welcome to real Christianity a weekly show designed to help Christians know their Bible defend their faith and truly understand what it means to follow Jesus the premise is simple the culture is getting louder the church is getting flash ear but few pastors are teaching on how to live a Biblical life my name is Dale Partridge along with my incredible wife Veronica join us as we start an important conversation about what it really means to be a Christian
 welcome to real Christianity today we are talking about the missing elements of modern Christianity think that the missing element of modern Christianity was Community I think that if we just you know I had community that we would finally see Jesus in a way that we had before and then before that I thought hey it was mission that was the missing element if we just did more Outreach to the broken and the lost and it man you know then more people would would see Jesus and there's there's something that I found in my study that there's deeper than these two elements that is preventing the world from not seeing Jesus and I believe it's a missing element to Modern Christianity and I think it's what makes Christianity feel dull and oftentimes flat that's what we're going to be talked about in today's episode
 yeah but before we jump into that I know you guys are probably heard on the last few episodes Dale and I just rely on child marriage the program and it's a six-week course for you and your spouse to go through or you can even go through it and a small group typesetting and then there's you know downloadable Mary's challenge checklist PDF and really great questions just to go through with one another to help bring more Unity into a marriage and so if you're interested in that you can go and sign up at ultimate marriage.com yeah it's a really great program if you just needed to strengthen your marriage want to invest in your marriage guys we are so excited at least go to the ultimate marriage.com and check it out or consider doing it with your small group guys I launch the pre-order of my new book I'm going to give you the same URL to even if you listen to this episode long after it's been published you can still find it there you just going to relearn Church. Org forward slash
 see for real Christianity so the name of the book is real Christianity the subtitles how to be bold for Christ in a culture of darkness and it is a short read it's it's 5 x 7 so it's a small kind of pocketbook it's hard cover and it's 150 Pages it takes about an hour and 10 minutes to read through it trust me I've done it several times when I was editing it but guys it's a great way to support our ministry as well as getting a great I think tool to understand what Biblical Christianity really is and how to represent Christ so if you want to pre-order the book you can go to relearn Church. Org forward slash r c okay Del Sol hopping back into the topic of this week's episode what is the missing element that you're talkin about what is the the cause of what you have called Flat Christianity
 does brace yourself cuz I'm about to give you a pretty anti-climactic answer okay and I know that was the opposite of what you were thinking but it's personal Holiness okay personal Holiness is I think what's missing in the modern especially the western church and I want to explain because I really do believe that I put together a pretty strong biblical argument for why Holiness is so critical in evangelism and the gospel in discipleship and maturity and I think it's a really important discipline and element of Christianity that were kind of unfamiliar with and so personal holding us I'm going to break this down for a second and then we're going to dive into some scriptures later in this episode
 personal Holiness is the evidence of God on a person okay I want you to hear that please pay attention personal Holiness is the evidence of God upon a person and it's the walking and talking and breathing transformative Supernatural power of the Cross pouring out in somebody's life that's what personal Holiness is if someone claims to be a Christian and they they're not exhibiting or presenting The Peculiar life or a holy life or a different life now they look just like the rest of the world just like the rest of the world why would anybody be interested in coming to Christ
 for any other reason right I mean it's just not compelling and if Christ has not changed you if you're still behaving the exact same way you did before you encountered Christ then why should somebody believe that it would change them
 and you know I'm going to break this down a little bit more when it when an addict stops doing drugs that's Holiness when they're no longer a slave to drugs that's holding us when a man no longer looks at pornography when 98% of men secular men look at pornography on a regular basis when a man can't stop looking at pornography
 that's holding us that's the transformative power of God upon a person you do when a person returns love for hate that Holiness I want a wife protects her husband's reputation even when he fails that's Holiness when a man stands for truth that cost him his job that's holding us I want a young man refuses to have sex before he's married that's holding us when a young woman decides to wear modest clothing for the love of others that's Holiness okay Holiness guys is the real life testimony of God's miraculous work in your life it's the changing of affections the changing of inclinations the behaviors that is impossible without Christ
 it's a love for Godly things instead of a love for sin and everybody that's trapped and since he's that goes how did how do you do that how do you break free why are you so different
 this is an incredibly powerful proof of God in the church when you can walk in personal holding us before I dive in even more donors want to be clear that we have no desire to make Holiness and idle Holiness is not Christ and we know that and it still said We Believe Holiness is the evidence of God's work in the life of a believer in Holiness is not about earning our righteousness through what we've done is about showing our righteousness because of what he's done what he's done inside of us and it's not legalism it's just basic obedience is not to be a work motivated by law it's a response motivated by love is not a work
 motivated by law
 it's a response motivated by love
 Holiness is really just the natural response of somebody that's being redeemed if you're not becoming more like Christ who is Holy
 that's a problem right this is the national response is personal holding us when you encounter Jesus Christ yes a little bit so what is Holiness well according to the dictionary it means to be set apart but the way that I viewed it is to be utterly unique because God God is Holy because there is no one like it he is utterly unique now this also means he is pure and without sin he is perfect again making him unique and of course holy and as Christians
 we first experienced holy when were saved in this process is Vision but the Bible's call for Holiness reaches far beyond our justification the Bible calls us to death to be born again and to be regenerated to be renewed and to walk in a manner worthy of your calling the idea of Holiness is your set apart your different you're utterly unique and step one is it when you come to Christ you're you're Justified your saved this there's a difference between Sanctified with the talking about in a bit but but you're Justified your set apart you initiated the process of becoming holy and then as you said here the Bible calls us to death and then to be born again and then to be regenerated
 be renewed and then a walk in a certain manner right and I think that the major cause of the churches deficiency in personal Holiness is that when most Christians came to Christ they never truly died when they came to Christ altar they never truly died and they believe in Christ they they they even want to park in a relationship with Christ but they're still very much living in their own will and I want you to examine yourself against these words right now okay death spiritual the call to die in terms of dying to the flesh that death is the door to holding us to becoming more like Crisis the initiation of your relationship with Christ this is again why we are called to be born again and then if you have come to say through with a church is called an ulcer call we've heard that near there's an all
 call the end of the service or people can come forward and important part 2 explained here is that an altar is a place of sacrifice it's a place that you go to die in the Old Testament and alter was a stack of stones in the New Testament the altar was cross Jesus was sacrificed as I marked L 4 for the atonement of our sins on that altar which was a cross and Jesus tells us to pick up that cross daily
 to pick up that alter daily and die and let it continue to do its deadly work in our lives and again this is why Jesus called us to be born again cuz we have to die in The Flash to be made alive in the spirit is also why Paul wrote Galatians 2:20 it is a a verse that everybody should consider memorizing the great verse it's Paul any rights I have been crucified with Christ it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flash I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me
 if you struggle to understand this it's probably because you haven't fully died and I'm going to say all of us are on this journey of picking up that cross but really relinquishing the authority of your life and your own will to the Lord is what this is talking about how you died are you becoming a holy because it's no longer you who live but Christ who live in you
 this is important questions an important question to ask the kingdom of self
 is heavily defended territory we don't want to pick up that cross we don't want to die in our flesh Galatians 5:17 says that there's a war it says for the flash Wars against the spirit the spirit Wars against the flesh than these are contrary to one another to keep you from doing the things that you wish like there's a war going on constantly
 the cost of Christianity is nothing less than everything that's really what Jesus wants he wants everything and again this is the front door to hold the making room for him because you're no longer there and it doesn't happen overnight it is a process but there must be a desire for it to happen
 and it's not something that you muster up either something you just discipline yourself to become more holy on your own strength it's something that you lay on the ground you get before the Lord Hugo father fill me with your Holy Spirit give me this strength fill me with you so that I can understand your truth poor out of me your will let me remove myself and put you in my place
 give me a hunger give me a desire those are really important prayers to ask
 a deal Partridge here we hope this podcast has been a blessing to your walk with God for those that don't know real Christianity isn't audio ministry under our nonprofit relearn church.org I'm telling you this because we're listener-supported podcast it takes a small team a serious amount of equipment and several hours per week to keep the show going I share this because Veronica and I want to grow the reach of the show so that it might help even more Christian mature and their understanding of God's word so if you're a regular listener to this podcast would you consider supporting us in this ministry we're not asking for much maybe $10 or $20 or $25 per month I promise you that your support will help us continue to get God's truth out to strengthen the body of Christ and a further the gospel if you feel led to make a donation at simply go to relearn Church. Org forward slash donate again that's relearn Church. Org forward slash donate thank you so much for your consideration
 yeah so this process that Dell's talking about the picking up of your cross. And your flesh and walking in the spirit is called sanctification and sanctification is literally defined as the process of being made or becoming holy and again like we said earlier this is going to be a lifelong journey with your walk with Christ you're always hopeful leaving things by mormor but you need to ask yourself why are you being Sanctified by God's spirit are you being convicted of your sin are you being purified by his word am I becoming more like Christ these are the questions that we should be asking ourselves fairly frequently as you guys know we're very focused on scripture in the show and we don't ever want to offer our opinions without backing them up with the Bible so we're going to go over a few scriptures that discuss this call for personal Holiness in the life of the believer we're going to start with 1st Peter 1:4
 under 16 in the ESV is obedient children do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance but it's he who called you is Holy you also be holy and all your conduct since it is written you shall be holy for I am Holy Peter got this right here Ali understood this one he opens up with as obedient children he's assuming obedience so people Peters talking to you if you're Christian are you obedient first thing right he's talking you as a billion children do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorant whatever you like to pre Christ whatever you talked about three Christ's whatever you loved three cries whatever you did three Christ's don't go back to that
 is what he saying
 but as he who called you is Holy
 you also be holy in all of your contact you don't get to have the secret truths with some sent over here in the corner that you get to come to have a private you know relationship with that bad
 all your contact gets to be made wholly and he said since it is written you shall be holy for I am Holy he's reference in the Old Testament there in the words of the Lord and so I think it's this verse is actually strikingly similar to Romans 12:2 you guys notice first and do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is good what is a good and acceptable and perfect will of God so there's this process of becoming to be coming becoming sanctification is Veronica said the second point out is that
 don't you think a man has to do things that we're incapable of doing and He commands us to be holy because we can be holy and he wants us to be holy. Important point in doesn't happen to you we choose it the same thing is true with Holiness Holiness is it happened to you we choose it and some pasta now I know there's the process of behavior modification and it's a process of spiritual outpouring
 but it happens it's a it's a symbiotic relationship between God's sovereignty and man's responsibility it's a really important thing to understand
 another point I want to make is is do you actually pursue Holiness as passionately as you pursued sin prior to coming to Christ that's a massive question are you pursuing Holiness with the same passion in Industry just a desire that you're working that you did for sin prior to coming to Christ is your desire for God outpacing your desire for sin and the things of this world and if it's not it if you're still struggling with looking at pornography having sex with your boyfriend and getting drunk on the weekend and speaking poorly about people and using foul language and whatever other marks of the world are just on you still you need to get before the Lord and go God Purify Me
 clean me out Bring conviction upon me deep conviction and rip that out of me because when people see that and you call yourself a Christian they don't know who I don't want that Christ there's nothing different about that guy but when you're different in your loving and the marks of the fruit of the spirit or laying upon you
 people see Christ people even is even worse they see that on you and if you're more mature believer been a Believer longer Dash influences them and they're like oh I can do that too and you're actually putting off a false representation of Christ weird language borderline foul language on the phone with me or in conversation I can't man
 you're a you're a pastor your people are looking to you at your example to modify their faith to look like yours and that's at the very important point
 so they'll found this quote that he shared with me the other day I buy an eighth the 1800's the illusion j.c. Ryle and you kind of touched on you know he shared a little bit earlier in the show but you are an incredible book called Holiness and he says Holiness will cost a man his since he must be willing to give up every habit and practice which is wrong and got site there must be no separate truce with any specialist in which he loves sadly our sins are often dear to us as our children we love them we hug them cleave to them Delight in them and to part with them is as hard as cutting off your right hand or plucking out your right eye but is the scriptures instruct it must be done the party must come I love how we brought the connection where Jesus says hey if it said makes you stumble the hell why they cut off your right hand pluck out your right eye Jesus is going I'd go to the full extreme I know you love it I know you love your sis
 get rid of it
 get rid of it be holy as I am Holy so good to is Hebrews 12:14 and it reads pursue peace with all people and Holiness without which no one will see the Lord I'm going to break this verse down I was studying this verse I was looking for verses on Holiness I just got done reading part of that book that Veronica just mentioned it's it's called Holiness by j.c. Ryle for in the 1800s and
 I looked up this verse and someone used this verse I think in correctly but it was listed in the Holiness scriptures they were explaining it and incorrect interpretation in my understanding
 and I was just praying over this person I felt like the Lord revealed to me kind of what I was already putting together about the show and I I didn't look at some commentary to make sure that my interpretation was correct and I found several trusted theologians with the same interpretation which always brings me peace when I'm teaching so I'm going to read this verse one more time at Seabreeze 12414 pursue peace with all people
 and Holiness, without which no one will see the Lord okay I'll explain something you let's just say that you walked into a room and on the room there's a huge wall and on that wall there was a thousand gray dots
 now all those thousand gray. There is one.
 That is yellow
 guess I guess it's 999 gray dots and one yellow. Which. Is your I going to notice the yellow one and scientifically the human mind is only or has designed only to notice what is different we do this all the time just think about marketing the goal is to look different right to be radically different if you look at a child and they walk across the carpet of a huge room and the car looks all the same but there's a coin in the middle of the room on the floor what is the kid going to do they're going to notice that coin and they're going to pick it up until I put in your mouth but they notice what's different
 and that's important to the apostles telling us that peace and Holiness is the illumination okay it's it's bringing notice if the elimination of Christ in what I would call a chaotic and a dark world and so just like we see in the Old Testament Holiness was the means by which God's people were identified by the other nations in a sea of Grey. Nations Israel was as yellow. They looked different they ate different dress different they work different the rest different they did everything differently
 different Triune God the god floated over them in a in a cloud cage is everything was different than the other nations
 and they were set apart people so what he says pursue peace with all people and holding us without which no one will see the lord it's my point that I made in the opening of this podcast if you don't have Holiness people are going to see the Lord and would you want to know why that the church is so flat and dull is because there's no Supernatural transformative power on anybody is everybody still looking like the world and acting like the world and spending money like the world and in debt like the world and looking pouring like the world and getting divorces like the world and put in their kids where other people in the world put their kids and there's nothing different
 we look like the world in so many instances
 and so you know where to pursue Holiness this is what this passage talks says we're not only in our behavior modification but also again asking the gods a supernatural power and so the bottom line is this guy's when the church is Holy it's like a city on a hill that's really what it is it's like a city it's like a glowing City on the hill you can't help but notice it
 and like a lighthouse on the sea when you're on the see you just see it that's what the church needs to be and people notice it it's Unique it drives curiosity okay it it's not its ability to save Holiness is it going to save anybody the gospel is the only thing that can save but it does demonstrate the power of the god I would say and it said it's an apologetic to the gospel it's the evidence it's the Miracles you know Jesus did Miracles it was Dupree Evangelistic Miracles that brought people to go wow
 like this is amazing
 and when you're holy people notice and for some of you being holy and some parts the world will cost you your life and in here in Western culture it might cost you your job or cost you being liked sometimes it might even lead to conversion from from another brother that you planted a seed with or or a conversation about the gospel but we are regardless of what it means wherever you're at we're called to present his redeeming work his Holiness to the world
 does be closed out today I know it can be very difficult to
 create something that you've never seen or walk out something that you've never seen any of this is true for us for parenting marriage you know Community Church there's I've been diving it has a lot of Puritan works and reading about the Puritans and I don't agree with everything the Puritans did but I agree with a lot of what they did and there they were given that name. Then that's a mocking term because they they weren't you know trying to purify themselves living their entire lives to the glory of God well there's a really great publisher that we're working with and we're trying to just introduce our audience to
 I guess a layer above the normal publisher because there's a lot of Publishers out there that are just publishing entertaining crap things that are literally devotionals that make me feel good about me instead of making God exalted you know and if you want to go read really rich dense material there's some great Publishers out there and we're going to do that over the next couple months but the first time I said they were working with is Reformation Heritage publishing is his Heritage bookzz.org and they have a great collection of really awesome books on the Puritans and some really old stuff from the 1600 and 1700 so wanted you guys to check that out heritage books.org
 okay last announcement
 once she closes at reviews you've never done the reviews you can do it that you heard me say it a thousand times if you're a regular has blessed you in some way if you could go ahead and leave us a review say anything you can go to stop stars but if you do write something Dale will read it and they like break my heart sometimes all these are so if you are interested in picking up a copy of my new book just go to relearn Church. Org forward slash RC and also our marriage program again as marriage, we will see you Wednesday
 I think Christians underestimate the influence the culture can have on us I think without even noticing many of us have traded this incredible life that God wants for us for an empty counterfeit if you haven't realized the church has become comfortable with things we shouldn't be comfortable with weave normalize things in our work our marriage has our families in our finances that are not normal but the question I have for you is this what does the Bible say about what's normal what kind of life should Christians be chasing what if I told you that what's popular isn't Superior what if I told you that what seems smart isn't actually right what if I told you that the worldview of sick. Is actually God's definition of failure
 the Bible says that the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God so what if we're doing it wrong what if the lives of those who followed Jesus look more like the culture than like cry what is the life we're so desperate to have isn't something to seek after but actually to be saved from I answer these questions in my latest book saved from success how God can free you from cultures Distortion of family work and the good life it's a short convicting bold book get your copy in hardback or audiobook at relearn church.org success again that's relearn Church. Org forward slash success
 thank you for joining us on this episode of real Christianity real Christianity is an audio Ministry of relearn church.org if you'd like more information on how to live out a Biblical life relearn Church. The Articles podcast sermons and videos to support your journey real Christianity is 100% listener-supported Ministry and if you'd like to support our efforts simply click the Donate tab at relearn church.org you can also connect with both Veronica and I on Instagram Facebook and Twitter for daily lessons and Bible teachings thank you for being with us today we hope to see you next Wednesday another episode of real Christianity