Holiness - A study on Dedication - Amy Lawrence

Holiness

A Study on Dedication

There exists in all of us a passion for something. For some, it’s sports. For others, it could be the science of technology, mechanics, or architecture. Many are dedicated to teaching and learning, medicine and healthcare, building and exploring. For grandparents, it’s their grandchildren. Anything as simple as food can be a passion. The emotion we know as “passion” is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept.” In this article, I’d like to talk about the one subject to which we all should dedicate ourselves.

The Babylonian army destroyed and set fire to the city of Jerusalem and the temple in 586BC. Many of the captives taken out of Judah by King Nebuchadnezzar were transported to Babylon. They would remain in captivity for 70 years. The Babylonian captivity did exactly what God planned for it to do; it rededicated His people. Once Babylon fell to the Persians, the captives became the responsibility of the Persian king and eventually were allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city.  One of the groups that returned was lead by Nehemiah. He took up the charge to rebuild the wall that would surround the city…but he understood that before he could rebuild the city that represented the Holy and Almighty God, he first had to rebuild himself, Neh. 1:1-11. Nehemiah sought the purity that would allow him to approach God again. This type of dedication is becoming less and less prominent in the church today. We serve a Holy God, and He requires that we be holy in order to be pleasing to Him, Lev. 11:45. From this study, we can learn what holiness is and how to practice it. 

The Hebrew word for “holy” is קַָדַשׁ (qadash) and is used in Ex. 3:5. Anyone that grew up in the church heard this story a great number of times. There are details that didn’t stand out as much to my child mind as they do now to my adult mind. It begins with Moses seeing and investigating a most peculiar bush. God disallowed Moses to approach this bush in which God was inhabiting until Moses was appropriately pure. When God announced to Moses who He was, Moses’ response was also appropriate to God’s awesome holiness; Moses hid his face for fear of looking upon God’s glory. God passed before Moses on Sinai, Ex. 33:19-23. The Lord hid Moses in the cleft of the rock so God’s glory would not kill him. Part of God’s glory would shine on Moses’ face after talking with God, Ex. 34: 29-35. Moses understood that holiness begins with a fearful respect of the position and power of God Almighty. Solomon wrote, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Prov. 9:10) 

In order to understand God’s holiness, we must first understand some truths of His position: 

1.)            God is our Creator, and He alone holds the place above His creation, Is. 40:21-29. 

2.)            His ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts are above our thoughts, Is. 55:8-9. 

3.)            We are in the hands of the Potter, Is. 64:8. 

4.)            When one’s mind comes to grips with the knowledge of God, one cannot help but see the enormity of God and the fact that He is the source of everything we know and everything we are that is good,  Acts 17:22-31, 3 John 11. For this alone, He is more than deserving of our love and respect.

The word קַָדַשׁ (qadash) means “to be set apart, consecrated, sanctified” (NAS Hebrew dictionary). The first use of this word in scripture is found in Gen. 2:3, the “sanctified” Sabbath Day - a day the Israelites were commanded to “keep holy”, Ex. 20:8. They were to observe this by doing the same thing God did at the end of a week of work: stop working, Gen. 2:2. Can we be holy by obeying God? Absolutely! God is the perfect example of holiness and has given us everything we need to know in order to be His sanctified people. His word is “profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness”, that we may all be complete and fully equipped, 2 Tim. 3:14-17, and His commandments are good, Ps. 119. Because God is holy, His commandments are also holy, Rom. 7:12. By obeying the commandments of God, we can also be holy, 1 Pet. 1:13-16.

Because God is holy, so is His name. To speak the name of the Most High as a curse or in a way that is flippant or derogatory toward the Almighty God is so dangerous that scripture pointedly warns against it. One of the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20 specifies how we should speak the name of God, vs. 7. His name is to be used with reverence and given to no other, Mt. 23:1-10. It is to be magnified. David understood this, 1 Chr. 17:16-27. “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” (Ps. 29:2)

Our conduct as Christians, as the church, should mirror the holiness of God in everything we do - both in our assembled worship and in our everyday lives, 1 Tim. 3:15, Mt. 5:16. I cannot stress this enough; we as Christians are representatives of God and His kingdom. We are the only Bible some people will read. Our words, our dress, our actions should all speak the holiness of God to everyone. Dedication like that is a testament to the Creator that we serve. When those outside the fold cannot help but to see the love, trust, and loyalty we give to God (and to each other), their curiosity will be piqued and they will begin to ask about the Savior that we serve. They will be even more impressed by God when we tell them about Him. We were created to glorify God, Is. 43:7.

God told the Israelites, “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.…and ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be Mine.” (Lev. 20:7-8, 26) Holiness sets us apart from the rest of the world. We are commanded to “be separate”, 2 Cor. 6:17, if we wish to follow God Almighty. 

It has its perks, too. Note what Isaiah said: “But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Sheba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, you have been honored, and I have loved you…”” (Is. 43:1-4) When we follow God, we follow the only One Satan cannot defeat, 1 Cor. 15:57.

In order to be pleasing to God, we must separate ourselves from the world, 1

John 2:15-17, Rom. 8. Holiness is a requirement. God’s word teaches us how to be holy.

If there is ever a need, or you wish to study further on this subject, please visit the nearest church of Christ and let us help you as you seek holiness with the people of God.