Worship for Today: God's people are holy.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Ephesians 5:3,

 

"Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people."

 

Paul points to the unseemliness of "God's holy people" engaging in behavior that is unbecoming of such. It is not to be expected that those who are identified with God, who are acknowledged as holy, to be involved with immorality and greed. The thrust of his argument is that because believers are holy, we should refrain from past sinful habits and lifestyle choices. I note Paul doesn't say that we engage in good behavior to become holy. His point precisely is that since believers are holy, they should act that way.

 

So, how do we get that way? How do believers "become holy"? Being holy carries with it the notion of being set apart as God's people. This is where our word "saint" comes from. It means "holy one". The writer of Hebrews says of Jesus Christ, "But when this priest [Jesus Christ] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Hebrews 10:12-14. Believers in Jesus Christ are made holy through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In verse 10 of the same chapter the writer says, "... we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

 

A study of the Scriptures reveals that from heaven's perspective, there is that on planet earth which is deemed "unclean", "profane", "sinful". Apart from that there is that which is deemed "holy". The Israelites were provided the temple worship and laws for daily decision-making to provide an opportunity for at least a temporary holiness to make their involvement with God possible. Today, we find that a permanent status of holiness is available through faith in Jesus Christ. When we embrace him in faith, his sacrifice provides us a standing of holiness in God's perspective of things... the perspective that trumps any other.

 

What a wonderful status God has provided us as his children: holy!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com