In the Old Testament, God instructed Moses to consecrate Aaron and his sons to the priesthood. - Ex. 29:9 - The children of Israel were admonished to 'remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy'. - Ex. 20:8 - The "Holy of Holies" (or "Holiest of All") was the most sacred place in the desert tabernacle and in the Temple of Jerusalem. - Ex.26:33; Heb. 9:1-9 -
Elisha was called a 'holy man of God'. - 2Kin. 4:9 - Herod feared John the Baptist, 'knowing that he was a just and holy man'. - Mark 6:19-20 - While holy is sometimes used in ceremonial sense, the main use is to describe God's righteousness demanded of His followers. Originating in God's nature, holiness is a unique quality of His character.
In the New Testament, Jesus was the very personification of holiness; He reinforced God's demands for holiness by insisting that His disciples must have a higher quality of righteousness than that of the scribes and Pharisees.
For I tell you, if your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. - Matt. 5:20 -
Like the prophets, Jesus appealed for more than ceremonial holiness.
This is why I have torn them to pieces by the prophets,
why I slaughtered them with the words from my mouth,
since what I want is love, not sacrifice,
knowledge of God, not holocausts. - Hosea 6:5-6 -
And if you had understood the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the blameless. For the Son of Man is master of sabbath. - Matt. 12:7-8 -
Like Jesus, the apostles taught that sanctification, or true holiness expressed itself in patient and loving service while awaiting the Lord's return. Peter urged the suffering Christians to follow God's example of holiness in their trails.
Do not behave in the way that you liked to before you learnt the truth; make a habit of obedience: to be holy in all you do, since it is the Holy One who has called you, and scripture says: be holy, for I am holy. - 1Pet. 1:14-16 -
Paul's prayer for the saints and thanks God at Thessalonica is timeless in its application to the Church and individual believers.
May the Lord be generous in increasing your love and make you love one another and the whole human race as much as we love you. And may he so confirm your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless in the sight of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus Christ comes with all his saints. - 1Thess. 3:12-13; 4:1-12 -
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Sunday, May 24, 2009
I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -
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