What Do You Think You Are, Holy or Something?

[HKHaugan]

That’s the snide remark you get sometimes when objecting to surrounding obscene language and crude humor. It’s not comfortable and you stand to be ridiculed. But look at that question again. Are you holy or something? Well everybody is ‘something’ but are you holy? That is the question and hopefully you have an answer. It depends first on your attitude, the way you take a remark, secondly, pausing to think what it really means and thirdly, how you respond.

First, attitude. Jesus tells us that when we are reviled we are blessed (Mt.5:11-12). We are His
witnesses. He stands with us wherever we are.

Second, meaning. The word ‘holy’ has two meanings. The first, when used with God, means the only One who is ultimate and complete perfection of Spirit in thought, heart and action. The second, when used with
people, means to be spiritually set aside for God, consciously setting aside our mind, heart and reaction for His purpose.

Third, response. We stand down from prideful reaction and stand up in humility before God, assess with whom we are dealing, what the situation is and pray for the Spirit to respond through us in the name of
Jesus.

It may seem rather trivial to some when caustic remarks are thrown about. You just shrug them off and move on. But suppose there is a real opportunity to be a witness? We want to be spiritually ‘on the ready.’
The Holy Spirit is always present to support us. Think about it this way as a foundation for future reference and prayer. As believers in the risen and present Jesus as Lord we are dealing with three realities: a Holy God, a holy process and a holy relationship.

The initial word we are dealing with here is ‘holy.’ What that means is important. So let’s repeat the idea. First, relating to God it means the ultimate reality of perfection. When everything works totally and completely in harmony it is because a Holy God is allowed to run it. Second, relating to us it means being set aside to be and look like God. Jesus said that we are to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. Peter describes the Body of Christ as a holy nation, the ‘set aside’ family of believers.

The three realities of a Holy God, a holy process and a holy relationship need developing.

First, a Holy God. Leviticus 19:2 says, “…Be holy because I the Lord your God am holy.”

When we talk of a Holy God we are talking about ultimate perfection, purity of mind and heart, purity of thought,intention, attitude and action. Thereis nothing that can in any way be seen or described as inconsistency,capriciousness or whimsy or impulsiveness. This is why God became flesh so that He could demonstrate what a human being set apart to be holy looked like.

Even the demons knew who He is. Mk.1:24 ‘We know who you are, the Holy One of God.’ And the devil certainly knew who He was when he tried to tempt Him.

Second, a holy process. Lev. 20:7 “Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God.
Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.”

When we talk of a holy process we are looking at a perfect way to be set apart to reflect the holiness of God. The process is faith, which is a directive from the Holy God and is a holy requirement to be able to think and act in such a way as to be seen as an image of God. The prime example of a holy faith is Jesus who said that He only spoke the words His Father gave Him. He said that the work the Father had given Him was to obey His will as a human being and the Father’s will for us is to believe on the One He has sent.

Heb.2:14-18 says it perfectly------

Third, a holy relationship. Lev.20:26 “You are to be holy to me because I the Lord, am holy, and I have set
you apart from the nations to be my own.”

When we talk of a holy relationship it is important to see that relationship is by nature a God
structure because God by nature is relational---Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That relationship is the
foundation of all relational structures whether people be believers or not. Everything has a Trinitarian
nature to it. When we say that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself we are saying that not only people but every structure that makes up the world is to be reconciled to the Trinity. But it starts with the heart first since people form and run the structures. In all three we see God as He really is. We see His holiness because Jesus is the perfect image, the exact image of the Father.

These three basics were emphasized in their entirety and completeness when Jesus offered Himself as the
‘one, perfect and sufficient’ sacrifice on the Cross. He put in relief what a human being is supposed to look like as intended by God in Creation. All three are validated as the work of Christ, which was finalized on the Cross. Everything after the Resurrection can only be seen and done when the shadow of the Cross is allowed to fall on our hearts, our minds and our spirits. These directives and their practice are seen in Jesus who is the Holy One of God, God the Son, from above, the vertical beam of the Cross. He extends Himself in relationship to the world around Him in the horizontal beam (Hebrews 10:14-22).

It is the Cross that enables us to move into the presence of a Holy God and receive the Spirit of God by having a renewed relationship with God through Jesus the Son who gave His life for that purpose. This carries us to our purpose, that for which each of us has
been created and the purpose for the collected Body of Christ bringing in the coming of the Kingdom of God---bringing Jesus to the world around us, making disciples for Him, baptizing and teaching all that He commanded.

“What do you think you are, holy or something?” I hope so!

[HKHaugan]

Please excuse the different changes that separate lines, fonts and order of paragraphs. Ning.com doesn't seem to be able to get it straight yet. Excuse the format but read the content anyway. God bless you all. ><>Whitey