Recently, I was listening to a message by R. C. Sproul on the Holiness of God. During the sermon, he mentioned that most Christians describe God's Holiness as purity. We value things that are completely pure. Pure gold, for example, is more valuable than an alloy. As humans, we tend to think of God as the pure gold and ourselves as the alloy. While it is true that God is pure, purity is not the essential meaning of holiness.
Sproul says that the idea conveyed by the word 'holy' is being different or set apart. It is the idea that God is unlike us. When Scripture teaches that God is holy, It means that God is different from us. He is unlike us. Yes, God is pure, perfect, whole, complete, and innocent. But the most basic contrast is His incongruity. He is different from us. He is God.
This morning, Pastor Zimmer briefly read through Hebrews 12. Although this is a familiar passage, today verse 10 struck me anew. The final phrase in verse 10 reads "so that we may share in His holiness." The subject of this passage is God's discipline. In eight English words the author spells out the purpose for God's disciplining us. He disciplines us "so that we may share in His holiness!" Applying the definition of holiness conveyed by R.C. Sproul, this means that God is disciplining us so that we may share in His 'differentness.'
I am pretty excited about this because it means that He is in the process of making me like Himself, that is unlike myself! He is making me different than what I am. He is making me into what He is. There is a change at work. Just as people know there is something different about God, people should know that there is something different about me!
I think this "difference" is evidenced by Spiritual fruit. People will know what kind of tree I am by the fruit produced. The fruit produced by a Christian is different, unlike that of the world. It stands out. So any Spiritual fruit produced in my life by the Holy Spirit is evidence of God making me different than what I am, due to the propitiatory sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Because of the work of Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, every Christian is partaking in holiness -- becoming unlike who you were and more like who God is! The Creator uncreated who I was and is creating me like who He is!
May we live consistent with His Truth!
2 comments:
Thanks for making that connection, Curt. It does the soul good to discover the realities of God's work in us.
Hi, Curtis! I saw a comment you made on the Weinbergs' blog and checked yours out. I am glad God reminded me of what I had just learned in schoolwork (New Tribes Bible Institute) yesterday. We had to answer questions on Leviticus including the defintion of holiness (recall Lev. 19:2, the point of all these statutes and of our lives). Thanks for having such an excited perspective on what is happening to us as God's people!!
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