Category: holiness

The Price Of Disrespecting God’s Holiness

Brent Pollard

On Wednesday nights at the Andrews, North Carolina, church, I have attempted to teach about the monarchs of united and divided Israel. After we finished studying Saul, I explored David’s life and reign. In the most recent installment of this series, we discussed David’s transport of the Ark of the Covenant from Kiriath-Jearim to David’s newly established capital Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6; 1 Chronicles 13). David didn’t follow Torah protocol when relocating the Ark of the Covenant; instead of having God’s priests carry it, he put it on the back of an ox cart. This decision by David set in motion the series of events that resulted in Uzzah’s death when he reached up to steady the Ark after the oxen jostled it. Such an outcome can more easily stir our emotions than our logic, prompting us to declare that Uzzah’s treatment was unjust.

Although God forbade the Israelites from worshiping graven or molten images, there was one physical object that they were permitted to honor: the Ark of the Covenant. This sacred artifact represented God’s Shekhinah (presence) on earth, facilitating communication with Him. We also recall the Ark’s significance on the Day of Atonement, when the high priest would sprinkle the blood of the atoning lamb on the mercy seat, which was located between the cherubim’s wings atop the Ark. During the conquest of Canaan, the Israelites took the Ark of the Covenant with them into battle as a symbol of God’s might. However, the apostate Israelites of the Judges’ Period treated the Ark as a mere talisman. This abuse of the Ark led to its temporary loss to the Philistines following their victory over Israel at Aphek (1 Samuel 4). 

Therefore, it becomes clear that God did not overlook Uzzah’s good intentions when he tried to prevent the Ark from falling off the ox cart. Instead, the dishonor David and company showed God kindled His anger because of this act. People treated this holy representation of God with great disrespect, as though they were hauling around a load of potatoes on a simple wooden cart with oxen. While God had overlooked the Philistines’ treatment of the Ark when they returned it similarly (1 Samuel 6), He had expected more from His covenant people. This carefree attitude towards the Ark of the Covenant ultimately led Uzzah to believe he could reach out and touch it without consequence.

It wasn’t the first time God made it abundantly clear that He demanded holiness. For instance, He incinerated Nadab and Abihu for offering an unapproved type of fire, as recorded in Leviticus 10.1. On that occasion, Moses reminded the men’s father, Aaron, of God’s words: “By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored” (Leviticus 10.3 NASB1995). Even Moses missed out on the Promised Land for failing to give God the glory when he disobeyed God’s instructions for procuring water for the Israelites since his actions could not give God credit for supplying their needs (Numbers 20.12). Thus, David had ample examples to know that the things of God required the utmost reverence and care. Therefore, it is all the more puzzling that David, who typically sought God’s approval before acting, committed such a blunder here.

So, what is our application for Christians living today? I would suggest that there is something very holy from God that people too often treat profanely today. There are certain circumstances when people are not afraid to use the word “casual” when discussing certain assemblies. I am speaking of the church. As the Ark contained the ten commandments, Paul describes the church as the “pillar and support of the truth” (1 Timothy 3.15 NASB1995). This same passage teaches that the church is the household of God! As the Ark contained the manna that God used to sustain the Israelites, the church is where we partake of the Bread of Life (see John 6). And as the budding rod of Aaron within the Ark reminded the Israelites of God’s chosen priesthood, we are reminded that we who comprise the church are God’s holy priesthood today (1 Peter 2.9–10).In closing, the lessons from the time of David, Uzzah, and the Ark of the Covenant are not mere historical narratives; they are instructive for our relationship with God today. As David learned painfully, God’s holy nature demands our profound respect and obedience. This story encourages us, as modern-day believers, to examine how we approach that sacred institution God’s Son purchased with His blood (Acts 20.28). God’s word reminds us to live our faith with reverence and awe, understanding that we should not lightly take God’s presence. Like the Israelites of old, God calls us to honor Him in our actions and to treat the church with the respect and reverence she deserves as the bride of Christ (Isaiah 54.5; Revelation 21.2; Ephesians 5.22ff). Thus, as we go about our worship and service in the church, may we do so with the awareness that we are engaging with the living God, who calls us into a relationship marked by reverence, love, and obedience.

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Greatest In The Kingdom Of Heaven

Monday’s Column: Neal At The Cross

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Neal Pollard

I stood at the doorway of her humble apartment in a small Kentucky town. This Christian woman in her mid 80s, mother of three and newly-widowed, was adopted by the local church and seen after especially by a son who lived in the same town. I had received a sweet letter from her, expressing her appreciation for the great work being done by especially World Video Bible School. Her former preacher in the 1990s had introduced it to her, and she told me that she gave their DVDs away all the time.

Between the time I received her letter and dropped by her home, I talked to another lady in that same, small congregation. She praised the character and good works of the woman who wrote me the letter. I was told of the various hardships and challenges faced by my penpal. She was raised in religious error, but learned the truth from her husband’s family. The husband never obeyed the gospel and did not encourage her faith. Despite being subject to cruel treatment, she was not only a faithful, submissive wife, but she was full of righteous works. She became a walking Bible, the fruit of tenacious daily Bible study. She has written, supported, and encouraged missionaries all over the world for over 40 years. For decades, she has graded Bible Correspondence Courses. 

The woman I met had the humility and sweet spirit of a child. She bore the marks of hardship, having undergone hip replacement and other maladies of aging and falls. But the thing that struck me was the twinkle in her eye and the genuine joy she has in being a Christian. As she talked about her life and as I had ultimately heard about her life from a few of her church family members, I could not help but think that this woman has suffered so much physically and emotionally. But you could not tell it from her attitude and disposition. The gentle enthusiasm I first read in her writing translated to a winsome smile and zeal face to face. 

She had been weathered and battered by life, yet she had all the marks of a triumphant overcomer. Still faithful to meet with the saints every time the doors are opened, she lives Christ in her daily life. I could not help but think of the woman Mark tells us about in his gospel, the one who anointed Jesus’ head with “an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard” (14:3). In praising her “good deed” (14:6), Jesus summed it up by saying of her, “She has done what she could” (14:8). No one knows this dear sister across our brotherhood. She’s not an author, public speaker, gospel writer, or appointed church leader. But she epitomizes greatness as defined by Jesus.

I left my visit doing some serious self-examination. How’s my attitude? What am I doing with what God has given me? How am I blessing the lives of others? When others have been around me or speak about me, what characteristics come to mind? Every life is given a variable amount of resources and opportunities (Mat. 25:14-30). We will account for how we used them. Have we tried to tell others about Jesus? Have we reminded others of Jesus? Helen reminded me of my Savior! I left resolved to be more like her, trying to imitate her as she so clearly imitates Him (1 Cor. 11:1)! 

God is Protective of His Church

Wednesday’s Column: Third’s Words

Gary III

Gary Pollard

Many have heard, “Do not be deceived: bad company corrupts good morals” (I Corinthians 15.33). It’s not difficult to understand the concepts in this verse. If our closest relationships are with worldly people, our ethics and behavior will reflect this. Fun fact: the word for company here is ὁμιλία (homilia). The first part of the word sounds a lot like “homie,” so it’s easy to remember. 

I want to look at the word “corrupt” a little more closely. At first, I thought it might be similar to Ephesians 4.29, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths…” But that word is completely different and more closely describes decomposition. “Corrupt” in I Corinthians 15.33 means, “To cause deterioration of the inner life” (BDAG 1054). 

Paul uses this same word earlier in the book. In I Corinthians 3, Paul talks about the church and her foundation (as in, her foundation is God and not men). By verse seventeen – still addressing the church – he says, “If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are” (emp. mine). 

“Destroy” is usually ἀπόλλυμι (apollumi) or λύω (luo), but in this verse it’s the same word that’s translated “corrupt” in I Corinthians 15.33. 

So what does this mean for us? It’s an extremely solemn warning to those who are corrupting or dividing the church today. At Corinth, the division was due to worldliness and basing their Christianity on prominent men like Paul or Apollos. 

If our conduct is dividing the church, we need to read I Corinthians 3.17. 

If what we’re talking about corrupts the bride of Christ, we need to read I Corinthians 3.17. 

If we abuse the influence we have in the church, we need to read I Corinthians 3.17. 

If our opinions, preferences, political views, or behaviors are in any way eroding the family of God, we have to quit them. A bad argument was enough for Paul to tell Euodia and Syntyche to, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2.12). Their argument was hurting the church at Philippi, so Paul told them to get it together or their souls would be lost. 

If love for the church does not motivate us to pursue unity, then it is time for us to cultivate a healthy fear of what negative actions can do to our souls. The church is eternally important and infinitely precious, so what could go wrong if we’re always looking out for others? 

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CONSECRATING THE PRIESTS

Neal Pollard

An interesting ceremony occurs in Leviticus 8:4-11. Moses summons Aaron and his sons into the doorway of the tabernacle and consecrated them. This action consisted of four distinct things.

  • A command (4-5)—“This is the thing which the Lord has commanded to do”
  • A washing (6)—“Moses…washed them with water”
  • Specific clothing (7-9)—tunic, sash, robe, ephod, breastpiece, turban, and the golden plate
  • Anointing and sprinkling (10-11)—anointing the tabernacle with oil and sprinkled the oil on the altar and all its contents

For those of us in 21st Century America who are millennia removed from this ancient ceremony of the Jewish people, those actions are about as foreign as any that we might consider.  But, they all worked together as part of a process of “consecration.” Yet, the idea is timeless, that of being regarded as holy because of having been devoted to the Lord.

The New Testament tells Christians that we are “priests” (1 Pet. 2:5,9; Rev. 1:6). Aaron and his family engaged in religious ritual and ceremony as well as representing people to God. While our function includes the latter, “proclaiming the excellencies of Him who has called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9), we have also been set apart to engage in religious actions for God (1 Pet. 2:5). Romans 12:1 tells us we offer up our bodies as living and holy sacrifices. Our lives are to be dedicated to Him, set apart for His use.

But the process of becoming a priest is just like the process mentioned there in Leviticus 8, if only in a spiritual sense. We are commanded to become priests (cf. 1 Pet. 1:22ff; 3:21). Our induction into this job requires a washing (Rev. 1:6; cf. Acts 22:16). We are given “special clothing” (1 Pet. 3:3; 5:5; cf. Gal. 3:27). The New Testament speaks of this in terms of “anointing” and “sprinkling” (1 Pet. 1:12). When we came into Christ, we entered a life of significance and importance. We were accepting a grand, sobering job. We have been made holy by the blood of Christ, special and dear to God. At the same time, we are set apart for God’s use. One is an undeserved blessing. The other is an unsurpassed responsibility. Let us be grateful for Jesus’ gift that made this priesthood available to us, then let us embrace the monumental task of representing Him to the world and showing the world about Him through our very lives!

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Take Time To Be Holy

Neal Pollard

In 1 Peter 1:13-19, there are three commands that relate to something that must be done regardless of how much time it takes to complete.  They are, “fix your hope completely on grace” (13), “be holy in all your behavior” (15), and “conduct yourselves in fear” (17). There’s a fourth command of this type in verse 22: “Love one another from the heart.” All of these are done as the result of a salvation taught by the prophets and revealed to us. Because we’ve been saved, we should fix our hope on grace, be holy in behavior, conduct ourselves in fear, and love one another from the heart. Considering what God has done for us, we should be eager to do what He tells us to do. At the heart of the discussion, Peter calls for holiness. “Holy” is found 10 times in 1 Peter, but there are synonyms in the book, too (“behavior” or “manner of life”—7 times; “do good” or “right”—13 times).  We want to be holy, do good, and behave, and this letter says a whole lot about how that looks. It’s faithfulness in suffering, distinctiveness in daily living, and keeping heavenly in focus. It’s captured in Peter’s petition (2:11). Our world places more emphasis on happiness than holiness, and if you have to choose one the world says choose happiness. But, God calls us to choose holiness. How do we do that?

  • Look within (13). Moral behavior begins in the heart.  So, he says to keep sober in spirit and fix your hope on grace. These are both heart matters.
  • Look out (14,17). Sanctification and obedience appear together in three different verses in chapter one (2,14,22). Holiness is a matter of obeying the truth. This has a negative aspect (14—“Don’t be conformed”) and a positive aspect (17—“Conduct yourselves in fear”). To be holy, we’ve got to keep our eyes peeled and be vigilant. We’re going to look out for the traps and tricks of this world because we know we’re only strangers here.
  • Look up (15-16). This letter is about our need of God’s help to be holy. There’s a wide gap between our holiness and God’s holiness, and we can never forget that. Peter says to be holy like He is holy.  That is an endless aspiration, a goal we’ll never achieve but must constantly work at.
  • Look ahead (17). God is going to impartially judge according to each one’s work. We should be holy now because we will stand before the Perfect Judge some day.
  • Look back (18-19). I love the way Peter ends the paragraph. It gives us such hope! The way to take time to be holy is to turn around and look back—at our salvation (1:4) and at our Savior (1:2,21). I can’t look at sin in my life and glorify it, rationalize it, defend it, hide it, or minimize it. Peter reminds us why He had to die (2:24-25).

We take the time for what is most important to us—sports, social media, hobbies, work, shopping, and the like. None of that ultimately matters. As we do anything, these or other things, we must make sure that we are holy in heart and conduct. It’s worth the time and will be worth it when there is no longer time.

“This Perverse Generation”

Neal Pollard

What was life like in the first century?  One historian writes, “It has been rightly said, that the idea of conscience, as we understand it, was unknown to heathenism. Absolute right did not exist. Might was right. The social relations exhibited, if possible, even deeper corruption. The sanctity of marriage had ceased. Female dissipation and the general dissoluteness led at last to an almost entire cessation of marriage. Abortion, and the exposure and murder of newly-born children, were common and tolerated; unnatural vices, which even the greatest philosophers practiced, if not advocated, attained proportions which defy description” (Edersheim, Book 2, Chapter 11, p. 179).  Thus described the culture of the dominant world power of the day, Rome.

Those descriptions, almost without exception, could be applied to the current culture.  So many specific examples could be, and often are, set forth to depict life in our world today that mirror Edersheim’s chronicle of the world into which Christianity was born.  Not surprisingly, New Testament writers are prone to speak of the world in stark terms and with specific admonitions.  What they said then apply to us today, and they contain counsel that will help us to spiritual success in our slimy setting.

You can save yourself from this perverse generation (Acts 2:40). That was the final recorded appeal of the first recorded gospel sermon.  The message is one of hope and faith.  There is escape from the pollutions of the world (cf. 2 Pet. 2:20).  There is forgiveness of the sins like the ones described above as well as any and all others.  The promise of the gospel message is, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 2:38).  Those who gladly received that word did just that (Acts 2:41).

You can shine yourself to this perverse generation (Phil. 2:15).  Paul urges the Philippian Christians to prove themselves blameless and harmless in such an environment. He’s calling for distinctive Christian living, a life that would stand out in such deplorable circumstances.  We’re not trying to be oddball misfits, but faithful Christian living is detectable in the crowds we find ourselves in.  That example is the first step to helping someone else save themselves from this perverse generation.

You can share your Savior with this perverse generation (Mark 8:38). Jesus warns those whom He calls “ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation.”  He tells us that a true disciple’s life is one of obedience, self-denial, sacrifice, and courage (cf. Mark 8:36-38).  If we never share the saving message of Christ with the people we meet and know each day, why don’t we? Could it be that we are ashamed to share His distinctive message to a world that pressures us to conform to and go along with it.  If we do not tell them about Him, how are they going to find out? What hope will they have to discard the perverse life for the pure one?

It is a scary, sinful world out there!  But God rescues us from its guilt through Christ’s sacrifice, then sends us back out there to tell them they can be rescued, too.  Live it and then share it, no matter what, until your end or the end—which ever comes first!