How Beautiful is the Holiness of God!!!

I love God’s Word. I love studying it. I love reading it. And I love how the Holy Spirit speaks to us through Scripture. I’ve been doing a lot of studying lately. Studying the archeological history of the Bible (how it originated into the form that we know), studying 1st and 2nd Kings, and the history of Israel- before and after Christ’s ascension. I study not to convince myself of Biblical truths. But so that I have an answer for those who may ask questions I have never been quite sure how to answer.

Yet studying all of the above has increased my faith in God. God is so faithful -and I am realizing this more and more every day I walk with Him. I am realizing the extent of His holiness, and therefore the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice. The more I learn of God’s law, the more I am awed by His grace. Without the law why would anyone need God? No one knows really what the love of God is all about until the Law comes in. What a magnificent, holy God we serve! And we owe Him nothing less than our lives….

In studying through 1st and 2nd Kings I am awed. What wicked kings Israel and Judah had! And oh how God hates sin! Every time Israel and Judah sinned, they were punished. And yet God kept the promises He made to those who walked in His will. It’s beautiful to see the consistency of God’s holiness. Israel sins; Israel is punished. Israel walks in the ways of the Lord; God blesses the nation. Over and over they turn from God. Over and over they are punished by the hand of God. And yet He is faithful to the promises He made to Abraham, to David.

I wonder….so often we focus on Christ’s love. But so often we stay away from talking of God’s holiness and righteousness. Why?

All throughout the Old Testament God’s holiness is proclaimed. Too often we shut this part of Scripture out, saying “ that’s the Old Covenant.” This may be true, yet the Old Testament is in God’s Word for a reason. I believe it’s there to remind us of the righteousness of our Holy Creator; to show us the extent to which He hates sin.

It’s true that “By grace we are saved, and not by works,” but it’s also true that “faith without works is dead”.

Studying the Old Testament has increased my desire to live a blameless life before God. I see His holiness and His love of righteousness, and while I know that I am not saved by works, I desire in the deepest way to be holy, as He is holy- and this is portrayed through my works. I desire holiness because I love Him. Because I see what He loves and I desire to be more of that. Not to be loved more, but to love Him more through my actions, through my life.