Never Lose the Wonder (Part 2)

Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty
(Revelation 4:8)

The word "holy" comes from a root meaning "to set apart" or "to be separate." To understand God’s Holiness is to grasp the very essence of who He is. It takes a central place in our relationship with Him. It's not just one attribute among many; it's like the dazzling crown that adorns His character. Holiness is a unique attribute of God.
 
Yet I find that God's holiness is one of the most challenging concepts to grasp. Thankfully, The Bible Project offers a helpful metaphor: the sun ...
 
Imagine the sun. Like a powerhouse in the sky, giving life to everything on Earth. That kind of awesomeness is like God's holiness. But there's a twist. Just like getting too close to the sun would hurt you, God's holiness is so intense that we can't be perfectly near it.
 
Recently reading the story of Moses and the burning bush, I was moved by this powerful encounter of God’s holiness. God's voice calls to Moses from the burning bush, yet somehow though the bush is on fire, it is not being consumed in the flames. As Moses approaches, God commands him to "take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground" (Exodus 3:5). This simple act highlights the immense holiness surrounding God's presence. Moses, overwhelmed by this awe-inspiring power, hides his face in fear.
 
As we read on, throughout the book of Exodus and beyond, the Old Testament is full of such encounters with God. In the book of Leviticus, it explains in depth the complex laws God gave to Moses. These laws provided the Israelites with a set of guidelines on how to be holy, detailing the rituals, sacrifices and laws required to achieve purity, and access to God’s presence.
 
Here, again, I find myself both humbled and awestruck at the momentous moment in which that temple curtain is torn. I love the worship song ‘Living Hope’ which perfectly captures that separation between us and God’s holiness: 

How great the chasm, that lay between us,
How high the mountain, I could not climb

Through Jesus' sacrifice, God bridged that chasm, offering us forgiveness and a path towards holiness. A way between us and a Holy God. Before that, following the Law of Moses was the only way to approach God, in what must have felt like a very distant and out of reach reality.
 
As Jesus died, and that curtain tore, His sacrifice ripped away that barrier, opening a "new and living way" (Hebrews 10:20) for us to connect with God directly.
 
It's truly humbling to realise how much God loves us, that He would bridge that chasm himself. Through His son Jesus, we now have a path towards holiness, a way to live in closer relationship with this awesome and holy God, and may we never lose the wonder!
 
Let’s pray - Heavenly Father, we are filled with gratitude for the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ. Through His sacrifice, the chasm between us has been bridged, opening the way for a profound and personal relationship with you. May we never lose the wonder of the sacrifice. Help us to experience a renewed encounter with you today, our living and holy God. Amen.

Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash