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By Aeron Morgan MOST of us know the name of Lord Tennyson, the famous English poet. It was he who, in one of his poems, wrote, "More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of!" I was interested to read that he considered the greatest hymn in the English language was the one written by Reginald Heber (1783-1826), "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY! LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!" And what a majestic hymn it is, no doubt inspired by the experience of Isaiah who saw the Lord "sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up", unto whom the seraphim were gathered in adoring worship. Covering their faces because of the dazzling lustre of the Divine glory, they expressed responsively and in concert, "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty" (Isaiah 6:1-3). Likewise, the four living creatures of the Apocalypse "rest not day and night, saying, `Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty which was and is, and is to come" (Rev 4:8). It is an eternal anthem, celebrating the infinite perfection that is inherently His, to which He makes personal claim (Leviticus 19:2). The HOLINESS of God is probably the most discomforting aspect of God's nature. When our first parents sinned in Eden, it resulted in them hiding themselves, fear gripping them as they contemplated having to appear before the Holy One, whose commandment they had violated. Sinners must always feel overawed in the presence of infinite holiness (Genesis 3:7-10). Moses must take off his sandals upon approaching the bush that burned yet was not being consumed, the bush in which God's glory was being made manifest (Exodus 3:5). It's the first mention of the word "holy" in scripture! `Shoes off' was in recognition of his own personal unworthiness before the Holy One. Some time later, when celebrating the Israelites' deliverance from Egypt, it is THIS attribute that is primarily extolled in Moses' song: "Who is like unto Thee ... glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders" (Exodus 15:11). What a revelation! Moses ascribes the redemptive acts of God firstly to His holiness. That grand old puritan, Thomas Watson, said, "His power makes Him mighty; His holiness makes Him glorious!" The late A.W. Tozer rightly comments: "We know nothing like the Divine holiness. It stands apart, unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible, and unattainable. The natural man is blind to it. He may fear God's power and admire His wisdom, BUT His holiness he cannot even imagine". Oh, that absolute and immeasurable perfection of His moral nature, an absolute purity of nature that knows no degrees. Holy is the way God is! Whatever we think of as belonging to God must be thought of as Holy. He is "the Holy One" (Psalm 78:41). His name is Holy (Psalm 111:9). His nature is Holy (1 Peter 1:16). His habitation is Holy (Psalm 20:6; 68:5). Being so holy, every expression of evil in the universe offends and displeases Him (Genesis 6:5-6). I wonder sometimes if we have lost sight of this awesome aspect of God's nature. Yes, I know (and am grateful) that God is love, and that He loves all men, sinners though we are ... yet He must hate sin. It is detestable and loathsome to Divine holiness, and distances sinners from Him (Proverbs 15:9; Isaiah 59:1-2). God calls us to holiness. It must find its way into all areas of our life's relationships and responsibilities ... holiness in the home, in the church, in the business, in the community, touching every part of us (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8). This is at the heart of the gospel. Christ is not merely the standard and pattern for holiness, but He in us is the very principle of holy living. It is HE who becomes to the believer the cause of any and all holiness (Galatians 2:20; Col 1:27). What a wonder, that sinners can become saints ... not as some achievement at the end of the Christian life, but a bestowment at the beginning of it! There should be a cry for holiness reaching up from the depths of our renewed beings to the depths of God's holy being, a longing for moral wholeness and spiritual health. Since this is the will of God it must be THE priority in our Christian pursuits. Thank God for the precious blood of Jesus that washes away our sins, and for that "gift of righteousness" that makes us acceptable before God (Romans 5:1-2; 15-17. Ephesians1:6-7). Never forget that the Christian gospel is primarily about GOD ... not a `need-centred' gospel but a God-centred gospel; not a `need-centred' gospel but a God-centred gospel; not so much of what man desires but what God requires. A man-centred emphasis in the gospel produces a self-centred emphasis in Christian living! The true gospel begins with GOD, with what God is like, with what God has done, and with what God intends. See 1 John 1:1-6. Misconceptions about the gospel will always give rise to so much confusion and trauma in Christian experience, prompting questions like, "Why is God allowing this to happen to me?" Seeing God for who He is, and appreciating the end of His work for and in us, clears away the fog from our minds, producing a confidence in His goodness. Reginald Heber understood this, I think. In that glorious hymn he refers to the Holy One as "Perfect in power, IN LOVE, and purity." He became a missionary in India, and was the bishop of Calcutta in 1823. He laboured continuously in the preaching of the gospel. Then one day, on April 3, 1826, having preached before a large congregation, he went to cool off in the swimming pool at the home where he was staying. Some time later he was found drowned, the result of a stroke ... at the age of just 43 years. One might question "Why?" Well, it's the knowledge of God as HOLY that dispels doubts, puts questions to one side, for the assurance we have is that He can ONLY DO WHAT IS RIGHT (Genesis18:25). Let's draw near to Him today with reverence and godly fear. [ TOP ] ... [ Part 5 ] ... [ Part 4 ] ... [ Part 3 ] ... [ Part 2 ] ... [ Part 1 ] Appeared in Issue 7 -- February 2000 |
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