Psalm
29:2, “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the
LORD in the beauty of holiness.”
God
requires that we come before Him in holiness. If we are to enter into
His presence, we will do so under the covering of Holiness. The
Psalmist said it best, if we are to give God the glory that is due
Him, if we are to truly worship Him we will do so in His holiness.
Holiness is an indispensable element of our relationship with God.
Hebrews 12:14, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without
which no man shall see the Lord:”
Man
was created in the image of God, and until he sinned he was the
reflection of God. After the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the
Garden of Eden, God pronounced the curse of sin upon all creation.
All that God had created would carry the scar of man’s failure.
The sin in mortal man cannot be representative of God. Therefore, the sin must be cast aside and abandoned. That is done in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus provided everything we need to be a true disciple through His cleansing blood. Look to the cross, believe in the cleansing of Christ, be washed in His blood and He will make you clean and holy. We are then the reflection of God.
A
disciple of Christ will reflect the character of God. 1 Peter 1:16,
“Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” Peter’s
reference is to the command of God in Leviticus 11:44-45 for the
people of God to be holy as the one who has called them is holy.
Jesus was also our example and was without sin. 1 Peter 2:22, “Who
did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:”
Holiness
is a New Testament teaching and has become a serious issue in the
21th century church. If we believe and accept the Bible we must
declare that holiness is an absolute in the Body of Christ. The Body
of Christ is the Bride of Christ and is destined to be presented to
Christ as a holy bride washed in the blood of the lamb. Ephesians
5:25, “...Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by
the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church,
not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be
holy and without blemish.” The Bride will be presented in holiness.
Jesus shed His blood on the cross as a sacrifice to atone for our
sin. In Him, sin is cast aside and abandoned, never to be remembered.
The believer is wholly washed becoming a child of God and prepared to
be the reflection of his Father. Amen! (continued)
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