This is the first in what I am planning of a series on repentance and holiness.
Just like every writing, it is not meant to tell all the answers. No human can possibly do that. Even if I wrote many books about holiness and repentance, there would be more to learn. There would be more that God could teach us. This will be a series of what I already know and, as always, He teaches me things as I write. Let your hearts be open to hear what God’s Holy Spirit will teach you combined with what you already know about Repentance and Holiness.
First repent and then be Holy?
Is it that simple?
Repentance means to do a 180. To turn away from sin.
Can we find true repentance without Holiness?
Yes and No.
Yes, because we can’t just automatically be holy,
however, He does have the power to forgive sin,
so if our sin is forgiven, does that mean we are Holy?
If we submit ourselves to our God, who is Holy, then we can.
And, once we realize His holiness, we will likely want more Holiness in our lives, and that means putting off our sinful nature, dying to sin daily
and longing to be in His presence more fully.
Being Holy as in Holiness to God
is quite different than what the world thinks of as Holy.
If we consider what the world might think of as holiness, they might consider the Catholic Saints Holy, the Pope maybe, the Apostles,
some might say Buddha or other false gods such as the Dahlia Lama.
God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, Adonai, Jesus the Christ is Holy.
Being able to see His Holiness is not something we see in the flesh.
In The Bible, there are a few descriptions of God’s Holiness.
In the year that king Uzziah died
I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up,
and His train filled the temple.
Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings;
with twain he covered His face, and with twain He covered his feet,
and with twain He did fly.
And one cried unto another, and said,
Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.
And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried,
and the house was filled with smoke. Isaiah 6:1-4
King David had a different reaction,
at least one person did not consider his reaction reverent.
That was Michal, his wife who hated him for his display.
King David danced before the Lord with all his might
when the Ark of the Covenant was being brought to Jerusalem.
David had been through a lot with God.
The Lord had brought him through many times of Saul wanting him dead
and God had spared his life.
Then, David wasn’t quite sure
when God killed someone for touching the Ark of the Covenant.
So, when David knew the Lord had His hand on him for good,
King David was more than pleased
and he danced with all his might before the Lord as the Ark entered Jerusalem.
Another reaction to God’s Holiness is that it brings about repentance,
a realization of our uncleanness.
King Josiah recognized God’s holiness
and then repented on behalf of the whole nation
as well as the previous Kings who had allowed sin to go on
and not paid the due respect to the Lord that caused God’s disfavor on Israel.
Because thine heart was tender,
and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord,
when thou heardest what I spake against this place,
and against the inhabitants thereof,
that they should become a desolation and a curse,
and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before Me;
I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. 2 Kings 22:19
When we are near God’s Holiness, we will respond in reverence.
That does not mean in a certain way.
That means that it has an effect on us.
We remember that God looks on our hearts.
We cannot see how He sees.
It’s impossible to try, but He might show us how He sees from time to time.
Throughout The Bible, God has revealed Himself to many different persons.
Moses was allowed to see God’s back.
Ezekiel was allowed to see visions of God and fell down in His presence.
Paul was unable to see and stand.
John was unable to stand.
Balaam didn’t realize at first he was in the presence of the Lord.
Each of the encounters made a lasting impression on those who saw the Lord.
They were forever changed
and God burned His Holiness into their souls and memories.
Know this:
God wants us to be separate from the world.
We cannot cleanse ourselves. We are cleansed from sin by Jesus’ blood.
That is the only way we can be cleansed.
Then, we must keep ourselves unspotted from the world.
Love not the world neither the things that are in the world.
Stay separate from the world and evil.
God said, Be ye Holy for I am Holy.
Scriptural References:
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this,
To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction,
and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
James 1:27
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.
If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 John 2:15
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord,
and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2 Corinthians 6:17
Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
1 Peter 1:15