Be Holy (Part Two)

Good day

In the previous message we said that because the Lord is holy and therefore set aside for His purposes, we need to be holy and set aside for our purposes.

What is the Lord’s purpose? Why did He select Abraham and from him developed the nation Israel? Why did He send His son to humiliate Himself and die the horrible death on the cross?

We read in John 3:16 the famous passage: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life,” and in 1 Timothy 2:1-4 we are encouraged to pray so “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

The world is a war zone where Satan does his ultimate to prevent the abovementioned desires of the Lord to happen. God on the other hand does not fight Satan, but has always availed Himself to His people to use His power to resist Satan and to rule their own territory with the Lord as their support – first the nation of Israel, and now the gentiles in Christ Jesus as well.

It is, however, a Biblical fact that Israel had to be disciplined regularly because they deserted the Lord often. To put it His own words in Jeremiah 2:5, 7 and 8: “What injustice have your fathers found in Me, that they have gone far from Me, have followed idols, and have become idolaters? I brought you into a bountiful country, to eat its fruit and its goodness. But when you entered, you defiled My land and made My heritage an abomination. The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ And those who handle the law did not know Me; The rulers also transgressed against Me; the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.”

After having used prophets the many times He tried to win His people back, God then sent His own son as the greatest Prophet to show His people Israel a new way where they don’t need to keep the law anymore. This privilege was extended to the whole world through the apostle Paul and the publication of the Bible. But has the Lord changed? No, He is still a jealous God who wants His people and His glory for Himself. He is still holy and set aside for Himself. 

And have the people changed? No, we still forsake the Lord and run after idols. Just have a look at your life and calculate how much time and attention you really give to the Lord and His Kingdom needs and how well you know Him and how available you are to change.

Therefore, as we mentioned in the last message, we are told in Philippians 2:12-16: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing (these are the things the Lord prompts us to do in order to change), that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life...”

What do we need to be saved from? It is from all the things that keep us from being holy - being set aside for God and His Kingdom. Israel served the gods of the nations around them. Who do you serve? There are many gods we serve today that are subtly introduced to us by the spiritual ‘nations’ around us: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places,” (Ephesians 6:12). Like Israel had to decide not to ‘defile the Lord’s land’ by following idols and not to ‘walk after things that do not profit’, we need to decide the same.

God’s land is our hearts and bodies, and like the ungodly nations tempted Israel to serve idols on the land that belonged to God, so the evil spirits tempt us to serve idols with our hearts and bodies – land that belongs to God. This is why Paul encourages us to work at getting saved from all these things that stop us from being altogether holy – set aside for God.

What are these idols? They are anything of the world that does not relate to God’s Kingdom and can be very subtle and easily justifiable. What is it that stands in your way to serve God wholeheartedly? Is it maybe sport, socialising, television, a career or religion? Religion encompasses your ‘wonderful’ pastor or great church – anything that keeps you from accomplishing your personal calling and holiness. 

Holy Spirit, please show me my idols.

We will continue next time.