Can Holiness be Beautiful?

Can Holiness be Beautiful?

     “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” (Psalms 29:2 – AKJV)

You may have heard the story of the little boy who expressed his belief that the mule in the family’s farmyard was a Christian.

Asked what led him to that conclusion, he said, “It has such a long face.”

What a grim and sad view of what should be and how far it is from reality! Those who are true followers of Christ can experience the joy of the Lord, even while passing through hard times.

The view of a Christian suffering under the burden of trying to live a holy life is a distortion, a shame. And a bad testimony redemption is supposed to be.

The world gains an impression from such images that Christians are “holier-than-thou” people who look down upon those who don’t “measure up” to their standards. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Those who go around with long faces, and present a grim image to outsiders, have either not experience the power of Christ for themselves, or they have lost their joy somewhere along the way. To the true follower of Christ holiness is a beautiful thing – it is something imparted by God, and not self-generated.

It is a tremendous burden trying to be holy when you know for a fact nothing good exists in you:

                For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good [is] not. (Romans 7:18 – NASB)

Hebrews 12:10 tells us we can be partakers of God’s holiness.

Peter reminds us that we can be partakers of the divine nature, and this escape the corruption that is in the world:

For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of [the] divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. (2 Peter 1:4 – NASB)

So when can holiness be beautiful?

• Holiness can be beautiful when it is not self-generated, but imparted by the love and grace of Christ.
• Holiness is beautiful when it is accompanied by love and mercy.
• Holiness is beautiful when it walks hand in hand with humility.

There are no doubt other characteristics that make holiness a beautiful thing, but there is no need for us to walk about with long faces and a self-righteous aspect.

“…for the kingdom of God is … righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17 – NASB)

The Beauty of Holiness

(21st May 1992)

     “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” (Psalms 29:2 – AKJV)

The beauty of holiness is not always seen

By those who are dazzled by the worldly scene.

They think that the quiet and clean living one

Must needs be encumbered, and life’s for him done—

 A dreary existence that few can still bear—

Enter upon it? None of them dare.

Because of their blindness, their failure to think,

They pass by such beauty, and don’t even blink

When a man or a woman, of pure heart and mind,

Performs such deeds of the manner and kind

That lift up the fallen, encourage the weak:

Reach out with compassion to those who seek.

They miss that twinkle in the eye of faith,

And the glow of glory in the believer’s face,

And haven’t a clue of the joy and peace

That comes when thoughts of self decease;

Or the light of Heaven that fills the eye

When the merest whisper of truth floats by.

The beauty of holiness — an impossible goal —

Unless it is planted by God in the soul,

Is the only hunger and thirst, I find,

That fills all the being, the heart and mind.

And, though no one else can see it’s glory,

I want this theme to be “my story.”

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Seeking Perfection

Seeking Perfection

We all agree absolute perfection is impossible in this life – but what about a perfect heart of devotion to God? And what about a heart made perfect in love, which the apostle John clearly declares is not only possible, but expected:

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. (1 John 4:18 – NASB)

We carry about the “Nobody’d Perfect” mantra with such zeal and commitment that it paralyses us from striving after perfection. We have forgotten what our Lord said in the Beatitudes:

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (Matthew 5:6 – NASB)

Satisfied with what? Why, satisfied with righteousness, of course! The King James version uses the word “filled.” Hungering and thirsting after righteousness will result in us being filled with righteousness.

Speaking of the discipline our fathers gave us, the writer to the Hebrews declares:

For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he [God disciplines us] for [our] profit, that [we] might be partakers of his holiness.

Whose holiness can we be partakers of? His (God’s) holiness. We are so convinced of our own inability to be holy we forget it is not our holiness God is expecting from us. He is expecting us to accept His discipline in our lives so we may partake of His holiness.

How Close?

(1992)

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of [them] whose heart [is] perfect toward him . . .” (2 Chronicles 16:9)

How close can one get

To the likeness of God’s Son?

How close to His image,

The pure and Holy One?

How close can God mould me?

How close can He get

The perfect reflection

To shine from me yet?

Some say there’s no reason

To expect very much

For mankind’s so sinful,

And temptation such

That it’s hopeless to hunger,

To thirst for that prize:

The soul that is blameless

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Easter Must Happen Inside Us

Easter Must Happen Inside Us

Easter must happen inside us, or it is nothing more than a historical event.

Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have become united with [Him] in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be [in the likeness] of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; ⁷ for he who has died is freed from sin. (Romans 6:2-7 – NASB)

It is possible to believe in the death and resurrection of Christ and yet not fully experience the reality of it in a personal way.

God’s purpose is for Christ’s death and resurrection to not only believed, but also be re-enacted in us. I know this is an incredible thought and almost unbelievable if approached with human reason. It is, however the core of the Gospel message. If the death and resurrection of Christ happened to Him alone, then it is merely a historical event that has little impact upon our lives personally.

Jesus Christ did not just die and rise again for Himself. He did it for us, so it follows that what happened to Him ought also to happen to us – if we believe.

No other Scripture brings this out more clearly that the passage we have here before us.

There are two words we need to understand with regard to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The first is SUBSTITUTION. It means when Jesus died on the Cross He was our substitute, that is He was punished for the sins we had committed. He paid the debt of sin we should have paid.  Instead of us being punished for our sin, He was punished instead.

The other word that is just as vital is IDENTIFICATION. This word means that, by faith, what happened to Jesus in his death and resurrection also happened to me. He died, and spiritually I died with Him. My sinful life died as He died. It also means when He was raised from the dead, I was raised to newness of life. It is absolutely vital we understand this. Easter is not just a memorial service where we remember that Jesus died and rose again. Easter is a victory celebration in that we rejoice in experiencing the death and resurrection of Jesus in our personal lives.

1. When HE died WE died.

That is, our old lives and our old sin nature died with Him.

³ Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptised into His death?

…knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin…

If we truly believe Christ died for us, we must also believe that something also died in us. The apostle called it our body of sin, also called our sin nature. That something in us that causes us to sin has been done away with.  We no longer have to be slaves of sin.

2. When HE rose WE rose with Him

For if we have become united with [Him] in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be [in the likeness] of His resurrection (v.5)

3. We Must Appropriate the Death and Resurrection of Christ for ourselves

Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11 – NASB)

It is not what men eat but what they digest that makes them strong; not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich; not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned; not what we preach but what we practice that makes us Christians. – Francis Bacon.

Unused truth becomes as useless as an unused muscle.  A.W. Tozer, That Incredible Christian.

God our Father has made all things depend on faith so that whoever has faith will have everything, and whoever does not have faith will have nothing. – Martin Luther.

Easter Happened in Me

© Friday 3^rd April 2015 – by Christopher Shennan)

Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11 – NASB)

Easter didn’t just happen to Jesus;

It happened to me and to you.

By our faith when He died, we also died;

And by faith we were raised up, too.

It’s not just a lesson of history,

Speaking of an ancient event;

It’s a living, present realty –

Straight to my heart it’s been sent.

Though I live in this present, evil day,

I was also there at the Cross;

By faith I died when my dear Saviour died,

By faith all my sin I lost.

I was also there when He rose again

And the stone was then rolled away;

I was raised again to a life of bliss,

And I’m living this life, today.

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Perfection – The Impossible Dream”

Perfection – The Impossible Dream”

I have heard the phrase, “Nobody’s Perfect” so often it has begun to feel like a dentist’s drill boring into my brain.

What I believe to be impossible, I will never reach out for.

“Nobody’s perfect,” is like static on a radio; it prevents clear reception and distorts what the radio is saying.

The oft repeated phrase, “Nobody’s perfect” does the same thing to those seeking to understand what the Scripture  says about holiness of life and what God has promised to do in the human heart.

Let me first establish that absolute perfection is not what we are talking about here. Absolute perfection belongs only to God.

There are, however, perfections that God can work in the human soul. These perfections are clearly taught in Scripture, but we can’t hear them or acknowledge them because “Nobody’s perfect” has drowned them out. The mantra of worldly wisdom has caused us to dismiss the possibility of a higher life.

In an article of this size I can only touch on what Scripture declares is possible for those who believe. Before you continue, however, switch off the “Nobody’s Perfect” button, and consider seriously, just once, what God would have you believe:

You can be FILLED with Righteousness

Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. (Matthew 5:6 – AKJV)

Filled with what? Or, as the New American Standard Bible puts it, satisfied with what. We can be filled of satisfied with what? With RIGHEOUSNESS.

You can share GOD’S Holiness

Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?¹⁰ For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He [disciplines us] for [our] good, so that we may share His holiness. (Hebrews 12:9-10 – NASB)

You may not feel holy in yourself, but you can share in God’s holiness.

You can PARTAKE of the divine Nature

…seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. ⁴ For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of [the] divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. (2 Peter 1:3-4 – NASB)

According to Peter, who himself had many imperfections, God has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

Further, by believing God’s promises we can become partakers of [the] divine nature.

Now let us look at just one me:

You can be made PERFECT in Love

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18 – AKJV)

The one who fears has not been made perfect in love, but what about the one who has overcome that fear.  They could only have done so in one way – by being made perfect in love.

You and I have a choice to make. Either we must wave the “Nobody’s perfect” banner, or cling to the Biblical mandate that what is impossible with man is possible with God.

Nobody’s Perfect?

(1990)

“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.” (Genesis 17:1)

“Nobody’s perfect,” as the saying goes,

And, “Everyone stumbles,” as everyone knows.

The truth of these statements no one can deny,

And yet, in some senses, that “truth” is a lie.

It’s true when you think of God’s Holy Perfection,

And all of His glory beyond man’s conception.

It’s true when no spot and no wrinkle appears

On the Nature of God in ten million light years.

And when you consider the life of God’s Son,

It’s ludicrous thinking that even just one

Other member of the human race,

Can claim to be perfect – the thought’s a disgrace.

And yet, what God said to this father of faith,

Is enough, or should be, to show you God’s Grace.

God has power to impart, at the whim of His will,

Such “perfection” as pleases His heart to instil.

Oh, not that perfection of the absolute kind,

But “perfect” submission of the will, heart and mind.

And the book of 2 Peter, chapter one and verse four,

Gives the people of God ground to hope for much more.

For it says there so plain that God’s promise is true,

That, by faith, divine nature is imparted to you.

Oh, ne’er must I glory in the wisdom of man,

But to trust in God’s promises? I know I can!

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Hungry for the Top

Hungry for the Top

(Picture credits at end of post)

Sir Edmund Hilary, who, conquered Everest in the early 1950’s, described himself as “hungry for the summit.” It was to this “hunger” he largely ascribed his success in conquering such a daunting mountain; he could not rest until he had accomplished his goal.

Very few of us would have aspirations climb Everest to and reach the summit of the world; even fewer would have that desperate hunger to reach at goal as Edmund Hilary and a few others had.

And so, it seems, is the case with the Christian church.

There are many who are quite content to wade in the shallows of spiritual attainment, but a mere handful who cannot help but plunge into the deep things of God.

There are many in the church who are happy to claim the many benefits of being a Christian, but few who would risk all to claim the rewards of absolute surrender to Christ as Lord.

Many of us in this current church age are happy to dwell on the lower slopes of God’s mountain, but few who wish to explore the peaks of Christian experience, and even fewer with a hunger to reach the top.

And yet, that is what we have all been called to as Jesus makes clear in His Sermon on the Mount.

Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. (Matthew 5:6 – AKJV)

In the heart of every true disciple is a holy dissatisfaction with mediocrity. They hunger for the top – for the zenith of all that Christ has purchased for His people with His own blood. They will not sully themselves with the pat phrases Christians bandy about, such as, “We know that nobody is perfect.” They see this, and other generalizations as mere excuses not to reach for the highest. They cling to promises such as that in Hebrews:

For they [our fathers] disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He [disciplines us] for [our] good, so that we may share His holiness. (Hebrews 12:10 – NASB)

These true disciple seek to follow in the footsteps of Paul who declared:

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

(Philippians 3:14 – NASB)

These noble souls want to be “made perfect in love.” As depicted in the first letter of John.

The Noble Few

(© Monday 2^nd March 2015 – by Christopher Shennan)

Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. (Matthew 5:6 – AKJV)

Lord, please make me dissatisfied

With a life of languish and ease;

Plant in me a hunger to know

The fullness of Love, and to please.

Don’t let me dwell on lower planes

Of the mountain of Truth and Light;

Make me a part of the noble few

That are willing to join the fight.

They are willing to fight for Truth,

And hunger to reach for the top;

No half-hearted quest can be theirs –

They will give it all that they’ve got.

I want to be part of this band

Of brave souls whose hearts are afire;

They spurn the cool age they live in,

And always want to go higher.

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