Kingdom of Christ - O worship the LORD in the "Beauty of Holiness"

• Holy is His "Name" - God is absolutely and indescribably unique. As the verse in Exo 15  implies, there is only One True and Living God among the pantheon of lesser “gods” that have been invented by the minds of men. And this One True and Living God is Holy. Rev 4 paints a very dramatic picture of Triune God’s eternal holiness. Mark 1 records that even an “unclean spirit”, a demon, in a man that is acknowledging not only the divine Holiness of God the Son, but also his awareness that Jesus will one day appear as the Judge of the universe to consign all demons  and all the unsaved to Hell.

Exo 15:11 “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?”

Luke 1:49 “For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.”

Rev 4:8 “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.”

Mark 1:23-24 “And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art  the Holy One of God.”

• The "Beauty of Holiness" - The phrase “beauty of holiness” is used four times in the Bible, and all of these occur in the Old Testament in the context of worshipping God. In our world beauty and holiness are rarely (if ever) associated with each other. This is because the world is altogether absorbed and infatuated with “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life…”. Only the Bible associates beauty with holiness, and associates both with eternal God. From the Bible we learn the real significance of beauty and holiness from God’s perspective and God is to be praised “for His mercy, which endureth forever.”

2 Chr 20:21 “And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.”

Exo 15:11 “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?”

Psa 96:6 “Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.”

• God Gives the "Beauty of Holiness" to His Children- As noted above, God is the very embodiment of the “beauty of holiness”, and yet He does not keep that solely within the Triune Godhead. He shares the “beauty of holiness” as he grants salvation to those that He planned to redeem. Keep in mind that Isa 61:3 is set in a context that explains in figurative language the purpose for which God the Son came to this earth to be the Savior of His people. Let’s look at the two preceding verses in this very important passage because they so clearly identify those who will have God’s unmerited holiness given to them.

Eph. 4:24 “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

Isa 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me [Lord Jesus Christ]; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn 3To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”

• God’s Gospel, Provides "Beauty of Holiness" in Salvation - We read about the “Holy Covenant” in Luke 1. What is God’s covenant? Rom 11 gives us the definition.  The Greek word for “covenant” is really speaking about the Gospel and is also translated in English as “testament” in a number of places, including in 2 Cor 3. The reason it is “holy” is because it is God’s covenant, or testament, which is applied to the hearts of believers by the Holy Spirit. God is emphasizing the fact that this Gospel did not originate with man – it was not conceived in the mind of man. According to Gal 1, the origin of the Gospel can only be traced to God. Could it be that each us might gain a greater understanding of and appreciation for the holiness of God, to the end that we might be holy, as God is Holy  (1 Pet 1:16)? We can only have God’s holiness if He chooses to give it to us by saving us and giving us new birth from above.

Luke 1:72 “To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant.”

Rom 11:27 “For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”

Eph 2:12 “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.”

2 Cor 3:6 “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter [Law] killeth, but the spirit [Holy Spirit] giveth life.”

Rom 15:29 “And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.”

Gal 1:12-13 “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

• God’s People Desire the "Beauty of Holiness"- Not only does God grant the “beauty of holiness” to His people in salvation, but His children, in turn, desire the “beauty of holiness”. This is demonstrated by their willingness to glorify God in their lives by obeying the Bible; and this takes place as a result of salvation. Thus, believers can identify with the same genuine longing that is expressed in Luke 1. The believer desires God for all that He is and all that He has done and continues to do for them. Christians also crave that the Lord might use them as His ambassadors to proclaim His Word.

Luke 1:74-75  “That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.”

Psa 27:4 “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.”

Psa 90:17 “And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.”

• God’s People are to Worship Him in the "Beauty of Holiness" - As we have seen God considers holiness as “beauty”. This world has its own standards for beauty, but those qualifications for beauty do not include holiness, or moral perfection. Only God Himself has this quality, and only God can give it to His people. We just saw a glimpse of God’s holiness when we saw the extent to which He is worshipped in Heaven; and thus, how careful we must be to worship Him on earth as He demands. So, how do we do that? We see from this verse and many other passages that as God seeks and saves His people from eternal damnation, He also qualifies them to worship Him for His Holiness “in spirit and in truth” – that is, in obedience to the Bible. In the book of Psalms we find a vast treasury of verses that relate to the worship of this Holy, Majestic, and Merciful Triune God. Psa 30 emphasizes the attitude of great joy and eternal appreciation that flows from the souls o the redeeemed and is expressed in singing. Their need to manifest their “joy unspeakable” practically shouts out.  I pray that you, too, might be one of the “righteous” who is clothed with the holiness of God – a gift none of us deserves and one we can never lose.

1 Chr 16:29 “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”

Heb 12:14 “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”

John 4:23-24 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

Psa 96:9 “O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.”

Psa 30:4 “Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.”

Psa 97:2 “Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.”