Do Not Walk Away

“There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. (1Samuel 2:2 ESV)

In this verse from 1 Samuel, Hannah is speaking about the Lord's holiness. Holiness means separate. God is elevated so far above us in holiness that it is difficult to understand this separation. In the words of Dr. Sproul, God is transcendently pure. So, there is an infinite difference between us and God.

When we see the holiness of God, we may feel unworthy. Like Isaiah, who said, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”(Isaiah 6) when the holiness of God becomes clear to us when we see it in the Bible, things about our life begin to become troublesome. They become troublesome in our hearts because they do not fit into our lives.

We begin to think that we understand the gospel and that our life is coming in line with God, and then we see a glimpse of God’s holiness, which does not seem to fit what is in our lives. It is at this point that many will fall away from Christ. They begin to feel less and less worthy, lost in understanding, unable to do what they read God wants us to do. Confusion or uncertainty can happen to young Christians, but it can also occur with those who are mature in Christ because the holiness of God is becoming more evident and apparent to them. They see something so confusing that they cannot reconcile their life and they bail. They walk away from Christ instead of asking God to help explain this to them. There is no asking for clarity and enlightenment. Some things in the Bible are so strange that we think, “I can never do this.” We need to understand that when a creature like us, inherently evil, meets the holiness of God, this is going to happen. We are going to feel that way. Our mental and emotional abilities are put into question. We are unsure we can feel the way God wants us to feel.

In 1 Peter v.13-19, Peter tells us how to deal with this confusion, “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”

There are three indicatives in Peter’s writing. First, set your hopes on the grace of Christ. Have faith and focus on the hope God gives us that it will be good for you when Christ comes again. Fall back on your assurances as a child of God and radiate hope.

The second command is to be holy. Peter tells us to be holy in our conduct in everything we do. Our conduct should reflect God to everyone. When you look in a mirror, you should not be ashamed of what you see but strive to be holy and rest your hopes on Christ.

Lastly, conduct yourself with fear. We know of God’s wrath and were rescued from it, as well as our exile by the blood of Christ. Christ ransomed us from the ways of Adam. It was not a ransom paid with perishable things. Peter is using gold and silver to show that the treasure, that is, Christ, is far greater than the riches that perish. Peter is telling us the blood of Christ was the payment for our sins. The perfect sacrifice, Christ’s atoning death, saved all who believe in Him. So, we keep our hope in the return of Christ and our assurances of salvation. We strive to be holy; even though we stumble, we rely on Christ as we burst with hope. We also maintain a healthy fear of God, our God, the living God, who is separated from us by a vast cavern of purity and goodness yet remains close to us in our personal relationship with Him, and we benefit from His mercy and grace.

If you become overwhelmed by the holiness of God, if you are confused, do not give up. If Christ has saved you from your sin, you have been His before the beginning of time, and nothing can change that now. Call on the Lord and ask for understanding, help, edification, and peace. He will give it to you. If we learned nothing else from the Book of Jonah, you cannot outrun God.

If you do not know Christ, seek Him in your heart. There is forgiveness, mercy, peace, and grace.

God’s Peace!