When we think about God there’s so much that’s beyond our human minds to grasp—for that which is finite can never explain the Infinite (1 Timothy 3:16). We, the created, can’t (as much as we want) ‘be as God’ (Rom. 3:23). The fact that our Creator has revealed any information at all about Himself to mankind is the most wonderful thing (Psalm 8:4). Through God’s creation and His inspired Word He’s allowed us glimpses into understanding a bit of Who He is (Rom. 1:18-20, 1 Cor. 2:9-11, John 1:14, Heb. 1:1-3, Psalm 93, 97, 99, Isaiah 6:1-3).
What a vision the prophet Isaiah was allowed to see of the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up. The train of God’s robe filled the temple. Seraphim were above Him crying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” The posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.” Isaiah’s response was, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of people of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts” (Isa. 6). The apostle John (by the power of the Spirit) viewed the Lord’s brilliance, causing him to fall at His feet as dead (Revelation 1:1-18). He beheld God’s throne room in heaven and witnessed a vision similar to Isaiah where four living creatures were in the midst of the throne and around it saying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” (Revelation 4). Hymn writer, Reginald Heber in 1827 wrote the hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy” after being inspired by this portion of Scripture. The popular chorus goes, “Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty… Merciful and Mighty! God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity!” Holy, holy, holy is a three-fold unit. One of God’s most perplexing aspects for our finite minds to comprehend is that He is triune (three in one). In 1 John 5:7 it says, “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one.” Throughout the Bible there are references to this triune God. In Genesis 1:26, “Let us make man in our own image after our likeness.” In Genesis 11:7, “Let us go down.” The Word was in the beginning with God and in Him all things were created (John 1:1-3, Col. 1:16). Christ is the image of the invisible God —the express image of His person (Col. 1:13, Heb. 1:3). In Numbers 6:24-26 we see a three-fold blessing: (1) The LORD, Jehovah, the Father, the source of all blessing (Eph. 1:3, Heb. 10:7); (2) The LORD, Jehovah the Son, the channel of all blessing (Eph. 1:3, Acts 3:25, Heb. 10:8); (3) The LORD, Jehovah the Spirit, the witness of all blessing (Heb. 10:7, 10, 15).
Our triune God is not only Holy, righteous, and just, but (thankfully) He’s also loving and merciful.
God didn’t want man to be alone so He created a counterpart, woman, for him (Gen. 2:18-24). God communed with man directly prior to the fall. Once sin entered in God, being merciful, provided humankind with a way to temporarily cover their sin through the blood sacrifice of an animal (Gen. 3:21). “…Without the shedding of blood there is no remission” (Heb. 9:22). He instituted the Passover for His people, the Israelites, while they were captive in Egypt (Ex. 12, Heb. 11:28). He commanded Moses to build a moveable tabernacle (‘tent of meeting’) so He could dwell, have fellowship, and communicate with them after their exodus from Egypt. The Lord laid out the steps for the tabernacle in purposeful detail so that a sinful people could approach a holy God. This special place was divided up into three basic sections, partitioned by special curtains: the Court, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. The Most Holy Place (or the Holy of Holies) contained The Ark of the Covenant (which contained the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments given by God, a jar of manna, and Aaron’s rod). Only the high priest could enter this area and only once a year (on the Day of Atonement) where he would enter and sprinkle blood on the Mercy Seat to atone for the sins of all the people. This continued for 400 years until King Solomon built the temple. These systems were only temporary and never permanently took away their sins, but when the perfect, unblemished Lamb of God came, He would (Heb. 9:24-26. 10:19-21, John 1:29, 2 Cor. 5:21, 1 Pet. 1:19). For believers today, it’s all God’s gift of grace that one only needs to receive through faith (Eph. 2:4-9, Col. 1:12-14).
Salvation has been carefully constructed for us by God the Father— sacrificially carried out by God the Son — and powerfully worked in by God the Spirit. It’s been secured by the Father’s eternal love— the Son’s redeeming work— and by the Spirit’s regenerating power.
Our posture to our Holy, triune God, should not be found in ourselves.
Jesus directed the parable in Luke 18:9-14 to ‘some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others’. He made the comparison between a Pharisee and a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed, “God, I thank You, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as the tax collector.” The tax collector, who was standing from afar said, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Jesus ended saying, “I tell you; this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” It’s truly in realizing who we are in relation to our Holy triune God that we’re able to receive His amazing grace and respond to His revealed Word and be powerfully transformed (2 Cor. 12:9-10, Phil. 2:9-11).
There are ‘other spirits’ who would desire to control us (Eph. 6:12, 2 Cor. 11:3-4).
Another puzzlement to our limited minds is the mystery of lawlessness. God uses all things for His own purposes and while we may not understand it all now, we will someday (Prov. 16:4-6, 2 Thess. 2:7-12). In the meanwhile, this present world lies in wickedness—in the wicked one (The god of this world, the prince of the power of the air) (1 John 2:16, 5:19, John 14:30, 2 Cor. 4:4, Eph. 2:2). It wasn’t enough that Lucifer was the anointed cherub in God’s holy mount. His desire to be God and his pride in believing he could lead to his fall (Isa. 14:12-14, Ezek. 28:11-19). After his fall he only honed his deceptive methods. One only has to look at how he tempted Eve in the garden. He masterfully misquoted and took God’s Word out of context. He also planted seeds of doubt so that she would question God’s Word, and lastly, he tricked her into believing the lie that she and Adam could be as gods (Gen. 3:1-5, 1 Tim. 2:14). The truth is the devil is an accuser, compulsive liar, murderer, devourer, and tempter—the antithesis of God (Rev. 12:10, John 8:44, 1 Peter 5:8, Matt. 4:3). He will stop at nothing to stir up the fallen nature of men and women by tantalizing their flesh through its lusts (2 Cor. 10:3-4, Eph. 2:3, 2 Pet. 2:18).
Our society has been inundated with all that’s unholy.
The trail of rotten fruit that’s been littered throughout our fallen world by those who’ve turned away from God’s truth and righteousness is devasting (Rom. 1:18-32). At the recent Grammy Awards, a musical duo that won Best Pop Duo or Group Performance sang their song, “Unholy” with lewd lyrics and lascivious gyrations, and images to match. The perversion of God’s design and purpose of marriage, male and female gender roles, etc. have become obvious and should come as no surprise for those who know God’s Word as the Scriptures tell us, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power“ (2 Tim. 3:1-5).
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7-9). God has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by His Son, Who He ordained to do so (See John 16:7-11, Acts 17:31, Rom. 1:18-32, Rev. 19:11-16).
Even so, the Lord is ever longsuffering and desires that all men and women be saved and come to the knowledge of truth (1 Tim. 2:4, 2 Pet. 3:9)—but the window of this present dispensation of grace is narrowing.
In the meantime, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution while evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived (2 Tim. 3:12-13). Believers today must live soberly, righteously, and godly, receiving their strength in the grace of God while rejecting ungodliness and worldly lusts (Titus 2:1-4, 2 Tim. 2:1, 3). So, stand strong in Almighty God for greater is He Who is in you than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Although our outward self is perishing, our inward self is being renewed day by day (2 Cor. 4:17). We will endure evil as our mind is upward and we’re filled with the Spirit, making melody in our hearts to the Lord, (Eph. 5:18-21). Better things DO await us! So, keep your heart directed toward an attitude of patient anticipation of Christ’s second coming. It’s then that He’ll appear in glory and do away with all unholiness and set all things right. Hallelujah!
Laura
Caged Bird Sings 