Grace Fellowship 08/30/09 God's People are Holy Colossians 3:12
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Today we want to look at the second of three words which are very precious to every Christian. Those three words are found in Colossians 3:12. They are the words “chosen”, “holy”, and “beloved”.
"Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” 1
If ever you find yourselves is a spiritual slump, if you find yourself discouraged by your own lack of zeal for God or lack of perseverance in the face of temptation, if you ever find that you are suffering from some kind of spiritual depression, three words will take you far in the direction of recovery: Chosen, holy, and beloved. This is the heavenly perspective. For the believer, these three words sum up what we might legitimately call our personal relationship with God through Christ. All those that are “in Christ” are chosen by God to be in Christ, they have been made to be holy, and they are loved by God.
As we said last week, the word “chosen” refers to God’s choice of His people for salvation. They are often referred to as His elect, or “the elect”. This is not a term that only refers to the people of Israel. In the Gospel of John, Jesus refers to this group of people as “My sheep” which belong to Him, and it includes the “other sheep” whose Shepherd He is. The elect are all people from every tongue, tribe, people and nation who eventually and infallibly hear His voice. He knows them, and they follow Him. In Romans 8, we read of God’s chosen people in these terms:
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
These people who have been foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and glorified are the chosen, the elect. They all eventually actually believe the Gospel message, they are born again by God, and with them there is no condemnation from God. The chosen also, according to Romans 8, live according to the Spirit of God and not according to the flesh. They are those in whom the Holy Spirit of God resides.
These are the chosen whom God has also declared to be “holy”. What does the word “holy” actually mean? In Colossians 3:12, Christians are spoken of as “God’s chosen ones, holy, beloved.” How does that word apply to us as followers of the Lord Jesus? What does the Bible mean when it says we are holy?
The first occurrence of the English word “holy” is found in Genesis, chapter 2. Before sin ever entered into the world, something was designated as holy: the seventh day. “So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation” (Genesis 2:3) We often think of holiness in terms of sinlessness. But in this instance, God declared something to be holy prior to the fall of Adam. The seventh day was holy in the sense of being different from the other days of the week and set apart. Other translations use words like “sanctified” or “hallowed”.
Immediately after the completion of creation, God makes a distinction between a creation that is all good and without sin, and a day of the week that is also good but in a different way. In that first week, everything was holy and unspotted by sin. But the Sabbath was holier than the rest of the days of the week because God set it apart for the particular purpose of rest. That is one way we understand the word “holy”: something set apart from the rest for a particular purpose.
That was also the case with the utensils that were used by the priests of Israel in the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, and later in the Temple. Bowls and tables and candlesticks and everything else used in the worship of God were considered holy because they were to be used for that purpose alone. They were set apart from all other similar things to be used exclusively for the acceptable worship of God.
The Temple itself was divided into two rooms called The Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. Inside the Holy of Holies was a wooden box covered in gold called the Ark of the Covenant. Because that box was designated as the throne of God in the Holy of Holies, it was consecrated or dedicated, or made holy and set apart for the service of God and for no other purpose. All these things, both the Temple itself and all of its contents were only to be touched by certain holy people, priests and Levites, who had been specifically set apart for the work of worship. They alone out of all the people of Israel, and out of all the people of the world, were consecrated for the acceptable worship of God through certain rituals.
On one notable occasion, a man by the name of Uzzah, who was not authorized to do so, touched the holy Ark of the Covenant to keep it from falling off an oxcart. A new cart had been built for the occasion of transporting the Ark out of respect for the holiness of Ark. But God had already prescribed the only means of carrying the Ark, and it was pretty obvious. Rings were built into the corners of the Ark. Even the priests who were authorized to move the Ark were not allowed to touch it directly. They were to carry it with poles through the rings. But when Uzzah touched the Ark because he thought it was going to fall off the cart and onto the ground, he was immediately stricken dead by God. He violated the absolute holiness of the Ark. (See 2 Samuel 6:1-7)
The concept of the holiness of God is seen most clearly in the book of Isaiah. If something is declared to be holy, it is understood to be different or set apart from other things. In that respect, God is the most holy “thing” in all the universe. He is apart from and unlike anything else, and particularly in regard to sin. Turn with me to Chapter 6 and let’s read a few verses there:
1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.
It is because God is entirely different from Isaiah, especially in respect to sin that Isaiah instantly understands his own condition: He is a dead man. He says, in light of the great holiness of God, “Woe is me! I am undone!” I cannot survive here! I cannot exist without God, but I cannot exist here in the presence of His holiness! What am I to do! What is a sinner to do before such a holy God? I am lost! I am unclean. I am doomed.
The only way Isaiah may continue in God’s holy presence is to have his sin dealt with, and God does that by means of an angel: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” There is an infinite separation of holiness between God and men. God is not only basically good, He is entirely without sin. The Scriptures tell us that God does not tempt people to sin, neither can He be tempted by sin. He cannot lie. He can do no wrong thing. It is impossible that God could do any wrong in any way whatsoever. That is what makes Him God.
We, on the other hand, are described in the Scriptures as sinners from conception until death. It is our nature as humans to love sin. We are naturally opposed to God, naturally inclined toward sin and evil, naturally lovers of darkness rather than light. We are the opposite of “holy”. In fact, we are more suited for Hell than for Heaven. In our natural state, we are God’s enemies.
However, Paul tells us in Colossians 3 that in God’s sight, we are holy. What does he mean? How did that happen? Does he mean we are holy like God? When he says we are holy, does he mean real Christians never sin? I hope not. If that is what he means, then I agree with Isaiah: “Woe is me! For I am undone!” If Christians are sinless, then I’m not one of them. I am lost.
There are three aspects of this New Testament concept of Christian holiness. The word “chosen” helps us understand the first aspect. Because God has chosen us, He has set us apart from the rest of the human race for Himself. The word literally means to be chosen out of, or to be taken out from among others. Or to be separated.
In that sense, we are somewhat like God. In the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant and the presence of God were separated from the people of Israel in the Holy of Holies. The entire Tabernacle was in the middle of the camp and the twelve tribes of Israel lived around the Tabernacle. But God’s presence with them was secluded, sequestered, kept apart from them in isolation. God separated Himself from the people in the Holy of Holies, behind the veil, beyond the Holy Place, off limits from everyone except the High Priest, for their sakes. They would not survive the holiness of God openly manifested to them. Even Moses, who was allowed a peek at the backside of God through a crack in a rock, was so affected by the sight of God’s holiness that it caused his face to be physically illuminated.
So it is quite the understatement to say God is not like us. He is so different from us that He protects us from Himself by separating Himself, making Himself invisible. God’s holiness, in the presence of sinners, is fatal. But in His grace, God has chosen and set apart some people for Himself. It is these who are holy, sanctified for His use in the world. Eventually we will be physically set apart from the rest of the world by God for Himself. So God’s act of choosing us out from the rest of the population of the world is one aspect of holiness. We stand in Christ in distinction from the world as God’s people. The first aspect of holiness has to do with being separate, set apart for God.
Secondly, believers are holy by having been cleansed from sin. Sin and guilt have been removed from us by means of Christ’s death on our behalf. His blood is the blood of the New Covenant which is superior to the blood of the Old Covenant, the blood of animals. Jesus, as the sacrificial Lamb of God, has once and for all time cleansed all of His people from all of their sins by taking all of them into His body on the Cross. His life was given as a ransom. His blood was shed for God’s chosen ones. They are thereby made holy. They are cleansed from all unrighteousness. Though our sins were like scarlet, now we are whiter and cleaner than snow in God’s sight. To be holy means to be without sin.
That leads to the third aspect of holiness. We all know that in spite of what we read in the New Testament in many places, we are not sinless. We are not saints. We are constantly commanded to put sin away from us and to live Godly lives, to walk as Jesus walked. We have been granted the righteousness of Christ in a legal sense, but we are not yet righteous LIKE Christ in a practical sense. We have been declared holy by God, even though we are not holy. Just ask your relatives. We are not yet what we shall be. One day we will be, in reality, without sin. Heaven will have no sinners there.
Since that is true, since God has chosen us for Himself, set us apart for Himself, cleansed us from everything that would ultimately separate us from His own holiness, then we must pursue what we call “practical holiness”, holiness in this life here and now.
In other words, since God [has already] made [us] alive together with [Christ], since He has forgiven us all our trespasses, since He has cancelled the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands, since He has set those legal demands of His Law aside by nailing them to the cross (Colossians 2:13-14), then we should live holy lives. We must pursue being different from the world, rather than conformed to it. We must transform our lives by renewing our minds. We must set our minds on things above, put to death the things that are earthly in us, and put on:
[C]ompassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:12-17)
We are chosen, holy and beloved. Therefore we live in a manner that is pleasing and honoring to the One who chose us, made us holy to and for Himself, and who loves us. Three aspects of holiness: We are set apart by God from the world as holy, God then makes us legally holy by removing the curse of our sin through the blood of Christ, and we also make ourselves practically holy by avoiding sin.
Now so far, most of you have not heard anything you didn’t already know. You might even say that this has not been particularly helpful except as a reminder that Christians need to be good people. But we probably don’t need to be reminded of that too often. We all know we should be good, that we all should love the Lord and be obedient to His word. There’s nothing profound about any of this, nothing really mysterious about it, and we don’t really need to be convinced of the truth of it.
The question we need to answer is “How?” “OK, so I’m supposed to be holy. How do I mortify the flesh? How do we put to death the earthly members of our bodies? How do we go about plucking out the eye, or cutting off the hand that causes us to sin? When the Scriptures command us to be holy because God is holy, how do we do that?” The book of Hebrews drives it home by saying, “Strive . . . for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (Heb 12:14). In other words, if we ever expect to see Heaven, we must be holy. So how do we do it? How do we get that holiness?
Turn to Hebrews 12 and read with me starting in verse 3:
3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.
Beloved, God works in us the holiness He requires of us. All of God’s discipline and chastening of you and me serves to make us acceptable to Himself. Do we have to put to death the deeds of the flesh? Yes. But it is also God who works in us to will and to act according to His good pleasure (Php 2:13). There is no one who will get to heaven because they made themselves holy. Strive as we might, we could never purge our sin from ourselves sufficiently to cause God to accept us. Rather, along with our future salvation from a sinful and fallen world, our practical holiness of life here and now, is a gift of the grace of God. God works in us what He requires of us.
Look with me at Romans 7, starting in verse 21. None other than the Apostle Paul wrote these words:
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
And that is the struggle. I realize there are a couple of different ways this passage might be understood. But I have yet to find a Christian who does not identify with Paul’s plight: Why do I continue to sin, even when I know in my head I shouldn’t? When will I be delivered from this wretched, sin-loving body of death? What is the answer?
25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
Then in chapter 8, he goes on to tell us of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. He is not called the HOLY Spirit for nothing. He does not take up residence within us for nothing. It is the Spirit of God that works in us so that we might work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We work at this Christian life, and God works in us in this Christian life. We are not alone in this battle. In fact, because we are in Christ, we ARE more than conquerors. God is working His own holiness in us.
- Every true Christian has been separated by God from the world for salvation.
- Every true Christian has been declared holy by God and granted the righteousness of Christ.
- Every true believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God.
- Every legitimate son is being chastised, and corrected, and disciplined by a loving Heavenly Father SO THAT we may share in His holiness.
God will see to it that His people are holy. And we must see to it as well. It isn’t either/or, it’s both/and. We work. God works. We work because God has already worked. And He continues to work in us, until we are like Christ Himself, conformed to His likeness. This is the very thing for which we have been chosen: to be like Jesus Christ.
I don’t know what that does for you, but it makes me want to shout Hallelujah! How good can God be? Just how great is this salvation? How far does His love extend? We’ll look at that next week, but I want to remind you of these words, again from the pen of the Apostle Paul:
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21)
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1. All Scripture references, unless otherwise noted, are from the English Standard Version.