Josiah Elias
3-10-11
Holy
I feel like we have made the word "Holy" so casual, that it has robbed the power and sacredness of the word. Everything we say nowadays is holy this holy that, usually in a derogatory sense. Let's break down what exactly Holy is.
Isa 57:15 For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Holy- Heb. qâdôsh qâdôsh, kaw-doshe', kaw-doshe'- sacred.
Holy-Grk. Hagios, hag'-ee-os,- sacred (physically pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially consecrated)
Basically saying that "Holy" means "sacred". I like the term sacred because its not so commonly used in our lingual and I believe still holds the punch it deserves. Now what about the opposite side of the spectrum.
Blaphemy- Grk.blasphēmeō, blas-fay-meh'-o- defame, to revile, to speak evil of. Cursing God. Irreverent behavior held toward anything sacred (holy).
So Gods name is Holy, for He is holy. He is sacred. And blasphemy is speaking evil of what is Holy, or cursing His name which is Holy. If you curse His name you curse what He stands for and what that name represents. If someone were to curse the United States flag they wouldn't necessarily be cursing the flag itself. Not like the material is so terrible that it has to be cursed, rather they are cursing what that flag represents. Everything the United States of America flag means. FREEDOM! So many other incredible qualities that the American flag stands for. That's what they would be cursing.
If Holy represents what God is, who are we to affiliate that term with anything other than what should rightfully be affiliated with God?! I don’t think that God wants to associate His name, which is Holy with poop. Or anything else that defiles His name.
Luk 1:49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.
My aim isn’t so much to reprimand some of us for saying Holy with other words that blaspheme the God you know and love, as it is to talk about what Holiness is! Though I do believe that some of us really need to change the way we speak. Certainly taking Holy out of our vocabulary if we're not going to use the term properly. It had to stop in my life a long time ago when God was cleaning up my speech, and it needs to stop in some of our lives now. Just tell the Lord, “God I’m sorry, I repent, I don’t want to say that anymore I know that it hurts you. Keep me right in Jesus name!”
When it comes to holiness I also want us to see that we are Holy! If you are So Saved right now, you are holy. His blood has made you holy. You would never ever ever have a chance in a million years to be holy, only God is holy, but through Him, because you are His, you are a new creation in Christ Jesus, you are holy now!
1Co 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
1Co 3:17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
Whatever God touches becomes Holy. When He came to Moses at the burning bush what’d He tell him?
Exo 3:5 Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground."
So if God shows up and simply because He’s there, the ground literally becomes holy, or sacred, how much more is the dwelling place of God going to be holy? That’s you and me! We are the dwelling place of God, we are His temple now! He takes residence within us, ergo rendering us HOLY!
I remember a quote saying “Holy is more relative to God than the name God” God is Who He is, Holy is What He is. There are many Gods out there. But none fulfill the truth of what Holiness is, besides Yahweh.
We as Christians represent Christ most effectively by being Holy, as opposed to telling people that we believe in God. You live HOLY and that will be the greatest testimony to Who and What God is, compared to you standing up and only preaching Jesus. The goal is for both the walk and the talk to match up. That your Holy lifestyle will show people Jesus for that is what Holiness is. JESUS! That's when the walk matches the talk.
We are no longer under the law of the Old Covenant, however we are now walking under a law that was instituted by the life of Jesus Christ. So being Holy as we are supposed to is, allowing Him to transform your life more and more to look just like Jesus. There’s your faith in a nutshell. Jesus Wins, so be like Jesus. Be just like Him in every way. If your confused on what it means to be holy, just look at His life and model yours after His. Look so hard at Him that everything in you begins to reflect what your staring at! JESUS.
Paul puts it like this.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 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.
It's holy, acceptable to God.
Where do people get off thinking that they are excused from working on their lifestyle in relation to it being Holy like God. Just because there is grace for us when we make mistakes doesn’t mean that we get to abuse the grace and allow that to be our excuse from striving for Holiness. It’s a must.
GRACE IS NOT A LICENSE TO SIN!
If we’re supposed to be like Jesus, than you better believe that means to be holy.
Clearly I'm not saying that if you ever make another mistake than your going to hell!!! What I'm saying is, don't let the mistakes become so expected that they become acceptable to you. We tend to think that these little sins are just going to happen so its acceptable. That's not the case! That cheapens the cross! There is no reason why we shouldn't be constantly changing our life every single day to strive to be more like Jesus. That's the goal until the day we die! To be just like Him!
Jesus is desiring a Holy Bride.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
Eph 5:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Notice that He is presenting the Bride to Himself, So He’s the one that making her Holy. He’s making her exactly the way that He wants her, HOLY!
If all that doesn't clarify it enough for you, there is always this next verse.
1Pe 1:16 because it is written, "BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."
BE HOLY FOR I AM HOLY. (PERIOD!) There is no way around it, there is no way to chop it up and make it mean something that it doesn't mean, its very black and white! BE HOLY FOR HE IS HOLY!
God is Holy, He desires to be Viewed as Holy, Respected as Holy, Spoken to as Holy, Revered as Holy, Addressed as Holy, and above all He desires you to STRIVE to be just like Him, Holy!
I hope that this challenges you to change the way you speak, especially if you casually throw around the word Holy. Most definitely in a derogatory sense. Also i pray that it helps enlighten to you that you are Holy! You were always meant to be Holy! And Holiness is exactly the way He wants you. Don't ever let anything tell you otherwise.
Only one word comes to mind
There’s only one word to describe
Holy, holy, Lord God Almighty
There is no one like You
You are holy, holy
