Classic Sermon Outlines
; The Promises of God
_E. Reward.
The promises secure to us an abundant reward for our obedience. "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (I Corinthians 15:58).
IV. THE CHRISTIAN'S DUTY IN VIEW OF GOD'S PROMISES.
A. To Be Cleansed from All Filthiness of the Flesh and Spirit.
1. The Reason. Look upon sin as filthiness. It is odious to God, contrary to that purity of nature which appears in His promises. Look upon sin _as that which unfits us for communion with God. Sin in Scripture is called and compared to a wound, to a plague, to leprosy.
2. The manner. Let us cleanse ourselves from this filthiness by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ; for it is He who is made to us both righteousness and sanctification. Let us mortify the habits of sin and purge out the old leaven, both in the head and in the heart. Let us watch against all occasions of sin. Keep at a distance from everything which has the appearance of evil.
Let us resolve for the future to have no more to do with sin.
3. The extent. (a) We must cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the -_flesh—slothfulness and the love of ease, sensuality and the love of pleasure, from gratifying the desires of the body with forbidden fruit. (b) We must cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the spirit—pride, covetousness, love of the world, fraud, deceit, injustice, sinful anger, malice, hatred, and desire of revenge.
B. To Perfect Holiness in the Fear of God.
1. The necessity for holiness. We cannot perfect holiness unless we begin it. This means that we must be devoted to God, conformed to His likeness and to His will, employed in the worship of God, engaged in the interests of God's work amongst men. To be holy is to be on the Lord's side _and to espouse His cause, to be His witnesses, to be courageous and valiant for the truth, to contend earnestly for it.
2. The necessity of sincerity in holiness. We must be sincere in our holiness, that is perfecting holiness. For sincerity is our Gospel perfection, as a