Each person has been created with an inborn God-consciousness…an understanding that there is an unapproachable, powerful Presence living throughout the whole universe. Rudolf Otto argued that “the numinous” was part of every human mind, referring to the God-consciousness of man. The holiness of God is difficult for mortal man to understand. And, when man is confronted with the Presence of God, he is overwhelmed and brought to his knees. Why is this?
How can we know a holy, unapproachable God?
The Fault in Ourselves
First, we need to understand why God seems unapproachable. It is because God’s holiness shows us our own sin. Like Isaiah, we cry out, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips…for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:5)
We realize that Romans 3:23 is true for us, as well, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” As human beings, we have sinned and fallen short of God’s perfect standard of holiness. Sin separates us from God and earns us the reward of death.
The Way to Know God
But God provided an incredible way for our sins to be forgiven and our hearts to be made clean. God, Who is perfectly holy, wanted to bring sinful people back into a relationship with Himself. A. W. Tozer wrote in his classic book The Knowledge of the Holy, “Whatever is holy is healthy; evil is a moral sickness that must end ultimately in death.” Because God cares about the moral health of His creation, He must punish sin.
In order to punish sin and yet forgive the sinner, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus died on the cross, paying for every sin ever committed. Because of this, God can offer forgiveness to the sinner.
If anyone turns from sin and believes on Jesus, God will forgive them and credit Jesus’ goodness to their account. Each person who does so will become holy in God’s eyes and set apart from common things. Have you made this decision to believe on Jesus? If not, join us at our prison ministries to learn more.
The Path of Holiness
After we believe on Jesus Christ, we can become more and more holy, which means more like God. How can we do this? We need to read and hear God’s Word, believe it, and cooperate with the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. When we read the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit will teach us about God’s holiness.
Instead of only knowing God as an unapproachable Presence, we will also learn of His personality and moral character. We will learn to call, “Abba, Father!” to our first Parent. We will learn to worship at the feet of the all-powerful Creator.
Also, the Bible teaches us what God expects of His people. He wants us to love what He loves (righteousness) and hate what He hates (sin). God wants us to hate, reject, and forsake the sin in our own lives and hearts. His goal is that we “be conformed to the image of his Son…” (Romans 8:29) As we become more holy, we will be able to draw near to God in sweet friendship.
As Isaiah told us, our God is holy. But He is near to those who have humble hearts—those who are truly remorseful over their sins.
“For thus saith the high and lofty One
that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy;
I dwell in the high and holy place,
with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble,
and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” (Isaiah 57:15)
We can only know the holy God when we come to Him in humble repentance (turning from sin) and faith in Jesus Christ. Contact us at our prison ministries to learn more.
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