09/21/2020
Our God is Holy, and his holiness is majestic, so much so that the angels sing Holy, Holy, Holy to Him. We too must realize Him to be Majestically Holy, and to worship Him with the same emphasis as the angels... Holy, Holy, Holy. Yet, we too are told to be holy, but how is that possible for us? It can only happen if we are made so through our faith, and belief in Jesus Christ... by His blood.
““Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?”
Exodus 15:11 ESV
God is the fountain from which all holiness flows, and to those who would be like Him He gives holiness as a blessing of Himself. How else do we reconcile scripture that says only He is Holy, with His desire for us to be Holy?
“Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.””
Revelation 15:4 ESV
I like to go back to the story of Moses as he comes down from the mountain where he stood in the presence of God. By just being before God for that period of time something remarkable had happened to him... he glowed, and he didn’t even know it. God can give certain of His attributes to us, and Holiness is one of them.
“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.”
Exodus 34:29-30 ESV
Here is the catch in comparing the glow of Moses to the holiness we have... we must be holy before we can see God. So it appears we have a case of the chicken and the egg... which came first?
“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”
Hebrews 12:14 ESV
Well the solution to this riddle for us comes in the Holiness of Jesus Christ who, as the Son of God, was born Holy. The Old Testament refers to God as “The Holy one of Israel”, and in the New Testament when Jesus went to cast an unclean spirit from a man in the temple, the unclean spirit recognizes Him as “The Holy One of God”. Jesus is Holy by His association with God.
“I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.”
Psalm 71:22 ESV
“And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are— the Holy One of God.””
Mark 1:23-24 ESV
Just as Jesus was born Holy by being the Son of God... His birthright... so it is that we are made Holy by Jesus when we are born again, and by His redemption. We read this in multiple scriptures, but here are two that make the point clear...
“For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.”
Hebrews 10:10 NLT
“he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,”
Colossians 1:22 ESV
So Moses glowed, Jesus glowed, Elijah glowed, and we will one day be the same as we stand before God. The question becomes this... are you ready to believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, accept His sacrifice, be forgiven and washed clean of sin by His blood, and are you ready to be made Holy by Him?
“And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.”
Luke 9:29-31 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for our sanctification through your Son Jesus Christ. Thank you Lord for the Holiness we will receive from you as a result of our belief In Him, being born again, and by standing with Him before you. Hear our voices as they join the heavenly host in sing “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty!“ There is none like you Father, and your Holiness is eternal, and unchallenged, so we pray... Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God Almighty, and majestic are you in all your ways. Praised be your name Father for redeeming us through your Son Jesus, and extending your Holiness to us by His cleansing blood. Help us in our belief, and strengthen our faith, do that we will be made deserving through Him. You are Merciful Father, and your grace washes over us like a baptismal flood. Forgive us Lord, and make us worthy in the name of Jesus. Lift us to heaven, and let your radiance become ours as we join you at your table, and praise you throughout eternity.
Rich Forbes