5. Are we worshiping God in the beauty of His holiness
Another area which requires a very close examination as to whether we are worshiping God in vain is that of holiness. One rule of protocol with regards to how the Lord is worshiped is that of holiness, because the admonition is as follows; “Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!” We are to Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Psalms 96:9; Hebrews 12:14).
To have fellowship with God, holiness is paramount, for "This is what the LORD spoke, saying: ' By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified” (Leviticus 10:3).
But the most important question is, how does a person becomes holy? There is one and only one way by which one becomes holy and it is by eating of the things by which the atonement was made. For this is what the Lord spoke to Moses saying; “Then Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. They shall eat those things with which the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them; but an outsider shall not eat them, because they are holy” (Exodus 29:32-33).
The things by which the atonement was made in our new dispensation is the body and blood of Jesus Christ, therefore, the way one becomes holy is by eating the body of Jesus Christ and drinking His blood which He gave us to eat and drink in the form of the bread and wine for the remission of our sins to present us holy and blameless in the presence of God.
Holiness therefore, is a key prerequisite in presenting ourselves before God and our worship of God must be in the beauty of holiness, so the question is are we worshiping God in the beauty of His holiness?
The word holiness denotes the absence of sin, something sanctified and set aside for holy use, therefore, it is the responsibility of everyone coming before the Lord to worship, be holy themselves so as to worship Him in the beauty of holiness.
I have already established the point as to how someone becomes holy, so the other logical question is, are we appearing before God without distinguishing the difference between the holy and the profane?
With regards to this question this is what the Lord spoke to the prophet Ezekiel concerning the sins of Jerusalem saying; “Her priests do violence to My law and profane My holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them” (Ezekiel.22:26).
Again the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel concerning the house of Israel and said. “O house of Israel let us have no more of all your abominations. When you brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to defile it – My house – and when you offered My food, the fat and the blood, then they broke My covenant because of all your abominations. Thus says the Lord God; ‘No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter My sanctuary, including any foreigner who is among the children of Israel” (Ezekiel 44:7, 9).
The prophet Jeremiah also received a word from the Lord saying, “Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the Lord! ‘Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, we are delivered to do all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold I, even I, have seen it; says the Lord” (Jeremiah 7:9-11).
In the New Testament, believers are categorized as, “A chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own special people, in order that they may proclaim the praises of Him who called them out of darkness into His marvelous light, who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1Peter 2:9).
The Lord’s instruction to this holy nation is, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?
For you are the temple of the living God as God has said; I will dwell in them and walk among them, I will be their God and they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate says the Lord, do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (2Corinthians 6:14-18).
We should always bear in mind the fact that Christian fellowship is not just among believers, but it is also with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. Therefore, since Christian fellowship is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ who is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all, anyone who is not walking in the light, and is not prepared or willing to have his/her sins forgiven, and be cleansed by the blood of the New covenant, should not be a part of the fellowship.
It takes only a little bit of leaven to leaven the whole dough. It takes only one in the midst of the worshipers whose sins have not been forgiven to corrupt, contaminate and defile the worship service, and cause it to be an abomination before God. This is why the offering we are asked to bring and come into His courts is of such intrinsic importance. It is only through this offering can we worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness.
With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
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