Category: Holiness

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2)

As we begin focusing our attention on pursuing holiness, the word “pursue” means to chase, hunt, or search for something or someone. A pursuit is an important quest. The important quest for the believer in Christ is the pursuit for the holiness of God. Romans 12:1-2 is a key biblical test regarding this subject. A brief review of what we have thus far examined from this text is in order.

 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers.” Paul begins with an appeal. An appeal is a request, an entreaty of a plea. The word “appeal” (Παρακαλῶ; parakalo) in the text means to presently and actively urge and implore someone to do something. Paul is urging and imploring his brothers and sisters in Christ to do something. What is the basis for what the apostle is urging and imploring the Roman Christians to do?

“By the mercies of God.” The appeal by the Apostle Paul is because of the manifold mercies which belong to and originate from the Lord. These are the mercies Paul spoke of in Romans 1-11 which form the basis, and the results, of our salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. What then, on the basis of our redemption, justification, reconciliation, adoption, does the apostle urge believers to do?

“To present your bodies as a living sacrifice.” To present (παραστῆσαι; parastesai) means to make available. What believers in Christ are to make available is their bodies or their physical beings. The purpose of this is become a living sacrifice. This appears to be a contradiction because a sacrifice, by its very definition, is an offering killed on behalf of a deity. However, the Lord compels the Christian to offer their physical life and living to Him as a display of love and devotion for all that God has done.

“Holy and acceptable to God.” What type of sacrifice or offering of our lives should we present to God because of His many mercies to us? First, our sacrifice is to be holy. To be holy (ἁγίαν; hagian) means to be separate from sin. It also means superior moral qualities and possessing certain essentially divine qualities in contrast with what is human. Second, our sacrifice is to be acceptable (εὐάρεστον; euareston) which means pleasing to God.

“Which is your spiritual worship.” In other words, to pursue holiness is the very definition of genuine praise and honor to God alone.

Dr. Don Carson comments that, “Paul’s summons to transform our lives does not come in a vacuum. It is only in view of God’s mercy that his appeal becomes relevant and that our obedience of it is possible. As we recognize all (the word ‘mercy’ is plural in the Greek) that God has done for us in his Son, as Paul has surveyed it in chs. 1–11, we realize that offering ourselves to God as living sacrifices is, indeed, a ‘reasonable’ (logikēn) act of worship. The word living reminds us of what God has made us: we are people who are now ‘alive to God in Christ Jesus’ (6:11). Paul encourages us to look at our entire Christian lives as acts of worship. It is not just what is done on Sunday in a church building that ‘ascribes worth’ to God, but what God and the world see in us every day and every moment of the week.”

How do we maintain such a pursuit every day and every moment of the week? That is what we will examine in Romans 12:2 when next we meet.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2)

We now begin to focus our attention regarding the pursuit of holiness. One of the first Christian books I purchased as a young believer was a small paperback entitled The Pursuit of Holiness. Its author was Jerry Bridges. Little did I realize how enjoyable, thought provoking and challenging that little book would be for me. Little did I realize that Jerry would be one of my seminary professor’s years later.

The word “pursuit” means to chase, hunt, or search for something or someone. A pursuit is an important quest. The important quest we will be examining is the believer’s pursuit for the holiness of God.

Holiness is not necessarily paying particular attention to religious rituals but rather focusing on the character of God and how much of the Lord’s holy character we are inwardly possessing and outwardly expressing. Holiness is not just being saved or delivered from the penalty of sin, which is justification, or even being saved from the eventual presence of sin, which is glorification. Holiness, and its pursuit by the believer in Christ, is experiencing being saved or delivered daily from the power of sin.

There are several pertinent Biblical texts which speak of the pursuit of holiness. Romans 12:1-2 is one such example.

Following the Apostle Paul’s extensive explanation of the gospel (Romans 1-11), the apostle now addresses the practical application of the believer’s salvation by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone.

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers.” Paul begins with an appeal. An appeal is a request, an entreaty of a plea. The word “appeal” (Παρακαλῶ; parakalo) in the text means to presently and actively urge and implore someone to do something. Paul is urging and imploring his brothers and sisters in Christ to do something. What is the basis for what the apostle is urging and imploring the Roman Christians to do?

“By the mercies of God.” The appeal by the Apostle Paul is because of the manifold mercies which belong to and originate from the Lord. These are the mercies Paul spoke of in Romans 1-11 which form the basis, and the results, of our salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. What then, on the basis of our redemption, justification, reconciliation, adoption, does the apostle urge believers to do?

“To present your bodies as a living sacrifice.” To present (παραστῆσαι; parastesai) means to make available. What believers in Christ are to make available is their bodies, or their physical beings. The purpose of this is to become a living sacrifice. This appears to be a contradiction because a sacrifice, by its very definition, is an offering killed on behalf of a deity. However, the Lord compels the Christian to offer their physical life and living to Him as a display of love and devotion for all that God has done.

One commentator explains that, “Ancient Judaism and some philosophical schools often used “sacrifice” figuratively for praise or for a lifestyle of worship; hence it would be hard for Paul’s readers to miss his point here.”

Are you willing to offer unto the Lord your life as an offering of praise and worship? Quite frankly, there is no other way to live.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

²³ For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

 ²⁷ Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹ For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. ³⁰ That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. ³¹ But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. ³² But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.” (I Corinthians 11:23-32)

The first part of today’s text is probably most familiar to you. It is one of several passages which are found in the Scriptures depicting the institution of the Lord’s Supper, also referred to as Holy Communion.

However, the second portion of today’s text may not be as familiar. Contained in vs. 27-32 are warnings of not partaking the bread and the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner. The word unworthy (ἀναξίως; anaxios) means improper or doing something that should not happen. Those who do so, will be deserving of a penalty because of their disrespect of the elements of the Lord’s Supper.

How should the Lord’s Supper be taken then? I Corinthians 11:28 says, “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” To examine means to test the genuine of one’s faith and commitment to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. It means to take notice of any area of one’s life and behavior which is not in keeping with holiness or being separate from sin. It means to repent and confess of said sin prior to taking the bread and drinking from the cup.

The importance of examining oneself prior to taking the Lord’s Supper is described in vs. 29-30. “²⁹ For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. ³⁰ That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.”

 The word discerning (διακρίνων; diakrinon) means to evaluate and judge carefully. There were those within the church body who were not doing so. The result was that God judged them. Many became weak, sick, ill and some had even died.

Dr. John Walvoord explains that, “The Corinthians’ despicable behavior at the communal meal was not without result, which Paul proceeded to point out. Nowadays when this passage is read before participation in the Lord’s Supper, it is usually intended to produce soul-searching introspection and silent confession to Christ so that no one will sin against the spiritual presence of the Lord by irreverent observance. Paul’s application was probably more concrete. No doubt his experience on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:4–5) contributed to this, for the body of Christ is the church, which consists of individual believers (cf. 1 Cor. 12:12, 27). His body, the church, is also pictured by the bread of Communion (5:7; 10:16–17). Thus to sin against another believer is to sin against Christ (8:12). Those guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord were those who despised a poorer member by utter disregard for his need (11:21–22). These came to the remembrance of Christ’s work of unity and reconciliation (cf. Eph. 2:15–16) with a trail of deeds that had produced disunity and alienation! If these would examine (dokimazetō, “test to approve,” 1 Cor. 11:28) themselves, they would see that they lacked God’s approval (dokimoi, v. 19) in this behavior. They should seek out the wronged brother and ask his forgiveness. Only then could a true spirit of worship flourish (cf. Matt. 5:23–24 and Didache 14. 1–3). Coming to the Lord’s Supper without that sin confessed brought judgment on the guilty participants. Only by recognizing (diakrinōn, “properly judging”) the unity of the body of the Lord—and acting accordingly—could they avoid bringing “judgment” (krima) on themselves. What that judgment entailed was then explained by Paul. In brief, it was sickness and death (cf. 10:1–11). The solution was self-examination (diekrinomen, 11:31; cf. vv. 28–29; 5:1–5; 10:12), self-discipline (9:27), and promoting of unity. The alternative was God’s judging (krinomenoi, 11:32), which was a discipline that they were then experiencing. This was not a loss of salvation, but of life (cf. 5:5).”

In addressing the subject of the Hardness of Holiness, perhaps you can’t relate to the story of Nadab and Abihu offering strange fire to the Lord. Maybe you can’t relate to Uzzah’s death or the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira due to their sinful disobedience against the Lord and His Word.

However, I’m sure you can relate to the idea and concept of taking the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner. Can you recall a time when your focus during the observance of Communion wasn’t about your sin, your lack of holiness and a child of God or even Jesus’ death on the cross. Instead, maintaining a silent and peaceful veneer on the outside, you were continually thinking about the football game that would be in television later in the day. Or, you were thinking about the presentation you were scheduled to make at work Monday morning. If you’re a student, it may have been the exam you were ill prepared to take Monday afternoon at school.

There are many ways in which we may take the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner. Thankfully, God is gracious and patient. More so than we are many times with Him.

At the next Communion service in your church’s worship service, prepare to silently read a pertinent passage of Scripture so you won’t be letting your mind wander during the time of meditation. Appropriate passages would include Isaiah 52:13-53:12, John 19; Romans 3:1-26, or Ephesians 2:1-10. Make it not only a time of confession but also consecration unto the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

“But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, ² and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. ³ But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? ⁴ While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” ⁵ When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. ⁶ The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.

⁷ After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸ And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” ⁹ But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” ¹⁰ Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. ¹¹ And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.” (Acts 5:1-11)

There are people who make a distinction between the Old Testament’s depictions of God vs. the New Testament. They say that the God of the Old Testament is an angry and vengeful tyrant while the New Testament God is loving and kind. As we have just studied, the LORD did bring His wrath upon disobedient people such as Nadab, Abhiu and Uzzah. However, the LORD was also gracious and loving to many others including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.

While the New Testament certainly focuses upon the love and grace of God (Ephesians 2:1-10), it does not shy away from presenting God as wrathful (Romans 1:18-32; Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 3:6 I Thessalonians 5:1-11). Today’s text is one such New Testament example of the LORD’s righteous wrath.

A believing couple, Ananias and his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property they owned and gave a portion of the proceeds from the sale to the church. Thus far, no problem. It as their property to sell and they were under no obligation to give any amount acquired from the sale to the church. They willingly did so. So, what’s the problem?

The problem was that what they gave to the church was presented as the full amount of the sale, when it was not. Remember, they were under no obligation to give anything to the church, However, when they did they pretended to give a greater sacrificial monetary gift than what they did. In short, they lied.

The LORD must have revealed this to Simon Peter because he immediately said to Ananias, ““Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? ⁴ While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” (Acts 5:3-4)

 Notice that Peter indicates Ananias’ lie is against the Holy Spirit. In this text, Peter explicitly identifies the Holy Spirit as God. A lie is a serious sin, as all sin is. However, how many times have we lied, exaggerated and dismissed our lack of truth telling as simply a “little white lie?” This is not how God sees lying.

What happened to Ananias? Did Peter tell him to repent of his sin and never do it again? This is what the text says happened. “⁵ When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. ⁶ The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him” (Acts 5:5-6).

Ananias’ death was no coincidence. The great fear which came upon all who heard the news was that God had taken this man’s life and could do it again to anyone who sinned.

Three hours later, without prior knowledge of her husband’s death, Peter asked Sapphira, ““Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much” (Acts 5:8). Peter then said, ““How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out” (Acts 5:9).

Immediately, Sapphira fell down at Peter’s feet and died. She too was carried out and was buried next to her husband. Once again the text says that great feat came upon not only the whole church but also the surrounding community.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “Sin is cosmic treason. Sin is treason against a perfectly pure Sovereign. It is an act of supreme ingratitude toward the One to whom we owe everything, to the One who has given us life itself. The slightest sin is an act of defiance against cosmic authority. It is an insult to His holiness. The most mysterious aspect of the mystery of sin is not that the sinner deserves to die, but rather that the sinner in the average situation continues to exist.”    

 Believers in Christ must never presume upon the forbearance and patience of God. We must never think that we will get away with our revolt. We must continually confess and repent of our sin against the holiness of God. We must!

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

One of the most troubling texts of Scripture regarding the holiness of God is the story of Uzzah. It is found in 2 Samuel 6:1-13. The text is as follows.

“David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. ² And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. ³ And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, ⁴ with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.

 ⁵ And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. ⁶ And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. ⁷ And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God.

 ⁸ And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. ⁹ And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” ¹⁰ So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹ And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

 ¹² And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. ¹³ And when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. (2 Samuel 6:1-13).

 Before we begin to examine this text in detail, let me refer you to Exodus 25:12-15, Numbers 4:15; and 7:9. Take notice as to what these passages of Scripture have to say.

• Exodus 25:12-15. “¹² You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. ¹³ You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. ¹⁴ And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. ¹⁵ The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it.
• Numbers 4:15. “And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, lest they die. These are the things of the tent of meeting that the sons of Kohath are to carry.”
• Numbers 7:9. “But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because they were charged with the service of the holy things that had to be carried on the shoulder.”

There are several observations we may make in light of this narrative. First, Uzzah and Ahio were sons of Abinadab and not descendants or sons of Kohath who were the ones God commanded to carry the Ark.

Second, the Ark was placed on a new cart. It was not being carried by the poles God had determined to use for such a purpose. The Philistines had used a cart to transport the ark (1 Sam. 6:7). The Jews chose to do so as well. But the OT law required that the sacred ark be carried by the sons of Kohath (Num. 3:30–31; 4:15; 7:9), using the poles prescribed (Ex. 25:12–15).

Thirdly, when the Ark arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled and Uzzah put out his hand in order to keep the Ark from falling on the ground. However, in doing so Uzzah disobeyed the command not to touch the Ark. To do so would result in death (Numbers 4:15). That is exactly what happened.

The story of Uzzah is an example of one who lacked regard for the Lord. This is evident in that the ark was being carried on a cart instead of the priests’ shoulders, which utilized the poles crafted for the holy vessel’s transport (Ex. 37:1–5; 1 Chron. 15:1–15). Furthermore, while Uzzah’s motivations perhaps were “good” in that he probably did not want the ark to get dirty, he foolishly presumed his sinful hands were cleaner than the ground.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “The mystery is not that God pours out His wrath on sinners. The mystery is that our holy Father puts up with transgressors at all. It is a wonder that the Lord is long-suffering, since to Adam he only promised wrath (Gen. 2:16–17). God cannot, and will not, comprise His holiness, but He can mercifully substitute Christ’s righteousness, which His people so desperately need. May we never believe our Holy Lord owes us this grace (Rom. 9:15), for if we were to get what we deserve, His wrath would fall immediately on our heads.”

 God demonstrating His holy wrath is not just an Old Testament concept and doctrine. When next we meet, we will examine two examples from the New Testament.

 Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Sin is cosmic treason. Sin is treason against a perfectly pure Sovereign. It is an act of supreme ingratitude toward the One to whom we owe everything, to the One who has given us life itself. That I am drawing breath this morning is an act of divine mercy. God owes me nothing. I owe Him everything. I have never suffered the slightest injustice from God.”  R. C. Sproul

There are times when the subject of holiness is refreshingly sweet. I love those times in my walk with the LORD. During those moments, it seems to me that He is speaking directly to me as I read His Word with every sentence jumping off the page and right into my collect consciousness. It is also during those moments that I sense my desire for Him and my obedience unto Him to be most fervent.

However, there are also times when the subject of holiness, particularly the holiness of God and my lack thereof, is troubling and confusing. Much like Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-7) and Peter (Luke 5:1-11), I come to a place of undoneness wishing God would depart from me because I am a sinful man. It is then that I need to ask Him to touch me again with the hot coal of His atoning restoration from the power of sin in my life based upon His prior deliverance of me from the penalty of sin.

Then there are those moments when the LORD’s holiness seems difficult to understand and overwhelming when it is. Much like the four biblical examples, two from each Testament, that portray instances in which God’s holiness wasn’t kind and gentle but severe and harsh. These are four examples in which the LORD’s divine otherness and separateness from sin is most striking. I refer to it as the hardness of holiness. I am glad that His holiness is not this way towards me, though but for His grace, it could be and honestly should be.

Let’s first examine the two examples from the Old Testament in which God intervened and drastically asserted His rightful and holy authority and sovereignty. The first example involves the two sons of Aaron. The story is found in Leviticus 10:1-3.

“Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. ² And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. ³ Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’ ” And Aaron held his peace.”

 We do not know what kind of fire these two priests offered before the LORD. The word “unauthorized” means illicit, strange, different, or that which is not allowed according to a standard. In other words, these two men sinned before the LORD by offering that which God had not commanded. God’s response was to send fire which consumed Nadab and Abihu. They died. The LORD literally destroyed them.

Dr. R.C. Sproul explains that, “Nadab and Abihu were sons of Aaron and thus part of the old covenant priesthood tasked with leading the worship of God’s people. Sadly for them, on one occasion they offered “unauthorized fire” before the Lord (Lev. 10:1). In recounting this story, Moses does not tell us of what this unauthorized fire consisted. It could have been fire offered at the wrong time, fire made with the wrong combination of spices, or something else. What is most important about this unapproved fire is that it was fire that God “had not commanded them” (v. 1). Nadab and Abihu took it upon themselves to worship our Creator in a way that was against what He commanded, and the result was their deaths (v. 2).

With the principle of Scripture interpreting Scripture, we see that the LORD is to be worshiped in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). While it is possible that Nadab and Abihu were fervent in spirit in offering unauthorized fire before the LORD, it is evident that they were not obedient to the LORD in doing so.

That begs a question. Am I always obedient in my worship before the LORD? Is my worship always containing my whole heart and a commitment to biblical truth? I must admit that is not always the case. Then why doesn’t the LORD consume me as He did Nadab and Abihu? The only answer I can biblically find is that He is gracious towards me when in His same holiness He could be just and physically destroy me.

What Moses says to his brother Aaron, the two deceased men’s father, was that “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’ ”

For God to be sanctified means to be regarded as holy and set apart from the common. It seems that Nadab and Abihu approached the LORD with an offering of fire that God found common and not uncommon. Additionally, when approaching the LORD in worship, it is He who is to be honored and praised, no one else. That which the two men offered was more in keeping with honoring themselves rather than in honoring the LORD.

Leviticus 10:3 concludes with this sentence: “And Aaron held his peace.” Aaron’s response was to stand still and keep quiet.

Dr. Sproul concludes by saying, “Leviticus 10:3 captures the importance of reverence in thought and action in our worship. God must be sanctified before His people by those who lead in the worship of the Creator. John Calvin, in his commentary on today’s passage, stresses the importance of worshiping rightly in thought and deed. He suggests that Nadab and Abihu did not intend to be irreverent, but they actually were irreverent by not worshiping according to God’s prescriptions. We may think we are doing well, but if a particular worship practice is contrary to biblical principles, we are in danger of offending the Lord and reaping disastrous consequences. Irreverent worship can lead to death even under the new covenant (1 Cor. 11:27–30), so we must take care to worship God reverently according to His Word.”

What a humbling and thought provoking text to consider when next I approach the LORD in personal, and especially public, worship. What a humbling and thought provoking text to consider when I am in a position of leading God’s people in worship. Dear LORD, search my heart and see, and reveal to me, if there is any wicked way within me. Thank you so much for your holy grace instead of your holy justice.

Soli deo Gloria!   

 

 ^“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14)

John Charles Ryle (10 May 1816 – 10 June 1900) was an English evangelical Anglican bishop. He was the first Anglican bishop of Liverpool. He was a writer, pastor and an evangelical preacher. Among his longer works are Christian Leaders of the Eighteenth Century (1869), Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (7 vols, 1856–69), and Principles for Churchmen (1884). Arguably, his greatest literary work is Holiness (1877).

In referencing Hebrews 12:14, Bishop Ryle wrote, “The text which heads this page opens up a subject of deep importance. That subject is practical holiness. It suggests a question which demands the attention of all professing Christians: are we holy? Shall we see the Lord?”

In writing about the nature of true practical holiness, I find Bishop Ryle’s perspectives to be thoroughly biblical and practical. As such, they are timeless. In answering the question about what is true, practical holiness, Bishop Ryle offered the following observations. I share them with you. I trust you will be as edified as I was.

First, holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God, according as we find His mind described in Scripture. It is the habit of hating what He hates, loving what He loves and measuring everything in this world by the standard of His Word. He who most entirely agrees with God, he is a most holy man.

Second, a holy individual will endeavor to shun every known sin and to keep every known commandment. He will have a decided bent of mind towards God, a hearty desire to do His will, a great fear of displeasing Him than of displeasing the world, and a love for all His ways.

Thirdly, a holy individual will strive to be like our Lord Jesus Christ. That person will not only live the life of faith and draw from Him all his daily peace and strength, but he will also labor to have the mind that was in Him and be conformed to His image (Romans 8:29).

Fourth, a holy individual will pursue meekness, patience, gentleness, patience, mild temperament, and control of his tongue. He will bear much, forbear much, overlook much and be slow to speak in demanding his rights.

Fifth, a holy individual will follow after temperance and self-denial. He will labor to mortify the desires of his body, to crucify his flesh with his affections and lust, to curb his passions, to restrain his carnal inclinations, lest at any time they break loose.

Sixth, a holy individual will follow after charity and brotherly kindness.

Seventh, a holy individual will pursue a spirit of mercy and benevolence towards others. He will not be content with doing no harm; he will try to do good.

Eighth, a holy individual will follow after a pure heart. He will dread all filthiness and uncleanness of spirit and seek to avoid all things that might draw him into it.

Ninth, a holy individual will follow after the fear of God. This is the fear of a child who wishes to live and move as if he was always before his father’s face, because he loves him.

Tenth, a holy individual will pursue humility. He will desire, in lowliness of mind, to esteem all others better than himself. He will see more evil in his own heart than in another other in the world.

Eleventh, a holy individual is a faithful individual.

Finally, a holy individual will follow after spiritual-mindedness. He will set his affections entirely on things above and to hold on to things on earth with a very loose hand.

Lest anyone think that Bishop Ryle’s list is beyond anyone’s reach, he comments: “This I do boldly and confidently say, that true holiness is a great reality. It is something in a man that can be seen and known and marked and felt by all around him. Such are the leading characteristics of practical holiness. Let us examine ourselves and see whether we are acquainted with it. Let us prove our own selves.”

Let us do so indeed.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

“And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” (Isaiah 6:7)

In the LORD’s personal and continual atonement from both the penalty of sin and the power of sin within the heart and soul of the believer in Christ, God not only forgives but also restores the individual in question to intimate fellowship between themselves and God.

This restoration is a personal restoration to intimate fellowship with the holy LORD. “And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips;” Why did the Seraphim angel touch Isaiah’s mouth with the hot coal from the Altar of Incense. It is because that was where the prophet was conscious of his unholiness. His speech had not been holy and separated from sinfulness.

This restoration is a painful restoration to intimate fellowship with the holy LORD. Repentance and restoration is not easy but it is necessary for intimate fellowship to be restored. It is seeing one’s sin, and the holy LORD, as it, and He, should be seen. No rationalization, no validation and no defensive explanation can replace the searing awareness of my sin and the gracious forgiveness and cleansing from God.

King David wrote, “¹ Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. ² Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! ³ For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. ⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.” (Psalm 51:1-4).

Though personal restoration with the LORD may be truly painful, it is also truly wonderful. “Your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”  The prophet’s perversity, depravity and guilt for his sin is gone. The LORD has taken it away. God has forgiven him of his sin. Cleansing has taken place because Isaiah’s sin has been covered by a substitutionary atonement, which is centered in Jesus Christ alone, and was prefigured for the Old Testament saint by the brazen altar of sacrifice.

John Calvin writes, “We see how God condescends to meet the weakness of human sense. He puts the tongs into the hand of a seraph, that by means of it he may take a coal from the altar and apply it to the Prophet’s mouth. By the aid of the outward sign God assisted the prophet’s understanding. There is no reason to believe that the coal possessed any virtue, as superstitious persons imagine that in the magical arts there is some hidden power. Nothing of this sort is to be found; for it is God alone who can cleanse our pollution in whatever part it exists.”

Calvin concludes by saying, “The angel administered the cleansing, but was not the author of it; so that we must not ascribe to another was belongs to God alone. This is expressly stated by the angel himself, who claims nothing as his own, but bringing forward the sacred pledge which he had received from God, laid is as a sacrament on the lips of the Prophet. Not that he (Isaiah) could not be cleansed without the coal, but because the visible sign was useful for the confirmation and proof of the fact. And such is the use of sacraments (baptism and the Lord’s Supper) to strengthen us in proportion to our ignorance; for we are not angels that can behold the mysteries of God without any assistance, and here He raises us to Himself by gradual advances.”

May the LORD so do to us what He did to the Prophet Isaiah. Meditate upon the lyrics of the song Lead Me to the Cross by Hillsong.

Savior I come
Quiet my soul remember
Redemptions hill
Where Your blood was spilled
For my ransom.

Everything I once held dear
I count it all as lost.

Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Lead me, lead me to the cross.

You were as I
Tempted and trialed
Human
The word became flesh
Bore my sin and death
Now you’re risen.

Everything I once held dear
I count it all as lost.

Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Lead me, lead me to the cross.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

  

 

    

 

 

 

 

 ^“Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.” (Isaiah 6:6) 

A.W. Tozer, in his book The Knowledge of the Holy, writes, “The sudden realization of his personal depravity came a stroke from heaven upon the trembling heart of Isaiah at the moment when he had his revolutionary vision of the holiness of God. His pain-filled cry, ‘Woe is me! For I am undone’ because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts,’ expresses the feeling of every man who has discovered himself under his disguises and has been confronted with an inward sight of the holy whiteness that is God. Such an experience cannot but be emotionally violent.”

 In his 1923 book entitled “The Idea of the Holy,” Rudolf Otto calls the holiness of God the Incomprehensible Something and the Mysterium Tremendum, which means the awesome mystery. It is the permanent religious instinct, the sense within one’s mind, will, and especially one’s emotions for the unnamed Presence that is within all of creation. This Presence stuns the individual with a supernatural, supra-rational manifestation of the transcendent Other. When man is confronted with the holiness of God, he is brought low and overwhelmed. He can only tremble and be still.

Such was the case with the prophet. Such is the case with anyone who has truly  encountered the holiness of God. It may occur most frequently when reading and studying Scripture. This recently happened to me when I was reading and studying 2 Timothy 4:1-5 and Proverbs 4:1-19. The words, and their meaning, leaped off the page, so to speak, and I was confronted with holy truth while at the same time my unholy soul. God confronted me, convicted and convinced me of His Word’s sacredness and at the same time my un-sacredness and need for repentance and cleansing.

This repentance and cleansing is what we begin to witness in today’s text from Isaiah 6:6. The LORD did not leave Isaiah in a perpetual state of undoneness. He never does. He graciously provided cleansing, forgiveness and restoration once again for the prophet bringing him back into an intimate fellowship with Him. The LORD never compromises His holiness or presents His holiness to be thought of as less than it is. Rather, He restores the penitent sinner and raises them to an even greater awareness of the LORD’s awesome separateness from sin. Therefore, what God is, the redeemed and sanctified believer seeks to be (Leviticus 11:44; I Peter 1:13-16) which is holy.

God initiates the blessing. “Then one of the seraphim flew to me.” In the aftermath of the current scene, one of the Seraphim or burning ones who Isaiah had seen worshiping Yahweh. This one Seraphim flew, with the one set of wings given for that purpose, to Isaiah. God must have summoned the angel and dispatched him to the prophet.  

The Seraphim angel did not come empty handed. On the contrary, he had a burning coal in his hand. The word burning means glowing, live, and hot. The angel had removed the hot coal from the altar. Most likely, the altar in question here is the Golden Altar of Incense (Exodus 30:1-10) which is located within the Holy Place of the Temple before the veil which separates the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. The Golden Altar of Incense represents the worship of Yahweh by the saints.

The golden altar was used for burning incense, which twice every day was offered by the priest after he had tended the wick and oil on the holy lamps. Its horns were also sprinkled with the blood of the sin offering. Poured out on burning coals the incense produced a delightful aroma in the Holy Place. It was the offering of the person whose sins had been forgiven by blood and who then went on to express the fragrance of love and worship, which was most pleasing to God.

The Golden Altar speaks to us of the worship of Jesus Christ and God’s people through him as our high priest and mediator. It was only on the basis of His one sacrifice on the altar of the cross that worship is made possible. The coals, which lit the incense, was carried from the altar of sacrifice to the Altar of Incense. The coal also represents that repentance and restoration can be painful but necessary.

Since we view Isaiah 6 not as the scene of Isaiah’s conversion but rather consecration to be God’s prophet, then it makes sense that the live coal would have come from the Altar of Incense indicating the Isaiah’s worship of Yahweh would be unhindered by his forgiven sin.

Take the opportunity today to thank the LORD for when He cleanses you from the guilt of your sin and purifies your heart and soul. While it may initially be painful, the blessing of repentance and restoration unto holiness is truly sweet.

Soli deo Gloria!

And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5)

Upon experiencing the holy presence of the LORD, the Prophet Isaiah exclaimed, “Woe is me!” Was Isaiah being overly dramatic or was there a real weight of significance to what he said about, and to, himself? The fullness of his words must be examined within the historical context of the prophet’s main responsibility before God and before the people.

The prophet of God communicated a divine message. His sermons were not cleverly devised in his offices and in front of a computer. He did not wake up each morning wondering what he was going to say that would be creatively imaginative.

The prophet of God communicated a divine message from God. It was called an oracle. Oracles were announcements from God. God commanded the prophet to announce the oracle. He was not to change any word or dilute its full force.

Oracles could be in two forms. There were positive oracles, or oracles of good news. These were prefaced by the word blessed. However, there were also oracles of bad news or judgment. These oracles were prefaced by the word woe.”

Throughout the first five chapters of Isaiah, the oracle of woe is predominant in Isaiah’s messages from God to the people of Judah. However, in recalling God’s divine commission to the office of prophet, Isaiah does not announce an oracle of woe upon the nation but rather upon himself. The grammar in the Hebrew indicates that he did so repeatedly.

Isaiah’s continuous cry of woe is a passionate cry of grief or despair. He is in a condition of great sorrow. He not only feels this grief, but he is also aware of it in his mind and will. In other words, his soul is filled with remorse. He is lost or undone. He recognizes that he is in a ruinous condition. In the dazzling display of God’s holiness, Isaiah is ready to die.

Isaiah’s great sorrow is first and foremost not about the sins of the nation, but rather about his own personal sins. In particular, his speech. He is undone because of his polluted and impure words. He, who has the responsibility of communicating God’s holy Word, acknowledges that he is filled with his own sinful and polluted words. As one commentator explains, “His consciousness of having unclean lips, his tongue or speech, was in no doubt because “He had just heard holy lips sing perfect praise.”

Dr. John MacArthur writes, “If the lips are unclean, so is the heart. This vision of God’s holiness vividly reminded the prophet of his own unworthiness, which deserved judgment. Job (Job 42:6) and Peter (Luke 5:8) came to the same realization about themselves when confronted with the presence of the Lord (cf. Ezek. 1:28–2:7; Rev. 1:17).”    

Isaiah’s statement is most striking because he was probably the most righteous man within the nation of Judah. Much like the Prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:1-21) Isaiah does not dismiss the nation’s sins, but first and foremost acknowledges his own sin. He is not comparing himself to other people, but rather to God. Isaiah is a broken man because he has seen the holy, holy, holy LORD.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “Isaiah’s call to ministry is well known, and it is remarkable for what it says about Isaiah and all other human beings. Without a doubt, the prophet was one of the most righteous and holy men in all of Judah, for the prophets were generally known for their piety and devotion to our Creator. Consequently, one might expect Isaiah to be confident in the presence of God and for the Lord to praise His servant for His goodness. Yet that is not what happened when Isaiah met Yahweh “in the year that King Uzziah died” (Isa. 6:1). Confronted with a vision of God on His throne, Isaiah could only proclaim an oracle of woe upon himself (v. 5). An oracle of woe was the worst prophecy that could be given of a nation or an individuals, and here Isaiah applies it to himself for his uncleanness (v. 5). As holy as Isaiah might have been in comparison to the other Judahites in his day, he was absolutely filthy in comparison to the Lord God Almighty.”

The only way unholy people can be in the presence of the thrice holy LORD is to possess His holiness. This the believer in Christ has by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. It is called justification (Romans 3:21-26). Take time today to thank the LORD for His gracious mercy in declaring sinners righteous in His sight on the basis of Jesus’ substitutionary atonement on the cross. This atonement will be vividly illustrated as the text of Isaiah 6 continues to unfold.

Soli deo Gloria!