Coming Up: Sonday 25 May 2014
Genuine Holiness
Romans 2:17-29
Read: Leviticus 19:1-18
Imagine that you had to describe God to someone in a single word. Of course it would be impossible to adequately describe such an incredible God with only one word (realistically it is impossible with a million words!) but, if you had to, what word would you choose to describe God? The Bible provides many words that describe God. A popular choice amongst Christians in our day might be the word love. Some might use the word justice, or mercy, or grace. Others might choose righteous. None of these quite do the job though.
It seems that if the Bible were to choose one word to describe God it would be holy. Many times in scripture we read about God's holiness. Holy means to be separated from or set apart. When we talk about God being holy we mean that He is entirely and totally set apart from anything else. He is entirely different to us. While we are created beings He is uncreated. Where we have a beginning He is eternal. Where we require help to get things done He is all powerful. God is totally different from anything else in existence.
Witness Moment
The people of Israel were to be an example and light to the other nations because of their holiness in the same way that Christians are to be an example and light to a wicked world. Are you a good example? How brightly is your light shining?
This also extends to God's morality or righteousness. God is holy, that is totally set apart, from any kind of sin or unrighteousness. He doesn't mix with any kind of sinful thing. There is no impurity or unrighteousness to be found in God. He is totally holy.
The word holy captures who God is. It captures the idea of many of his attributes and it describes His character. His love flows out of the fact that He is Holy and able to love in a way that we could never love. His justice flows out of the fact that He is totally separate from sin and cannot allow it. He shows mercy and grace in a way that is totally separate and different from us.
This understanding of who God is can help us to understand passages like this one in Leviticus 19. God has rescued the Israelite people out of Egypt and is giving them His law. These commands are a description of how they are to live as God's people, both in their hearts and in their actions. Here in Leviticus 19 we find various laws about what it means to live as God's people but each of these things springs out of one foundation in verse 1: "be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy."
God demands that His people be holy because He is holy. As God's people we are to be set apart from sin, having nothing to do with evil or unrighteousness and striving to live more and more like Him. God's people are to be holy as He is holy.
Discussion Questions for families and groups
Imagine that you are in a discussion group and someone says: "I tell white lies so I don't hurt people's feelings. Who cares? A little bit of sin never hurt anybody..."
- How much sin do you think is acceptable amongst God's people?
- How do you respond to this person in light of God's holiness?
- How can you make an effort to live a holy life without becoming morbidly self-focussed?
Prayer:
Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
- Pray that God would be working in your heart to give you a greater desire for holiness and to be holy. Pray that He would empower you to live a life that is worthy of His holiness. Pray that He would be working in the hearts of all those in your church that they might desire and strive for holiness.
- Pray for the small groups meeting during the week in your church to grow in relationship together, to study God's word and to pray for one another. Pray that the Holy Spirit would give them wisdom and understanding of His word and that they would encourage one another in the faith.
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