Holy and Unholy
My verse for today is Ezekiel 44:23. It is very simple, but profound, It is a statement about the responsibility of the priests in Israel, "And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean." I wonder how many people today know the difference between the holy and the unholy?
Holy means "set apart" or "separate." It means something that is made for the Lord's use. Therefore, it is not used for sinful things, but purely for the Lord's will. The utensils and furnishings in the Temple were holy. They were only used in the Temple to do God's will.
Christians are holy in that we have been separated from the sinful world for God to use in His kingdom. We can become more holy(sanctified) by living a life that is different from those who are of this sinful world and by being busy doing the good things God has laid out for us to do. God wants every believer to grow in holiness until we become like Jesus, who was perfectly holy. We won't ever fully make that goal on earth, but we will be holy in heaven.
So to be in God's will, we have to know the difference and choose to be holy and to do the holy things, which are God's will. We have the Bible to lead us in that understanding, and we have the Spirit to supply the power to do it. God doesn't force us to pursue holiness. We have to choose. If we don't choose holiness, we experience the pain of being a holy vessel used to do unholy things. It is not pleasant experience, but that is part of God's way of leading us to be like Jesus.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 46-48 and Daniel 1.
Holy means "set apart" or "separate." It means something that is made for the Lord's use. Therefore, it is not used for sinful things, but purely for the Lord's will. The utensils and furnishings in the Temple were holy. They were only used in the Temple to do God's will.
Christians are holy in that we have been separated from the sinful world for God to use in His kingdom. We can become more holy(sanctified) by living a life that is different from those who are of this sinful world and by being busy doing the good things God has laid out for us to do. God wants every believer to grow in holiness until we become like Jesus, who was perfectly holy. We won't ever fully make that goal on earth, but we will be holy in heaven.
So to be in God's will, we have to know the difference and choose to be holy and to do the holy things, which are God's will. We have the Bible to lead us in that understanding, and we have the Spirit to supply the power to do it. God doesn't force us to pursue holiness. We have to choose. If we don't choose holiness, we experience the pain of being a holy vessel used to do unholy things. It is not pleasant experience, but that is part of God's way of leading us to be like Jesus.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 46-48 and Daniel 1.