A Display of Holiness

-

Scripture:
 
Ezek. 36:23 I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD, when through you I display my holiness before their eyes.

Observation:

The people of God were to be holy representatives of God. Sadly their infidelity had resulted in not only their own demise, but the smearing of God’s reputation in the world. They were to have been the light and hope for humanity but instead of drawing people to God, they became attracted to the world. God’s own reputation was sullied by their behavior but God had a promise of a new hope and future. He would send the Holy Spirit who would sanctify his people so that his holiness could be displayed throughout the world.

Application:

For far too long in my tradition we tried to be God’s holy people by following a list of rules. Legalism nearly ate our lunch because somehow we came to believe that holiness was about us and not about God. Holiness is the reflection of the work of God in our lives. God was reminding the Israelites that they carried about his name and that it was his name and reputation that was at stake. It It is his holiness which is to be revealed, not our own personal holiness. The lives of God’s people are always to be pointing others in the direction of knowing God.

Walking daily with the Lord, getting to know him and fellowshipping with him results in transformation. The more time I spend with the Lord, the more I become like him and when the Spirit does his work in our lives, we are changed. His desires become my desires because I love him! Suddenly we realize that our lives aren’t bound by lists but are instead bound by desire, and then the standard becomes much higher than any list, because our desire is for Christ, himself! Together with Paul we declare, “I want to know Christ!” And as we walk in that passion and desire, suddenly the holiness of God is on display for all the world to see.

Prayer:

Lord, Please help me walk in you today and may people see you, not me. Amen.

If you would like to read more "Reflecting the Image"  click on the image to take you to the NPH bookstore.The book is also available in Kindle format on Amazon.com.



http://www.nph.com/nphweb/html/nph/itempage.jsp?itemId=9780834135277



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a time when we try to carry
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her
Read more

The Advantage of Sanctification

-
Scripture: Rom. 6:22 But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Observation: Two sides of life are presented here in great contrast.  One is a life of sin and enslavement to evil.  The other side of life is freedom which provides the advantage of sanctification (or holiness as some translate the word) that leads to eternal life.  The options here are a life of sin, slavery and death; or freedom, holiness and eternal life.  The advantage of holiness or sanctification is the benefit of the life of freedom.  Jesus died so that we might be made holy like him and this is something that is offered as a “fruit” or “advantage” right now.  The end is eternal life — but the living of life is that it can be lived out in holiness.  The next verse is really just an affirmation of the verse 22.  Sin will lead
Read more