Holiness Is Not Optional - Luke 6:43-45

Some people walk into a room and you can’t shake the feeling they’ve been with Jesus. That kind of life can look rare, like “super Christian” territory, but in this sermon Pastor Trent argues it should be the normal shape of Christianity. 

Real grace doesn’t just cancel guilt; it changes desires, habits, and direction. 

So why do so many churches treat holiness like a taboo topic, as if obedience is a threat to the gospel?

This sermon digs into the Bible’s framework for transformation, starting with the New Covenant promises in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36: God gives a new heart, cleanses sin, and puts his Spirit within his people to cause real obedience. Then we connect the dots in the New Testament where grace and good works sit side by side: saved by grace through faith, created for good works (Ephesians 2:8–10), and saved by mercy so believers devote themselves to what’s excellent and profitable (Titus 3:4–8).

Transcript

The Myth Of Super Christians

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Have you ever been around a person and felt as if they had just been around Jesus? Like in their presence, you just feel like they must have, just before meeting with me, met with Jesus. Almost like they just feel like a super Christian. Like they're unique. It seems like they really have a real deep, abiding relationship with Jesus. What if I told you they were not a super Christian, but a Christian? That their desire for Christ, that you can see in the way they live, ought not distinguish them within the church. But instead their desire ought to distinguish them and the church they're in, pursuing the Lord together from the world. You know, a lot of times we talk about the grace of God saving us from the penalty of our sin, but it seems sometimes we shy away from the truth that the grace of God has freed us to no longer pursue the sin we once pursued, and rather pursue righteousness. It seems as if in the church we're sometimes scared to talk about good works, as if good works are bad words in gospel Christianity. Maybe it's because we fear that we might confuse people who are not saved, and so we consistently point to our normalcy, saying, I'm just like you. Mistakenly nullifying the purpose and power of God's Spirit to change our lives. Elevating grace to a certain point, almost to say that works completely don't matter. Like God doesn't care about your works or works don't matter. Maybe it's because if we go against the grain and we speak up about what seems like the biblical necessity of the saved to do good works, it'll seem as if we're saying we have it all figured out. We're good. And since the Bible says no one is righteous, no not one, we shrink back in order to not elevate what may seem to be perceived as like self-righteousness. And so works become bad in some weird way. Or lastly, maybe it's because if we go against the grain and speak up about what seems like the biblical necessity of the saved to do good works, people will see us being legalistic, completely missing the grace of God in our lives. I mean, after all, doesn't Paul say the grace that saved me is the grace that I stand in in Romans 5? Didn't Paul even struggle to not do what he wanted, but the very thing he hated in Romans 7? I mean, we know that we're a sinner desperate for the grace of God, and we know that we still struggle with sin if we talk about not sinning and encourage others to repent of sin. Won't that come across like we're the sinner who's ready to still throw a stone? If you've ever had a friend who's struggling with a particular sin in their life and you've felt compassion to biblically confront them, you know exactly what I'm talking about because all of these thoughts have probably been in your head. Well, they think I'm being legalistic or holier than thou, or you know, we're all saved by grace. And and who am I to say anything? I know that wrestle. But it becomes, unfortunately, a repeated cycle in the church where inevitably sometimes good works seem like bad words. We don't address issues of sin. And we're afraid to talk about the pursuit of holiness because in doing so we feel as if, well, we're saved by grace. And holiness, isn't that kind of like a lost cause? And you know, people will think, well, we believe ourselves to be holier than thou. So it's just easier to avoid the conversation and protect our personal reputation. But is the pursuit of holiness a topic worthy to talk about? The Bible does talk about holiness, doesn't it? We know the Bible speaks about God's holiness. I mean, God is holy, holy, holy.

Why Churches Avoid Good Works

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But is that the extent to which we see the word holiness referenced in the Bible? Meaning, is holiness merely used as a descriptor for Christ for the purpose of divine adoration, or is it a demand of Christians for personal application? We're not called to holiness, are we? Right? Wrong. Wrong. The Bible speaks often about the necessity of every Christian pursuing holiness, and I want to give you a biblical framework for it as we move into this passage this morning. If we were to look back at the Old Testament, we can see how holiness is brought up. At least how there's some prophecy about what the Lord is planning to do through his people. Because God's promise in the Old Testament was not only to graciously save us from the consequences of our sin, but to totally transform us from the inside out by the power of his spirit that we would obey him in gladness. In Jeremiah chapter 31, verse 33, I encourage you to write that reference down. Jeremiah 31, verse 33, we see one of two promises I want to point out. And these promises are of a future day that has now come in the ascension of Christ and the arrival of his spirit. Jeremiah 31, verse 33, for this is the covenant God promised that he would make with the house of Israel. I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. God will put his law not just before our faces, but within our heart. Another prophecy in the Old Testament, a promise. This is Ezekiel 36, verses 25 through 27. From all your idols I will cleanse you, and I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh, and I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules. According to the New Testament, and the way the New Testament speaks of these verses in Joel 2, in the New Testament, we see this promise promise come to fulfillment in a unique way with the sending of God's Spirit in the New Covenant. God has softened our hearts. He has given us a new heart through faith. He has cleansed us of all of our unrighteousness. He has caused us to walk in his statutes, obeying his rules, empowered by his spirit. In fact, I want to show you a couple passages where that's mentioned right next to each other. Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8 through 10. For by grace you have been saved through faith. This is not your own doing. It is the gift of God. It is not a result of works. Your salvation is not a result of any of your work, but of the work that was accomplished on your behalf 2,000 years ago. He says so that no one may boast. But then in verse 10, the next verse, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Or take Titus chapter 3, verses 4 through 8. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy. Again, just two verses later, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. The things that are excellent and profitable for people. So it is odd that talk about holiness is hard to find in church. The New Testament speaks of it a lot. But it is sad that the holiness we may not talk about is sometimes harder to find than talk about it. Christians' pursuit of holiness should not be a taboo topic. Holiness should be talked about more. Holiness should be pursued more amongst the people of God. Holiness should be seen more because holiness is necessary in the life of a Christian. Those words are careful. Holiness is necessary in the life of a Christian. Let me give you a verse. Hebrews 12, 14 says, strive for peace. He's talking to Christians here. Strive for peace with everyone and for the holiness without which no one will see God. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God. Sanctification is not an optional addition in the Christian life. Holiness is not for a higher class of Christian, nor is it a derogatory term for the legalistic. It's a calling for every Christian. It is the pursuit of one who has been given life. Christian, you are called to this. 1 Peter 1:15.

New Covenant Promises Of Change

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Be holy, for I am holy. A Christian's pursuit of holiness, that is a Christian's desire to look more like Christ by following his commands and living out his example is a biblical command. I hope as a church you can take this message. It is necessary. While we will never become perfect in this life, the transformed heart that Christ has given us when he regenerated our heart. A heart pumping for Christ by the power of his spirit has enabled us to obey Christ. So here's what I want to say this morning. Going into this passage, my greatest fear as a pastor is that the church at large doesn't talk about holiness. Not because we must understand how grace is not a license, not because we fear we'll be looked at as prideful, and not because we fear being legalistic, but because we simply don't want it. We want salvation without sanctification. We want heaven without holiness. And I tell you, friends, biblically, that is impossible. What we're going to see this morning is the truth. The life you live ultimately reveals the Lord you serve. In other words, your works do in fact matter. Not as the means by which you attain salvation, that work was accomplished 2,000 years ago, but as clear markers of one who has had a transformed life by the power of God's Spirit. And by which you can be assured of your salvation. The fruit in your life, from our passage, reveals the root of your life, quite clearly. So let's look at the passage again. Chapter 6, verses 43 through 45. For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit. For each tree is known by its fruit. You're the tree in this passage. For figs are not gathered from thorn bushes. That's a bad tree. Figs are good, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. Grapes are good. They don't come from bramble bushes. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart, from the heart, produces good. And the evil person out of his evil treasure, his evil heart produces evil. For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. What is in your heart inevitably will come out in your life. So

Saved By Grace For Good Works

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starting with our verses this morning, there are three things I want to say about the pursuit of holiness. Three simple things, but three very important things. Number one, holiness exposes our heart or exposes the heart. Holiness exposes the heart. What our passage teaches is quite simple. It's not meant to be confusing. It teaches that over time, what people do will reveal who they are. Over time, inevitably, what you do will reveal whose you are. A good tree bears good fruit, not bad. And a bad tree, bad fruit. So how can anyone know the heart of a person, the root of who they really are? Check the fruit. Check the fruit. What does a spiritual person look like according to the New Testament? Galatians 5. The Spirit of God produces love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, and so on. Fruit, inevitably, when you abide in Christ, produces Christ likeness. Now, here's the truth. You know this, you can fool someone for a little while, but not forever. But not forever. If God has in fact transformed your heart by his work of salvation, your life will over time follow suit and will testify to that transformation. So here's just a quick like paragraph to summarize this passage. Just as a tree whose roots are healthy and who receives the nourishment it needs deep from within the foundation of the earth, it will flourish and bear fruit. So to a Christian whose life has been transformed, whose heart hungers for God and feasts deeply upon the roots that grow from deep into the Word of God will bear fruit for godliness, holiness. So while this may sound cheesy, it's true. If God is at the root of your life,

Holiness Required For Seeing God

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godliness will be the fruit of your life. If God is at the root of your life, godliness will be the fruit of your life. So examine yourselves. What fruit is being produced in your life? Who do you look like? If your speech and your actions and your thoughts are all ungodly, it may be that you are not godly. Ephesians 5 15 says, Look carefully then how you walk. Earlier it said, but sexual immorality and all impurity and covetousness must not be named among you as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness, nor foolish talk, nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. Let me ask you a question. Which of those characterizes your life? Thankfulness? Crude joking? Sexual immorality? Maybe we need to talk about holiness for just a moment because you know, holiness, we probably don't use that term outside of the church world. What do we mean by holiness? Maybe ask this question: what does holiness look like? It's a good question to ask. Well, let me take you on a thought train from Scripture. Here's the first thing. If God is holy, holy, holy, the word holy meaning set apart, different, pure, totally good, perfect. And Jesus, who walked amongst us, a human, is the very image of God, the one in whom the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. Let me submit to you, holiness looks like Jesus. Perfectly holy in all his ways. Jesus is holiness in human flesh. Jesus is what holiness looks like. So if Christ is in you by his own spirit, the fruit you ought to produce is Christ-likeness. So when you examine yourselves, the question is, am I holy? You can answer that by asking another question. Do I look anything like Jesus? If your life is hidden with Christ in God, if you've been born again and the Spirit of Christ dwells in you, your heart should be after and in some ways progressively resemble the heart and habits of Christ. Your life should look different from when you didn't know Christ. Because you have a new heart. And with that new heart, a new hunger that is only satisfied with the very words of God. No longer by the world and man. So if your life looks nothing like Christ, you have no hunger or affection for the word or the God of the Word. It would be wrong of me to stand here and say, you know what? Work harder. It would be right for me, and it is right for me to say, maybe there's a heart problem. Maybe your life is not hidden with Christ in God. Maybe you've not given your heart to Christ. Maybe you don't have a heart for Christ because you've not been given a heart, new heart by Christ. If you have no hunger for God, that's probably not a habits problem. That may be a heart problem. Here's verse 45. The good person out

Fruit Reveals The Heart

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of the good treasure of his heart produces good. And the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Our habits are the overflow of our heart. So by looking at what you do, who are you? Who are you? Holiness or a lack of holiness exposes where our heart is. I think Jesus is speaking to people whose hearts were not his. He's pointing out lip service, not affection. I hope that's not us. Number two, dear believer, holiness assures us of our salvation. Holiness in our life, though our lives are far from perfect, holiness being wrought in our life by the power of the Holy Spirit should bring encouragement of Christ's work in our life. My life does not look the same because of Christ.

Holiness Looks Like Jesus

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It should assure us in some ways of our saving relationship with Christ. In fact, in the book of 1 John, we learn that John wrote the book, according to chapter 5, verse 13, so that Christians whose lives are characterized by faith, obedience, and love may know and be assured they have eternal life. Why, 1 John was written. So what does that mean? That means that one of the primary indicators of the truth that you have eternal life is your pursuit of holiness. He says, there cannot be assurance where there is no obedience, no hunger for obedience. I'll read 1 John 2, verse 3 through 4. And by this we know that we have come to know God if we keep his commandments. Whoever says, I know him, but does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word, in him, truly the love of God has been perfected. By this we may know that we are in him. Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. Holiness is an indication of salvation. Now we know there are seasons where we struggle against sin. But there is a great difference, a great chasm between struggling against sin and swimming in it happily. Do you hunger for holiness?

Assurance Through Obedience

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James says in chapter two of his letter that if you have no fruit of faith, you have no faith. James chapter 2, verse 19, you believe that God is one, you do well, even the demons believe and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that fate apart from fate of faith apart from works is useless? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. In other words, no works probably indicates no faith. So this should give us pause. Should stop us to ask questions. Ask questions. Examine yourselves. Is there evidence of God's work in my life? Do I have a hunger for the things of Christ? Has there been a transformation in my life where I at one point was darkened in my understanding of the things of God and disobedient in my actions? But though I may struggle now, my life is a light and my actions are in step with God's word. Do I have a desire for obedience or disobedience? Do I have a hunger for holiness or worldliness? If this exposes you, I do pray God will open your eyes to see his grace. To see he's not the root, and therefore your hearts are not his. And if so, I encourage you to repent. Run to him for the mercy he freely provides. Good news of the gospel is that God loved sinners and sent his own son to die for them, so that those who would place their faith and trust in him would have life abundant and eternal. Abundant life looks like obeying the things of Christ. You want a good life? God's not keeping you from it. By showing you Christ's likeness, he's showing you it. Number three, third thing about holiness, I want you to see this morning.

Holiness And Eternity

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Holiness is necessary for eternity. And this is where we kind of shrink back. You're like, ah, I don't know. Holiness is necessary for eternity. Let me explain. Earlier I quoted Hebrews chapter 12, verse 14. I want to quote it again. Strive for peace with everyone and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. This passage, at a minimum, clearly states that a Christian that has no evidence of holiness should have no expectation of heaven. Holiness is necessary in the life of a Christian. I mentioned earlier, my greatest fear is that many of us don't talk about holiness not because we misunderstand how God's grace is not a license, not because we fear that we'll be looked at as prideful, not because we fear we might be legalistic, but because it's something we don't really want. I said that sometimes it seems some are interested in praying a prayer to become saved without living the life of one who's been saved. Salvation without sanctification, heaven without holiness. And I said, I don't think that's biblically possible. But even if it was biblically possible, that you could have heaven without holiness, let me pose another question. Why would you want it? If your greatest joys are things heaven has no room for, what joy will you find where everything is pure and precious in the presence of Christ? If you have no hunger for God now, why will you be pleased where God is with you? His unbridled presence before you. Persecution, not worth comparing. Being stripped away of all that I have, not worth comparing to Jesus. If this is you, I encourage you to repent of sin and believe for the first time in Christ. The all-satisfying Son of God come to save. We have to feel that. Strong call to holiness. But believer, let me encourage you.

Pursue Christ Together As A Church

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Holiness in your life. Oh, yes, pursue Jesus with all your might, but know as well that God is committed to conforming you to the image of his son and presenting you blameless on the day of redemption. I take that directly from Romans 8.29 and Jude 24 and 25. I know you're struggling. I know I'm struggling against sin. Praise be to God. He is not done with me yet. He is making me fit for heaven. He's helping me lose my taste for worldliness and what harms me and giving me more of a hunger for more and more of what is good, pleasing, right, and brings joy. He's committed to it. In your life and in mine. He is able and committed to and will present us blameless before his presence with great joy. So, dear believer, pursue Christ with all your might. Colossians chapter 3 says, put to death then what is earthly in you. If you've been raised with Christ, put to death what is earthly in you, sexual morality, greed, pride, and all covetousness. Seek the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above. Put away the dirt for glory. I ask you, have you ever been around someone? And it just feels like they've been around Jesus. Like in their presence. You're thinking, before they met with me, they spent time in the presence of Jesus. We know where the psalmists say, in his presence there's fullness of joy. Maybe they had just spent time with his word. In his word. Time with him in prayer. I want to be that person. And I want you to be that person too. I want that set of people of Redeemer City Church. They seem like they were just with Jesus before they met with me. Holiness is a calling for every Christian. It's a calling toward Christ-likeness empowered by God's Spirit. It is the good work that God has for us. And it is a work we can help each other with. It's something we all can work on, is it not? And it's something we're called to work on together. So can we commit together with one another, helping with one another in holiness toward heaven? Here's the passage again. Hebrews 12 14. Strive for peace with everyone and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. The next verse Let no one fail to obtain the grace of God. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God. Let's work with one another toward heaven and holiness. Amen.

Prayer For A Holy People

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Let's pray. God, I do pray for this church that would have a reputation of holiness. Lord, I was reminded as we were singing earlier of Revelation chapter 2 and 3 when it talks about the different churches, and you say to those churches what you find pleasing. I'm reminded at one of those churches you said that they hate the works of the Nicolaitans. As you hate the work of the Nicolaitans. We will struggle against that. We will struggle together. But Lord, would our heart be to be pure in heart? Would our love be after you, our Lord? And would our life testify both to the grace that saved us and the God who saved us? Would people we have lunch with, we share a cubicle or a workspace with? Even if they hate us, they cannot say they don't look like Christ. God, by your spirit, would you produce fruit in our lives that resembles the heart that you have now given us? A new heart that beats for you with new hunger for your work. Our habits follow suit. And be holy. God, we ask all this in your name, and for your glory we aim. And everybody said together, Amen.