Our Holy God

The apostle Peter wrote, “but like as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16).

A study of the word holy may leave one puzzled as to how it relates to God. According to W.E. Vine, and others, the word holy, (Hebrew: qadosh, and Greek: hagios,) means to be “separate or set apart.” But how does this term of separateness relate to God. [cf.: W.E. Vine, (1962), An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Westwood: N.J.: Fleming H. Revell Company, Vol. II, Vol. II, pp. 225-227. Charles F. Pfeiffer, Howard F. Vos, John Rea, Eds. (1999), Wycliffe Bible Dictionary, Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., pp.802-804].

Obviously, with but little contemplation we recognize that Deity is separate in all his attributes from mankind. He is omniscient, omnipresent, all-powerful, just, loving, etc., in contrast to man’s limitations.

God demonstrated his holiness (separateness) by the Ten Plagues in Egypt. Each plague was a powerful demonstration of his Deity in contrast to those impotent idols of the Egyptians. “Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11).

Absolute moral perfection separates God from all other beings, angelic or human. Isaiah’s vision of the Lord caused him to exclaim with fear and humility, “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 my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). The seraphim in the vision announced, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts...” (Isaiah 6:3).

Isaiah understood the stark reality of his sinfulness. But God is holy (separate from sin) (James.1:13). He was correct in his fear. Standing (or worshiping) before the Holy God with “unclean hands” ought to bring any spiritually sane person to her knees trembling with terror. In fact, each of us ought to have that disposition for any sin that has not been purged. The seraphim “cured” Isaiah’s fear by touching his lips with a “hot coal” (Isaiah 6:6-7). Then and only then did Isaiah feel qualified to be sent by the Lord to preach to the people.

It is only because of the sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross, with all that it entailed —his physical agony, his emotional and spiritual suffering for being forsaken by the Father even temporarily (Matthew 27:46), forever giving up total equality in rank with the Father (1 Corinthians15:28), and becoming a sin-offering—that we can come before the throne of God with boldness (Hebrews 4:14-16).

We are called through the gospel to live sanctified lives (holy, hallowed, or separated, apart) to be saints (set apart ones) (1 Corinthians 1:2; Hebrews 10:10). The blood of Christ has sanctified us (Hebrews 9:13-14; 10:10). It is through the word of truth that we find sanctification (separation from our sin) (John 17:17). The church (the purchased of God) has been sanctified through water (baptism) (Ephesians 5:26). We have been called with a holy calling for his purpose (1 Timothy 1:9). As holy brethren, we are partakers of a heavenly calling (Hebrews 3:1).

Because of our sanctification (being set apart) through the blood of Christ we are to: go outside the camp (world) bearing his reproach, worship, do good and communicate (fellowship by providing sustenance), and obey the elders (Hebrews 13:12-17). We are to live holy lives, rather than to follow the ignorant, lustful ways of our past days in the world (1 Peter 1:14). We are to continually separate ourselves from uncleanness (2 Corinthians 6:17).

But Are We Holy?

If it is true that what is morally typical in the religious world at large is also typical of the church, we have a significant problem. George Barna’s research group is likely the most widely known pollster of the religious community concerning various issues of the day. According to his research, of those who attend church regularly:

Twenty percent believe abortion is considered morally acceptable.

Thirteen percent believe homosexuality is morally acceptable, over thirty percent believe it should be legal.

Fifty-four percent believe divorce for any reason other than adultery is not sin.

Religious people have as high (or higher) rate of divorce as atheists!

Four percent believe it is not immoral for a married person to have a sexual affair.

Twelve percent believe it is not immoral for a single person to have an affair.

Forty-two percent believe that co-habitation without marriage (living together) is morally acceptable.

Twenty-three per cent believe that getting drunk is morally acceptable.

Twenty-four percent believe that profanity is morally acceptable.

Thirty-three percent believe that watching movies with explicit sexual behavior is morally acceptable.

If you divide the groups polled, the younger groups have even higher levels of tolerance for immorality.

Seventy-five percent believe that living with someone without being married is morally acceptable.

Fifty-four percent believe that adultery is not immoral.

Fifty percent believe that getting drunk is acceptable, and profanity comes in with sixty percent acceptability.

(The Barna Group of Ventura, California: www.barna.org).

Basic morality is declining and public indecency is at all time high. In their excellent book, The Beauty of Modesty, David and Diane Vaughan quote Barbara Hughes, “If you are blind or from another planet, you may conceivably have missed the fact that modesty has disappeared. It is dead and buried!” (p. 5). They go on to observe, “When we see an immodest woman, what are we seeing? Not only a lot more flesh, but a lot more than flesh. We are seeing the incarnation of a worldview—but it is not a Christian worldview. It is a pagan one” (p .31). “If immodesty is the incarnation of a pagan worldview, then why are we seeing so much immodesty among Christians? Why do we now see women attending church wearing skintight jeans, see-through blouses, or skimpy skirts (and revealing necklines, BJ)? Why are Christian women wearing clothes that only a generation ago would have been considered immoral, if not illegal? The answer is that we are experiencing the cultural captivity of the church” (p. 39).

The Vaughan’s go on to quote John Whitehead, “As a thinking being, the modern Christian has succumbed to secularism. He accepts religion—its morality, its worship, its spiritual culture. However, he rejects the total view of life which sees all earthly issues within the context of the eternal? As a consequence, the faith ineffectively fails to even minimally raise the ethical standards of the American population” (pp. 39-40). [David Vaughan and Diane Vaughan, The Beauty of Modesty, Cultivating Virtue in the Face of a Vulgar Culture, (2005) Nashville, TN: The Cumberland House].

I am reminded of The Pied Piper of Hamelin written by Robert Browning. The story in rhyme tells of a town over-run by rats. The town leaders hired a pied piper to play his pipe to lure the rats away. He did just that, hypnotizing them with his magical music into the river where they drowned. Upon presenting his bill for the agreed upon fee, the townsmen refused to pay the enormous amount, though they had made a contract with him. In revenge, the pied piper played his magical pipe once more, luring the children of the village into a far away place, never to be seen again. How does this story serve as an illustration?

So many are in a hypnotic state having been lured to “music” (both literally and figuratively) that has shaped their thinking and behavior. Humanism and hedonism have been internalized. Relativism is a motto of heart, even if it cannot be defined. Like the little children (and the rats) the populaces have followed the pied piper of worldliness, immorality and nudity without a clue of the dangers.

The response often is, “God is not interested in what we wear, or do; he is interested in the heart.” This is not an accurate statement. The suggestion that God does not care about what the body does, but only the nature of the heart is “old as the hills” (Gnosticism – the body can be evil but the mind good).

In the first place, Jesus taught that it is out of the heart that actions come (Matthew 15:17-19). It is because of the refusal to have God in the heart (knowledge) and a “reprobate mind,” that the sins listed in Romans chapter one are practiced. Actions are clearly out of a mind-set.

Paul instructed the Ephesians that they ought not live like the Gentiles, who were “darkened in their understanding?” and because of their “hardness of heart” they gave “themselves over to sensuality” (Ephesians 4:17-19). He taught the Galatians that they would not practice the works of the flesh, if they were led by the Spirit (i.e. the word delivered by the Spirit).

Why?

Why then do mature Christian women bear their bosoms in public? Why do men view pornography, creating problems for themselves and their spouses? Why are young people caught up in viewing and saying all manners of things in all kinds of public places? Why are the rates of divorce so high? Why are young people involved in fornication?

The bottom line is the heart is not in sync with the word of God. It is as the Vaughan’s expressed it: there is a “cultural captivity” of the church. We are all affected by the culture in which we live. We live in a sin-filled world, which tempts us all. We sometimes give in to the wiles of Satan. But we need not willingly, habitually line up with him!

Lest some accuse us of being too sharp on worldliness, we need to underscore the fact that we understand that youth and new converts may not have grown to understand how to rid their lives of worldliness. We must patiently teach all persons who are babes in Christ. However, it is troublesome when parents allow behaviors and clothing that should not be tolerated. It is heart wrenching when elders’ and preachers’ wives dress provocatively.

With great insight, Mr. And Mrs. Vaughan point out the reasons behind these things. While some of it is by design to seduce others, vanity is also a motivation. There is a desire to be like those around us (i.e. peer pressure). Others want attention so desperately that they will be immodest or do other things they ought not.

Fashion cannot dictate what we wear. The Hugh Hefners of the world cannot dictate our morality. Without realizing it, that is exactly what happens when women decide to reveal that which should be covered; or when they are involved in worldliness, whether it be on MySpace, viewing pornography, or watching movies a Christian ought not.

Let’s sharpen our awareness of how we are to live sanctified, separated lives. Note these Scriptures:

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2).

As obedient children, not conforming yourselves according to the former lusts as in your ignorance (1 Peter 1:15-16).

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

How Can We Be More Holy?

It is important that all of us desire to become more holy, to strive to be more like our Father. None of us will ever achieve perfection in this life. We long for the day when we will not struggle with some blight on the uprightness of our soul. However, we can be led by the word of God to do better in our life-long struggle.

We need to realize that we are not alone. Others have and are in the same fight with temptation. The apostle Paul was upset by his own vulnerabilities to sin (Romans 7:15-25; 1 Corinthians 9:27). But we cannot give in.

Foremost, the heart must be ready to receive the teaching of the word of God on every issue. We must “like newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word,” so that we may grow (1 Peter 2:2). We must want to treasure up the truth of God’s word in our hearts to avoid sin (Psalm 119:11). We must learn how to fight the good fight of faith. That involves fleeing from Satan!

Ephesians 6 gives us the way to greater holiness. We have to put on the whole armor of God (not part of it!). You cannot go into battle partially ready. If we are wallowing in the muddy mire of the world, there is no way to win this spiritual war.

Let us listen to the apostle and elder Peter, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13). Paul instructs us to “renew our minds” with God’s word (Romans 12:2), to be “richly filled with the word of Christ “ (Colossians 3:16). It takes effort to learn how to be separate from the world. Then we must consciously decide to be holy (Hebrews 12:14).

The question we must ask ourselves is: Do we want to be holy? Do we want to be separate from the world and its friends? Do we want to impress others with godly lives so that we can be a light in the world to the glory of God (Matt. 5:14-16)? Or do we want to impress worldly people with how much money we have, or how much fun we are having, or how daring we are in wearing that low necked dress?

Though one may stand in bewilderment at the Christian women who practice these things, we do understand that the heart is the problem. The heart is uneducated (in which case we need to patiently teach), hardened (desensitized), or rebellious.

Oh dear sisters! Let us seek for the approval of our Heavenly Father. Let us come out from among the unbelievers and be separate from them! May every action be sacred and holy. Let us attend worship with clean hearts (Psalm 24:3-4), honoring our Savior, and help those around us by being modest. Let us “be holy as he is holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16).

Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you” (2 Corinthians 6:17)

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