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Note the many ways in which the Bible brings out this
absolute purity of Christ:
Heb. 7:26,
ESV
Heb. 9:14,
ESV
1 Pet. 1:19
1 John 3:5
2 Cor. 5:21
Heb. 4:15
1 John 3:3
SECOND PROPOSITION:
The Bible multiplies expressions and figures to produce an adequate conception
of the absolute holiness or moral purity of Christ. Nothing in nature with
which to compare it except light.
1 John 1:5
The
dazzling white light that glorified the face and garments of
Jesus on the Mount of
Transfiguration (Matt. 17:2; Luke 9:29) was the outshining of the moral purity
within.
(3) How
the Holiness of Jesus Christ Manifested Itself
(a)
Heb. 1:9
FIRST PROPOSITION:
The Holiness of Jesus Christ manifested itself in a love of righteousness and
hatred of iniquity.
It is not enough to love righteousness; iniquity must be
hated as well. On the other hand it is not enough to hate iniquity;
righteousness must be loved as well. There are those who profess to love
righteousness, but they do not seem to hate iniquity. They are strong in
applauding right, but not equally strong in denouncing evil. There are also
those who profess to hate sin, but they do not seem to love righteousness.
They are strong in denouncing evil, but not equally strong in applauding
right. Jesus Christs holiness
was full-orbed as well as spotless; he loved righteousness and hated iniquity.
(b)
1 Pet. 2:22,
John. 8:29, Matt. 17:5 (Compare
John 12:49)
SECOND PROPOSITION:
The Holiness of Jesus Christ manifested itself in deed and word;
Negatively, in His never doing
sin or speaking falsehood;
Positively,
in His always doing what was pleasing to God and always speaking the things
which pleased God.
The holiness of
Jesus manifested itself not merely negatively in not doing nor speaking
wrong, but positively also in speaking all that God desired, all that was
right to do or speak. A full manifestation of holiness does not consist merely
in doing nothing wrong, but in doing all that is right.
(c)
Heb. 4:15
THIRD PROPOSITION:
The Holiness of Jesus manifested itself in constant and never-failing victory
over temptation. It was not merely the negative innocence that results from
being shielded from contact with evil, but the positive holiness that meets
evil and overcomes it.
(d)
The entire Sermon on the Mount (Matt.
57), especially
Matt. 5:48Be
ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
FOURTH PROPOSITION:
The Holiness of Jesus Christ manifested itself in demanding absolute
perfection of His disciples and refusing any compromise with evil.
(e)
Matt. 23:13, Matt. 16:23,
John 4:17,
18, Matt. 23:33
FIFTH PROPOSITION:
The Holiness of Jesus Christ manifested itself in the stern and scathing
rebuke of sinners.
(f)
1 Pet. 2:24,
1 Pet. 3:18, 2 Cor. 5:21 (Cf.
John 10:17,
18), Phil. 2:6-8, Gal. 3:13
SIXTH PROPOSITION:
The Holiness of Jesus Christ manifested itself in His making the greatest
sacrifice in His power to save others from the sin He hated and to the
righteousness He loved.
This was the crowning manifestation of His holiness. He so
hated sin and loved righteousness that He was not only willing to die rather
than sin Himself, but even to give up His Divine glory, and be made in fashion
as a man, and die the death of a malefactor, and be rejected of man and
separated from God, that others might not sin.
He was willing to make any sacrifice to do away with sin.
(g)
Matt. 25:31,
32,
41, 2 Thess.1:79
SEVENTH PROPOSITION:
The Holiness of Jesus Christ will manifest itself in the awful, irrevocable
punishment of those who refuse to be separated from their sin.
He died to separate men whom He loves from sin which He
hates. If men refuse this separation, He leaves them to their self-chosen
partnership and the doom which it involves. Men talk much of the holiness of
God and love of Jesus, but
Jesus is just as holy as God,
and God is just as loving as Jesus.
(John 3:16; Eph. 2:4, 5.) In this as in all else
Jesus and the Father are one. (John
10:30.)
Let us remember that first of all our Saviour is Holy.
Until we have an adequate conception of His Holiness we can have no adequate
conception of His love.
(4) Witnesses
to the Holiness of Jesus Christ
(a)
Acts 3:14Peter.
(b)
1 John 3:5John.
(c)
2 Cor. 5:21Paul.
(d)
Acts 4:27The whole
Apostolic Company in Concert.
(e)
Acts 22:14Ananias.
(f)
Luke 23:41The
Dying Thief.
(g)
Luke 23:47The
Roman Centurion.
(h)
Matt. 27:19Pilates
Wife.
(i)
John. 18:38, 19:4,
6Pilate, himself,
three times.
(j)
Matt. 27:3,
4Judas Iscariot.
(k)
Mark 1:23,
24The
Unclean Spirit.
(l)
John 8:46,
14:30
Jesus
himself.
(m)
John 16:8,
10The
Holy Spirit.
(n)
Heb. 1:8,
9,
Matt. 17:5God
the Father
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