Holy Life

"Only Jesus among mankind would ever be holy."

IT WASN’T the suffering we couldn’t do. The thief beside him on the cross suffered. Many others justly condemned, or unjustly condemned, suffered. What we could not do was the holiness. Jesus was not only innocent. He is holy. The sacrifice for all mankind, the spotless Lamb pictured in the Old Covenant sacrifices, had to be holy, or else it was not spotless. Only Jesus among mankind would ever be holy.

If you truly knew Him, this would blow your mind because He isn’t in a shell, protected by ornate walls from the sin on earth. He is WITH US. And not strictly observing as a judge or arbiter. In fact, one man once asked Him to judge between he and his brother over their inheritance, and Jesus refused. “Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you (Luke 12:14)?” At the same time, the Father has made Him Judge (John 5:22). What does this mean? Well, what we see on earth as judgment is always biased, so much so we can’t picture it NOT being biased. But the judgment of God is never biased, and always HOLY.

God never condemns. This is stated in John 3:17 and Romans 8:1. Earthly judges condemn, or convict if you prefer that word. Our Savior does neither. Salvation isn’t a legal experience, contrary to what men have taught.

“Nevertheless, even without being diagnosed as infected with this terminal condition, humans still died, all the way from the time of Adam to Moses—even those who did not break a specific command, like Adam did—revealing that the problem is the infected state of our minds and not a legal issue with God.” (Romans 5:14, Remedy)

Yes, the Old Covenant was a system of rules, but its purpose was not to train men in the rules but to have them seek the Messiah, who would fulfill it. He would write God’s promises in their hearts and minds (Jeremiah 31:33), they would become new. The Law showed men that it was impossible to live righteously, that they needed a Savior, and that Savior would be our holy God.

Jesus died for mankind because HE ALONE IS HOLY, and all men are not. His life was the public display of God’s mercy. It is His mercy from the depth of His love and His joy in us that saves us. His holiness removes our sins, and we can now stand in the Presence of our holy God, where we were created. Adam stood in God’s Presence continually until he sinned. Jesus returns us there.

Jesus’ blood could do what ours could not because His blood is holy, and His holiness, His spotlessness of being, cleanses all who partake of it. He is the only Universal Blood Donor., His holy blood being the replacement for all men. God’s Life is purity of life, it is holy Life without taint of death, without any defect. There is no sickness or disease, nothing false in it, nothing harmful. Nothing to fear. We neither have to fear His holiness nor our lack of it.

“And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.” (Isaiah 30:18)

“Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.” (Hebrews 2:11 NIV)

Jesus Christ is real. That is what I always want you to see when you read these. He isn’t a story on a page, nor someone who lived and isn’t here anymore. He isn’t an abstract God, worshipped by the church, yet somehow reduced to a few words spoken in the dead of night by the Holy Spirit, who then leaves us to interpret it. No, He came so that we could be near Him, next to Him, talking to Him, any minute of the day, and we can know Him as we know our best friends. Holiness was required to seal our relationship. Because He is holy, we stand where we never thought we’d be, where it wasn’t possible for us to stand, in a sacred space filled with everything good and amazing that is God.

Perfection touched earth, and earth touched Heaven, and Heaven changed things for the better, forever.

“And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” (Revelation 4:8)

“The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Revelation 4:10-11)

Image by Square Frog from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com