“Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God.” Luke 4:34
I know there are many who live by the K.I.S.S. principle – Keep It Simple Stupid. It is a good principle, in so far as it is possible. However, we can delude ourselves in simplicity as avoidance to the difficulties of the complex. We live in a complex world that has layers of intricacies that are scarcely understood.
- digitalbob8 / Foter / CC BY
I sit here reading my Bible and writing my thoughts from those scriptures. I can tell you that I just read my Bible and I thought about it. However, I don’t know how my brain did that. I don’t know how my eyes absorbed light, how my optical nerves transformed those electrons into electrical impulses, how those impulses made it to the correct segments of my brain, how my brain recognizes electrical impulses as letters, words, paragraphs, language, ideas…I really don’t know how my brain then thinks about those translated impulses in abstract ways.
The complexity of simply reading and thinking is amazing. I think we have a tendency to over-simplify the familiar. We look past all that is normal and fail to gaze deeply upon all that is so very amazing in our everyday lives.
I have a tendency to over-simply the holiness of God.
God the Father 11 (Photo credit: Waiting For The Word)
Holiness is a term we Christians throw around with a casual familiarity that belies the complexity of its reality. We are told to be holy, because God is holy (1 Peter 1:16). In my simple mind, I tend to think of holiness in terms of following Christ in obedience. The fruit of the Spirit that results from setting my mind on the things of the Spirit and living according to the Spirit is how I can be holy because God is holy.
I believe that is a tremendous over-simplification of holiness.
The holiness of God is terrifyingly dangerous. It probably is the single most destructive element to the flesh of man in the entire universe. Consider the precautions the Nation of Israel had to take, to be in the proximity of holiness without dying.
A specially designated and clothed person had to go into the tabernacle to cover all that the holiness of God was upon. This priest covered the items with blue cloth and goat skin so that the selected clan of the Levites could carry the items without dying.
Nadab and Abihu, two of these specially designated and clothed priests, offered unauthorized fire before the Lord and were immediately consumed by fire.
Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God when the oxen stumbled and he was immediately struck down by God for taking hold of an item that was holy to God.
The priest of the Temple would go into the holy of holiness with a rope tied to his ankle just in case he was struck dead in the presence of God’s holiness, his body could be drug out.
That is what happens when raw and revealed holiness is exposed to a fallen mankind. Being in the presence of God’s holiness, simply touching His holiness is like being exposed to the core of a nuclear reactor. Handling the core material of a reactor is complex. Special clothing and precautions are necessary because human cells cannot withstand the high energy of that sort of radiation.
The holiness of God is so much more radioactive and destructive to fallen human flesh. The demon Jesus confronted, understood this reality. The Holy One of God stood before him. His question was “have you come to destroy us”. It is a reasonable question because that is what happens when holiness comes into contact with unholiness. Holiness destroys unholiness.
It is a terrifying thing for the unholy to fall into the hands of the living and holy God Almighty.
The fact that this demon was not immediately consumed by the fire of God by being in the presence of the Holy One of God, reveals a complexity beyond the description.
The fact that the Holy One of God could walk this world in human form, interacting with sinful man, reveals an intricacy that escapes understanding.
The fact that the Holy Spirit can be within those who are His, while we still do unholy acts defies a simple explanation.
The fact that redeemed souls will spend eternity in the presence of the holy Lord God Almighty is unfathomable when we appreciate God’s holiness.
The holiness of God is amazing. It is not something that God turns on or off. It is who He is – holy is His name (Luke 1:49). We should not allow our familiarity with Christ to over-simplify His holiness. Our familiarity with our precious Lord and Savior should result in more awe, honor, and reverence because we know how unholy we are. We know that Christ has made a way for us to exist within a fallen sinner’s most destructive environment. We can live as loved children of our holy Father without dying because He sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh. (Romans 8:3)
- Schub@ / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA
God did the complex,
transforming the unholy into holy,
through His amazing mercy,
He gave life rather than destruction.
That should astound us!
May we join the host of Heaven in our praise of God for what He has done –
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory”.
(Isaiah 6:3)
PRAYER: Father, thank you fo protecting me from your righteousness and holiness. Thank you for sending your own Son to condemn the unholy sin in my flesh so that your righteousness might reign in me. Forgive me for taking your holiness for granted. Forgive me for over-simplifying all that you have done for me. Forgive my lack of awe and honor of how truly spectacular you are and what you have done. Lord, I praise your holy name. You truly are worthy of all praise and honor. The whole earth is full of you glory. I pray this in the precious name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
A DEVOTED LIFE 