Chapter 1 - The Holy Grail
Quotable Sproul: "We often confuse the words "hallowed be your name" with part of the address, as if the words were "hallowed is your name." In that case the words would merely be an ascription of praise to God. But that is not how Jesus said it. He uttered it as a petition, as the first petition. We should be praying that God's name be hallowed, that God be regarded as holy."
Allowing God's Holiness to Touch Our Lives - 3 questions
1) "When you think of God as holy, what comes to your mind?"
I consider God's holiness as something more that what He does -- His thoughts, actions, words, etc. It is so much more about who He is, and it seems that it is not simply that God IS holy, that God IS perfect, that God IS righteous. God's holiness defines His character, His essence, His personality -- something vastly different from my own.
2) "Are you attracted to God's holiness?"
I am extremely attracted to His holiness, yet I am so afraid of it. I love the thought of my very being being completely transformed into something that it is not, something holy, righteous, pure. In my sinfulness, however, I am deathly afraid of standing before His Holiness, despite knowing that through Jesus Christ and what He has done for me, I can approach Him confidently. If the wretchedness of my lifestyle (thoughts, words, actions, etc) can be revealed to me while I am alive, I can only imagine in horror what would be revealed if I stood immediately before Him.
3) "What does it mean for you to be holy in the coming week?"
Obviously, it first means that my personhood, including my behaviors, must glorify a holy God in my day-to-day living. But even more obvious than that, it means a whole lot more than simply philosophizing about it. Writing about being holy is one thing, putting it into practice is another.
In my pre conversion days I didn't want to be Holy. My definition of Holy was....
ReplyDelete1. follow all the rules?
a. no fun
b. long face
c. judge others as hopeless
It was a state that was impossible for me, and very boring. I didn't understand holy. I also felt that in order to enter a church that I had to make myself holy first.
The first song I learned in church was "Just as I am" and even though I know that's true as far as Jesus goes, I didn't feel it in the congragation. They were watching me for change because "just as I was", was disturbing....
I really believed that if I followed all the moral rules and spoke the "language" and looked the "church" part I would be holy.
WOE WAS ME!
Fast forward to today...I WANT to be holy and know without God's grace and spirit, it's not possible. But more than that, I want to represent Jesus and his holiness in a way that doesn't turn people off and that makes me wonder, how many people in my life want to be like me? What was it about christians when I was young that made christianity look painful, judgmental, sad, and boring? How do I make walking with Jesus look exciting and peaceful. How can I draw others to seek what they see in me? My head hurts.....I have a lot to think about........
Terry, isn't it amazing what Christians have done to force others into a box we think they should fit into? I had the same issues growing up, and still struggle with them every now and again.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, that is the irony: being a Christian, yet being yourself, yet being different...all at the same time.
Terry, you DO make following Christ attractive. You have a very caring, compassionate, and sensitive spirit. Sometimes we sin and may cause others to question us, but your personality shows that something is different about you.
You hit on something very interesting: "My definition of holy". That's the next chapter in the book, and I'll be posting that shortly.