The Difference

"They are to teach my people

the difference between 

holy and the common

and show them how to distinguish between 

the unclean and the clean."

Ezekiel 44:23

Holy.  Even the word seems set apart and special.  It is a word that the winged creatures covered in eyes and seen in John's vision of the throne in heaven sang over and over again, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." (Revelation 4:8)  I have a sense that holy means sacred and hallowed; but what do I really know of holy?  

Listen to and meditate on the lyrics of the Addison Road song of the same name.

As Jenny Simmons sings, "I think I've made You too small, I never feared you at all."  What do I really know of "holy" and how does it affect the way I live my life as a follower of Christ?

Sabbath

I rush from one activity to the next, always aware of the time and how quickly it is slipping from my grasp.  How will I finish all these tasks?  Maybe I'll have to do a little on Sunday, just so I don't fall behind. We've all been there.  Life moves at warp speed and many times I feel as if I can't keep up.

When Moses carried the tablets engraved by the finger of God with His Ten Commandments, the fourth law on the list proclaimed to, "Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work. . . ." (Deuteronomy 5:12-14)

As one who desires to please God in all I do and who has the benefit of God's Spirit dwelling within, I want to follow this command.  His day is special, different from all other days, free from toil and labor, set apart for Him.  

It seems observing the Sabbath is similar to tithing: Both take a certain amount of faith that God will make what time or money I have left after giving the required amount enough to finish my work and pay my bills.  Six days should be enough to finish all that my life has for me to do.  Ninety percent of my income should be enough to provide for my household.  But what if it's not enough?

Faith is being certain of what I do not see, or cannot comprehend.  (Hebrews 11:1)  If I want to please God I must trust Him that six days are enough, and that 90% is sufficient.  Without faith, it is impossible to please God.  If I can't bring myself to rest on Sunday, my faith is lacking, and I am displeasing God.

Part of the difference Jesus makes in my life is that my Sabbath is holy.

Name

"What's in a name?  That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet."  (Romeo and Juliet, Scene II, lines 45-46)

Juliet loved her dear Romeo, but tragically, he belonged to the family of her relatives' enemy.  She, however, loved him despite his unfortunate ancestral lineage.  His name meant nothing to her; it was he that she wanted.

In contrast, God's name does mean something. It is more than just a title or label, rather it is a part of who He is.  Herman Hoeksema attempts to shed some light on the significance of God's name in his book, Reformed Dogmatics.  "The Name of God is His Being, not as He is in Himself, but as He is revealed to us."  There is no way my tiny mind can fully comprehend God, but His name, in part, gives some enlightenment to His essence. 


By knowing God's name, we have some idea of Who He is, but L. Berkhof goes further by explaining in Systemic Theology that, "The names of God are not of human invention, but of divine origin though they are all borrowed from human language, and derived from human and earthly relations."  God gives Himself a name that we can understand and relate to, but it falls far short from doing His character and being justice.  He transcends a mere word.  Still, in order for someone to be known, I must have something by which to call him. 


I can look to scripture for examples of how to treat God's name.  The LORD is described in Isaiah 57:15 as, "he who lives forever, whose name is holy."  David encouraged us to, "Praise his holy name." (Psalm 30:4) He also encouraged his people in 1 Chronicles 16:10 and 35 to, "Glory in his holy name," and to, "give thanks to (his) holy name."  Each time, His Name is described as being "holy."


The name of the LORD is one of the ways God reveals Himself to us, is a word we can use to try to understand Him, at least in part, and can be used to give praise, thanks and glory to Him. Clearly, God's name is special.


Consequently, using His name in a common way is offensive to God, to say the least.  


When I exclaim, "Oh my God!" when I see something funny or surprising, I am denigrating His Name, and thus God Himself.  When I use God's Name to give validity to an oath I'm taking, I am lowering His Name, in turn disrespecting Him.  When I flippantly talk about God as if He were a mere human, I am showing a lack of respect for Him.  


Part of the difference that Jesus makes in my life is that I make an effort to treat God's Name as holy.

Temple

 The redness started in His cheeks and spread until it covered His entire face.  An ever-so-slight pulsating movement could be detected near his brows.  His eyes swept back and forth, taking in the scene.  Cattle and sheep munched on hay as they waited patiently, tied to the temple pillars.  The sound of the cooing of dozens of doves perched in cages lining the wall filled the air.  Worshipers filed past the tables set up for the convenience of transacting the sales of all these animals.  How dare they treat my Father's house in such a lowly, common way, as if it were a mere marketplace!  (John 2:13-16)  

Jesus demonstrated the level of respect that He held for the dwelling place of His Father's Spirit.  The temple was not simply a building.  Instead, it was the place where one could go to find God.  It was a representation of His presence among His people, both when they wandered in the desert and when the more permanent temple was built and dedicated by Solomon.  

Under the new covenant of grace offered out of God's great love for me, there is another temple where God's Spirit constantly stays with His people. The Apostle Paul teaches by asking, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body."  (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Treating my body, therefore, as common, like everyone else in the world who does not know Jesus treats their body, goes against this teaching.  This lesson spills over into my beliefs about sexual purity and what I do and do not allow as acceptable for me.  As Paul said, "Flee from sexual immorality.  All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body."  (1 Corinthians 6:18) I can easily justify my actions with the claim that everyone else does it, so it can't be that bad.  Or I could say it's not that big a deal.  Even watching the blatant sexuality permeating our modern entertainment is just a part of the world we live in, right?  I can't really be expected to stay away from it, or am I?

My standard is to please God, and everything I do must be driven by that desire.   The way I dress, both the amount and kinds of food that I consume, the care I give my body, the kinds of entertainment of which I partake, all reflect on the One Who inhabits it's structure.  I treat my body as special not because I am special, but because God is special.  

Part of the difference that Jesus makes in my life is that my body, as the temple of the Spirit of the living God, is to be treated as holy.  

God is a holy God.   As His child, I am also called to be holy.  Some of the ways I abide by His holiness is in the way I treat the Sabbath, His Name and His Temple.  

What do I really know of holy?

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I may consider God's holiness, seeking to revere Him in all that I do.

How do I treat Sunday as any other day, using it as a time to play catch up?

What are some ways I could begin to show honor to God in the way I use His name?

What's in a Name?

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,"

Matthew 6:9

"Let them praise the name of the LORD,
   for his name alone is exalted;"

Psalm 148:13 



"What's in a name? that which we call a rose,  By any other name would smell as sweet;" * 

Many of you probably recognize this poetic line from Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet.  Juliet was saying that Romeo, born under another name, would still be the one with which she was madly in love.  To Juliet, who Romeo was seemed more important than what he was called.

This is not the case with God.  Even His name is special, set apart and to be revered.   The Lord is very concerned about His name, as demonstrated in the restraint He showed toward His disobedient and rebellious people.  "For my own name’s sake I delay my wrath; (Isaiah 48:9)  God's name is of the utmost importance. 

David knew the significance of preserving the name of the Lord.  He said, "For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great." (Psalm 25:11)  David's main concern was for people to link God's name with His qualities: grace, mercy, love, justice, righteousness, holiness, etc.  This was more important to David than his own welfare.

Jesus demonstrated the reverence He held for His Father's name, in what He said after predicting His death to His disciples.  " 'Father, glorify your name!' Then a voice came from heaven, 'I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.' " (John 12:8) God's response speaks to the purpose for all of creation: To lift up the Name of the Creator and sovereign Lord.

How do I treat the name of my God in the way I use it in everyday life?  Do I purposefully act in a way that will bring glory and honor to His name?  Is the integrity of His name even something that crosses my mind?

 Respect

It is easy to fall into a familiar, casual relationship with God.  I have heard people refer to Him as "The Big Guy Upstairs," or to say that, "He's my main man,"  thinking that in their laid-back manner they are showing their love for Him, kind of like a friend.  But God himself never demonstrated that kind of lack of respect for His name, rather He expected a reverence for not just Him, but also His very name. 

It is quite common to casually use God's name in amazement or irritability, almost like a swear word, as in, "Oh my God!"  As my Savior and Creator, the Author of my faith and the Giver of all good things, He deserves so much more than this.  I must guard against falling into the practice of casually uttering His name as if it were common.  The name of God is not common, it is holy, and should be set aside for use in only ways that will make Him look good and show reverence.

It reminds me of my dishes.  I have a set of heirloom china that is only used on special occasions.  I do not use it every day, and when I do bring it out, I treat it more carefully than I do my other dishes.  This is similar to how my attitude should be toward the name of the Lord.  I need to be careful and only use it in ways that will bring glory and honor to Him.

As a bearer of God's image, I need to be mindful of where I go, what I do and how I think.

Honor and Glory

In the Japanese culture, the honor of the family is very important.   Schools, careers and mates are chosen in such a way to reflect well upon the family.  It is the highest goal in society to create a sense of respect and admiration for one's own family name.  

In the same way, I can make it my highest goal to honor and glorify the name of the Lord.  Every decision I make, every step I take, every word I utter, could be with the thought that I can lift up the name of the Lord in these actions! In this way, I will live out the admonition of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:31, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

Integrity

God is perfect, good and just.  He does not need my help as a PR person to give Him a better reputation in the world.  After all, Jesus clearly warned us that we would be hated for following Him.  The world is the enemy of God because of sin.  I cannot make anyone hold respect and honor for God, only He can change a heart.

What I can do is be constantly concerned for the integrity of the Lord's name in my thought life.  Just as we are exhorted in Philippians 4:8, ". . . whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things,"  I need to be purposeful in what I think about. 

My thoughts easily go to thoughts of worry about the future, finances or friendships.  I can also spend a lot of time thinking about what I'm going to do that day, or I often dwell on past conversations, rehashing them to death, beating myself up for stupid things I said.  

But are these thoughts showing reverence for God, or a complete disregard for Him?  It's easy to say, "Well, we can't think about God 24/7!" but I can focus my thoughts on things that bring glory to His name.

Even though Shakespeare didn't think a name was all that important, God does.  And I can show this same regard in the respectful way I use His name, in how my actions bring honor to His name, and in what I choose to think about.

As I begin this day, I pray that I will honor God's name in the way I speak, act and think.

How do I fritter away my time thinking about trivial things when I could be meditating on God's glorious name?

Where do I have no business going as a bearer of God's image, thus treating His name as common?

* From Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, 1600

God is a Personal God

"But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine."  Isaiah 43:1 (ESV) 

To Be Known

"Norm!" the crowd yells as the portly man walks through the door of a friendly bar.

Remember the TV show about a "place where everbody knows your name"?  It was a place where everyone wanted to go because you felt welcome, you felt known.

Our Need  Every human being has a need to be known intimately by someone.  Many spend their lives searching for the "special someone."  If only we really understood that the One who created us knows us intimately. . . and He still loves us!

His Perfection  There is a song by The Sidewalk Prophets called, "And You Love Me Anyway" that beautifully expresses this character trait of God.  Catch the truth in these lyrics*:

The question was raised
As my conscience fell
A silly little lie
It didn't mean much
But it lingers still
In the corners of my mind
Still you call me to walk
On the edge of this world
To spread my dreams and fly
But the future's so far
My heart is so frail
I think I'd rather stay inside

But You love me anyway
It's like nothing in life
That I've ever known
Yes You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me
How you love me

It took all of my strength
To simply be still
To seek but never find
The reasons we change
The reasons I doubt
And Why do loved ones have to die?

But You love me anyway
It's like nothing in life
That I've ever known
Yes You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me


I am the thorn in your crown
But You love me anyway
I am the sweat from Your brow
But You love me anyway
I am the nail in Your wrist
But You love me anyway
I am Judas' kiss
But You love me anyway
See now I am the man who yelled out from the crowd
For Your blood to be spilled on this earth shaking ground
Yes then I turned away with a smile on my face
With this sin in my heart, tried to bury Your grace
And then alone in the night I still call out for You
So ashamed of my life, my life, my life


But You love me anyway
Oh God, how You love me
Yes You love me anyway
It's like nothing in life
That I've ever known
Yes You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me

 The God who made the universe knows us intimately, and He loves us anyway.  I could search my whole life and never find a person who would be able to do that.  But it is God's nature to love us this way.  He cannot go against who He is.

As I begin this day, I pray that God will give me the strength to let Him love me despite all my failings.

Where am I not allowing God to love me?

How can knowing that God knows me by name change the way I feel about myself. . . and the way I feel about others (especially when I am irritated by someone's actions)? 

*Lyrics from  http://www.lyricsreg.com/lyrics/sidewalk+prophets/You+Love+Me+Anyway/