Peter 5:8–9
John 8:44
1 John 4:4
Ephesians 6:18
Matthew 28:19–20
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