Monday, November 17, 2014

Beauty of Holiness

 I once was asked, "What is your understanding of the "beauty of holiness" from Psalm 29:2?  This was my response.

God is holy.  He is set apart from His creation and is far above His creation.  We are amazed when we gaze into the heavens because of the beauty and vast nature that is virtually incomprehensible.  The more we study the universe through technology the more we realize how incredible it is.  In the same way we should be amazed when we look at God and study who He is.  Even more so than the heavens because He created it all!  His wholly otherness should boggle our minds.  Yet there is a paradox because we are created in His image.  So even though who He is, is far above us, we have His likeness.  Unfortunately our sin corrupts this image removes us farther and farther away from Him.  As we look into these things it should drive us to repent & worship Him.  I think that is the point of the psalm.  The “heavenly beings” (ESV) in verse 1 are a reflection of His glory which radiates from His holiness.  We should see beauty in this and be driven to worship Him.

Additionally, we are called to be holy for He is holy, 1 Pet. 1:16.  We are set apart by our actions.  Peter is talking about our personal obedience to Christ.  One may say, but all our works are as filthy rags!  No, not the believer.  We are saved by God’s grace alone through Christ alone.  No work could ever earn God’s favor enough to save us or make us holy.  But when Christ has granted us repentance and given us faith and we have become a true believer we are to walk in obedience.  Not to earn salvation, but because we love Him and are grateful for the mercy He has given us. (Rom. 12:1)  If we think we can live like the world and call ourselves Christians, we are sadly mistaken.  Hebrews 10:29 – “How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?” (ESV)  When we walk in obedience we are “being holy.”  This is a beautiful thing.  When a father or mother sees their child obey quickly with the right attitude because they love their parent it brings them great joy.  It is a beautiful thing.  How much more beautiful is it when we obey our heavenly father because we love Him!  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. (1 Jn. 5:3)  This is the beauty of Holiness.