Nothing But Holy

I want to be nothing but holy, pure and lovely just like Jesus.

Make me to be everything beautiful.  Just like my Savior, like my Lord.

For He is the one who is worthy of all praises.  And He is the one I aspire to please.

The lyrics to this song are short and sweet.  They were (and still are) the cry of my heart late one afternoon as I was washing dishes and crying because I was SO angry about a certain situation.  Crazy that such a beautiful prayer and confession could come from such ugly circumstances.  As I stood there madly washing the dishes and replaying the injustice of the situation over and over in my head I was left with a choice.  The bottom line was that I was not going to be able to demand justice.  I was not going to be able to force the person who was wrong to do what was right.  All I could do was manage my own reaction.  God showed me that I was only responsible for myself and my own reactions.  And then the answer came....in a song...with a simple cry for holiness.  As the words flowed past my lips and the melody hung in the air the release I was longing for came with my submission to the will of God.  "It is mine to avenge".  That's what God says.  "Be holy as I am holy". 

It All Falls On Him

I just had to share the quote from John Piper's page this morning;

"'Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips.' Proverbs 24:26   This is a love affair with truth."


It stands out in my mind because just a few days ago I lost a "friend" because of Truth.  This woman who went through confirmation in her youth, two years of bible school with me, and went on to Northwestern Christian College afterward, claims to have at one time "known" Jesus but now denies Him.  She also denies the validity of the New Testament as the Word of God and claims that the worship of Jesus is "nothing short of the most practiced form of idolatry of our time".   She has completely abandoned The Faith.

In our short time of discourse it became abundantly clear that "reasoning together" though said to be welcomed, was not welcomed at all.  She even called it a "joke".   Truth was perceived as "threats" and "insulting, demeaning attacks" and she became hostile in her responses basically saying to me, "(her heart has) NO Room for (my) little explanation of god".  Her parting words to me were, " I WILL NOT bow to your tiny god ever again". 

This exchange and many others like it, got me thinking even more deeply about Jesus.  Psalm 69:9 says, "zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me".   During my exchange with this woman it was clear that in her hostility she was trying to insult me and my faith in Christ.  But I was not insulted.  I never became angry or personally indignant.  This is because her insults though intended for me, fell upon Jesus.  He bore them 2000 years ago when he was beaten, insulted and hung on a cross in my place. 

"Let every sin, every rebellion and every rejection of Your will hang over our lives like a notice of conviction upon a cross.  And when viewing that cross, help us to realize that though WE deserve to be the ones hanging there under that conviction, we need not and dare not believe we can bear it.  Help us to see Jesus, having come under that conviction and endure that cross in our stead.  And give us tears to weep and repent of all that He bore for us." 

This quote, from one of my prayer journal entries, came as a result of the realization that though Jesus was perfect in every way and did not deserve the insults and beatings and death He received, nor God's wrath for sin , He willingly subjected Himself to those things entirely.  He didn't even afford Himself the least form of self defense.  Even the most peaceful and non aggressive persons in the world defends themselves by at least withdrawing into a cocoon of self preservation in the form of an emotional disconnect in order to insulate themselves from pain.  But Jesus didn't even afford Himself this option.  Instead He consciously and willingly subjected Himself to ALL of the pain and sorrow that we deserve.  And because He did this, I no longer need to bear the burden of such great sorrow that accompanies the hatred that often times others direct at me personally because of my faith and love affair with Truth.  In my life I have had ample opportunity to "grow" through such situations.  But it wasn't until I realized that Jesus not only bore my sin and the wrath of God, but also the pain of the insults and rejection of others, that I experienced liberation from my battle with bitterness and "hurt".  It was a timely realization too.  For the older I get, the more I see the world changing at an ever increasing rate.  People no longer even hide their evil.  They are openly hateful toward God and His children.  Reality is this; more and more people are rejecting the Way, and the line defining those who belong to God and those who are of the world is becoming more clear every day. 

We are told, "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man." (Luke 17:26)   And scripture tells us that at that time, the thoughts of men were "only evil all the time".  That means that even the good things that they thought, said and did were evil.  Even the love they had for their children and families was evil...because they were without Truth.  Just like many today, I'm sure they rejected God and His word and tried to redefine what IS, to make their own creation of a more acceptable "truth".  I'm sure there were many "religious" people who lived at that time...but their religion was worthless, based on lies and false assumptions, rooted in self will and rebellion.   We are told that we will see more and more of this as time goes on.  Those who call evil good and good evil will do so blatantly and without shame.  Are you ready? 

Can you bear up under the sorrow of seeing family and friends abandon The Faith?  My assertion is this;  You do not need to bear up under such sorrow.  Jesus did it for you.  So in light of this fact, keep on preaching.  Keep on teaching.  Keep on praying.  Keep on loving.  And be willing to extend yourself even as the rejection and insults of others increases. 

Scripture tells us that in the end times the "love of most" will grow cold.  This, I'm sure, will be the result of the unbearable sorrow that accompanies the realization that friends and loved ones are rejecting and abandoning The Way.  We love so deeply and hurt so greatly for them that many of us will withdraw into our cocoons of self preservation causing the "love of many to grow cold".  But Jesus never did that.  He experienced it ALL willingly. Dear children of God, let Him bear your sorrow.  Remind yourself daily of your redemption from even the pain of the insults and rejection of others for His Name's sake.   

Look To The Maker For Your Morals

"The dignity of man lies in the fact that he looks up to his Maker for his morals, not down to the beasts."  Rob Slane

Human kind is vastly different from all other creatures God created.  No other species is capable of entering into a "covenant marriage".  God created it while Adam and Eve were still in the garden, for mankind alone.  And the morals governing marriage have not changed...because God does not change.  And even though all throughout history mankind has twisted the definition of marriage (much like everything else designed by God is eventually twisted by Satan or man), God's intent remains steadfast, even as He remains steadfast.  

Many have used "nature" to validate  the notion that homosexuality is "natural" and therefore "acceptable".  But if you look at animals and take your cues from them...what can you possibly expect to gain except an inferior understanding of what God created?  

"The dignity of man lies in the fact that he looks up to his Maker for his morals, not down to the beasts."  

We can see all sorts of sexual behavior in the realm of "nature".  We see polygamy, rape, homosexuality, incest, even interspecies relations, and more.  Should we pattern our understanding of what marriage is off of "nature"?  NO! 

Marriage is so much more than a sexual relationship.  God designed the emotional and physical make up of men and women to compliment each other...even providing for the possibility of procreation through their physical union.  This union brings glory to God, demonstrating His ability to design everything perfectly with a purpose.  We are not merely designed to gratify ourselves and our mate...we were designed to show the glory of God in our union.  

While many people have used the phrase, "my better half", this gives the idea that two people who are incomplete come together and form one complete couple.  Rather than thinking this way, it would be better to think of it as two complete people being brought together to form one complete marriage.  When a man and woman are married they become one...yet they are still complete individuals living in submission and unity, much like the Trinity is three distinct persons making up one God.  In the same way each of the members of the Trinity compliments and glorifies the other, so a man and woman compliment and uphold one another bringing glory to God.  

When we deviate from what God created we miss the opportunity to bring Him glory.  Whether it's through divorce, adultery, fornication or homosexuality, the beautiful gift of a marital relationship is corrupted and consequently we miss our opportunity to participate in what He created to be a glorious and God honoring experience.  Marriage should be a picture of submissive and complimentary wills binding together to bring glory to God through the sacrifice of laying down individual "self-lives".  First and foremost we submit ourselves to God...then to each other.  

Much like Cain and Able who brought their sacrifices to the alter...many are trying to trade the desired sacrifice of submission to God and each other in holy matrimony for a twisted version of what they believe should be acceptable to God.  But just as Cain's sacrifice was not acceptable, neither is a homosexual union acceptable as a way to glorify Him.  God desires a sacrifice that pleases HIM, which is not the same thing as a sacrifice that pleases ourselves (such as Cain offered).

I was recently asked if I would support legislation to create "civil unions" for homosexual couples.  I will never.  The reason is simple, really.  God did not create men to lie with men or women to lie with women.  God did not create marriage for same sex couples.  And though not all in our country adhere to Christian morals, the fact remains that I can not, as a God fearing woman, call something God calls an abomination "acceptable".  

Isaiah 5:20 "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!"

Some may be strongly convinced that my stance is simply bigoted and unfair.  But I have to take my cues and get my morals from my Maker...not from the feeble substitution of man's sense of justice.  Wisdom is first found in the fear of The Lord, not in the opinions of man. 

So why do (or should) Christian men and women strive to protect marriage as being between one man and one woman?  Because that is what God created it to be.  And why should we stand against homosexuality (yet still loving those who struggle with it)?  Because it is an abomination to God.  

If our Nation continues on it's path of rejecting what God has said is right we can not expect His hand of mercy to be upon us.  We as His people can not redesign what He designed.  We MUST call evil, evil and good, good.  We can not redefine those words.  Nor can we redefine the gift of marriage.