A Word from God's Word

“Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!” I Chronicles 16:29

OCCASIONALLY WITHIN SCRIPTURE, an individual is granted an opportunity to see a clear revelation of God in all His splendour, His majesty and especially… His holiness. But such an occasion is often a terrifying one for that observer. In Isaiah 6, the prophet has a vision of “the Lord sitting on a throne” with the angelic creatures crying “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts”. Isaiah’s response? “Woe is me!” In Revelation 1, John has a vision of the “Son of Man”–Jesus Christ–in all His glory. And John’s response? He “fell at His feet as dead”. Why do these first-hand observers respond as they do? Because, as these Scripture passages make clear, the perfect holiness of God is terrifying to sinful humans.

But with that in mind, we then turn to the quotation above from I Chronicles 16 and ask, “Why the difference?” What allows us to respond in worship and adoration of the beauty of God’s holiness rather than shrink back in terror? It is the grace and mercy of God that allows us not to quake in fear but rather to enter boldly into the presence of the Most Holy God. It is the mercy and grace of God that comes to us in Christ through His death on the cross. Through His death and by faith, we receive forgiveness, cleansing and are now welcomed into God’s presence as His children. And we are welcomed there eternally.

Pastor Craig publishes  "A Word from God's Word" weekly in the "Kootenay News Advertiser".