Shofar Stellenbosch | Our Fatherنموونە

Devotional: A Holy Father

To be holy means “to be set apart” or “be separate” or “to have different standards”. We need to know that God is holy; He is not like any of His creatures. Holiness is the character trait of God that is emphasized the most in the Bible. However, God’s holiness and perfection do not make Him an impersonal old man sitting in heaven just waiting to whack sinners who step out of line.

A.W. Tozer describes holiness this way:

“Holy is the way God is. To be holy means He does not conform to a standard. He is absolutely holy with an infinite, incomprehensible fullness of purity that is incapable of being other than it is. Because He is holy, His attributes are holy; that is, whatever we think of as belonging to God must be thought of as holy.”

God’s works and His ways are holy (Psalm 145:17, Psalm 19:1 – 2, Isaiah 55: 8 – 9). Nothing but the perfection and excellence come from God. This does not mean that God is intimidated by our imperfection. God revealed Himself as Jehovah M’kaddesh, which means “the Lord who makes holy or sanctifies” (Exodus 31:13). We must be transformed into God’s likeness so that we can reflect His glory on the earth. Sanctification happens through the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives – not through our own human efforts. The fruit of our sanctification means that you will reflect the character of Christ (Romans 8:9, 2 Corinthians 3:18).

Reflective questions:

1. What should our response to God’s holiness be? (Philippians 3:8, 1 John 3:3, Matthew 5:8, 1 John 2:6, Psalm 99:5)
2. What is sanctification? (1 Corinthians 1:30, Ephesians 5:1)
3. Are there things you have done in the past you feel ashamed of?
4. What are some of the areas where you feel God has called you to set a standard in order to influence some of your friends positively?