In our last lesson, we talked about what it means to be holy. Today we’re going to examine this a little farther.  How many of you like to get grade cards?  How do you feel when you get lots of "A’s?"  What about "C’s?"  Ewww…what about "F’s?"  No, F’s are not a good thing, are they!  An "F" generally means that we are struggling in a certain area.  Maybe the subject is hard for us to understand…or maybe we’re just not trying hard enough.  Whatever the reason, I know that moms and dads are always disappointed to see an "F," aren’t they?  

 I wonder what kind of grade we would get if God handed out Holiness Grade Cards.  Would we get an "A"…or a lower grade?

I want everyone to put on their thinking caps.  I’m going to wear mine, too; holiness isn’t just for kids. I need to work on my holiness habits, also!  I’m going to ask several questions throughout this lesson.  Don’t answer any of them aloud; they are simply what we call" thought-provokers" (they’re questions designed to make us think really hard about something).  Do I really try to live as He would?  I know that it is impossible for me to be perfect, for only God is perfect.  However, my goal is to strive (or continually work at) being Christ-like.  Do I do this every day?  How do I act at school?  Am I a true Christian?

When we have the Holy Ghost, it means that God’s Spirit lives inside of us!  He goes everywhere with us. (If you have not yet received the Holy Ghost, He doesn’t live in you, although He knows everything that you do.)  Would God be interested in being our day-to-day best friend if He were here on earth?  He longs for us to be holy like Him!  Leviticus 19:2 says "Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy." (KJV)

Mr. Webster’s dictionary says that the definition of a Christian is "A real disciple of Christ; one who believes in the truth of the Christian religion, and studies to follow the example, and obey the precepts, of Christ." (A precept is another word for teaching, or example.)  We are to obey Christ’s example.  Do we do that on a daily basis?  Let’s look at a few areas that a Christian may struggle with and see how we do on our "spiritual grade card." 

Having disrespect for elders

Do we always treat adults with the respect that they deserve?  We need to respect those who are in leadership – our parents, (all of) our teachers, our pastor, etc.  There may be times when we want to joke with an adult; we need to be careful when we do this.  It is okay to have fun; however, we must remember that teasing them is not appropriate when it is accompanied with a disrespectful tone or manner. 

(Isaiah 3:5)  "People will oppress each other, and everyone will oppress his neighbor. The young will make fun of the old, and common people will make fun of their superiors." (GOD’S WORD)

(Leviticus 19:32) "Show respect to the elderly, and honor older people. In this way you show respect for your God. I am the LORD." (GOD’S WORD)

(Deuteronomy 5:16)  "Respect your father and mother, and you will live a long and successful life in the land I am giving you." (CEV)

(Leviticus 19:3) "Respect your mother and father." (GOD’S WORD)

Rebellion

Do we always obey when we are told to do something?  On the other hand, do we ignore the person telling us what to do, thinking that maybe they’ll forget what they said to us?   

(Hebrews 13:17) "Obey your leaders and do what they say. They are watching over you, and they must answer to God. So don't make them sad as they do their work. Make them happy. Otherwise, they won't be able to help you at all." (CEV)

(1 Samuel 15:23) "The sin of black magic is rebellion." (GOD’S WORD)

(Psalm 103:12) "As far as the east is from the west- that is how far he has removed our rebellious acts from himself." (GOD’S WORD) ("He" is referring to God.)

(Psalm 51:3) "I admit that I am rebellious. My sin is always in front of me." (GOD’S WORD)

Did you listen to the scripture we just read?  King David wrote it!  He knew he had rebelled against God – the difference between David and many other people is that he realized it and was constantly in repentance for wrongdoing.   He is called the man after God’s own heart!

Excluding others from friendship

Do we belong to a group of friends that excludes other people?  This is called a "clique."  Although someone may act differently than you, it is still not right to ignore him or her or disassociate (remove) yourself from them.

(James 2:8-9) "You are doing right if you obey this law from the highest authority: "Love your neighbor as you love yourself. If you favor one person over another, you're sinning, and this law convicts you of being disobedient." (GOD’S WORD)

(Proverbs 18:24) "A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." (KJV)

(Proverbs 17:17a) "A friend loveth at all times…" (KJV)

(Romans 12:10) "Love one another warmly as Christians, and be eager to show respect for one another." (GNT)

Gossip

Do we talk about others?  Do we put others down behind their back?  Do we, along with our friends, laugh at them for things that they do or say?

(Proverbs 16:28) "Gossip is spread by wicked people; they stir up trouble and break up friendships." (GNT)

(Proverbs 20:19) "A gossip can never keep a secret. Stay away from people who talk too much." (GNT)

(Proverbs 26:20) "Without wood, a fire goes out; without gossip, quarreling stops." (GNT)

(Proverbs 11:13) "A gossip tells everything, but a true friend will keep a secret." (CEV)

Lying/Dishonesty

This one speaks for itself.  Everyone knows what a lie is, and no one wants to be known as someone who tells one! 

(Proverbs 6:12)  "A good-for-nothing scoundrel is a person who has a dishonest mouth." (GOD’S WORD)

(Proverbs 12:19) "The word of truth lasts forever, but lies last only a moment." (GOD’S WORD)

(1 John 2:4) "But if we claim to know him and don't obey him, we are lying and the truth isn't in our hearts." (CEV)

(Revelation 21:8) "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (KJV)

Problems with temper; Teasing for spite

Hmmm…how are we with our brothers and sisters?  Friends – or ‘not-so-good-friends – at school?   Do we tease or pick on others?  Do we start arguments either because we think we are always right, or just because we like to upset other people for fun?

(Proverbs 29:22) "An angry person stirs up a fight, and a hothead does much wrong." (GOD’S WORD)

(Proverbs 20:3) "Avoiding a quarrel is honorable. After all, any stubborn fool can start a fight." (GOD’S WORD)

(Proverbs 25:28) "If you cannot control your anger, you are as helpless as a city without walls, open to attack." (GNT)

(Proverbs 15:18) "Losing your temper causes a lot of trouble, but staying calm settles arguments." (CEV)

A wise person is one who can walk away from an argument (without a bad attitude), and not hold anything against the person who was angry with them!

Things Done in Secret

What do we mean when we say "things done in secret?" That means doing anything that you wouldn’t want someone to know about!  Movies or television programs that you watch, words that you say, books that you read, conversations that you have with others, music that you listen to; this could mean just about anything, if you’re hiding it! 

(Ecclesiastes 12:14) "God will certainly judge everything that is done. This includes every secret thing, whether it is good or bad." (GOD’S WORD)

(Mark 4:22) "There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed. There is nothing kept secret that will not come to light." (GOD’S WORD)

(Romans 2:16) "This happens as they face the day when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge people’s secret thoughts. He will use the Good News that I am spreading to make that judgment." (GOD’S WORD)

(Jeremiah 23:24) "No one can hide where I cannot see them. Do you not know that I am everywhere in heaven and on earth?" (GNT)

God knows what we do, when we do it, and where we do it.  We may be able to hide things from our parents, but we can never hide anything from Him!

We must do all we can to avoid sin – both outward and inward.  We need to constantly work on our relationship with God. Prayer and Bible reading are both necessary for us to grow spiritually.  A flower that does not receive water on a regular basis will wither away and die.  A piece of fruit that is not eaten will eventually rot and become spoiled, and will have to be thrown away.  Our Christian walk is the same!  If we do not have a steady diet of prayer and reading God’s Word, our Holy Ghost will not be able to sustain (or keep) us when we go through rough times.  It will also cause us to be spiritually “weak”, which gives the devil the opportunity to tempt us with things that we would normally ignore.  (I Peter 5:8) "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (KJV)

Following Jesus every day is easy as long as He is our focus.  It also gives us a hope!

Matthew 5:8 says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (KJV)  Romans 12:12 tells us, "Be happy in your confidence, be patient in trouble, and pray continually." (GOD’S WORD)   Jesus gave us several promises in His Word that tell us He is looking forward to seeing us in Heaven!  John 14:1-3 says, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."  (KJV)

Let’s take a moment to talk to Jesus. He will help us fix those things we struggle with; He’s just waiting for us to ask Him!

Definitions taken from Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary of American English

Copyright © 2004 by Mark and Glenda Alphin