Knowing More Of God’s Holiness
Jehovah God is not playing with holiness; He is Holy. He is not only pure, He is purely right in everything.
Lately I’ve been reading through Leviticus, wherein He tells Moses (e.g. – Lev 4:1, 6:1 and 8:1) & even Aaron in specific detail what He requires (see God’s response to Aaron’s sons not doing what God told them to do in Leviticus 10:1).
God’s magnificent holiness makes His grace that allows sinners to come before Him, redeemed by the sacrifice of His Son deeply powerful. He never compromised His holiness, His purity because of His love. He created another way that preserved His holiness and recognized every humans’ inability to be what God is. He saw us in our depravity, still loved us so much that He made a way to bring us to Him. It required even more suffering of a holy God. Jesus had to walk this earth, tempted but free from sin and sacrificially give Himself so that His perfect, sinless life paid the debt and penalty we each owe to a holy God so that we can be redeemed and reconciled to that holy God.
He has separated me from my unrighteousness as far as the East is from the West (Ps 103:12, see below). I sin, sometimes by ignorance, sometimes by choice, at times it has sadly been by open, willful rebellion. Thankfully by the power of Jesus I’ll never stand condemned before my holy God (Romans 8:1). He’ll forevermore see me as the righteousness of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21 and Philippians 3:8 – 10, both quoted below).
My hope is that you will experience the freedom and blessing of intimately knowing this same God who called Abram from Ur, walked with Joseph in Egypt, spoke to Moses and hid him in His hand to preserve Moses’ life as God spoke with him. He is the great and only living God. He loves you no matter what’s going on in your life. You can’t surprise Him with the wickedness you find in your life, He already knows you better than you do. He sees your disappointment and shame and He wants to give you His forgiveness, love and healing.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
The LORD performs righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed.
He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel.
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.
As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer.
But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children,
To those who keep His covenant And remember His precepts to do them.
The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.
Bless the LORD, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word!
Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will.
Bless the LORD, all you works of His, In all places of His dominion; Bless the LORD, O my soul!
Psalm 103
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21
… that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death ….
Philippians 3:8 – 10