HeartQuest 101

These are notes for my Bible study class on Sunday mornings at 9:45, a book called Downpour by James MacDonald. Today we will look at what Jesus was doing on the cross.

What was Jesus Doing on the Cross?

The cross is the signature symbol of the central event in human history. It was a symbol of execution until the second century when Constantine saw a vision of it and banned it as an instrument of execution. Today people are often casual about it and can wear it as a piece of jewelry, without understanding the meaning of the symbol.

He was substituting:

Between two robbers, thieves or better translated, revolutionaries, Jesus took the place of mankind, just as He did for Barabbas (Matthew 27:26). Jesus paid the penalty for us; He took the death that we all deserve (Romans 6:23, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 5:8).

He was scandalizing:

The cross is an outrageous offense that evokes intense reactions from those who are not saved. Look across America at the intense, irrational hatred of Jesus. Why all the illogical animosity toward Jesus Christ? Would people react the same way to Krishna, or Mohammed, a Hindu or the Buddha?

There is an army of darkness that has it’s sights on Christianity. To really live for Christ, we are going to experience this scandalizing hatred (John 7:7, 15:18).

He was suffering:

First century executions were not like today. They wanted to torture and completely humiliate the criminal. For Jesus, the pain was a lesser issue; it was the separation and abandonment that Jesus experienced that caused His suffering (Matthew 27:46).  He was forsaken by the Father and surrounded by darkness.

He was satisfying:

The curtain of the temple was torn in two (Matthew 27:51). The temple represented God’s presence. He lived in the Holy of Holies. The curtain represented that which separates man from God. It was torn from top to bottom, as if God was ripping it apart, saying “the way is now open, come into My presence, the wrath is diverted, My Son paid your penalty.” The debt is satisfied.

Why doesn’t God do something about sin? He did! It is finished (John 19:30).

Four Pictures of Grace.

Grace is undeserved, unmerited, unlearned; and received as a gift. It is not justice (getting what you deserve) or mercy (not getting what you deserve) because grace is getting something that you do not deserve.

Grace that redeems – the penalty is gone:

There was nothing special about any of us; God chose to set His love on us (Colossians 1:14). It is a picture of payment to God; not to come and get us but to pay a price to get us back.

Grace that releases – the power is gone:

Redemption without release is like a mountain climber who stays at base camp. It is not just that we have a home in heaven, but that we can be released from the power of sin here and now. No longer will we be slaves to sin; we have been set free. We have the power to say no to sin. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us today (Romans 6:13, 14).

Grace that reconciles – the prejudice is gone:

Grace causes us to reconcile with every class, race and culture. The walls of separation are broken down (Ephesians 2:14). There are no barriers. The people of God should be the most diverse place on the planet because Christ makes us one, united in spirit. Not only is the wall broken down, but hostility is gone (Ephesians 2:15-16). We must hate every form of prejudice in our society.

Grace that removes – the past is gone:

All sins are wiped away because of the cross (Luke 23:42, 10:33-35, 15:11-31, Matthew 20:8-15). So, where is my debt? It is cancelled (Colossians 2:14). Sometimes the greatest barrier is the way we see ourselves: we don’t feel worthy of God’s love; maybe too ashamed for what we have done or what we were.

Not until we grasp the gravity of our sin problem can we grasp the amazing solution that God has provided by grace. He has redeemed us, released us, reconciled us and removed the shame from us.

 Print This Post

These are notes for my Bible study class on Sunday mornings at 9:45, a book called Downpour by James MacDonald. Today we will look at five marks of genuine repentance.

What is repentance?

Repentance is the funnel through which all personal revival flows. After we have seen God’s holiness and been brought to a place of personal brokenness over our sin, repentance is the first step in the personal cleanup of the wreckage that sin brings. Here are a few passages regarding repentance: Matthew 3:2, 6:12, Luke 15:7, Acts 3:19, 17:30.

Repentance is change inside of me, in every way and at every level. Change not on the outside but in me. There’s a three-part definition: recognition of sin for what it is (heartfelt sorrow) culminating in a change of behavior. I see sin for what it is (changing my mind) and experience heartfelt sorrow (changing my heart). Then I determine to change my behavior (changing my will).

Repentance is a work of God; where God grants repentance (2 Timothy 2:25 (NIV)). It is a gift of God to anyone who wholeheartedly seeks Him. It’s not easy, only God can grant to us repentance from all that we have failed to do on our own.

Here are the five marks of repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9, 10, 11). Paul lists eleven fruits but are grouped here into five categories:

Grief over sin:

We must lose the grip we have that life is all together. We need to feel like a worm and recognize sin for what it is. If we desire to go higher, we must go lower. Here are a few responses of people who have made contact with the Lord: Genesis 18:27, Job 42:6, Isaiah 6:5, Luke 5:8, Revelation 1:17. The essence is heartfelt sorrow and regret over sin. This sin is always against God, not just against other people.

The word used is lupeo, meaning “greatly distressed,” like the feeling the disciples had after hearing Jesus’ announcement of His crucifixion (Matthew 17:23). It is used 26 times in the NT; half of those in 2 Corinthians; half of those right here in this passage.

Repulsion over sin:

See what godly grief has produced in you (2 Corinthians 7:11). To see means to behold; repentance brings with it an urgency about my relationship with God and strong negative feelings toward anything that would injure it. Those activities no longer bring happiness.

Restitution toward others:

Repentance does not demand anything, but it does request reconciliation; it is not concerned with what another person’s part may have been but what my own part has been. I am the one who is to do whatever it takes to make it right. Repentance is concerned about the people who are affected by my sin. We should be innocent in matters (2 Corinthians 7:11) meaning free of guilt, blameless in the eyes of others. Many people what to be right with God but will not make it right with others. We are to be bridge-builders for reconciliation. No more blaming. No more excuses.

Revival toward God:

Repentance brings an obvious restoration I our relationship with God. Your heart will become sensitive to sin, hunger for the Word of God, and crave less the things of the world. Fear is an attitude of the heart that seeks a right relationship to the fear source.  Fear of the Lord is a good thing (Proverbs 9:10, Luke 23:40). It is an increased awareness and respect for God.

All of a sudden church is not a chore for the repentant person, there is a longing and zeal (2 Corinthians 7:11). Bible study is not a burden. Joy in the Lord has returned. There is a realization that life is temporary. Revival is renewed interest in God after a period of indifference and decline.

Moving Forward:

We are to move forward and not look back; no “if only’s…” that bring regret (2 Corinthians 7:10). Repentance without regret! Move beyond self-punishment that is stuck in the past and won’t move toward the future. Worldly grief produces death, separation from God and hell for eternity. Let’s keep these five marks of repentance in the forefront.

 Print This Post

I think Henry Blackaby put his finger exactly on the point when Baptist Press reported, “If Southern Baptists want to see a ‘Great Commission Resurgence,’ Henry Blackaby believes they need to focus on the relationship between disciples and the living Lord Jesus, not launch a new emphasis on evangelism.” 

Blackaby also said, “I have felt for a long time that Southern Baptists have focused on evangelism and missed discipleship. The most important part of the Great Commission is teach them to practice everything I have commanded you. That’s discipleship and that’s the heart of the Great Commission. If we want to have a resurgence in the Great Commission, there’s got to be a refocusing on the priorities of Christ for discipleship.”

 Print This Post

I was reading Oswald Chambers this morning and was fascinated by this observation… “Jesus does not ask me to die for Him, but to lay down my life for Him.” During the instruction time after the Last Supper, Jesus brings up the topic of his departure which prompted Peter to declare, “I will lay down my life for You” (John 13:37). Peter usually had an affinity for the dramatic and speaking up for the group (Mark 9:5, 10:28, 29, 14:47, John 18:10, Mark 11:21, Matthew 14:28, 15:15, 18:21, Luke 12:41), but I sense there is more here than just a willingness to die for Jesus.

 We should be able to make that very same statement, because Jesus is still asking, “Will you lay down your life for Me?” (John 13:38). The point is that it is much easier to say we will die for Christ or for the sake of the gospel than it is to lay down our lives each and every day. I see a picture of surrender and submission to His will and authority. We must walk in the light in our everyday activities. He calls us not necessarily to die for Him but to live for Him.

For 33 years Jesus was on this earth and laid down His life to do the will of His Father. I see an interesting parallel in Scripture between John 3:16 and 1 John 3:16. The first mentions the passion, purpose and provision of the Father (He loved, gave and offers life). In the latter we have our Christian mandate, model and mission, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us, we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (we love, give to others, and lay down our lives). It is not easy because it is contrary to our human nature to do this.

We are selfish and self-preserving, but if we are friends of Jesus, we must deliberately and carefully lay down our lives for Him; love Him, learn of Him and live for Him. Salvation is easy for us, only because it cost God so much, but exhibiting salvation in our lives is quite difficult. It’s good that we don’t go through this life alone; we need His strength and have the Spirit to guide us. Involvement in a solid Christian community is also a wonderful benefit to living a meaningful life in the world.

 Print This Post

.

These are notes for my Bible study class on Sunday mornings at 9:45, a book called Downpour by James MacDonald. Last time the lesson was on holiness, and it was significant to point out that we need to know what holiness is, because God expects us to be holy (1 Peter 1:16).

Drop the umbrella:

We have an umbrella that keeps the showers of God’s blessings from reaching us, it is called sin. Sin is not in the neighborhood, or in the newspaper; it’s in the mirror. If you have ever asked the question of why you don’t feel as close to God as you used to, the answer is sin. You can study the Bible all day and serve faithfully in the church, but the bottom line is that you have to deal with sin; and deal with it God’s way.

We must take sin seriously because it brings God’s wrath (Romans 1:18). We fail to conform to God’s Word and His standard. Hamartia is the word for missing the mark or target. And missing it brings death (Romans 3:23).

The origin of sin goes back to the Garden of Eden; they chose their own way and did the one thing God told them not to do (Genesis 3:6-7). From then on we have passed on a sin nature to all mankind, like a genetic disease. This makes every unbeliever an enemy of God.

The extent of our sin:

We all are sinners, to claim anything else would be self-deceit. When we acknowledge it, we forget it is a slippery slope that leads to ruin. Sin intends to do much harm:

• Sin will pursue you (Genesis 4:7, 11, 12) by crouching at the door and desiring us.
• Sin will disappoint you (Hebrews 11:25) by bringing pleasure for only a short time.
• Sin will trip you up (Hebrews 12:1) by spotting your weakness and catching you off-guard.
• Sin will enslave you (Romans 6:16) by making you obey through addiction.
• Sin will expose you (Proverbs 28:13, Number 32:23) by bringing your secret sin into the open.

Sin is my choice:

There are no excuses like, everybody’s doing it, or it’s not that bad, or I haven’t hurt anyone. Sin suppresses the fact of God’s existence (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Theologians call this our God-consciousness. You’ve got to work hard to suppress the sense that somebody’s out there. He sees me and is keeping track. Sin is the attempt to push this sense down.

Your conscience accuses you; that internal alarm that knows right from wrong. No one can plead ignorance, God has made himself clearly seen (Romans 1:19), and He has written it on our hearts (Romans 2:14-15). Can you let your conscience be your guide? Nope!

• Your conscience is conditioned by what you know. The more you get into God’s Word, the more tender your conscience gets.
• Your conscience is conditioned by what you do. It is made tender by doing right and becomes calloused when you do wrong. It is possible to sear your conscience, and actually lose the capacity to feel pain (1 Timothy 4:2).

Creation shouts the existence of God (Psalm 14:1) so it is foolish to say there is no God. We are without excuse, and have no defense.

Sin is destroying your mind, causing you to think foolishly (Romans 1:21 – meaning pointless or in futility). Thinking becomes soft or logically unsound. When sin drives decisions, a lot of foolish thinking will follow. (See questions on p. 119 in the book). Sin so distorts our thinking that we begin to invent a god that will actually agree with us (Romans 1:22-23).

A slippery slope:

We often do not fully consider the consequences of lingering in sin; but must see the slippery slope that will cause us to tumble. The author mentions three broad categories of sin: pride, pleasure and priorities.

Pride is self-centered thinking, made up of three elements: position, prestige and power.

• Position – it focuses on thoughts of superiority in relation to others because of the role you have attained.
• Prestige – it has a consuming need for recognition, being watched by others and a desire for others to pat you on the back. It is dropping names and listing accomplishments.
• Power – it is an inappropriate use of influence, to force people to do something not in their best interest. Then taking pride in the ability to affect others this way.

Pleasure is not sinful, since God supplies things for us to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17). It becomes sin when we seek to pursue it at the wrong time, with the wrong person or in the wrong amount.

• Sex – it is out of control in our world today and has made serious headway in the church. It can seriously hurt and degrade like a bad cavity when out of the boundaries God has set.
• Substance abuse – it dulls the need to rely upon God, and it used to take off the edge or dull the pain of life. It keeps you from seeing how much you really need God.  God wants you under His power and nothing else (1 Corinthians 6:12).
• Stuff – it is not wrong to have things; it is wrong when things have us (Psalm 62:10). Pursuing stuff in the wrong amount, at the wrong time or for the wrong reasons is sin.

Priorities describe the good that is left undone (James 4:17).

• Priority of personal care – it is not taking care of yourself. Since we belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) we are to care for ourselves. Overeating, failure to exercise, refusal to rest, etc. sound familiar?
• Priority of others – it is making relationships a priority, rather than closing up or withholding yourself from others, failure to forgive others (Ephesians 4:32) and failure to love.
• Priority of relationship with God – Only you can answer this: are you loving Christ with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength? Are you walking with God?

Heartwork:

Cultivate the discipline of calling your behavior that fails to keep God’s law what it really is, sin. We need to give God unlimited access and ful permission to shine His light into every dark corner of our souls. I will bring the handout on page 125 to class on Sunday.

  Print This Post

I’ve just started reading a book by Bob Buford, called Halftime. Here are some introductory remarks:

The subject of death is never a fun one, but I wanted to ask a probing question. When it’s your time, and you’ve left this life, what would you want on your tombstone? What would you select as your epitaph? As we look into this question, let’s put it in the context of Matthew 13:3-9.

The seed that fell on the good soil grew and produced a crop one hundred fold. In business, that would be considered a pretty good investment! St. Augustine said that asking yourself the question of your own legacy (what do I want to be remembered for?) is the beginning of adulthood. An epitaph is more than a fancy slogan or wishful personal motto. It says something about who you are, down to the essence of your personality and your soul.

We are spiritual beings, not merely machines or animals. God has set eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11) and it tells that we can have purpose and leave a destiny. For believers, we exchange this life for something much greater.

In today’s parable, which soil do you desire to be? Only the good soil is free from mediocrity and apathy. The desire is to have this life count for something, and to pass it on to the next generation… to our kids. When we look at life as an adult, it’s almost as if we are at halftime. Halftime is many sports is when we get to rest a bit, but more importantly we evaluate the first half and strategize for the second half. The first half of life we don’t have much time to think about how we will spend the rest of our lives. We rushed through college, fell in love and got married, started a career, climbed upward, and acquired stuff that made life more comfortable.

You played hard during the first half, and might have been winning, but the older you get, keeping score does not offer the thrill it once did. You’ve taken some hits, and you have come to halftime with some pain: serious pain, like divorce, disappointment, too much alcohol, not enough time for your kids, guilt, loneliness, trapped in bad habits. You started with good intentions but got blindsided along the way.

Even if your pain is slight, you’re smart enough to know that you can’t play the second half the same way you did as the first half. We don’t fear the end of the game, but you want to make sure you finish well. The first half is your quest for success; the second half is your search for significance. It’s the second half of life that causes us to ask questions about legacy.

Athletes will tell you, the game is won or lost in the second half. It’s possible to make first half mistakes, be down at halftime, and still come out a winner, as long as you make changes in the second half. You won’t win by playing the same way as the first half.

Some people never get to the second half; they never grow up. Some don’t even know the second half exists. Once you turn 35, your life is not set toward aging and decline. Life is not over at 40. There are still things that you can do to leave a legacy worth remembering. You can move from success to significance. I trust that the Men of Steel can help you create an epitaph for your life, and a legacy for your family.

  Print This Post

Seems there are Ten Commandments for most any organization, which obviously started in the Old Testament, but I found these two lists of the top 10 relating to mentoring. The first is a classic list of “do’s” and “don’ts” for effective mentoring, written by John C Crosby of the Uncommon Individual Foundation.

1. Thou shalt not play God.
2. Thou shalt not play teacher.
3. Thou shalt not play mother or father.
4. Thou shalt not lie with your body.
5. Active listening is the holy time and shalt practice it at every session.
6. Thou shalt not be judgmental.
7. Thou shalt not lose heart because of repeated disappointments.
8. Thou shalt practice empathy, not sympathy.
9. Thou shalt not believe that thou can move mountains.
10. Thou shalt not envy thy neighbor’s protégé, nor they neighbor’s success.

This second list of questions is designed to evaluate the mentoring relationship, written by Paul Stanley and J. Robert Clinton from Christianity Today. Ask the question and rate yourself with: Fully, Partially, or Didn’t.

1. Establish a strong relationship. The stronger the relationship, the greater the empowerment. As you look for potential protégés, keep compatibility and chemistry in mind.
2. Agree on purpose. A basic rule in planning is “begin with the end in mind.” When mentoring proves disappointing, the problem usually points back to differing or unfulfilled expectations. So at the very beginning, agree on what you’re both hoping to achieve.
3. Determine contact frequency. Intensive mentoring works best with at least once-a-week contact, either face-to-face or by phone.
4. Decide on the type of accountability. Will you use written reports, scheduled phone calls, probing questions during meetings, or a planned evaluation time?
5. Set up communication mechanisms. As mentors, we have always asked our protégés, “If I see or learn of an area of concern, how and when do you want me to communicate it to you?”
6. Clarify the confidentiality level. Make it clear when something you share should be treated as confidential.
7. Set the relationship’s life cycle. It’s best to avoid open-ended mentorships. Better to have short periods, evaluation, and closure points with the possibility of reentry than have a sour relationship for a long time that each fears terminating.
8. Evaluate regularly. See where progress has been made, where there are problems, and what should be done to improve the mentoring. Joint evaluation is always best 
9. Modify expectations as necessary. After a time of mentoring, bring expectations down to what is more likely going to happen—and give thanks for it.
10. Bring closure at the right time. Vertical mentoring that has no clear end in mind will usually dwindle to nothing with uneasy feelings on the part of both people. A happy ending requires that both parties be involved in evaluating and mutually ending the mentoring relationship.

  Print This Post

The Bible challenges us to make every moment count (James 4:14), so taking steps toward becoming more effective are positive ones. If you want to enjoy the mentoring experience, consider these steps:

• Select a mentor or protégé whose philosophy of life you share. The greatest mentors are also our role models. In the church, who is it that you sense has a close walk with God? What qualities does this person possess that makes them a hero in the faith for you?
• Choose a protégé with potential, someone you generally believe in. Then you help that person get to where he wants to go. Sports scouts do this all the time.
• Evaluate the protégé’s progress constantly. Remain objective and correct when necessary or encourage him to stay on course.
• Be committed, serious and available to your protégé. This person desires to learn from your life, not just your information.

Every mentor should also have a mentor. Mentors are not just wise older people passing on a lifetime of knowledge and experience to a younger person. It looks that way on the outside but after a closer look, the mentor also should have his own mentor from whom life, knowledge and experience have come. In the past is one thing, but it is also good to maintain a mentoring relationship of their own, someone to whom they are currently accountable.

Part of the mentoring process is to help your protégé ask the right questions, search in the right places and stay interested in the right answers. Sometimes the protégé has no clue where he needs to go much less how to get there. But you’ve been there and know where they need to go. Ask the right questions and help the protégé ask the right questions to discover their next steps.

Decide on the level of excellence or perfection you expect. Remember the goal of mentoring is improvement, not perfection. How many of us would step into a mentoring relationship if perfection was required!? We would not even seek a mentor since no one is perfect. If we expect perfection in a protégé, we will be very disappointed.

As a protégé, accept a subordinate, learning position and keep your ego in check; don’t let it get in the way of learning. Don’t try to impress the mentor with your knowledge or abilities; you could be setting up a mental barrier against learning new ideas. When we have a proud, know-it-all attitude, we are not teachable. This should not be like a teacher assigning homework that the student doesn’t want to do. In teaching, it is frustrating to assign a task and the student not do it. There are some students who do the assignment for more than just a grade; they do it with an eagerness to learn. It’s like a person voluntarily going back to school after a lifetime in the business world. These people tend to be much better students than those who are there just for the degree. When you know the outcome or benefit, it is much easier to accept a learning position.

A protégé should respect the mentor but should not idolize him. This is a practical issue: respect helps us to accept what the mentor teaches, but idolizing him removes our critical ability to fit their teaching into ourselves. With an idol, we see no faults and are not objective.

Put into effect immediately what you are learning. People don’t remember much of what we say, a little more of what is read, even more of what we hear, read and talk about; but if we want real life change, we need to put learning into practice. Learn, practice and assimilate new ideas and strategies.

Set up a discipline for relating to your mentor; a time schedule, subject matter, homework. It must be more than “we’ll get together sometime” or “we will make time.” There are goals set, calendars are brought out and dates set, assignments are made and the protégé is held accountable and encouraged in them. The protégé will reward the mentor with his own progress, which is the highest reward.

Don’t threaten to give up; you have made a decision for progress and quitting is not in the best interest in the protégé. We cannot mentor only during the good times, but we should hold on to the commitments we make, and guide and direct the protégé through times of difficulty.

Make every effort to make your time on this earth count. Life is a vapor and time is short, then it vanishes away. When we get to the other side, everything but the kingdom will be irrelevant.

  Print This Post

I’ve been thinking about how the Men of Steel can take knowledge and principles and put them into practice. We have been doing it all along, but I recently read this list of actions that take courage and wanted to pass it on, after all the Bible commands us to take courage and be men (1 Samuel 4:9 – although in this case it is said of the Philistines). Here’s the courageous list:

1. Admitting when we are wrong.
2. Doing what is right when everyone else isn’t.
3. Speaking to someone you don’t know.
4. Saying “no” when someone is trying to get you to do something you know you shouldn’t do.
5. Telling the truth and accepting the consequences.
6. Standing up for something you believe in even though it might mean rejection, ridicule of physical harm.
7. Defending someone who is considered unpopular or unacceptable.
8. Facing a limitation and giving it your very best regardless of pain or discomfort.
9. Confronting a fear without running away.
10. Giving sacrificially to protect or promote either someone you love, someone who has been wronged, or someone who is in need.
11. Being the only one.
12. Taking a risk.
13. Sharing your heart honestly; including your fears, feelings and failures.
14. Living your faith with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength regardless of the cost.

Not a bad list to live by. How many times do we find ourselves lacking courage; like the cowardly lion. His problem was that he had no heart. Seems that without a heart he would have asked for compassion or feelings or love… but courage? Courage is a lot like love; it must be expressed, or demonstrated. Courage is an action and not a feeling. As an example, God loved, and took action (Romans 5:8, John 3:16).

The Bible has a lot to say about courage:

• Joshua 1:6, 7, 9, 18, 10:25 – Take courage when you are called to lead.
• 1 Samuel 4:9 – Take courage and be men.
• 2 Samuel 10:12 – Be strong and courageous for the sake of your family.
• 1 Chronicles 28:10, 20, Ezra 10:4 – Be courageous and act.
• 2 Chronicles 15:7 – Don’t lose courage, for there is reward for your work.
• Psalm 27:14 – Take courage and wait on God.
• Psalm 31:24 – Take courage since we hope in the Lord.
• Isaiah 35:4 – Take courage, God will save you.
• In the New Testament: Matthew 9:2, 22, Mark 6:50, 10:49, John 16:33, Acts 23:11, 27:25, 2 Corinthians 5:6, 8, Philippians 1:14.

  Print This Post

These are notes for my Bible study class on Sunday mornings at 9:45, a book called Downpour by James MacDonald.

What is holiness?

Holiness is a word that gets thrown around a lot, but what is it? Not to make a play on words, but it revolves around your view of God; that He is exalted, sitting high on the throne in heaven, transcendent and separate from His creation. In Hebrew the word is qodesh and in Greek it is hagios, and both mean “to be set apart.” He is majestic, set apart, and there is nothing like Him (Exodus 15:11). When we think of holy we must think separated.

At the core of our sinfulness is our desire to usurp God. Adam and Eve listened to the lie that they could be like God (Genesis 3:5). In the New Testament, every human has exchanged the truth for a lie and worship the creation rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25). We desire to reduce this thing called holiness so that there is seemingly no separation between God and mankind.

Holiness describes separation:

Heavenly throne room scene 1 – Isaiah 6:1 describes a heavenly scene, when Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up. John 12:41 tells us that it was the pre-incarnate Christ that Isaiah saw (a theophany). John 1:18 mentions that no one has ever seen God; remember that He is separate from anything we know.

• “I saw the Lord sitting.” He was not pacing or worried, but sitting in authority.
• “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne.” God is continually worshipped beyond space and time. The throne is high, so that even sinless angels will know God is separate from everything.
• “And His train of His robe filled the temple.” At Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953, she had a train that went down the isle and out the back door; a fitting symbol of her splendor. Here the train fills the temple, back and forth, packing the house. Who is like our God? (Deuteronomy 33:29, Psalm 35:10, 89:8). The question is rhetorical!

Heavenly throne room scene 2 – Ezekiel 1:1, 3-4 has another scene different from Isaiah. The common theme is that if you have seen heaven you’ve seen the throne. Ezekiel is having a hard time finding words to describe it; using likeness 10 times and appearance 16 times. But when he sees it, he had to get down low (Ezekiel 1:27, 28). This emphasizes separation.  Today, we have lost this view of God because we see Him as near, approachable and our BFF. We have lost the reverence of Him being lofty, separate, holy and exalted. A casual view of God leads to cheap grace; and shallow sanctification on our part. We forget that no man can see God and live (Exodus 33:20) and that He is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). Basically our view of God is too small.

Holiness demands caution:

Be careful; be very, very careful. Isaiah does not go on to describe God, but rather the angels around Him (Isaiah 6:2). Even they fear gazing upon God, that He could consume them in a moment, so they cover their eyes and don’t want God to look at them. Even these sinless seraphs don’t want His holiest of eyes to look at them. They emphasize a “carefulness” around God.

Heavenly throne room scene 3 – There is a Great White Throne in Revelation 20:11, like the garments at the transfiguration, being exceedingly white (Mark 9:3). Even the earth will see His holiness and retreat (2 Peter 3:10). Our sinful “casualness” in the presence of God is amazing, that we believe we could run the world better than God, or we would want to give God a piece of our mind.

Holiness declares God’s glory:

The angels sing “Holy, Holy, Holy” back and forth as they praise God. The universe declares His glory. The weather declares His glory (notice what is called acts of God). The earth is full of glory (earth’s axis being at 23 degrees to the sun). The solar system declares His glory (1.3 million of our earth could fit inside the sun). Not only is He Creator, but in Him all things are held together (Colossians 1:17). The universe declares His glory (140 billion galaxies in the universe; like 140 billion peas would fill a football stadium).

The human body declares His glory: 100,000 miles of blood vessels, a heart beats 100,000 times each day, the body makes 25 billion new cells every second, nerve impulses travel at 426 feet per second (five times faster than lightening), and even a three month old pre-born infant has fingerprints. Psalm 139:14 is very true.

Heavenly throne room scene 4 – it is associated with honor, all to Him and none to us (Psalm 115:1). In Revelation 4:11, the word is worthy, meaning “properly balanced scales.” No amount of praise we give to God will ever tip the scales.

Holiness determines mystery:

Isaiah 6:4 tells us about the ground shaking when He speaks. John was feverishly writing what he saw and then was told to stop (Revelation 10:4-7), which reinforces that fact that some things are going to remain a mystery.

Heavenly throne room scene 5 – This scene comes from Daniel 7:9, 10, where God is called the Ancient of Days and a book is opened. Revelation 20:15 explains the book. Each of us needs to be in this book, and there’s no fooling Him, tricking Him or playing games with God. You are either a new creation or you’re not (2 Corinthians 5:17). We should be changing day by day, pressing on toward the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). The power of sin must be broken for God to begin changing us.

  Print This Post