I Am Made HOLY - Louie Giglio

We've already seen that we're able, amen, we've seen that in Christ we're chosen. And last week we saw in Christ that we are forgiven, we're set free from our sin and the shame and the guilt of it in Christ. And we're pardoned, we're free to go. But I think for a lot of people that idea that we're forgiven in Christ and we're free to go, that is their gospel miracle. That's the whole story. Put my faith in Christ, put my trust in what He did on the cross for me. God forgave me, my sin. That's my gospel miracle. But that's just the beginning of the gospel miracle. My sins are forgiven, but in Christ that's just the beginning. And God wants to see us awaken today to the full story of the gospel miracle. And it is this, in Christ our sins are forgiven and we are made holy in Christ. Amen. [Applause] Amen, I'm glad you came to church today. I don't know if you thought about it, it's a hard journey. I don't know if there were obstacles, but you made it, I'm so glad. There would have been no amens without you. In Christ we are forgiven and in Christ we are made holy. This is the power of the gospel. This is the gospel miracle, not just that your sins are forgiven, but that you in Christ have a brand new identity. And that's where Paul begins Ephesians 1. We've been in this text and we will stay in this text every week in this collection. He opens by saying, "I'm Paul, that's who I am. I'm an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. That's who I am." But now let me tell you who you are.

He's writing to a group like us, to a church like ours. In the city of Ephesus, in the early days of the spread of the gospel, he says, "This is who I am. I'm Paul." Now let me tell you who you are, who this letter is addressed to. It is addressed to God's... Can you say this with me, God's holy people in Ephesus, the faithful, and here comes our position again, in Christ Jesus. So I need you to know who I am. I'm Paul, if you didn't know, I'm an apostle by the will of God. And I'm writing to you, you believers in Christ and Ephesus. And I need you to know who you are, because we're going to talk about some stuff. We're going to talk about marriage, we're going to talk about families, we're going to talk about the way you talk about people, we're going to talk about your desires and your lusts, we're going to talk about the way that you're fighting with each other. We're going to get down into all the stuff. But before we do that, I need you to know who you are. I need you to know that you're God's holy people. I don't know if anybody knew or not, but there was a big football game last night. Utah was playing the late game. It's a big game between Georgia and that other school. I have a hard time saying that other one. I did find it within me to say Georgia, and so Georgia and Alabama are going at it. And they're playing at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, crazy place to play football. Anybody been to a game there? Nuts. The place is absolutely nuts. And there was a season where I was traveling with the Auburn football team. And I remember the first, there you go, I remember, Lord, I believe, but help my unbelief.

And I remember going the first time when I was with the team to Bryant Denny Stadium. And we come into the stadium, we come in our buses, we come to the stadium, we come down this little thing, we come under the stands, and then we come to our visiting locker room. And outside the visiting locker room on the wall is this plaque. The locker room is called the fail room. Because James M. fail gave the gift to pay for the locker room. You put your uniform on in the fail room. You huddle up and you get your game face on in the fail room. Coaches come out, defense special teams, receivers over here, linemen over there in that corner. And they're scheming their first set of plays in the fail room. Coach finally rallies the team, tells them we're going to go out there and we're going to put whatever color words you want to put in there. We're going to do that from the fail room. Now, thank goodness Georgia didn't get the memo that they were supposed to fail. And they went out and they prevailed. They didn't fail. And what the enemy wants to do to you is he wants to make you think that your origination point in life is in the fail room. So go to church, go to your Bible study, listen to your podcast. But don't forget you're just a center saved by grace. That's all you are. And it's likely that you're going to fail. And we have failed enough that we agree and go, you're probably right. But God is hoping somebody gets the memo today

that even though we were a failure, that's not who we are anymore in Christ. And though our only choice was to fail, that's not our only choice now in Christ. We have a new identity and we're coming from a new position in Christ. We're coming into every single challenge, obstacle day, temptation, not from the fail room, but from the prevail room. And he's saying, does anybody know who you are in Christ? I'm writing this not to the failures. I'm writing this to God's holy people, the faithful in Christ Jesus, grace. And peace to you from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing. And he did that in Christ. For he chose us in him in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the one he loves. And then this is where we camped out last week. And him, there's our position again, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us. This is who we are.

This is our new position. And our new position is that he chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless. This is what God is saying about you today. You are in his eyes in Christ, faultless and holy in him. You are a faint of God by your position in Christ. And that is important because the second thing I want us to see today is that the nature of God is holy. In other words, God's nature is very essence is holy. He has multiple attributes, and he is love, and he is all powerful, and he is king, and he is Lord. But when you're transported into the presence of God, as Isaiah was in the Old Testament, and John was in the New Testament, when you're transported into the throne room of God, what you are met with is overwhelming holiness. In Isaiah 6, he says, "In the year King Josiah died, I saw the Lord high and exalted cedar on a throne, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, these angelic beings, these sinless beings. They had six wings. "with two they were flying, "and they were calling to one another. "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty. "The whole earth is full of His glory. "At the sound of their voices, "the doorpost and the threshold shook, "and the temple was filled with smoke." And we know the text goes on to say that Isaiah,

when he sees this, he goes, "Whoa, is me, I'm in trouble." And he sees these perfect beings, these sinless beings, calling out to God, the only attribute of God in scripture that we see in triplet is holy. Nowhere does it say, "Love, love, love, "Mighty, mighty, mighty, worthy, worthy, worthy, only holy." And holy is repeated here for the emphasis that we would understand that A, it's a superlative, meaning you can't go anywhere from here. It is the otherness of God, and the superlative, and the, it's Trinitarian, holy father, holy Jesus, holy spirit, holy, holy, holy, when John is now in the throne room of God, in the revelation, we see the same thing. And after this, I look, and before me was a door standing open in heaven, and he goes into this door, and now we see in verse seven, the first living creature, there were these creatures in the throne room, was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had the face like a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle, and each of the four living creatures had six wings. They were covered with eyes all around, even under its wings, and day and night, they never stopped saying, holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. And that's our dilemma, because man has, and can accomplish great things, but no man can become holy,

and stand in the presence of God. Isaiah said, what was me? John, when he saw Jesus in this revelation, he fell at his feet like he was dead. This is the dilemma of mankind, that we can do our best, and be a pretty good person, but nobody can become holy. And that's the gospel miracle that we're celebrating. Today, that's why we came to church today, because we are the beneficiaries of a powerful gospel miracle. And the gospel miracle is this, that the only way, this is the third thing, to become holy is to be made holy. Second Corinthians five, I love this text. We could live our whole lives in this part of this chapter, being that we're the ambassadors of Christ on earth, and what is our message? Our message is that God made him, that's Jesus, you see, in the context of this text, who had no sin to be sin, to be sin for us, so that in him, here's our position again. In Christ, we might become the righteousness of God. He made him who had no sin to be sin, so he could make us who had a whole boatload of sin, our very nature was sin, that he could make us in Christ, the righteousness of God. This is our new position in Christ that we are holy. I'll type one out for us just for fun, because we'll see if I can do it.

I love these little labels. I'm putting mine in a place where I can see them regularly. And I wonder if you are able to receive what God is saying to you, because the world and the devil are keen enemy convinced you that you are a fail-your. That's who you are. And that's what you do. Failure. You are in the fail room. And for sure, he's trying to convince us that we're just a sinner, save by grace. And how powerful that God Almighty is able to do and say that in Christ I am making you new. If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. The old is gone and the new has come. And in Christ, your identity is holy. That is your identity in Christ. Holy. How could that happen? Because he made you holy in Christ through the blood of Christ. I love Revelation 5 just going across from where we were in chapter 4. It says, "And then I saw a lamb looking as if it had been slain, standing at the sinner of the throne encircled by the four living creatures in the elders. These four living creatures that are saying, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty who was and is and is to come.' In the middle of them is this lamb looking as if it had been slain. Because it had been slain. And then he, the lamb, he went and took to scroll from the right hand of him who settled in the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty four elders fell down before the lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of God's people. And they sang a new song. They were singing a song that had never been sung before. Because they were singing it to someone who had done something that had never been done before. They said to Jesus to the lamb, 'You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you are slain. And with your blood you purchase for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God. And they will reign on the earth.' In other words, Jesus through his blood cleansed us to the degree that we now can go back and forth into the holy presence of a holy God. We are the priests who can approach God. We are the priests who can bring an offering to God. We are the priests who can commune with the holy God. And so we have holy holy holy and then we have worthy. So there was a holy one and there needed to be a worthy one. And

the worthy one made us holy by his blood. We sing it this way, JJ. Does anybody want to be holy? Does anybody want to be righteous, purified and spotless? Let me tell you, it's only by the blood. Thank God for a song that comes up out of the text and defies the fail room mentality. Thank God for music and words that come up out of the holy scripture and defy the, I'm just a sinner saved by grace mentality. And give us the language we need. Does anybody want to be holy? Righteous, purified and spotless? Let me tell you, it's only by the blood. Does anybody want to be worthy? Forgiven, justified, really living. Let me tell you, it is only by the blood of Christ. And by the blood of Christ, we have been made righteous in Him, holy in Him. We are faultless in Him. Let's take a little praise break and get it in our mouths and get it in our hearts together. Come on, Cumberland. Trellith, come on. Does anyone want to be holy one more time? Does anybody want to be holy and righteous? Purify as well as let me tell you. It's only by the blood. Does anybody want to be worthy of forgiving? Oh, justify relieving. Let me tell you. It's only by the blood. Does anybody want to be holy and righteous? Purify as well as let me tell you. It's only by the blood. Does anybody want to be worthy of forgiving? Justify relieving. Let me tell you. It's only by the blood. Say hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

I know it was the blood. Could have only been the blood. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I know it was the blood. Could have only been the blood. Our gospel is not that you get holy by performance. It is not our effort that gets us there. It is by the work of Christ. So it's never been about performance. It's never been about, I think I'm a good person. We're just trying to tear all this down today and rebuild it in gospel miracle. We're trying to tear down the house of, I think I'm a pretty good person. Well, great. Congratulations. Are you holy? No, not apart from Christ. Oh, I think I've lived a pretty good life. I think I've done a pretty good job. That's what people tell me all the time. I think I'm a pretty good person. But are you holy? Because God is not only holy. He is holy, holy, holy. Can you get there? You don't get there by being pretty good. You only get there by being made holy. You don't put your hand in the hand of holy, holy, holy. Unless your hand has been made holy. Who can ascend the hill of the Lord?

Who can stand in that holy place? The one who has clean hands in a pure heart. How do you get a clean hand in a pure heart? It is not by performance. It is by grace. It's not by performance, JJ. I want to sing that. I just want to confess that today. It's never been about my effort. It's never been about what I can do. It's always been about the blood of Christ. It's never been about performance. Perfection. We're striving for acceptance. Let me tell you. It's only by the blood. It's never been about deserving or earning. It's a gift that's really given. Let me tell you. It's only by the blood. So does anybody want to be holy and righteous? Pure and fine as follows. Let me tell you. It's only by the blood. Does anybody want to be worthy? Forgive it. It's just a fatherly living. Let me tell you. It's only by the blood. Oh.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I know it was the blood, could have only been the blood. I love you Lord, praise you God, what a gospel miracle, what a miracle. And we might want to sing the verses because that's where we're going. We're wrapping up this talk, hoping that the fourth point, if you're tracking along, is that you have been made holy, which leads right to the fifth point, which is, if you've been made holy, then live holy. That's the whole gospel plan, is that we would realize that we have been made holy, and then we would live holy, and say it this way, it's imperative, imperative. It is imperative that we see the connection between positional holiness and practical holiness. It's imperative that we see this connection. The Hebrews writer said it like this, first he said, "Sacrifices and offerings burn offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them, though they were offered in accordance with the law," so that was the old way. But then he said, speaking of our Savior, here I am, I have come to do your will. So he said to decide the first, the law, and establish the second, which is grace. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. We have been made holy, positional, but then later in the text, day after day, every priest stands and performs his religious duties. And again, he offers the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. But when this priest, this one, had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. And since that time, he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice, he is made perfect forever, those who are being made holy. We have been made holy, and we're being made holy. We are positionally in Christ's holy, and we are practically being sanctified as we work out our holy identity into holy living.

And being made, and being made right in the same gospel miracle, and that's what's true of you, and that's what's true of me. The way that Peter writes it in his letter, he says, "Therefore with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed and is coming." And I want us to think about this. We're going to end on this idea in just a minute. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do. For it is written, be holy, because I am holy. That's the standard, that's the goal, that's what we're aiming for. We're aiming for holy lives, for holyness. We're coming to a holy God, made holy in Christ to live out our holiness in holy lives. This is what God has in mind. It's the coat, right? Everybody's kind of getting the coat now. Okay, Louie's new coat he got. Yeah. And every time I put it on, I think about Ephesians 4, 23, to be made new in the attitude of your minds. That's what we're trying to do today, is to let this word of God change our minds. Can we get an amen on holiness, maybe, no? Now Louis don't ruin this day with a bunch of legalism. Okay, I won't, but I would like to remind us that the third person of the Trinity, not that he's in pecking order, but as we know him in Scripture, his name is holy. The Holy Spirit, or you don't need an article, Holy Spirit, good morning, Holy Spirit. Good afternoon, Holy Spirit. I open my life to you, Holy Spirit. Lead me, Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is most often associated with stirrings and promptings, signs, wonders,

and miracles, and there's nothing wrong with stirrings and promptings and signs and wonders and miracles, amen. But believe me, he, the Holy Spirit, is interested in nothing greater than the miracle of stirring and prompting you to renounce worldliness and to embrace holiness, to be set apart as a sign that will cause the world to wonder. Every great move of the Spirit, every great revival, every great awakening, you can go back and read them through history, every great move of the Holy Spirit, where in some cases nations were shook, cities were shook, counties were shook. In every case, in every great awakening, it has resulted in conviction of sin, deep repentance, and widespread and profound holiness. And he wants a bride. We want to all night worship, and he wants a Tuesday morning bride, who's adorned for her coming King, made pure and spotless in him and living like it when he comes. This is the last point today, a holy King deserves a holy bride. We say he's coming, we say, "Come Lord Jesus," well who's he coming for, who's he coming for, coming to get us, take us home, coming to get us, to get us out of here. Now, he's coming to get his bride and to take her to the wedding feast of the Lamb. And when he comes, he doesn't want to find her sleeping with someone else. He wants to find her happily set apart unto him. That's what holy means. It means set apart. He is set apart from everything. There's no one like him. And he wants a bride in the world, but not of the world. In the spheres, just not of the spheres, in the thick of it, just not of the thick of it, set apart, being refined. And do you know where we're going? Just close with this, this is the end of the story. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven. (upbeat music)

Where are we going? We're going to the new Jerusalem, this coming down out of heaven from God. It is prepared as a bride, beautifully dressed for her husband and her voice. Look, God's dwelling place is now among the people and He will dwell with them and they will be His people and God Himself will be with them and be their God. We're going to the holy city. Because holy, holy, holy dwells there. Skating order to recognize the person I would hold me before I encounter Christ. I don't know like I used to, I don't know like I used to, I've been lost from the inside, I've been lost from the inside. (gentle music) (gentle music) (gentle music) You [BLANK_AUDIO]