Standing for Holiness
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Standing for Holiness
Standing for Holiness
Today, I want to talk about holiness, separation from the world, and what this means for our mind and heart. Oh, and also Funions!
Text
3 Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, 4 young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. 5 And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. 6 Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.
8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
Intro
Stand Up
If you were to do a search today for diets, you would most certainly find no shortage at all.
Keto. Mediterranean. South Beach. Atkins. Weight Watchers. Vegetarian. Vegan. Gluten-free. Low-carb. No-carb. …I typically go with ALL-carb!
There are more diets than Sonic drink combinations! And millions of people dive into the deep end of the diet pool every year to improve their health or slim their waistline.
But as the book of Daniel opens up, Daniel was not concerned with trimming down; he was concerned with obeying God.
God had given the children of Israel a diet plan in the Pentateuch that would keep them healthy, especially wile wandering through the wilderness. Daniel must have stood out when he stood up for his faith. Daniel and his three Hebrew friends trusted God would take care of them.
Although the servers feared for their lives, they brought only vegetables to these four faith-filled Hebrews. And at the end of the trial period, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah all fared better than the meat-eating Babylonians.
Now, for us, our tests of faith may not hinge on what we eat for dinner, but our faith is tested to show we are called to be separate from this world.
We give the first tenth of our income to show we trust God.
We speak differently to glorify God.
We dress differently to honor God.
We live holy because we serve a holy God.
When we are tempted to sit down and fit in with everyone else, we need follow Daniel’s lead and stand up to stand out!
And I’ve personally found, and you will find that God will stand for those who will stand for Him!
Body
Frame of Mind
You know, a believer’s frame of mind determines so much about their Christian journey.
It’s possible to know truth AND fully embrace truth. But in order to make right decisions, a person has to have a frame of mind that is fully persuaded and convinced of truth.
But even then, as determined Christians, we may still struggle with worries, anxieties, and insecurities because WE’RE HUMAN.
And doubt happens.
And it happens because the mind has to work in conjunction with the heart.
You have a body, a mind, and a spiritual heart. Your body does what the mind tells it to do through nerve signals. But the mind can change how it operates the body when there is a change of heart!
While the mind directs our actions, only a redeemed heart can change and guide the human mind spiritually.
And our heart begins to inform our mind on how to act in life...
The mind says: “It’s an incurable disease that is likely fatal.”
But the heart says: “I’m in love with a God who created that body! Therefore, mind, it’s time to pray!”
The mind says: “They’ll never change or be anything different than the lowly sinner they are today!”
But the heart says: “He brought me out of the miry clay, and set my feet on the rock to stay! Therefore, mind, He’ll bring them out, too!”
Rather than allowing the natural, human mind to lead one’s decision-making, a Christian should learn to be sensitive to the guidance of the the Holy Spirit and trust the Spirit’s leadership.
This involves having a mind that has been “transformed” by the Holy Ghost:
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
The heart and the mind work together in one’s relationship with the Lord.
Even though he did not have the privilege of having the indwelling Holy Spirit, Daniel had a heart for God and his made-up heart informed and empowered his human mind to pursue and maintain the convictions of his heart.
So he took a stand!
Nebuchadnezzar Besieged Jerusalem
Took Vessels from the House of God
It was in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, that the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it (Daniel 1:1). Nebuchadnezzar’s armies completely overran the city, ransacked it, and took from the Temple many sacred items.
The tragic aspect of this story is that “the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand” (Daniel 1:2). In other words, the fall of Jerusalem was not only made to happen by Nebuchadnezzar’s powerful armies, but by God Himself.
And this is actually the beginning of the great exile of Judah, predicted by Isaiah, Micah, Zephaniah, and Habakkuk. The best way to understand this is that the people had sinned and the Lord had to discipline his rebellious children.
And as if losing their independence and having their Temple ransacked and sacred vessels taken were not bad enough for the people of God, Nebuchadnezzar also took captive several of their brightest, most intelligent young men. That included Daniel and his three Hebrew friends.
Took the Most Promising Young Men from Israel
There’s no indication of exactly how many were taken. However, we do know the names of four who are mentioned in Scripture: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
Now this is very important… We also know their names were changed to Babylonian names: Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Because of the fact that all four had names that honored Yahweh, the God of Israel, their names were changed!
This change was part of the Babylonian culture conditioning, changing their names from ones that honored the God of Abraham to ones associated with the Babylonian gods and culture.
I want you to understand that throughout scripture, Babylon was a symbol of worldliness. And when the church makes contact with the world, the world naturally begins to try and change the identity of the church!
ILLUSTRATION: We’ve had a HUGE debate in our household this week about Funyuns. The question has been: “Are Funyuns a chip, or something else? Are they just Funyuns?”
They don’t clearly label it a chip. It’s actually labelled “onion flavored rings.” But it’s in the same type of bag, sold by the same company, found on the same aisle!
But, still remains the question: “Is it a chip, or no?” It’s a mystery!
But it shouldn’t be a mystery as to whether we are Apostolic Pentecostal or not!
People ought not to look at me and hear me and see me and WONDER! It should be clear what I am associated with - I am a blood-bought, born-again, water-baptized, Holy Ghost-filled child of the King!
And He’s given me His name! Not so anyone would question it, but so it would be clearly seen!
The world doesn’t want you to have a name associated with Jesus Christ!
It wants you to have a name associated with the cultures and ways of the world!
And that’s why, if we’re going to be Apostolic Pentecostal, we need to be sold out, all-in, full-on and no other way!
As a matter of fact, I need to be so sold out on this truth that instead of the world influencing me, I automatically begin influencing the world!
Sought to Influence These Men in Babylonian Ways
There was a man named Ashpenaz. And Ashpenaz was tasked with teaching these young Hebrews the language and literature of the Babylonians. They were assigned a daily portion of food and wine from the king’s table and were to be trained for three years.
Following their training, they would be ready to enter into the service of the king. This three-year training period was basically cultural conditioning.
Biblical scholar Willem VanGemeren says, “The education was intended to brainwash the youths and to make them useful Babylonian subjects.”
Hear me today: our world pulls at us constantly in order to make us useful worldly subjects. Even our children - their education should not only come from the school classroom. You can’t completely depend on that. They need godly examples in their life teaching them.
I don’t want to just become a useful worldly subject - so I separate myself from the world and devote myself further to God! I am IN this world, but I am not OF this world!
The Spirit of Our Age Seeks to Turn People Away from God and Truth
And today, Babylon is still seeking to take captive the best and the brightest of our generation!
Paul wrote to the Corinthians about this ongoing spiritual battle when he said:
3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
The god of this world seeks to deceive and blind the lost, turning them away from the saving truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Satan is the god of this present world and he seeks to indoctrinate the youth of every generation with the values of Babylon from which they will serve their own lustful ambitions and desires.
The antidote to deception is the same today as it was for Daniel: to take advantage of the entire armor of God, including the parts of the armor that protect our head and our heart.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Daniel Purposed to Remain Separate and Holy
He Requested a Different Diet
So, Daniel and the others are being trained Babylonian ways, conditioned, and served the king’s meat.
And there is actually no indication in the Bible that Daniel had an ugly or hostile attitude toward his captors, but he did demonstrate a heart that was absolutely, undeniably set upon his God.
And the KEY to Daniel’s victorious stance in Babylon is that he had purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the king’s meat.
8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
This decision was not only a mental one, but one that was aligned with the values in his heart for God. He respectfully made his request to Ashpenaz that his diet might be altered to respect his desire to avoid pagan defilement.
ILLUSTRATION: We’ve been planning on going to Texas Roadhouse in Jonesboro. Anyone ever been to a Texas Roadhouse? They’ve been overflowing out the door every time we’ve went, and so we’ve decided we’re going to go and call before we leave the house.
But something cool about Texas Roadhouse is that there is a meat cabinet when you come in the door. It has glass, where you can see into it. All the different cuts of steak are there. And what’s super neat is that, when you order your steak, you can actually point out through the window exactly which steak you want cooked.
It’s YOU who makes the decision. You get the satisfaction of getting a slice of meat that met your own standards.
And it’s ALSO us who makes the decision as to what spiritual meat we will have. Will we partake of the meat of the word (the bread of life), or the meat of this world?
We DO make that decision, ladies and gentlemen!
And Daniel made the decision not to eat the Babylonian king’s meat...
Found Favor with the Prince of Eunuchs
Now, probably due to his respectful attitude, Daniel had established a favorable relationship with those charged with his keeping - Ashpenaz and Melzar. These men had direct oversight of the Hebrews.
But although Melzar was sympathetic to Daniel’s polite request, he feared what the king’s reaction would be if the Hebrews declined in their appearance of health.
So Daniel proposed that there would be a ten-day trial of a diet of vegetables and water (Daniel 1:12-13). In this proposed trial, they would compare the faces of the Hebrews after ten days with the faces of those eating the king’s meat. And if the Hebrews’ faces failed to appear as healthy as desired, they could then go ahead and follow the diet ordered by the king.
Daniel was evidently unafraid of proposing such a test because his faith and confidence were securely anchored in the Lord.
He made a choice.
We Must Purpose in Our Hearts to Remain Separate and Holy
Separation and holiness don’t just happen without making a choice.
Personal choice and decision are always essential elements of pursuing holiness. AND WE DEFINITELY SHOULD PURSUE HOLINESS!
As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 7:1, personal effort is required in order to achieve both inward and outward holiness.
And, yes, it’s true that the Spirit is the only source of true holiness and that humans are unable to produce holiness from their own human efforts. However, we still have to cooperate with the Spirit by following the Spirit’s guidance on making choices.
Paul referred to this as cleansing “ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).
And so, we have to mentally decide (in our mind) to follow the leading of the Spirit (our heart), bringing our mind and heart into action to pursue the holiness of God, which is “perfecting holiness.”
Daniel and his three Hebrew friends determined to avoid defilement, but they did not allow their spirit and attitude to be defiled in the process of requesting the special diet. They could have completely hindered their pursuit of holiness, if they’d had the wrong attitude.
This just shows that you can have all the physical aspects of holiness in order, but the internal aspects all out-of-whack.
I’ve known people that dressed more modest than an Eskimo, but their attitude was rotten and it smelled through their parka!
After Ten Days There Was Noticeable Change
Daniel and His Friends Were in Better Condition than Anyone Else
And God rewarded Daniel’s faith and heart-felt determination to avoid defilement!
Daniel’s face, along with that of Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael appeared better than any of the others who were following the royal diet prescribed by the king.
God Blessed Daniel and His Friends Because of Their Commitment to Him
Dwight Pentecost is another biblical scholar I researched from. He points out the reasons Daniel and his friends were opposed to the king’s diet.
It was a generous portion of food and wine daily from the king’s own table. However, this food did not conform to the requirements of the Mosaic law for Daniel and his friends.
The fact that it was prepared by Gentiles meant it was unclean, as well.
Also, no doubt many things forbidden by the Law were served on the king’s table. So to partake of such food would defile the Jewish youths.
Also very important is that without a doubt, all of this royal food had been sacrificed and offered to pagan gods before it was offered to the king. To eat such food would be contrary to Exodus 34:15, where the Jews were forbidden to eat flesh sacrificed to pagan gods.
And they could have enjoyed dining on the luxurious food provided by the king, but their hearts guided them to make the right decision of commitment to God’s commandments.
Perfecting holiness in our lives is not always the funnest thing you can do. It can be difficult, making decisions to live godly. But we have to develop our heart to love and pursue God’s values.
A pastor I know of wrote something I thought was interesting: “In 20 years of pastoring I have made many trips to the hospital for people having open heart surgery, but only once did I have someone who was having a heart transplant. This is an amazing thought. You have a heart that is so diseased that you are going to die, and you receive a brand-new heart from someone else and you live. I guess all of us from time to time wish we could get a heart transplant - not in the physical realm, but that we would be given a spiritual heart that would function perfectly for God. Since that can’t happen, here is the next best thing: developing the heart you have into a heart after God.”
And God would honor the commitment of Daniel and his friends, allowing their appearance to even surpass the appearance of those following the king’s diet.
Now, someone might wonder today whether their diet of vegetables and water was healthier than the king’s meat, where they would be advantaged anyway. And I can’t stand here today and prove that one way or the other.
But there’s one thing I know for certain: and that’s that the blessing of God always makes a difference!
Doing right always pays off!
Going the way God desires is never going to end up being a loss to you!
And the difference in the healthy appearance of their faces was obvious, and God was exalted by the commitment of His faithful servants.
Our Separation and Lifestyle of Holiness Should Bring Glory to God
Separation involves two aspects that are important to living a life of holiness:
Being separated from worldliness.
Being separated unto God.
In other words, separation involves being set apart for a special purpose unto the Lord.
Paul wrote:
17 Therefore
“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
18 “I will be a Father to you,
and you shall be My sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”
The Greek word for separate here is aphorizo, which means “to set off by boundary; to limit, exclude, or appoint. To separate, sever, or mark off from others by boundaries. In a bad sense: to exclude as disreputable. In a good sense: to appoint or set apart for some purpose.” (Enhanced Strong’s Dictionary)
The concept of separation is similar to the idea behind the fine china tableware that has been set aside for use on special occasions. It’s not the type of dinnerware that is common and used randomly. It’s use is special and shows the high priority the owner has placed on the occasion.
This is how it is in the Christian’s separation.
We have been CALLED OUT from a spirit of worldliness and set apart for the special and elevated use of God Himself!
We have been called to a life of holiness:
15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
Furthermore, the writer of Hebrews said we should:
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
This life of separation and holiness I’m talking about today, for which we have all been called to, is a lifestyle that glorifies God and His work of sanctification in us. It is a living demonstration of what God can accomplish within a person whose heart and mind are set upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Conclusion
We love to talk about people who have a “made-up mind.” There is little question about the stamina and endurance produced within a person whose mind is made up and who is determined in something they are trying to do.
But there is something that is far, far more powerful: the power of a made-up heart.
A determined heart working together with a made-up mind in anything is a powerful force.
Apostolic believers don’t just pursue the course determined in their minds; instead, they act upon the strength of convictions - decisions based upon the values and emotions of their hearts.
We need to purpose in our hearts, like Daniel, not to defile ourselves with the king’s meat, but that our lives are going to be further set apart for God’s purpose!
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