holiness.

With my job, I am fortunate enough to sit directly under the teaching of Matt Dean. Every Tuesday morning, our staff team meets together to discuss and learn more about the Word of God. Our desire is to grow in our knowledge, yes, but our main goal is to know Him and make Him known in our daily lives. Recently we read a book about Leviticus. Now, if you're like me, you wonder why on earth someone would want to read more into that book of the Bible. I use to want to hurry through Leviticus so that I could get onto the more interesting stuff. There is so much more to it. I recommend reading "The Way to Wholeness" by Stedman. This book dissects Leviticus and brings it into our own reality. 

After reading this book, Matt asked each one of us to write a paper answering this question... "What does the holiness of God mean for my life?" And this is what I came up with.

I am called to be Holy as He is Holy. In other words, I am whole, as he is whole. Doing anything outside of recognizing this is me disowning the cross. The Law, which is the knowledge of God's holiness, points to the cross. In every detail of the Law, every small step it takes to become forgiven and right before the eyes of the Lord shows me the glimpse into the holiness of God. He is set apart. Through every single sacrifice, I can't help but think of the cross. I am reminded over and over again of the brokenness and inability to keep the Law of the Israelites. I am just like them, living in a broken world incapable of being in His holy presence without a sacrifice because of my sin. Because of the cross, the ultimate sacrifice, I am able to enter into that presence. All it took was one sacrifice to bring forgiveness on all people. I am forgiven, therefore, I should live forgiven. "You are to be Holy, as I, the Lord, am Holy," this is said by God knowing that the cross would occur, because the cross is the only way for me to be holy with God. It puts a fear inside of me, that draws me closer to Him rather than further away. Why? Because to understand His holiness, means for me to understand mine. I can never be separated from Him. So I seek Him to know who I am and to understand my priesthood. "In Him, I live and move and have my being..." This is what I know. This is what it means for me today.

 

What does the holiness of God mean for YOUR life?