If there is anything revealed from heaven to men, it is that God is holy. To be holy means to be set apart for special honor. With respect to the Creator and ruler of creation, it refers to the tremendous obligation of all God's creation to render him the highest honor. Conversely, not doing so is the highest possible moral failure.
There are three reasons to reserve special honor for somone. First is because of who they are. When somone has character that exceeds what is common, that person is regarded with great dignity. When somone has more integrity than myself, it natural that I should regard that person with honor. Not only is it natural to do so, it is right to do so. Any impartial third party would judge that way. When we see a person of disrepute discredit an honorable person, we feel a sense of injustice.
God's character is perfect. He never does anything wrong. He never fails to do what is right. He loves perfectly. He is long-suffering and exceedingly patient when he is wronged. His motives are alway pure. He is generous unlike any other. He is extravagant in his goodness. He is quick to forgive even the greatest of wrongs. He is the perfectly just judge. He never condemns the innocent nor is he ever tempted or bribed to look the other way from evil. Every part of his character far exceeds that of any of his creatures. Not only is He holy in his character but in his very being. He is the highest being, the only eternal, infinite, limitless, self-existent being. And so it is natural that we should honor him above everything else.
The second reason we give someone special honor is because of their position. People in high and honorable positions deserve special respect. Our parents deserve special honor because they served us as caregivers when we were young. Our employers deserve respect since their leadership means that we continue to have employment and thus provide for ourselves and our dependents. Our civil and military leaders allow us to live in freedom and safety and pursue happiness. In regards to God, he holds the highest and greatest positions. He is the Giver and Sustainer of life. He is the Ruler of all creation, the great Provider, the loving Father, the faithful Savior and Helper, the strong Protector, the impartial Judge and the Executor of justice. Because of these high and honorable positions, we owe him unique honor.
The third reason we reserve high honor for someone is because of how they treat us personally. Someone who is good to us beyond others inherently deserves special honor from us. God has created us. He is our creator. We gave us all existence. He is the one who has ultimately given us everything we need for life. Every good gift we have received can be traced back to his own divine decision to bless us individually and personally. Family, friends, loved one, emotional happiness, material blessing--it has all come from Him. He has provided for us the way to be forgiven of all our sin in dishonoring him through His Son Jesus Christ. He sent his eternal Son into the world to become our Savior and pay the penalty of our sin. Even as God's enemies, Christ died for us, the ungodly. He has opened up his arms with the offer of salvation to all who believe--even those who hate him.
That is why even the angels in heaven cry out, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty!"
No comments:
Post a Comment