14th March, 2005

PICTURE: Grzegorz Niewiadomski (www.sxc.hu) "Everything God is and does is pure and perfect. There is an ethical dimension to his very being which our legal and moral codes can only attempt to reflect. Hence, holiness is the radiance of all that God is. To say God is holy is to say God is God."

LLOYD HARKNESS

Holy? Holy is one of those words that seem to have been relegated to the quaintly antiquated list. Both the word and the general notion of holiness don't tend to pop up in everyday conversation.

Christians might talk about the Holy Spirit or the Holy Bible. Others might think of people when they hear this word - His Holiness, the Pope, or a Dalai Lama figure. And if you don't think of religion then you might be tempted to join Robin and declare "holy smoke Batman"; yet what do I mean when I say "holy smoke"?

So let's try to resurrect the power of this word.

God is holy. This is the first point to note. His character, His values, His purposes and His morality (all of which are demonstrated to us by Jesus) are one and they are holy.

Everything God is and does is pure and perfect. There is an ethical dimension to his very being which our legal and moral codes can only attempt to reflect. Hence, holiness is the radiance of all that God is. To say God is holy is to say God is God.

Yet, because God is holy, He can't leave holiness out of the picture when it comes to his creation. His heart is that we be made whole, his way, through Jesus, so we can "be holy because I am holy". (Leviticus 11:44) God has been declaring this express desire for centuries.

Holiness is God's destiny for us: now and beyond the veil of death. Holiness is our goal.

The Book of Hebrews has a bit to say about this such as in chapter two (verse 11a) - "Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family" - or chapter 12 (verse 10b) - "God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness".

As you can see, God is committed to us for our good, that we might be whole. To be whole is to be holy and to be holy is to be whole. God actually challenges us to be "unblameable in holiness" (1Thessalonians 3:13) or "perfecting holiness" (2Corinthians 7:1).

How do we do this?

By loving God and our neighbour as much as we love ourselves! By keeping truth and grace in balance! By identifying the heart of Jesus and following his example!

What an example to follow! Remember the woman caught in adultery; his choice of Matthew to be a disciple; the fact he was happy to eat in Zacchaeus' house, or any one of the myriad of stories captured in the Gospels.

Jesus never stopped pointing to all God the Father was doing to draw mankind unto Himself.

So to be whole is to be holy and to be holy is to be whole. God has provided the means to attain a purity we struggle to understand.

Can you imagine what it will be like to be finally rid of "the sin which so easily besets you, to be free of the cravings of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of self" (1John 2:16).

Ultimately holiness will prevail.

God is going to create a new heavens and a new earth, in holiness. "But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness." (2Peter 3:13)

God is in the process of creating a truly moral universe where redeemed humanity cry, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty", and the angels and the archangels and all of creation join in singing.

This is the image we are given in John's revelation but it's not just a repetitive song or a boring chant spoken out by those gathered around God's throne. You see holiness isn't just words. Our holy God has created a holy universe with a wholly redeemed (holy) humanity who will embrace their creator.

The heavens and the earth and all that is in them have become an exclamation to a pure, committed, holy God.

I think I can join with Robin on this one - "holy smoke", what a revelation, not just for John but all humanity. Harmony is restored, as creation is once again in-sync with its holy God.