For thus says the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. (Isaiah 57:15 KJ2000)
Holiness and righteousness almost seem like dirty words these days in the Christian Church. (And they have been for the more than thirty years I have been a Christian. I was always repremanded for being legalistic and not understanding grace when I continued to remain within estabished religion) Most teachers claim and most listening students agree that we simply cannot be holy, i.e. righeous, in this life. I beg to differ. Jesus says, “Be perfect even as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Holiness, or righteousness, describes the perfect character of our God. Thus Jesus, in effect, teaches, “Be holy, be righteous, just as your heavenly Father is holy and righteous in all he does.”
The term “perfection,” as defined by holy, righteous character and conduct, represents the goal of our salvation. Nothing less than this will satisfy us or our Creator. Perfection, and perfection alone, will demonstrate that we have finally been created in the image of God. Thus we see why John warned in the final verse of his first epistle, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” Man fixates upon his idols. He wants to become like them, he wants to mold himself into their image. Any idol, therefore, takes our eyes off of our ultimate goal and prevents us from reaching it. This explains why the first two of the ten commandments deal with idolatry. If we fail with these two commands, we simply fail. We can never go on into perfection.
The final chapters of the Bible vividly illustrate this perfection that both we and God desire for ourselves. New Jerusalem descending from heaven pictures the Bride of Christ, the overcomers, in their perfected state of being.
And there came unto me one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come here, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife. (Revelation 21:9 KJ2000)
God likens them to rare jewels which have been formed with precision in the heat and pressure of this earth. God himself chooses and cuts these jewels, each of us, as he determines before he places them into his holy City. This is the antitype, the prophetic application, of Solomon preparing all of the stones for his temple at the quarry before he put them into place. Likewise, God perfects us before he puts us into place in Mount Zion, New Jerusalem.
And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and its radiance was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; (Revelation 21:10-11 KJ2000)
And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, carnelian; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprase; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: each of the gates was a single pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. (Revelation 21:18-21 KJ2000)
We who know God, Creator of heaven and earth, serve the One whose name is holy. Soon we will find that we have always been striving (working out our salvation) to be as he is, HOLY, perfect in all our ways.
My new song, A Perfect Jewel, speaks about this. Let us walk on together toward perfection.
