Holiness Matters

Micah J. Sturm

“Hell and destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27‬:‭20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“People will never stop dying and being destroyed, and they will never stop wanting more than they have.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27‬:‭20‬ ‭NCV‬‬

Sin is insatiable…more, more, more!

Sin is insistent….me, myself, and I!

Sin is insidious…malicious masked destroyer.

Sin is insane…worshiping ourselves by resisting Christ!

Jesus is all we need…perfect.

Jesus is faithful…persistent.

Jesus is magnetic…pulling.

Jesus is peace.

Sin is incapable of contentment.

Jesus IS contentment. 

Sin ruins us.

Jesus rescues us.

Micah J. Sturm 

Being born makes me a member of the human race, but will I be humane?  

Enrollment in school makes me a student, but will I learn?  

Getting hired makes me an employee, but will I work?  

A wedding ceremony makes me a spouse, but will I have a marriage?  

Leaving the hospital with a baby makes me a father, but will I be a daddy?  

Receiving Christ into my heart makes me a Christian,  but exactly how Christian will I be?

Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of God who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper…” (John 14:15).

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8).

Paul preached, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…and those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passion and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-25).

As a boy I heard a preacher say, “Sitting in a church house makes you no more a Christian than sitting in a hen house makes you a chicken!”  

Christ’s Church is not a structure, a denomination, or a code.  It’s where the crucified and risen Jesus transforms lives and sends them out to be His reflection. 

There are depths of God’s grace we have not experienced, there are possibilities we have not imagined, and the Lord invites us to be more like Him! 

Let all Christians crave Christlikeness!  

May we move out of the minimum requirements and into the maximum possibilities!

Micah J. Sturm

As a shy 8-year-old boy I heard God’s call to preach.  My local church and pastor encouraged me tremendously.

I preached for the first time at age 14. 

My text was Nahum 1:7, “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” (KJV‬‬)

The church granted me a local minister’s license at age 14, made me a district minister at age 18, and ordained me at age 24.

For 33 years, I’ve preached that Christ indeed saves from all sin—I really do believe that…

Hearts hardened by sin can be softened, 

Carnal hearts focused on self can be cleansed,

Human beings can be filled with holy love that gives a preview of heaven here and now!

By my Master’s grace, I’ll preach this truth until I take my final breath!

To this He has called me…there is no substitute for preaching holiness of heart and life!

Micah J. Sturm

We are lost—really lost. 

So lost, in fact, that we think we can rescue ourselves.

This lostness imprisons us. We are helpless.

Only Jesus can rescue—only He can save!

When we CONFESS and FORSAKE our sins, HE forgives—makes us brand new and sets us free! 

We do the confessing—Jesus saves! A miracle of grace!

But He wants those He’s freed to be like Him! 

When we CONSECRATE and SURRENDER our everything to Him, HE cleanses and fills us with His Holy Spirit to enable this transformation and daily life!

We do the surrendering—Jesus sanctifies entirely—a miracle of grace!

We can never rescue ourselves. 

But two moments of miraculous grace sets our hearts ablaze with such holy love that our feet move in step with Him, our ears are open to His voice, our eyes see His perspective, our hands become His tools to bless others, and we desire one thing—to please Him!

“Not our own righteousness, but Christ within—

Living and reigning and saving from sin!”

Hallelujah!

Micah J. Sturm

The church embraces sin by our unfaithfulness.
We have not kept our promises to God.

Many people condone behavior that violate our collective conscience and covenant.

“If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭23‬:‭21‬ ‭ESV‬‬).

“When you make a vow to God, do not delay fulfilling it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake; why should God be angry at your words, and destroy the work of your hands?“ (Ecclesiastes‬ ‭5‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭NRSV‬‬)

In the name of love, we defend disobedience.

Sins of omission and sins of the spirit are excused—not confessed and forsaken.

Helps to holy living are dismissed and considered archaic, humorous, or offensive.

“Legalism” is often simply an accusation made of someone whose convictions make us uncomfortable.

We’re attempting to attract the world by denying our distinctiveness—a strategy of defeat.

”Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.“
(‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭17‬-‭7:1, ESV‬‬)

Our holiness ancestors would not recognize us today. Their zeal and passion was repugnant to the religious elite of their day, but attractive to those who longed for deliverance from sin.

It was for me! I was won to Christ through people who were intensely in love with Him and who loved me enough to invite me to travel the Highway of Holiness.

Micah J. Sturm

Our culture is consumed with the cancer of discontent.  

We are increasingly in debt for what we have, almost immediately disgusted that we have it, but then we are insatiable in our desire for even more. 

It’s self-destruction that has tremendous collateral damage.

Our only hope is Jesus Christ.  

He who emptied Himself and had only one desire—to do what His Father desired. 

His holiness heals the human heart, corrects our crooked steps, and enables us to humbly walk with God. 

That sanctifying grace is available to every heart who is heavy with discontentment…be emptied of self and filled with the Spirit of Christ!

Micah J. Sturm 

Can I drink? No.

Can I smoke? No.

Can I watch that? No.

Can I go there? No.

Can I have everything I want? No.

Can I say those words? No.

Can I just blend in with everyone else? No.

Because someone told me “No”…

My life has been spared much heartache caused by sin.

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,”

‭‭Titus‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Micah J. Sturm

Jesus is apolitical.

He transcends the temporary agendas of those seeking advantage or advancement.

We drag Christ through the mud of our politics. 

His sacred name is invoked on practically everything one can imagine.

The kingdom of God supersedes all earthly governments. 

Remember, our Master taught us to be model citizens.

We ought to pray for a nation to be at peace, prosperous, productive, and protected.

But ultimately, this isn’t accomplished by politicians and policymakers.  

This kind of environment comes from hearts made pure by the Prince of Peace.

It’s Thursday of Holy Week—He’s washing feet. 

Micah J. Sturm

Our expectations can get off track easily.

We expect the grandiose, but Christ is humble.

We expect justice, but Christ extends mercy.

We expect immediacy, but Christ is patient.

We expect accommodation, but Christ acquiesced to the point of death on a cross.

We expect happiness, but Christ is holiness in humanity. 

We expect accumulation, but Christ is the love that gives away.

Unreal expectations distract, diminish, and destroy. “I want what I want…”

Jesus says, “I want what He wants!”

Christ exceeds all expectations!