Six Characteristics of a Holy Life
Introduction
Do you try to fit Jesus into your schedule? Or do you work your schedule around Jesus?
‘God cannot fit into our plans, we must fit into his,’ writes Eugene Peterson. ‘We can’t use God – God is not a tool or appliance or credit card. Holy is the word that sets God apart and above our attempts to enlist him in our wish-fulfilment fantasies or our utopian schemes for making our mark in the world. Holy means that God is alive on God’s terms, alive in a way that exceeds our experience and imagination. Holy refers to life burning with an intense purity that transforms everything it touches into itself.’
The Hebrew word ‘holy’ (qadosh) probably originally meant ‘separate’ or ‘set apart’. It came to be used to describe the ‘otherness’ of God, and how his character and nature are so much greater and more wonderful than any other person or thing. For something else to be ‘holy’ simply means for it to be dedicated to God. You are holy to the extent that your life is devoted to him and your actions reflect his character. Holiness and wholeness are closely related, and God wants the whole of your life.
Psalm 27:1–5
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation –
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life –
of whom shall I be afraid?
4 One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.
Commentary
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness
How do you live a life without fear?
David had plenty of reasons to be afraid. He was surrounded by ‘vandals’, ‘bullies’ and ‘toughs’ (v.2, MSG). Yet he said, ‘I’m fearless, afraid of no one and nothing’ (v.1, MSG). ‘I’m calm as a baby… I’m collected and cool’ (v.3, MSG). How can you be confident in the face of opposition and attack?
The focus of his life was worship. He focused on ‘one thing’ (v.4). This was his number one priority. Don’t try to fit God into your plans. Make your plans around the priority of worship.
David gives a wonderful description of worship. What he wants to do more than anything is ‘to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple’ (v.4b). There he will ‘sacrifice with shouts of joy; [he] will sing and make music to the Lord’ (v.6b).
I love the expression ‘the beauty of the Lord’ (v.4b). The Greek word for ‘beauty’ (kalos) is the word used to describe everything that Jesus did (Mark 7:37). Dostoevsky described Jesus as ‘infinitely beautiful’. Jesus had no outward beauty (Isaiah 53:2–3); he had a different kind of beauty – the beauty of holiness.
As you seek the Lord and gaze upon the beauty of the Lord in worship, he lifts you above all the distractions, fears and temptations. As David puts it, ‘That’s the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world… God holds me head and shoulders above those who try to pull me down’ (Psalm 27:5–6, MSG).
Prayer
Lord one thing I ask, that I may dwell in your house all the days of my life, to gaze on your beauty.
Mark 9:35–50,10:1–9
9
35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.’
36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 ‘Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.’
38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us.
42 ‘If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung round their neck and they were thrown into the sea.
43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. ... 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell...
50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”
10 Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.
2 Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
3 ‘What did Moses command you?’ he replied.
4 They said, ‘Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.’
5 “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. 6 “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ 7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
Commentary
Serve the Lord in a life of holiness
What should our attitude be to other Christian ministries and other Christian churches?
Divisions among followers of Jesus started very early on! The disciples started arguing about who was the greatest (9:33–34). In this context, Jesus speaks to them about the characteristics of a life of holiness.
- Humility
Jesus tells them not to compete to be number one. It is always a temptation to compare. Envy and rivalry are great dangers. Jesus says if you are going to compete it should be to get the last place. If anyone wants to be first, they ‘must be the very last, and the servant of all’ (v.35). Leaders are called to humble service.
- Love
‘He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me”’ (vv.36–37). Love and welcome everyone, even those who are unable to do anything for you – the very young, the weak, the poor – in doing so you are loving and welcoming Jesus.
- Tolerance
Jesus tells the disciples not to dismiss or judge others who do things ‘in Jesus’ name’ just because they are not part of your group (vv.38–39,41) or do things in a different manner to how you do them. It is a mistake to dismiss other Christians, other denominations or other organisations because they are not ‘one of us’ (v.38).
- Discipline
We sometimes tolerate sin in our own lives but are intolerant towards other people’s sin. Jesus teaches us to be tolerant towards others, but intolerant about sin in our own lives (vv.42–49).
Of course, Jesus is not speaking about literal maiming. Rather, he uses figurative language about what we do (with our hands, v.43), places we go (with our feet, v.45) and what we look at (with our eyes, v.47). Be disciplined, uncompromising and radical about sin. It is often sin that leads to division. Jesus calls us to be ruthless about living a life of holiness.
- Peace
Jesus tells them not to argue but to be at peace. Jesus longed for his disciples to get along with one another, to stop arguing and to ‘be at peace with each other’ (v.50). Later, he prayed that we may be one in order that the world would believe (John 17:21).
- Faithfulness
Jesus calls us to faithfulness in marriage. He points out that Moses’ permission of divorce was a concession and not a command. God’s intention for marriage is life-long faithfulness. Husband and wife are so closely united that they become one flesh: ‘So they are no longer two, but one flesh’ (Mark 10:8). This is the origin of the wonderful words in the marriage service, which follow the joining of hands and the exchange of vows: ‘Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate’ (v.9).
Prayer
Lord, help me through the power of your Holy Spirit to live a holy life and to develop the characteristics of humility, love, tolerance, discipline, peace and faithfulness.
Leviticus 1:1–4
1 The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, 2 ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: “When anyone among you brings an offering to the LORD, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.
3 ‘“If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect. You must present it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that it will be acceptable to the LORD. 4 You are to lay your hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on your behalf to make atonement for you.
Commentary
Be holy as the Lord is holy
How can you live a holy life when the world around is unholy?
As the people of God are about to enter the promised land, there is what Eugene Peterson describes as a ‘narrative pause’; an ‘extended time-out of instruction, a detailed and meticulous preparation for living “holy” in a culture that doesn’t have the faintest idea what “holy” is.’
‘First’, he writes, ‘every detail of our lives is affected by the presence of this holy God.’ You are called to holiness in every aspect of your day-to-day life. Second, he continues, ‘God provides a way (the sacrifices and feasts and Sabbaths) to bring everything in and about us into his holy presence, transformed in the fiery blaze of the holy.’
The language of Leviticus sounds very strange to our modern ears. The law required that the sacrifice be perfect – ‘without defect’ (1:3). Through the sacrifice, ‘atonement’ was made (v.4). Symbolically, through the laying on of hands on the head of the bulls, goats and lambs (for example 3:2,8) the sin passed to a substitute who would be sacrificed on behalf of human beings. The blood of the sacrifice was extremely important (1:5; 3:2,8,13).
All this can only be understood fully in the light of the New Testament. The writer of Hebrews tells us that ‘without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness’ (Hebrews 9:22). He tells us that the law is a ‘copy’ (v.23) and a ‘shadow’ (10:1). In other words, this is just a foreshadowing and a picture of something far greater and more wonderful.
He writes, ‘The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming – not the realities themselves… It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins’ (vv.1,4).
All this was leading up to ‘the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all’ (v.10). ‘By one sacrifice he has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy’ (v.14). We receive total forgiveness; ‘sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary’ (v.18).
So, the New Testament tells us none of these sacrifices are needed anymore. However, they form the background to the sacrifice of Jesus and help us to understand just how amazing it is. Holiness starts by putting your faith in what Jesus has done for you and asking his Holy Spirit to come into your life to help you to begin to live a holy life.
In gratitude for all that God has done for you, by the sacrifice of Jesus on your behalf, offer your body as ‘a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship’ (Romans 12:1–2).
Prayer
Lord, full of thankfulness and praise, I offer you my body as a living sacrifice. Help me, through your Holy Spirit who lives in me, to be holy as you are holy.
Pippa adds
Jesus says, ‘Be at peace with each other’ (Mark 9:50). That would solve most of the problems in the world!
Thought for the Day
‘God cannot fit into our plans,
we must fit into his.’
– Eugene Peterson.
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References
Eugene Peterson, The Message: ‘Introduction to Leviticus’, (NavPress 2007)
The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel (commentary formerly known as Bible in One Year) ©Alpha International 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Compilation of daily Bible readings © Hodder & Stoughton Limited 1988. Published by Hodder & Stoughton Limited as the Bible in One Year.
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.
Scripture quotations marked (AMP) taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.