When you think of the word "holy," what images pop into your head? Do holy people wear long robes with halos floating above their heads? Is holiness the act of constantly reading your Bible, praying to God, having quite time and the like? God declares that we are to be holy because He is holy (Lev. 11:45), but what exactly does that mean?
While many of us are very familiar with the word "holy," it is not a word that we really understand well. Ray Stedman contends that the meaning behind holiness is best understood in terms of the word "wholeness." He is a beautiful person. He is absolutely what a person ought to be. He is filled with joy and love and peace. He lives in wholeness. And he looks at us in our brokenness and says to us, 'You too, shall be whole.'"
This lens of holiness allows us to see God's mercy on us. He sees us as sick, weak, and broken. More than just making us perfect, God wants to mend our brokenness and see us made whole again. It is easy to look at the law and see the restrictions that are borne out of it, rather than the freedom that it brings. But God did not place restrictions on us; He provided us with a cure for the disease of sin. We were broken and bitter, and God took pity on us. Through His Law, He showed us how to live in wholeness. When we failed, He came to earth and repaired us with His blood.
Living Life
Monday, October 17, 2011
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