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A Glimpse of Holiness

On Sunday morning, many churches sing an upbeat praise chorus that calls for believers to honor the Lord with a sacrifice of praise. I can't help but wonder just how many of those who sing this song are able to answer the question: What is a sacrifice of praise?

We find the answer in Hebrews 13:15: "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name." A sacrifice of praise is the confession of the names of the Lord—it is speaking His name in relationship to our personal life.

We must always keep in mind two things as we praise the name of the Lord.

First, our praise is to go to each person of the Holy Trinity. In Revelation 5:13 we read, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" God the Father is described in this verse as the One who sits on the throne. God the Son is described as the Lamb.

Second, we must never take our adoption as God's children for granted.

When we truly catch a glimpse of what it means to be God's child, we must hold fast to that truth. We must remind ourselves often that we are heirs and a reflection of our heavenly Father (see Galatians 4:6-7). We are in relationship with Elohim, almighty God, and it is a great privilege to say to Him, "Abba"— Daddy God.

When we catch a glimpse of all that God has done for us through Christ Jesus, we must hold our new birth as being precious. Because of what Christ purchased for us on the cross, we are members of His body, we are in relationship with other joint heirs of His grace, and we have a heavenly home that Jesus is preparing for us. We must be ever aware of how privileged we are to be called sons and daughters of the Most High. What a responsibility we bear as we praise God's name!

Many people are uncomfortable with the word holy—they think it refers to unreasonable restrictions on their behavior or appearance. The word holy, however, means to be cleansed and separated for God's purposes. All Christians are called to be holy. We are called to be cleansed of our sins by the shed blood of Christ, sealed for God's purposes by the power of the Holy Spirit, and to live righteous lives for God.

Ultimately, it is God Himself who is the Holy Temple in which all of us live and move and have our being. John wrote in his revelation of heaven, "I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple" (Revelation 21:22).

We are made holy not only by being in God's presence, but also by having His presence in us. The apostle Paul wrote eloquently about our being temples of the Holy Spirit on this earth: "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple" (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

The Holy Spirit who lives within us sanctifies us. If it was up to us to live a holy life on our own strength, or to cleanse our lives by our own efforts, we all would have bombed out long ago. It is not our own efforts, but God's work within us that makes us holy. We are holy because He says we are holy.

What a tremendous and awesome mystery that we can be made and called holy by a holy God! Praise God today that He is Jehovah-Mekaddish. He is our holiness!

Scripture to think on: 

 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.—2 Timothy 2:21