cell outlines alove.salvationarmy.org.uk OCTOBER 2013 cell outlines | overview AMBASSADORS OF HOLINESS (PART 1) PURE WATER – An opportunity to consider holiness: what does it mean for a 21st-century young person in The Salvation Army and how can we recapture and refresh holiness in our generation in a way that makes our world a better place? Can you remember back to March and April, in the ‘Deep Water’ stream, when we began to dive deeper into our theology to be sure we understand the basis of our faith and doctrines? We covered most of the Salvation Army doctrines, but we missed out Doctrines 9 and 10. Now the time has come, and over the next couple of months we are going to take the opportunity to consider these two doctrines… the doctrines of holiness… in more detail. This is ‘Pure Water’. These doctrines emphasise the importance of living life in the way that is pleasing to God, with values such as honesty, kindness, generosity, faith, love and hope top of our agenda. They encourage us to stay strong in our faith, obedient to God’s call and open to allow the Holy Spirit to continue to change us into the people of God we are created to be. This is holy living! I remember a time when my five-year-old son accompanied me on my weekly grocery shopping trip at our local supermarket. The following day I was surprised to find a small packet of Trebor Softmints stuffed in his coat pocket. I knew these hadn’t gone through the checkout with the other shopping and was concerned that my son was embarking on a career as a shoplifter! Thankfully I soon remembered what had actually happened. My son had picked up the mints on the way round the supermarket (his bribe for behaving nicely!) and when we got to the checkout he began looking for them in the laden trolley. They were nowhere to be seen so we assumed that he had put them down somewhere in the store when he couldn’t keep his hands off some other exciting article in the shop, and then had forgotten to pick them back up again (a frequent occurrence in our shopping expeditions!) He got another packet of mints from the shelf, we paid for them, and he ate them. It wasn’t until the next day, when I discovered this other packet of mints, that I realised he clearly hadn’t lost them in the store... he’d put them in his coat pocket and unknowingly walked out with them. It was all totally innocent; neither of us knew the sweets were in his coat pocket as we left the store that day. Now, of course, there was no dilemma in our minds as my husband and I explained to our son the error of his ways. We must take the sweets back, tell the shop assistant what had happened, and pay for them. This I fully intended to do at the next available opportunity. Of course, 50p was not going to make or break a large supermarket chain like this one, but it was all about the principle. It was about teaching my son lessons of honesty, integrity and all things Christian. I am ashamed to admit, therefore, that several days later I noticed the offending mints still in the glove compartment of the car. My intentions were honourable, but unfortunately in the hustle and bustle of daily life I had forgotten to make right the wrong that my son had done. I am telling this story because it occurred to me that this is similar to the concept of holiness. If we are honest, most of us probably do understand, even just a little, what holiness is; and that as Christians we are called to live holy lives; and we are aware of the changes that we should make in our lives to become more holy. But perhaps it sometimes seems as if making those small changes won’t make a great deal of difference in the grand scheme of things – perhaps in the jumble of our everyday lives we forget we should be doing things differently, or perhaps we are just too ashamed to own up, too scared of the consequences. But by not pursuing holiness we are truly missing out. ‘People tend to associate holiness with sobriety and heaviness, but this is not what it means to be filled with God’s spirit of life and love... Holiness is joyful, dynamic and powerfully magnetic... Holiness is about being truly alive, truly human... it is an expression of our relationship with our Father.’ Pete Greig 1 continued over u
Transcript
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13celloutlines | overview
AMBASSADORS OF HOLINESS (PART 1)PURE WATER – An opportunity to consider holiness: what does it mean for a 21st-century
young person in The Salvation Army and how can we recapture and refresh holiness in our generation in a way that makes our world a better place?
Can you remember back to March and April, in the ‘Deep Water’ stream, when we began to dive deeper into our theology to be sure we understand the basis of our faith and doctrines? We covered most of the Salvation Army doctrines, but we missed out Doctrines 9 and 10.
Now the time has come, and over the next couple of months we are going to take the opportunity to consider these two doctrines… the doctrines of holiness… in more detail. This is ‘Pure Water’. These doctrines emphasise the importance of living life in the way that is pleasing to God, with values such as honesty, kindness, generosity, faith, love and hope top of our agenda. They encourage us to stay strong in our faith, obedient to God’s call and open to allow the Holy Spirit to continue to change us into the people of God we are created to be. This is holy living!
I remember a time when my five-year-old son accompanied me on my weekly grocery shopping trip at our local supermarket. The following day I was surprised to find a small packet of Trebor Softmints stuffed in his coat pocket. I knew these hadn’t gone through the checkout with the other shopping and was concerned that my son was embarking on a career as a shoplifter!
Thankfully I soon remembered what had actually happened. My son had picked up the mints on the way round the supermarket (his bribe for behaving nicely!) and when we got to the checkout he began looking for them in the laden trolley. They were nowhere to be seen so we assumed that he had put them down somewhere in the store when he couldn’t keep his hands off some other exciting article in the shop, and then had forgotten to pick them back up again (a frequent occurrence in our shopping expeditions!) He got another packet of mints from the shelf, we paid for them, and he ate them.
It wasn’t until the next day, when I discovered this other packet of mints, that I realised he clearly hadn’t lost them in the store... he’d put them in his coat pocket and unknowingly walked out with them. It was all totally innocent; neither of us knew the sweets were in his coat pocket as we left the store that day.
Now, of course, there was no dilemma in our minds as my husband and I explained to our son the error of his ways. We must take the sweets back, tell the shop assistant what had happened, and pay for them. This I fully intended to do at the next available opportunity. Of course, 50p was not going to make or break a large supermarket chain like this one, but it was all about the principle. It was about teaching my son lessons of honesty, integrity and all things Christian.
I am ashamed to admit, therefore, that several days later I noticed the offending mints still in the glove compartment of the car. My intentions were honourable, but unfortunately in the hustle and bustle of daily life I had forgotten to make right the wrong that my son had done.
I am telling this story because it occurred to me that this is similar to the concept of holiness. If we are honest, most of us probably do understand, even just a little, what holiness is; and that as Christians we are called to live holy lives; and we are aware of the changes that we should make in our lives to become more holy. But perhaps it sometimes seems as if making those small changes won’t make a great deal of difference in the grand scheme of things – perhaps in the jumble of our everyday lives we forget we should be doing things differently, or perhaps we are just too ashamed to own up, too scared of the consequences. But by not pursuing holiness we are truly missing out.
‘People tend to associate holiness with sobriety and heaviness, but this is not what it means to be filled with God’s spirit of life and love... Holiness is joyful, dynamic and powerfully magnetic... Holiness is about being truly alive, truly human... it is an expression of our relationship with our Father.’
Pete Greig1
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13 Some people think holiness is living a life that is disconnected and separate from the world, trying our best not to break the rules. But real holiness is about living in the world whilst staying in time and in tune with God’s heartbeat. Holiness is about living every day by choosing to make good and godly choices, through the power of the Holy Spirit living within us. We are called to reflect the holiness of God in our lives and to the world around us.
‘Be holy in all you do, just as God, the One who called you, is holy’
1 Peter 1:15 (NCV )
Holiness is a really vital part of Salvation Army doctrine. The Salvation Army is a Holiness Movement. Our roots are with John Wesley and we believe that holiness is not an option for the Christian way of living. Our Founders, William and Catherine Booth, along with other early Army leaders, wrote books on holiness and the necessity of Salvationists adopting this way of life. It is part of our heritage.
The Booths were passionate about personal and social holiness. The urgency of getting people’s souls saved was balanced by the need for transformation – of individuals’ whole lives and of society. In this first month we will consider personal holiness, encouraging each other to ‘be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness’ (1 Peter 1:15 MSG). Next month we will consider social holiness, a phrase coined by John Wesley. We will consider our heritage in social action and how our lives, transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, can spill over into transforming the society in which we live.
‘An ambassador of holiness is one who claims God’s love, along with his power to forgive, cleanse and restore. Once claimed for ourselves, we can bring hope and freedom to others through his saving grace. Are you up for the challenge?’
Major Beverly Ivany, writer of Words of Life
Recommended Resources
� The Salvation Army Handbook of Doctrine, Chapters 9 & 10
� Cris Rogers, A Monkey’s Orientation
� Olivia Munn & Stephen Court, The Uprising: A Holy Revolution
� Court, Stephen (ed), Boston Common, Salvationist Perspectives on Holiness
Cell Extra
Don’t forget to remind your group about Cell Extra – which you/they can download from the ALOVE website. This month’s Cell Extra provides seven devotional-style activities to complement the Cell notes.
celloutlines | overview (continued...)
1 Pete Greig. The Awakening Cry, 1998
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13 These Cell Outlines are written by ALOVE UK. They are available every month from our web site. For more information and other cell resources, visit alove.salvationarmy.org.uk
celloutlines | week one
DOCTRINES 9 AND 10WELCOME
Try this old favourite game, using those well-known ‘holy’ mints – Polos!
Spilt into two teams. Each person needs a straw. Each team must race to pass a Polo around each member of the team till the last team member has the Polo. The means of passing on the Polo is via a straw which is held between the teeth. The first player slips the Polo over the straw and then, without using their hands, must pass it on to the next team member’s straw and so on till it reaches the last team member.
Ask the group: Who can remember the Salvation Army doctrines from way back in March and April? Discuss.
Read the Cell intro together
The Cell intro provides an important introduction to this month’s theme, so it is essential to make some time to read it together. As the intro is quite long this month, it may be a good idea to print out copies for each person.
WORD
1. Doctrines 9 and 10Read Doctrines 9 and 10 together and then look at the simplified forms, discuss, and then have a go at rewriting them in your own words.
Doctrine Nine We believe that continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ.
Doctrine Ten We believe that it is the privilege of all believers to be wholly sanctified, and that their whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Doctrines in simplified form To stay saved we must trust in Jesus to help us, and we must go on doing as he wants us to do. Saved people are given the chance to be used by God to help him. When they have given themselves to him fully, they can be given power to serve him, and be kept from sinning.
Doctrines in your own words
Ask the group: What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word ‘HOLY’?
Perhaps dazzling white clothes, glowing bright face, perhaps even a golden halo…!
The Bible tells us that God is holy – that is, he is completely pure, separate from evil, perfect in every way. When people in the Bible came face to face with God’s holiness they were actually terrified! It made them realise just how unholy they were. It made the sin in their lives stand out like an ugly stain and they thought they would have to die there and then rather than stand in the presence of such holiness!
(Isaiah 6:1–5, Ezekiel 1:26–28, Joshua 5:14–15, Matthew 17:1–8, Revelation 1:12–17)
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The great news for us is that, when we became Christians and committed our lives to Jesus, God made us holy! Yes, he really did! He took away all the sin and washed out all the ugly stains. Then he gave us the Holy Spirit to help us to continue to live in a way that pleases him and keeps us clean. That’s what this month’s Cell groups are all about!
2. SanctificationTo be sanctified means to be made holy. Doctrine 10 states that it is ‘the privilege of all believers to be wholly sanctified’. This means that we, the followers of Jesus Christ, are able to be holy. Wholly holy! How amazing is that?!
Watch the following fun YouTube clip unpacking the word ‘Sanctification’.
Write the word SANCTIFICATION or SANCTIFIED vertically down the left-hand side of a large sheet of paper. See if you and your group can come up with words or phrases beginning with each letter that help explain what sanctification means, is and does! (This will probably be more difficult than it sounds!)
Use the following thoughts as you find useful to ensure that your group understand what sanctification means.
Sanctification: The process of renewal by which believers are made holy by the work of the Holy Spirit. The Greek word translated ‘sanctification’ (‘hagiasmos’) means ‘holiness.’ To sanctify, therefore, means ‘to make holy.’
Another meaning of sanctification is ‘the state of proper functioning’. To sanctify someone or something is to set that person or thing apart for the use intended by its designer. In the theological sense, things are sanctified when they are used for the purpose God intends. A human being is sanctified, therefore, when he or she lives according to God’s design and purpose.
During the process of our conversion we became aware of being incomplete and of our desire to be made whole. When we surrendered our lives to Jesus, the Holy Spirit began working in us and began a process of transforming our identity into the likeness of Christ. This doesn’t mean that we won’t mess up ever again, but we choose to live in God’s love and accept our weaknesses, whilst allowing God’s grace to change us and make us holy.
Why is holiness so important and such a fundamental belief of The Salvation Army? Two reasons: Firstly, this is what salvation is about. God is in the process of freeing us from things that have distorted us for so long. To be saved is to be a person whom God is changing from the inside out so that we can be who God always called us to be. Secondly, we aren’t just holy to achieve the spiritual high equivalent of a day out at Alton Towers. We are set apart because God has called us to be a part of his mission to his world. As Colonel Brindley Boon puts it: ‘For your mission make me holy.’
We need the Spirit’s transforming and regenerating power within us so that we can be the people of mission that God wants us to be. To be set apart is to be so for a reason – set apart to go into the dark corners of the world, those places where there seems to be no hope, no joy, no happiness, no justice, and to bring the light of Christ to all who need it.
PRAYERRead the following Scriptures and then use a worship song on this theme to allow group members to thank God for his holiness and to commit to holy living.
‘Be my holy people. Be holy because I am the Lord your God.’
Leviticus 20:7 (NCV )
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‘But be holy in all you do, just as God, the One who called you, is holy. It is written in the Scriptures: “You must be holy, because I am holy.”’
1 Peter 1:15–16 (NCV )
Electralyte’s ‘Take Broken Me’ would be a good track to use here: download from iTunes or find on YouTube.
Alternatively there is a track called ‘We Fall Down (We Cry Holy)’ by Chris Tomlin that you could use. If you have the album The Salvation Army Live from the Royal Albert Hall the United Youth Chorus are performing this song. Or use this version on You Tube:
‘We Fall Down – Chris Tomlin’ www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEeLwkMKPfw
ACTIONAsk each person to do some research before the next session about The Salvation Army’s holiness heritage and the Holiness Movement. In particular ask them to find out about Samuel Logan Brengle and his thoughts and contribution to this. Be prepared to feed back what they have found in the next session.
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13
OUR HOLINESS TRADITIONWELCOME
Split into two teams. Ask each team to think of as many phrases (eg, Scriptures, songs, poems, catchphrases) with the word ‘holy’, ‘holiest’ or ‘holiness’ in them as you can. Count up and declare the winner!
WORD
1. The holiness tradition of The Salvation ArmyDoctrines 9 and 10 are significant elements of Salvation Army doctrine and place us firmly within the holiness stream of Christian life and faith. As we read in the introduction, The Salvation Army is a Holiness Movement. Our roots are with John Wesley and we believe that holiness is not an option for the Christian way of living. Our Founders, William and Catherine Booth, along with other early Army leaders, wrote books on holiness and the necessity of Salvationists adopting this way of life. It is part of our heritage.
a. Ask people to feed back what they have discovered through their research.
b. Listen to this recording of Samuel Logan Brengle: ‘Testimony of a Pure Heart’
(A transcript is given below. You may wish to give group members a copy of this so they can follow the recording, which is indistinct at times.)
c. Ask the group to discuss any words or phrases that they heard that stood out to them from Samuel Brengle’s testimony regarding holiness.
Use the following thoughts as you find useful in your discussion or to summarise this section
The Holiness Movement finds its roots in the Roman Catholic Reformation and the Anabaptist and Puritan movements, and became identified as such by the theology and teaching of John Wesley. Wesley, who founded the Methodist denomination, called for ‘perfection’ to be a goal for all true converted Christians. He believed that a God who is great enough to forgive sin must also be great enough to transform a sinner into a saint. Even during the early days of the Methodist movement, one of the goals was to ‘spread the holiness way’ throughout the world. Wesley focused on both personal and social holiness.
The Salvation Army was born out of the Holiness Movement. William and Catherine Booth had grown up with Wesley’s holiness teaching but felt the expectation and desire for Christian perfection had gradually been eroded. They included holiness as a key Salvation Army belief to encourage all believers in this aspiration.
‘Booth’s vision for the believer is summarised simply by the word holiness. William Booth was thoroughly biblical and Wesleyan in his understanding that by the grace of God the man or woman before God is not only saved from the guilt of sin at the moment of justification by faith, but saved also from the power of sin through sanctification by faith. This, he believed, was the fullness of the good news of the Scripture.’
Dr Roger J. Green
(William Booth’s Vision For The Future, www.salvationist.org)
celloutlines | week two
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13celloutlines | week two (continued...)
‘Social holiness’ was also essential to the Booths. The urgency of getting people’s souls saved was balanced by the need for transformation – of individuals’ whole lives and of society. In 1886 the first Salvationist home for ‘fallen women’ was started and social action became a central action for The Salvation Army. Out of this conviction that men and women could lead changed lives, came the focus on the promises of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. (More of this in the next session.)
Samuel Logan Brengle was an American Salvation Army officer whose writing on holiness shaped much of Salvation Army doctrine in the first half of the 20th century. Brengle described holiness as ‘perfect love’, ‘pure love’ and ‘Christ in you’. He believed that cleansing from all sin, so that there is no evil desire or tendency in the heart, is a possibility. This is achieved, he maintained, through a ‘second work of grace’ or ‘second blessing’ in the form of a ‘mighty baptism of the Holy Spirit that is an experience subsequent to conversion’,2 and is preceded by a whole-hearted consecration to God through faith. Samuel said his three main points in teaching holiness were: ‘People cannot make themselves holy any more than the leopard can change its spots; the blessing is received by faith; and it is to be received by faith now’.3
2. Call to HolinessAs we have seen, The Salvation Army has long seen itself as a Holiness Movement and in 1998 the International Spiritual Life Commission restated the Army’s call to Holiness to Salvationists worldwide, as follows:4
Another important teacher on the doctrine of holiness is Frederick Coutts. If your group has time over the coming week ask them to research some of his teaching and feedback in the next session.
Give each person a copy of the call to holiness (see handout below). Ask group members to do the activities suggested including taking the time to write their own holiness pledge.
PRAYERUse your pledges in a time of prayer.
ACTIONType or write out your pledge in a creative way and stick it somewhere you will see it regularly – even post it on your social media!
Samuel Logan Brengle: Testimony of a Pure HeartOn January 9th, 1885, at about 9 o’clock in the morning, God sanctified my soul. I was in my own room at the time, but in a few minutes, I went out and met a man and told him what God had done for me. The next morning, I met another friend on the street and told him the blessed story. He shouted and praised God, and urged me to preach full salvation and confess it everywhere. God used him to encourage and help me.
So the following day, I preached on the subject as clearly and forcibly as I could, and ended with my testimony. God blessed the word mightily to others, but I think he blessed it most to myself. That confession put me on record. It cut the bridges down behind me. Three worlds were now looking at me as one who professed that God had given him a clean heart. I could not go back now. I had to go forward. God saw that I meant to be true to death.
So two mornings after that, just as I got out of bed, and was reading some of the words of Jesus, he gave me such a blessing as I never had dreamed a man could have this side of Heaven. It was a Heaven of love that came into my heart. In that hour, I knew Jesus and I loved him until it seemed my heart would break with love. I loved the sparrows, I loved the dogs, I loved the horses, I loved the little urchins on the street, I loved the strangers who hurried past me, I loved the heathen, I loved the whole world.
You want to know what holiness is. It is pure love. You want to know what the baptism of the Holy Ghost is. It is not a mere sentiment. It is not a happy sensation that passes away in the night. It is a baptism of love that brings every thought into captivity to the Lord Jesus, that casts out all fear, that burns up doubt and unbelief as fire burns coal, that makes one meek, and lowly in heart.
[Beginning of a new recording]
A number of years ago, before many of the young people for whom this book is written were born, a girl asked me, ‘What is this “sanctification” or “holiness” that people are talking so much about?’ She had heard the experience testified to, and talked, and preached about for nearly a year. And I... until I thought that of course she understood it. Her question surprised and almost discouraged me. But I rallied and asked, ‘Had you a bad temper?’ ‘Oh, yes,’ she said. ‘I have a temper like a volcano.’ ‘Sanctification,’ I replied, ‘is to have that bad temper taken out.’
That definition set her thinking, and did her good, but it was too narrow. If I had said, ‘Sanctification is to have temper and all sin taken away, and the heart filled with love to God and man,’ that would have done. For that is sanctification, that is holiness. It is in our measure to be made like God. It is to be made a partaker of the divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4)
A spark from the fire is like the fire. The tiniest twig on the giant oak or the smallest branch of the vine has the nature of the oak or the vine, and is in that respect like the oak or the vine. A drop of water on the end of your finger from the ocean is like the ocean – not in its size, of course, for the big ships cannot float upon it, nor the big fishes swim in it. But it is like the ocean in its essence, in its character, in its nature.
Just so, a holy person is like God. Not that he is infinite as God is. He does not know everything, he has not all power and wisdom as God has, but he is like God in his nature. He is good, and pure, and loving, and just in the same way that God is. Holiness, then, is conformity to the nature of God. It is likeness to God as he is revealed in Jesus.
13 Call To HolinessBy the International Spiritual Life Commission
We call Salvationists worldwide to re-state and live out the Doctrine of holiness in all its dimensions – personal, relational, social and political – in context of our
cultures and in the idioms* of our day while allowing for, and indeed prizing, such diversity of experience and expression as in accord with the Scriptures.
We affirm that God continues to desire and to command that his people be holy. For this Christ died, for this Christ rose again, for this the Spirit was
given. We therefore determine to claim as God’s gracious gift that holiness which is ours in Christ. We confess that at times we have failed to realise the practical consequences of the call to holiness within our communities and
within our Movement. We resolve to make every effort to embrace holiness of life, knowing that this is only possible by means of the power of the Holy Spirit
producing fruit in us.
* idiom – types of expression particular to the culture
� Highlight the sentence or phrase that most inspires you.
� Circle a word or phrase you would most like to experience in your own life.
� Underline a word you’re not sure you understand.
Write your own ‘Holiness Pledge’.
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13
HOLY LIVINGWELCOME
Have some fun with the Leviticus Quiz, attached below. Don’t forget prizes for the winners!
WORD
1. Read 1 Peter 1:15–16‘Always live as God’s holy people should, because God is the one who chose you, and he is holy. That’s why the Scriptures say, “I am the holy God, and you must be holy too”’
1 Peter 1:15–16 (CEV )
2. Rules for Holy LivingWatch the following fun YouTube clip
‘Rules for Holy Living’ www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzYDs3qU2GE
3. ‘Continued obedient faith’Doctrine 9 emphasises how vital it is that the initial commitment of faith is followed by a continual development of a trusting and obedient relationship with God. A ‘state of salvation’ is maintained when we continue to grow, and daily seek to conform to the likeness of Jesus, with the help of the Holy Spirit. Holiness is about living every day by choosing to make good and godly choices, through the power of the Holy Spirit living within us, and it’s about reflecting the holiness of God to the world around us.
Our commitment to God means that we choose to do his will and our number one priority is to live in a way that is pleasing to him, with values such as honesty, kindness, generosity, faith, love and hope top of our agenda. This is holy living! God asks us to live holy lives, not just to please him, but because he wants the best for us. It means staying away from the things that may hurt us or get in the way of our friendship with Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is our life source – we can do what pleases God because his Spirit gives us the power. He is our life and strength. The Holy Spirit within us brings our relationship with God alive and enables us to pray and understand what we read in the Bible. The Holy Spirit teaches us how to live, guides and encourages us and helps us live as disciples of Jesus every day.
Through the Holy Spirit we become alive to the presence of Jesus within us, we hear his voice and we experience his love, peace and joy in our hearts. We become more aware of sin and quickly seek forgiveness from God and others. We begin to see more and more evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives and he guides us as we reach out to share the love of God with others.
Ask everyone to individually complete the ‘Wholly Holy’ handout considering what holy living looks like for them as an individual. You may want to have some discussion after this, or allow people to keep it private, but it is important that each person makes a note of practical changes that they want to make in their daily lives in order to become more ‘wholly holy’ and how that will impact on the people around them.
ACTIONChallenge group members to action one of the changes this week that they have identified on their handout.
celloutlines | week three
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13 Give everyone a copy of the handout of quotes (attached below). Ask them to read and jot down their thoughts beside each quote. Perhaps encourage them to post their favourite on their social media, or send to a friend! (If you have time you could look at this handout together in the cell group session.)
PRAYERSay this prayer together:
Breathe in me, Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.Act in me, Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.Draw my heart, Holy Spirit, that I love only what is holy.Strengthen me, Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.Guard me so, Holy Spirit, that I may always be holy.Amen.
(www.catholic.org)
Pray for each other that each person will be filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered to live out their life of holiness.
celloutlines | week three (continued...)
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13Wholly Holy
What does/should holiness look like in my life?
HOLINESS
Stuff to do with my relationships...
The way I treat people...
The way I use my money...
The things that I say...
How I use my time...
The things that I think about...
What changes can I / must I make in my life in order to become more ‘wholly holy’?
Who will I be accountable to in this?
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13Wholly Holy
Holiness means to be devoted or dedicated to God, set aside for his special use and set apart from sin and its influence. We’re to be set apart and different, not blending in with the crowd yet not being different just for the sake of being different. What makes us different are God’s qualities in our lives. Our focus and priorities must be his. All this is in direct contrast to our old ways. We cannot become holy on our own, but God gives us his Holy Spirit to help us obey and give us the power to overcome sin. (Life Application Bible)
In the New Testament Christians are referred to as ‘saints, holy ones’ because we have already been made holy by Jesus’ atonement, called ‘salvation’. Our sins are forgiven, removing the barrier between us and God. From here on out, the focus shifts from our guilt (now forgiven) to our character. The process of becoming more like God, that is, becoming more holy in our character, is called ‘sanctification’ or ‘discipleship’. (www.jesuswalk.com)
The words ‘holy’, ‘holiness’, ‘saint’ and ‘sanctify’ come from a Greek root meaning ‘to set apart to God’. The believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is set apart for God by the Holy Spirit. The ‘saint’ is a person set apart for God, enjoying a holy standing before God in Christ Jesus, with the obligation of living a holy life. (1 Peter 1:15–16). (www.abideinchrist.com)
Holiness is an infilling of the Holy Spirit’s love. Love that takes action. Love that has feet. This will naturally affect everyone around you... There is a sense that holiness is meant to be social, that it is meant to affect communities, societies and cultures. (Munn & Court)
‘Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart’ (1 Peter 1:22). This is a powerful truth. Holiness comes about by obedience to the truth! (www.jesuswalk.com) Holy living is essentially Christlikeness. It is a life
patterned after the kind of life Jesus taught and modelled. It is a life based on Kingdom-of-God values. It is demonstrated in a loving, trusting relationship with God that is expressed in obedience to God’s rule and an unreserved commitment to God’s will. It is reflected in a set of values that are radically different from those of this world. (www.bic-church.org)
Holiness is Christlikeness. The way to get holy, the way to become like Christ, is to spend time with him... Holiness done by yourself is religion... so if you want to be holy, if you want to stop sinning, spend lots of time gazing upon Jesus. Don’t just grin and bear the burden of trying to live sin free; look to Jesus. (Munn & Court)
We can’t make ourselves holy by will power alone; it is God’s forgiveness that gives us hope and the gracious Spirit of God who works holiness within us. (www.jesuswalk.com)
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13Leviticus QuizIn Leviticus the Israelites have arrived safely at the foot of Mount Sinai, and the tabernacle has been completed. The people will spend a great deal of time here as God shows them a new way of life with clear instructions on how sinful people can relate to a holy God. Take this quiz to see how many of these guidelines you know!
(In Hebrews we are told that Jesus’ death was like the perfect, ultimate and final sacrifice for everyone’s sins. There would never need to be another one! ‘But Christ offered himself as a sacrifice that is good forever. Now he is sitting at God’s right side, and he will stay there until his enemies are put under his power. By his one sacrifice he has forever set free from sin the people he brings to God’ (Hebrews 10:12-14 CEV ).
1. ‘The animal for this offering is to be killed on the north side of the altar, where the animals for the burnt-offerings are killed, and its blood is to be thrown against all four sides of the altar.’ Which of the following offerings is this referring to? (Leviticus 1:11)
a. Sin-offeringsb. Unintentional sin-offeringsc. Fellowship-offeringsd. Repayment-offerings
2. If an object has been deemed unclean after seven days by a priest due to the spread of mildew, that object must be cleansed. (Leviticus 13)
a. Trueb. False (it must be burned up)
3. Who was permitted to eat the animal sacrifices? (Leviticus 6)
a. Only the priestb. The priests and his guestsc. The priest and sonsd. No one
4. A sin-offering is required in which of the following cases? (Leviticus 5)
a. Unintentionally touching something that is ritually uncleanb. Failing to give evidence in courtc. Unintentionally touching something of human origin that is uncleand. All of these
5. Which of the following must be put on every grain-offering because it represents the covenant between you and God? (Leviticus 2:13)
a. Poppy seedb. Sugarc. Oatsd. Salt
6. What happened to Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu for disrespecting the Lord’s holiness? (Leviticus 10)
a. They were stoned to death b. They were burned to death c. They endured a lifetime of poverty d. They were forced to starve for 30 days and 30 nights
7. Why were a camel and a rabbit not to be eaten? (Leviticus 3)
a. They were too big or too small b. They were part of God’s creation c. They chew their cud d. They don’t have split hooves
8. What was the punishment for offering your child to Molech? (Leviticus 18)
a. Death by stoning b. Excommunication c. Required to offer a guilt offering d. Not able to have any more children
9. A priest was not allowed to make himself unclean for any of his people who died except for: (Leviticus 21)
a. His unmarried sister b. His mother-in-law c. His wife’s father d. His pet
(Answers: 1a; 2b; 3c; 4d; 5d; 6b; 7d; 8b; 9a)
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13
AMBASSADORS OF HOLINESSWELCOME
Imagine:
Split the group into two groups and ask them each to do one of the following imagining exercises. Give each group a large piece of flipchart paper and ask them to jot down their thoughts as they imagine and brainstorm these scenarios.
� If you were made holy, how would this influence your family, your best friends and your acquaintances? How do you think they would be affected?5
� What would your community, and your corps, look like if all of the Christian youth in your neighbourhood were holy? What if all of the adults were holy too?6
WORD
1. Ambassadors of Holiness Read together the article ‘Ambassadors of Holiness’ by Beverly Ivany (from The Salvation Army Canada – see the end of these Cell notes).
‘Ambassadors of Holiness’ was a title for one session of cadets across the world, specifically in the years 2009–2011.
This is an example of just how integral and highly valued the doctrine of holiness is within The Salvation Army.
2. Ambassadors of Holiness AcademySplit your group into smaller groups or pairs. Ask them to imagine they are starting a new ‘Ambassadors of Holiness Academy’ for Salvation Army young people. They should discuss the following questions, being as creative as they like in their answers. Allow some time for feedback.
� What subjects would you teach?
� What practices would you demonstrate?
� What Scriptures would you use?
� What would be your aims and visions?
� How would you assess your students?
� How would it benefit the local community?
If you have time, encourage the groups/pairs to write or draw an advert for their academy in which they promote holy living and encourage potential students to join up.
PRAYERSomewhere along the way, in our human effort to be holy, it is easy to lose sight of the bigness of the miracle that God performed when we were born again. God has made a complete transformation in the deepest level of our hearts. Because of Jesus, we don’t have to cry out ‘Woe is me!’ when we seek God’s face.
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These Cell Outlines are written by ALOVE UK. They are available every month from our web site. For more information and other cell resources, visit alove.salvationarmy.org.uk
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13 We can walk the road of holiness, confident in the assurance of God’s acceptance and love for us. And as we do so, we will discover that saying ‘no’ to sin is saying ‘yes’ to life, to joy, to everything our hearts most deeply desire.
Read the following verses:
‘For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time’
Hebrews 10:10 (NCV )
So, friends, we can now – without hesitation – walk right up to God, into “the Holy Place”. Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The “curtain” into God’s presence is his body. So let’s do it – full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word’
Hebrews 10:19–22 (MSG)
Spend some time in prayer and worship together in response to all you have considered during this month. Thank God that, because of Jesus, we are made presentable inside and out and can without hesitation – walk right up to God into the Holy Place. Commit yourselves to holy living. You could reuse your holiness pledges here as well. You may wish to use some reflective music and allow group members time to reflect and meditate on the above Scriptures.
Some worship songs that you may like to use are:
‘Take Broken Me’ – Electralyte
‘Holy’ – Matt Redman
‘Holy Father’ – Vasa Gospel
‘Holiness’ – Micah Stampley
ACTIONCreate a holy space in your bedroom/house. Use this space for your daily times with God, and as you enter into it remember and thank God for Jesus and how he has allowed us to enter into the holiness of God.
Do some research on the topic of ‘Social Holiness’. We will be looking at this in next month’s Cell groups.
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5 Olivia Munn & Stephen Court, The Uprising: A Holy Revolution6 Olivia Munn & Stephen Court, The Uprising: A Holy Revolution
Christ calls each of us to follow him. Are you up to the challenge?
We are a holiness movement. Our roots are with John Wesley and we believe that holiness is not an option for the Christian way of living. Our Founders, William and Catherine Booth, along with other early Army leaders, wrote books on holiness and the necessity of Salvationists adopting this way of life. It is part of our heritage.
But it is also very much a part of who we are today. God knows that holiness is sorely needed in a culture that defies the very essence of what it is all about. The world needs people who have a deep passion for Christ and who want to make a difference—ambassadors of holiness who will reach out to a hurting world and share the life-changing gospel of Christ.
Compassionate HeartsThere is injustice all around us. There are people who have been victimised or ostracised because of race or social status, people from broken, dysfunctional home environments, people who are poor or marginalised. The Salvation Army is known to help those in need. But is every person who identifies with the Army ready and willing to go to whatever lengths it takes to show compassion and empathy for these individuals?
As ambassadors of holiness, we need to be ready to show compassion toward those who are hurting and broken. We must be prepared to feel their pain as we reach out to those who desperately need both the loving arms of people who care for them and the all-powerful, all-compassionate arms of their heavenly Father. It is our individual and corporate act of worship. The Bible says that we are to ‘worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness’ (Psalm 96:9).
Spiritual DisciplinesWe live in a culture that exalts extravagance and promotes degradation. There are so many choices: food, coffee, clothes, cars, music, films. At times it becomes not only confusing, but overwhelming.
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13Ambassadors of holiness are not perfect, but people who take the whole area of spiritual disciplines to heart in their chosen lifestyle. These include:
Prayer – setting aside time to commune and converse with God.
Scripture – reading God’s word and integrating it into everyday life.
Silence and solitude – taking time to be alone, cutting out the ‘noise’ of the world.
Simplicity – trying to live a simple, pure, godly life.
It is a willingness to be disciplined in whatever way God sees fit. ‘God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness’ (Hebrews 12:10).
Humility of SpiritSometimes we focus on our accomplishments and skills and believe we’re better than others. It is so easy in our society to get puffed up, and this is also possible within the Church. We get certain recognition and then think we’re somehow above others.
Yet when God seeks ambassadors of holiness, he wants people who realise their inadequacies and recognise that true holiness is possible only through his grace and mercy. We are all sinners. Most of us have messed up in our lives at one time or another.
Humility is when we daily come before God, seeking his face, his holiness – asking, in humility, that he impart his blessing upon us. He needs humble people who take this holiness very seriously. We are commanded to ‘be holy’, for ‘without holiness no one will see the Lord’ (Hebrews 12:14).
Christlikeness General John Gowans (Retired) wrote a chorus that says simply: ‘To be like Jesus! This hope possesses me.’ Does it really possess us – this desire to be like Christ? Are we passionate about living a life of holiness, to the point of sharing this life with others?
An ambassador of holiness is one who claims God’s love, along with his power to forgive, cleanse and restore. Once claimed for ourselves, we can bring hope and freedom to others through his saving grace.
Christ calls all of us to be his ambassadors of holiness. How about you? Are you up to the challenge?
(http://salvationist.ca/ 5 October 2008 by Major Beverly Ivany)
