Sonicflood – Holiness

Today I found holiness in some specific examples, both in the Old Testament and then I saw what it looked like in the early believers.

Leviticus chapter 21 explained the priesthood and with that explanation I took some of the marriage implications to a context that meant something for today.

They shall not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been defiled, neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband, for the priest is holy to his God. A widow, or a divorced woman, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry. But he shall take as his wife a virgin^[b] of his own people. – Leviticus 21:7,14  ESV

As I become older, the distance between me and young people, agewise, is getting larger. So one might think that in the 21st Century my thoughts are outdated or irrelevant.  But I do not think that God’s love is such. If His love is not outdated, what does His love want to protect us from when giving us guidelines on marriage or sexual relations?  In this case, I took away the idea that if a young person were to profess to be a disciple of Jesus, how could they consider entering into a marriage alliance with a confessed unbeliever in Him?  I am thrilled that the same instructions are given in the New Testament and so the principle has been the same for thousands of years. There is something special about keeping oneself holy – separated to God.

The early church fully bought into the idea of being holy.

So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,  and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. – Acts 11:25-26  ESV

They were so much like Jesus that they were called – “little Christs.” A disciple of Jesus was happy to wear His name. Not every believer becomes a disciple, but every disciple has become a follower of Jesus.

I did notice that disciple was not as favourite a term for Christian.  In fact, Paul never uses the word, either in verb or noun. The word only occurs in the gospels and in Acts. So maybe I should state that a Christian is a disciple, a follower of Jesus, who embraces Him as Lord, Saviour and Treasure.

Treasure is an important word. It implies a topic of conversation on giving. What do we give God who owns everything. Can we take this truth to heart – God does not need our money – it’s already His – all of it.

The earth is the Lord‘s and the fullness thereof,^[a]
the world and those who dwell therein – Psalm 24:1  ESV

So we need to give, even though God does not need it. We give so we can reflect glory back to the One who gave in the first place. We pour back into what God has called us to do and be – bring His kingdom on earth.

Holiness has taken a big step in my life today. I am called to live it, just like those in Antioch. If they could reflect Jesus so much, I can too.