If I am correct (which doesn't happen very often with me) the literal meaning of holiness is to be set apart. With this in mind, a call to holiness, is a call to be set apart...for what? As I prepared for tonight's devotional (God became flesh), I found that a primary reason for God coming to pitch his tent among us is to allow intimacy. Throughout the OT, God's people learn about God (only a few seemed to really know Him), but with this divine invasion, God makes Himself known to the masses (see Jer 31:34).
The invitation to Holiness, seems to be an invitation to exclusive intimacy. Know me, Love me, Imitate Me, be holy because I am Holy. Jesus calls the people to a place unattainable by the righteousness of the Pharisees. A place only dreamed of by the prophets of old. This priviledge is made available to the weak who have never known any priviledges, yet hidden from those who have grown accustomed to a life of priveledge and power. Maybe the whole call to holiness is simply a valentine from God that reads, "Be Mine".
If we truly accept this invitation, then what we view as holiness (the outward evidences of Christ living in us) will flow out of us.
Please continue to comment, or Dave, if you would like to make just a slightly longer comment than your last one, I can go ahead and make a powerpoint for it and I will have my sermon.
Thanks.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Monday, November 12, 2007
Holiness (pt. 1)
6 days from now, I will be preaching on the subject of holiness. It is a subject that has been in the forefront of my mind over the last few months as I have been studying the prophets. It seems to me, that if you are looking for the main event contained within the OT, it would be the Exile. It is not a subject that is taught to our children much, but if you look at the OT as a whole, a huge portion of it focuses on the Exile. Moses prophesied about it nearly 1000 years before it came to pass. And ever since then prophets had been hinting about it, and and even telling exactly how it was going to happen. God warned the people over and over and over about its coming in hopes that repentance would happen without such drastic measures, but to no avail.
So, with so much of the OT centered around the Exile, I began to meditate on what God is revealing about Himself through this pivotal event. (This view comes from my fairly recent perception that the primary function of the bible is to reveal God to us. If this is true, then God is loudly proclaiming some of His core qualities to us through the exile.)
The first and most obvious quality revealed through the exile is His holiness. For a thousand years, his people had been content to follow God half-heartedly. They had held on to the worship of God, yet mixed in the worship of pagan God's. Regardless of what God did through the judges, the kings and the prophets, the people were never changed for more than a generation or two.
Then, THE EXILE.
Through the exile and through prophets like Daniel, Zerubbabel, and Malachi, the people finally got it. God is holy, and his people must be holy as well. This is so clear when looking at the temple. Before the Exile, it was not uncommon for one of Judah's own (Davidic) kings to set up pagan idols within the temple itself. Yet, I don't recall reading about any kind of averse reactions of the people. Then, after the exile, when Antiochus IV Epiphanes erected an idol of Zeus in the temple and sacrificed a pig on the altar, it caused so much outrage that a 24 year war known as the Maccabean revolt ensued and ultimately overthrew Greek rule. Then, when Jesus arrived about 430 years after the last group returned from exile, there was no hint of pagan worship among God's people.
The people finally got it...GOD IS HOLY...HIS CHILDREN MUST BE HOLY
Unfortunately, they got that message to the exclusion of some of His other, and greater attributes, namely Love and Mercy.
Please write any thoughts you have on this subject, as it will help greatly in my preparation for Sunday's sermon. Answering these questions will be of especially helpful.
How are we to uphold the holiness and justice of God while keeping God's Love, Grace, Mercy, and Freedom center stage?
What does NT holiness look like?
Thank you for your help.
So, with so much of the OT centered around the Exile, I began to meditate on what God is revealing about Himself through this pivotal event. (This view comes from my fairly recent perception that the primary function of the bible is to reveal God to us. If this is true, then God is loudly proclaiming some of His core qualities to us through the exile.)
The first and most obvious quality revealed through the exile is His holiness. For a thousand years, his people had been content to follow God half-heartedly. They had held on to the worship of God, yet mixed in the worship of pagan God's. Regardless of what God did through the judges, the kings and the prophets, the people were never changed for more than a generation or two.
Then, THE EXILE.
Through the exile and through prophets like Daniel, Zerubbabel, and Malachi, the people finally got it. God is holy, and his people must be holy as well. This is so clear when looking at the temple. Before the Exile, it was not uncommon for one of Judah's own (Davidic) kings to set up pagan idols within the temple itself. Yet, I don't recall reading about any kind of averse reactions of the people. Then, after the exile, when Antiochus IV Epiphanes erected an idol of Zeus in the temple and sacrificed a pig on the altar, it caused so much outrage that a 24 year war known as the Maccabean revolt ensued and ultimately overthrew Greek rule. Then, when Jesus arrived about 430 years after the last group returned from exile, there was no hint of pagan worship among God's people.
The people finally got it...GOD IS HOLY...HIS CHILDREN MUST BE HOLY
Unfortunately, they got that message to the exclusion of some of His other, and greater attributes, namely Love and Mercy.
Please write any thoughts you have on this subject, as it will help greatly in my preparation for Sunday's sermon. Answering these questions will be of especially helpful.
How are we to uphold the holiness and justice of God while keeping God's Love, Grace, Mercy, and Freedom center stage?
What does NT holiness look like?
Thank you for your help.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Baby Propaganda
The idea of teaching lessons to children through song and story is age old. Aesop's Fables (not to be confused with Aesop Rock) are classic examples of fun stories with deep meanings. I don't mind these deeper meanings as long as they 1) Are consistent with the Truth 2) Are consistent with other stories and songs 3) Aren't ridiculous.
Unfortunately, the Fisher Price Little People Sing Along, has not satisfied my baby propaganda criteria.
For instance, here are a few excerpts
"Bam, Bang, Crash, recycle ALL your trash"- All trash is not recyclable, especially in Troy TN
"The clock struck 7-go straight to heaven"- This is a little too morbid for my child's ears
"There were ten in a bed and the little one said roll over, roll over. So they all rolled over..." Since when did 9 sleepy children listen to the runt of the lot to their own detriment. One of the voices apparently sees the incredulity of the situation halfway through the song because he yells, "This is getting ridiculous."
"That bear was fast when chasing me, but glory be I found a tree." First, it is rarely a good idea to run from a bear. Second, bears are much better tree climbers than your average child.
"Alice the camel has no humps, now Alice is a horse." NO NO NO!!! Alice is dehydrated, or undeveloped. I would hate to hear what they would tell the young sister in Song of Songs chapter 8.
One of the all time worst is during the song "Here we go round the mulberry bush..." On the fifth verse they are going around the cabbage patch. Then after they sing that verse one of the kids (who is most likely an adult trying to sound like a kid) says enthusiastically, "Cabbages are fun!" That is taking it too far!
Unfortunately, the Fisher Price Little People Sing Along, has not satisfied my baby propaganda criteria.
For instance, here are a few excerpts
"Bam, Bang, Crash, recycle ALL your trash"- All trash is not recyclable, especially in Troy TN
"The clock struck 7-go straight to heaven"- This is a little too morbid for my child's ears
"There were ten in a bed and the little one said roll over, roll over. So they all rolled over..." Since when did 9 sleepy children listen to the runt of the lot to their own detriment. One of the voices apparently sees the incredulity of the situation halfway through the song because he yells, "This is getting ridiculous."
"That bear was fast when chasing me, but glory be I found a tree." First, it is rarely a good idea to run from a bear. Second, bears are much better tree climbers than your average child.
"Alice the camel has no humps, now Alice is a horse." NO NO NO!!! Alice is dehydrated, or undeveloped. I would hate to hear what they would tell the young sister in Song of Songs chapter 8.
One of the all time worst is during the song "Here we go round the mulberry bush..." On the fifth verse they are going around the cabbage patch. Then after they sing that verse one of the kids (who is most likely an adult trying to sound like a kid) says enthusiastically, "Cabbages are fun!" That is taking it too far!
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