My intrigue with Greek Mythology during my much younger years planted a seed of curiosity that led me to read more books and take more classes on the subject. Then later, as I dug deeper into God’s Word, I began to notice some common threads in humanity’s heartbeat.
In every culture over all time, people have wanted to understand where they come from, why the world works the way it does, and who might help them move through this life with some semblance of care. As a result, pantheons of ‘gods’ have been established, giving humanity someone to cry out to and to blame when things go wrong. Even the One True God’s people picked up the visible, available idols of other nations when life didn’t go as they wanted or when the other ‘gods’ appealed to their darker desires.
Today our educated selves might scoff at the idea of bowing to a statue named Zeus or Aphrodite. Yet the holes in our hearts gape just as wide as those who came before us. We long for love, security, purpose, help. And all too often we turn to the idols of our world. We miss the fact that the Lord our God is the only One who can truly meet us where we are with what we need. In His holiness, He is our only Way Maker.
Doubt
Even though we may not create idols to bow before, we certainly grovel at the feet of twenty-first century ‘gods’, pledging our allegiance to them.* And with every nuanced nod toward these lofty ideals and ideologies, we doubt that the One True God is for us. So when stock markets crash, children get sick, marriages dissolve, careers tank, and people fail us, we think the ‘universe’ has it in for us. Or believe ‘karma’ is having its way. Or blame a twisted being for maniacally pulling all our strings – as though we are mere puppets at his mercy.
Dig
I grew up in church. Literally, I spent hours at a time entertaining myself, roaming the building while my parents attended studies and meetings. Then I took a job at a church and watched my kids do the same thing. To say the church building was our second home would be no exaggeration.
Which is lovely.
And not so great – because we start taking it all for granted. It becomes an overly familiar, common place. Even the sanctuary can morph into a space where balconies equal cool launching pads for paper airplanes and whose candles are just fun flames to blow out every week.
I can truly only speak for my family – though I feel like I’ve observed this in others; we too easily lose our reverence. We forget why we come to the building, and it’s not so that we’ll ‘be fed’ or make friends or take helpful classes. Sure, all of those are great. But they’re not the reason.
We come into the church to worship a holy God. To bow before Him. To surrender our plans and hopes, our fears and dreams, our very lives. To soak in His presence and take in His Word. To offer to Him all the praise, all the glory, all the love and respect and worship He alone deserves.
I’ve mentioned before how taken aback I was in Jerusalem as I watched people bowing and wailing next to the slab of granite where Jesus’ body had once lain. The practice was foreign to me. My cynical side wanted to tell them – it’s a rock. We don’t worship rocks. But the longer I was in that venerated spot, something in me started waking up: an awestruck realization of holy. The people before me were brought low because they’d found a tangible something of their Savior – and because He is holy, so was that place. So were they.
I came away from that experience knowing these people understood holy.
And I did not.
Dig Deeper
The word ‘holy’ and its companions like ‘holiness’, appear in the Bible over nine hundred times. We’re meant to understand that God is holy. We’re meant to trust that out of His holy righteousness, He will always make a way for us.
“There is none holy like the LORD:
1 Samuel 2:2
for there is none besides you;
there is no rock like our God.”
“This is what the Lord says—
Isaiah 43:16-19
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
who drew out the chariots and horses,
the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
‘Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.’”
“Now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” [ref: Leviticus 11:44-45]
1 Peter 1:15-16 NLT
Discovery
Of all God’s characteristics, holiness might be the hardest to wrap our minds around. I’ve been putting some real effort into grasping the depths of its meaning for years and still find myself faltering for words.
So, when I describe my sense of over-familiarity that my sons and I have with a church building, I’m trying to put into words a loss of sacredness. Because the sanctuary is a set-apart space where we are to meet with our God each week, it becomes holy. Not because of its location or beauty or preacher – but because the One we worship in that place is holy.
When I tell you about my aha moment of standing in the middle of The Holy Sepulchre Church, I’m attempting to demonstrate my awareness of God’s separateness, His above-ness, His complete other-ness that’s so beyond us that we fail to have right responses. Except to bow or wail – or take our shoes off or turn away because we feel so very unworthy to be in the presence of such perfect sacred-holiness (Exodus 3:5; Isaiah 6:5).
I think of Peter on the mountainside when Jesus transfigured. He stood in the blinding, holy presence of God – yet even in his fear, he felt the compulsion to do something (Matthew 17:1-9). He didn’t know what exactly, so he offered to build shelters, which might seem ridiculous on the first read. But when we put ourselves in his place – seeing the glory, hearing God’s voice – maybe we feel the same desire to stay right there. All of a sudden, we wish he had built tents so that we could remain, basking forever in the glow of the Holy. Oh wait. That’s exactly what eternity will be like!
The idea of holiness carries with it an implication of “absolute moral purity and separateness above the creation.”1 God is morally good – and so much more! To say God is holy is to acknowledge holiness as His essence.2 Just as “God cannot not be love, He cannot not be holy.”2
The guys at The Bible Project try to help us in our grappling by comparing God’s holiness to the sun. Like God, the sun is unique, powerful, and a source of life. It’s beautiful, and it’s dangerous.3 Much like the sun, if we get too close to God’s presence in an unholy, impure state, His holiness “will annihilate [us]. And not because it’s bad but because it’s so good.”3
It’s because of His own holiness that God desires people and His creation to be holy. So, as He has moved throughout each generation, God has made a way for His holiness to enter into the impure world and unholy hearts:
- In the days of Moses and Aaron, anything impure, “of death,” would contaminate God’s people.3 So the priests and people had to go through numerous purification rituals in order to be cleansed (ie: Leviticus 11:44,21:8; Exodus 28-29).
- In Isaiah’s vision he was not destroyed by God’s purity but “transformed by it” (6:5).3
- The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were consumed with making themselves appear like holy, righteous vessels yet missed the whole, holy point (Matthew 23:23-33).
Then Jesus came along, embodying God’s purity. So, when He reached out to heal people, He was not made unclean by their diseases! Instead, His purity transferred to them, making them clean.3 And whole.
Peter, the one who denied Christ three times, who was completely made new by Christ’s holiness, picks up this holy thread in his first letter. He challenges us with the reminder that we are called to be holy because God is holy (1:15). But we aren’t to work on behavior modification like Pharisees of old. Rather we’re to live from the grace Jesus extends to us because “holiness is an inside job of grace.”4
Paul, the one who obsessively chased down and imprisoned followers of Jesus, who was blinded and purified by the light of Christ’s holiness, beckons us onward into holiness. He calls us to “purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” because “God hasn’t invited us into a disorderly, grungy life but into something holy and beautiful—as beautiful on the inside as the outside” (2 Corinthians 7:1 NIV; 1 Thessalonians 4:7 MSG).
Tracing this progression of holiness, we see all the ways our God has used His holy essence to purify people. As Jesus’ blood covers us, we are made whole and holy. And in this manner of holy-making, God makes a way for His good purposes to come into being.
And that is why we can trust our Holy God to be our Way Maker.
On the days that we can no longer bear the weight we’ve been given to carry, we step into the light of Christ. And out of His perfect holiness, He gives us all we need to keep moving forward. He changes hearts and minds and souls. He delivers and transforms. He heals with His love and upholds with His strength.
The things God can do for us through Christ because of His holy nature are not only beyond words but infinitely more than we can imagine or ask for (Ephesians 3:20). But, I am beginning to grasp what’s needed when we long for the Way to make a way – Him. Only Him! His holy, pure, and sacred Self.
“God longs for holiness in us because it is the way to wholeness.”2
Friends, we need God’s holiness in our lives. The power of it will purify us. The sacredness of it will set us apart – and put us on righteous paths for His name’s sake (Psalm 23:3). The utter goodness of it will soak into our hearts, minds, soul, and strength – and make us whole. And holy.
When we live with a fear of God – with a singular hope in Him – we carry within us a reverence that keeps us on our knees because there is none like Him. We look to our Father with an awe that causes our bodies to shudder with sobs of cleansing tears. And within our hearts grows a faith that trusts He will always be with us, will always sustain us.
This God of ours is holy. His holiness desires to make things right – to make the world and all who are in it pure, good, whole. And from that holy, wholesome heart, God is always making a way – long before we are aware of His work. This is big stuff of faith. It’s transformative hope. It’s demonstrative grace. It’s us becoming holy because HE IS HOLY.
Holy, holy, holy are You, Lord God Almighty! We stand before with a growing sense of our own unworthiness, unholiness – in awe of who You are. So unique and powerful and HOLY. Then You point us to your Son, the One who gave His life for us. And we remember – by His blood we are cleansed. We can come into your presence because in Christ we are made worthy and pure and holy. Because of your holiness, we are holy. Because of Christ, we are redeemed – and able to walk the Way of Holiness with You. These truths bring us to our knees. We lay down all our idols – those hidden longings, those ideals and people that we put before You. We pour out all our doubts and dreams, our shame and fears. We thank You that in your holiness You do not move away from us in our impure states – but You draw near to us.5 You reach out for us. You extend your grace to us. How blessed we are that You receive such impure souls, and make us clean! How grateful we are to pick up faith – to step into our lives with a holy confidence that You will always make a way for us. That You will always work everything together for the good of those who love You. Holy Father, thank You for making us whole and holy. Lord Jesus, thank You for showing us the way to honor our Father and how to worship Him alone. Holy Spirit, help us to keep the truth of God’s holiness deep within us so that we will revere Him with our whole hearts. For always. In Jesus’ name, amen.
(inspired by Revelation 4:8; 1 John 1:7-9; Ephesians 2:12-13; Leviticus 19:1–2; Isaiah 35:8; Isaiah 43:16-19; Romans 8:28)
*There’s a quick way to check the validity of my statement (that we worship idols today) – look at where we spend most of our time and resources. [Most ‘gods’ today are hard to spot, yet they pop up in our everyday lives. When we watch for what we worship, we will see our ‘idols’. There are more than a few things that we can put before God: money, power, status; materialism, celebrityism, athleticism, nationalism; even careers, children, education…]
Resources: I love sharing with you the books, podcasts, articles, and anything else that has inspired, encouraged, or taught me. These are humble offerings with no expectations.
- 1 – This Crossway article on God’s holiness expands on several verses that hone-in on holy and holiness.
- 2 – The chapter on God’s “Holy” nature in The Good and Beautiful God,^ is worth the whole book – pp.113-127.
- 3 – This Bible Project video helps to explain holy in their typical creative, helpful way!
- 4 – This article also offers some great verses and insight into a New Testament view of holiness.
- 5 – Dane Ortland’s book, Gentle and Lowly,^ has so many hidden treasures. I just love the way he unpacks God’s nature based on the two words Jesus used to describe His own heart: gentle and lowly. Which – does not contradict His holiness at all!
- Our Backpack of God’s Attributes is our virtual bag for collecting every characteristic of God we find in all our hunting. We’re loading up all we discover about Him. So far:
- God is Worthy — He deserves all glory and honor and praise.**
- God is Glorious — He displays His greatness and worth.**
- God is Transcendent — He is not like humans. He is infinitely higher in being and action.**
- God is Truthful — Whatever God speaks or does is truth and reality.**
- God is Incomprehensible — God is beyond our understanding. We can comprehend Him in part but not in whole.**
- God is Love — God feels and displays infinite, unconditional affection toward His children. His love for them does not depend on their worth, response, or merit.**
- God is Gracious — The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love (Psalm 145:8).
- God is Good — God is what is best and gives us what is best. He is incapable of doing harm.**
- God is Comforter — the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
- God is Deliverer — God rescues and saves His children.**
- God is Redeemer — Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine (Isaiah 43:1-2).
- God is Omnipotent — God holds all the power. Nothing is too hard for God.**
- God is Almighty — What God wills, He can accomplish.** “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16).
- God is Infinite — God has no limits in His person or His power.**
- God is Sovereign — “O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you” (Jeremiah 32:17).
- God is Just — God is fair in all His actions and judgments. He cannot over-punish or under-punish.**
- God is Righteous — God is always good and right.**
- God is Wrathful — God hates all unrighteousness.**
- God is Merciful — God does not give His children the punishment they deserve.**
- God is Patient/Long-Suffering — God is untiring and bears with His children.**
- God is Provider — God meets the needs of His children.**
- God is Omnipresent — God is fully present everywhere.**
- God is Compassionate — God cares for His children and Acts on their behalf.**
- God is Wise — God knows what is best and acts accordingly. He cannot choose wrongly.**
- God is Omniscient — God knows everything: past, present, and future; all potential and real outcomes; all things micro and macro.**
- God is Generous — God gives what is best and beyond what is deserved.**
- God is Immutable/Unchanging — God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.**
- God is Trustworthy — “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.” Isaiah 26:4
- God is our Refuge — God is a place of safety and protection for His children.**
- God is Faithful — God always keeps His promises.**
- God is Eternal — God is not limited by and exists outside of time.**
- God is Holy — God is perfect, pure, and without sin.**
- God is Way Maker — as coined by Osinachi Okoro, stage name Sinach, in her song, “Way Maker,” which has been recorded by artists such as Passion, Leeland, and Michael W. Smith. God, in His holiness, always makes a way (Isaiah 43:16-19).
- **many thanks to Jen Wilkin and her list, “Attributes of God,” present at the back of every study
- I have “Way Maker” on our “Hidden Treasures” playlist for a reason! 🙂 But I also want to highlight another song: Kari Jobe’s “The Blessing.” We talk a lot about putting effort into keeping God’s truth in our hearts and minds. And for many of us, a huge source of such truth-soaking comes from singing along with or listening to Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19). So, may I be so bold as to point out that “The Blessing” captures the heart of what we often doubt about God — that He’s for us. In the final lines of the powerful chorus comes the lines: “He is for you! He is for you! He is for you!” With every repetition, the power crescendos, my enthusiasm grows, and the truth of these words becomes more and more of a believed reality. Let these words pour over you today and feel your faith grow!
- If you’d like to receive the most recent issue of our newsletter, The Abiding Life, let me know. You can always subscribe here for future editions. If you missed the last newsletter (and last week’s post), you may have missed my announcement — we’re moving to Atlanta, Georgia!! Right now we’re in the throes of helping our son here in Dallas find an apartment while we wait for a buyer for our house. God is making a way! I just know it!
Rhythms: As my newsletter’s title infers, we seek to develop an abiding life in this space — a place where we can get informed but also be transformed as we learn to abide in God’s presence throughout our days. I like to think that developing rhythms is one way to aid us in our desire to become more Christlike.
- Praise, our summer rhythm, is the speaking of truths about WHO GOD IS. It lifts our eyes off our circumstances and back onto the One who can walk us through them. And the Psalms are packed with poems that will lead us through this ritual of reflection and remembrance — until it becomes a rhythm that we fall into naturally.
- Y’all, we need to spend more time with this particular truth about God’s nature — He is HOLY. I think it’s just so easy to fall out of good grooves and into ruts — even with our worship or how we come to God or how we enter His presence or sanctuary. There’s a beautiful both-and here — God is holy and He is love. And out of his holy love, He has made a way for us to enter His presence. We can do so boldly and with confidence — and with reverence and awe.
- This week, let’s read Isaiah 43 — focusing on verses 8-21. These are the passages God spoke through the prophet to His people held in captivity by Babylon — words of promise of deliverance. They’re also words of conviction toward the enemy nations whose gods were worthless and toward His own people who had abandoned Him. The passage from vv.8-13 contains God’s challenge to those ‘gods’ — as well as a call to His people to be His witnesses. Then the passage from vv.14-21 goes into great detail describing how God will make it possible for His people to return home — the One who once made a way will once again make a way. Whew! These are words of promise we should carry with us every day!
- And while it’s not a spiritual practice or rhythm, I invite you to share this site. Summer is a great time to ask someone else to join us here — it is a shared journey of faith, for sure!
Featured Photo by JOHN TOWNER on Unsplash. “All the Bits and Pieces” photo by Zrng N Gharib on Unsplash.
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It all comes back to God.
Yes. Yes it does.