Notes from Tuesday Evening's Service

Family Camp 2014: Monday evening service - Pastor Mark Van Valin

The theme of this week's Family Camp is "Holiness: coming home again". At the foundation of our faith as Free Methodists is holiness - a life of holiness which is totally devoted to God. 

Tonight we looked to John 16:5-11; ...but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. 

The "Advocate" - that is the Holy Spirit - convicts us of sin just as a good Doctor makes a diagnoses.this conviction of sin is a true gift from God. First the Holy Spirit reveals God's beauty, His holiness, His majesty, and His love. Then the Holy Spirit reveals to us our sin - our desperation from God and from God's beauty, His holiness, His majesty, and His love. 

In all of this, the Holy Spirit speaks to us in specifics. Satan always speaks in generalities - you're not good enough, you're strong enough. But when the Holy Spirit speaks to us, He speaks to is in specifics - of our jealousy, our dishonesty, and our pride.

But first the Holy Spirit reveals God's glory to us. Only after we catch a glimpse of God's glory - and begin to comprehend what God's glory is - can we truly recognize and completely understand that we have sinned against God and His glory. 

Romans 3:23 states; ...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Let us consider four stages of sorrow - grief - over sin. 

First, we grieve over how our sin affects us. Sin can seem okay until there is a consequence to my sin that hurts me personally. This first stage is not a sorrow brought by The Holy Spirit and it does not lead to true repentance. 

Second, we grieve over how our sin affects others. Sin that is hurting - ruining - our relationships may bring about sorrow because we are affecting others that we care about. This stage is the beginning of repentance.

Third, we grieve over how our sin separates us from God. A gap exists between us and God - a gap brought about by sin. As sin in our life increases, the gap - separation - between us and God increases. This third stage is a sorrow over din that is brought about by the Holy Spirit and it will lead us to true repentance. 

Fourth and finally, we grieve over how out sin grieves and dishonors God. Very few followers come to this point of sorrow over sin. However, when we reach this stage, we find true repentance and a desire to please, honor, and glorify God. 

Until you reach this fourth level of grief - of sorrow - you will never reach God's holiness.