Monday, August 22, 2011

The Holiness of God

"Why is this night not like any other night?"

A selected child asks this question as his family celebrates Passover.  That was the night that God himself struck down the firstborn of every family - man and beast.  Everyone that is except those who had the blood of the Lamb on their doorposts.  (Exodus 12:12-13)


For Jews around the world, this holiday is celebrated to remember how God delivered them from slavery in Egypt.

The word "holiday" was born as a compound word: "holiday" = "holy" + "day"  Those who spoke Old English knew this to be a religious day; a day that was different from any other day.  This could be anything from the Sabbath day to Resurrection Sunday.

Today, a holiday means the office is closed and we get together with family.  In that sense, what makes it holy is that it's different from a typical day.

When we think about God and his holiness, it takes on the same meaning but to a much bigger degree.  To say that God is holy means that he is different from anything that is familiar to us in this world.  To say that God is holy elevates the word "holy" to a level far higher than we are used to using it.

Yes, God is different.  In his holiness, he defines what holiness is.  Holiness is not something that is added to God, it is part of who he is.  He is the perfect picture of holiness, because it is his essence.

God is bigger than anything we can imagine.  His purity and holiness surpass any of our thoughts.

In God's holiness, he exacted judgment in Egypt on that Passover night.  But he also provided a way for us to be holy through the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ.  Just as John the Baptist introduced his cousin, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29)," we see Jesus in a whole new way. 

Jesus provides not only forgiveness from sin.  He shares with us a bit of his Divine attribute of holiness.  He gives us that ability to resist temptation.  He transforms us from the inside out so that our motives are pure.

And so, just like the Israelites as they left Egypt, we are free from the slavery from sin.

It's a night like no other night, and he's a God like no other God.  He is holy.

As we explore the idea of God's holiness this week, reflect on what it means to worship a holy God.  Ask him to reveal to you the transformation he wants to make in your life.

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