Is
there anything in your life that is classified as “off limits”? For me while growing up it was mom &
dad’s room and the upstairs (where my sisters’ bedrooms were). We were also not
allowed to use other people’s things without expressed permission. When I and
my siblings trespassed upon these territories, there were loud protestations
followed by certain punishments.
The
same went for bad behaviors while out in public. Church was not a place (or
time) for loud talking; funerals were not a place (or time) for jokes; swimming
pools were not to be used as toilets; and violating the sanctity of Saturday
morning sleeping-in brought corporal punishment and the requirement to make
everyone else’s bed before breakfast for a whole week.
We know all of this in our physical lives,
but do we ever consider things in our spiritual walk to be “off limits”? Or do
we ever stop to comprehend why God has declared that certain things, and
people, and behaviors, and thoughts are to be considered separate from the
common? By definition, the Bible calls these things, and people, and behaviors,
and thinking, “Holy.” And violating these decrees and profaning what He has
made holy brings divine retribution; if not in this life (guilt, shame, fear,
sorrow, alienation) then in the next one (spiritual death).
One
of the great attributes of God is that He is holy (separate from this creation,
yet an active part of it; sinless as opposed to our sinfulness; faithful vs our
faithlessness, etc.). In Isaiah’s vision of the Almighty (chapter 6) the
heavenly host declares Him to be the epitome of holiness; stating the fact 3
times in succession sealed the fact of His ultimate holiness. And in Leviticus
19, since we are made in His image and likeness, He expects us to be holy as
well.
So
what are we humans to make of this? We’re sinful; we’re unfaithful to His
guidelines; we’re distracted from His love and presence by our physical wants /
desires. In short, we like Israel of old, profane His holy name by not being
holy in our behavior or in our thinking. And in His ultimate holiness He has
promised to punish all sin (remember; He has never failed fulfill a promise).
Hebrews 12 says that “Our God is a consuming fire!”
Fortunately,
Jesus has taken our sins with Him to the cross and put them to death (separated
them from us by His blood). Now, in Christ we are deemed by God to be “not
guilty”; “redeemed” from the profanities of our sin; “reconciled” to fellowship
with our Holy God; and thus “holy” or set apart/different from the sinful ones
around us who are only successful in finding temporary happiness.
Those
in Christ find true happiness because they are now free to be what God created
us to be. Whereas sin entangles us in this world and hinders us from enjoying
His blessings, striving to do and think what we know is right brings us the
happiness we are all seeking. Trying to be happy by your own standards hasn’t
worked – selfishness and greed profane God’s image within you. True, lasting
happiness can only be found with God – and He won’t abide with sin.
God
wants you to be happy. Therefore He expects you to be holy. Because true,
lasting happiness is only found by being in Christ and by living the life He
has designed for us. By being holy can He provide you with the innumerable
blessings that will enable you to live with Him forever – which is the ultimate
happiness. So complete your search for happiness successfully by getting into
Jesus and following Peter’s plea: “Be
holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy because I am holy’” (1
Peter 1:16; Leviticus 19:2).
Doug
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