Without holiness…

March 25, 2022

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)

Is holiness a subject that anyone should bring up in “polite company?” If they even know what you are talking about, there is a good possibility that they will not have a proper understanding of what holiness really is all about.

If people have an adverse reaction to the concept of holiness, it may not be that they are opposed to holiness, but instead, they are operating under a misunderstanding. To some people, holiness conjures up an image of a detailed list of do’s and don’ts (mostly don’ts).

The stereotypical view of holiness appears legalistic. Holy people do not participate in worldly activities such as the movies, dancing (except perhaps, dancing in the Holy Spirit), to name a few. Holiness women probably don’t wear pants or makeup, skirts and dresses must be the appropriate length, and ideally, their hair is neatly pulled into a tight bun.

People practicing this kind of “holiness” are getting harder and harder to find, but they still exist. But is this what holiness is really all about? If not, from where did all these rules originate? I have a theory.

Only a Shell Remains

Have you ever seen a seashell? It no longer contains any life, but it still has an outward form. The rules associated with holiness did not start as rules, but we observe that appetites and desires change when the Spirit of God moves in our lives. We no longer have the passion for the things that we used to desire.

We recall the words of an old hymn: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim. In the light of his glory and grace.” At this point, we are not thinking about rules. Our attention is focused on Jesus.

It is only later that the flame of revival begins to wither. In desperation, an attempt will be made to preserve what is fading away. What was started by the Holy Spirit is now being reduced to rules, and soon all that remains is a shell, devoid of life.

Moses’s Cover-up

Exodus 24-34 is the account of Moses encountering God on Sinai. Moses received detailed instructions along with the two tablets containing the 10 Commandments. Moses was gone for a while, and the people grew restless and rebelled. God was ready to destroy the people, but Moses interceded.

After Moses dealt with the rebellion, he returned to the mountain and had a face-to-face encounter with God. We could say that Moses was having a revival. When someone comes from the presence of God, you can count on resistance and even “pushback.”

When Moses returned the second time from Mount Sinai, we read: Moses didn’t realize that the skin of his face shone brightly because he had been talking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw the skin of Moses’ face shining brightly, they were afraid to come near him. Exodus 34:29–30 (CEB).

We could speculate why Aaron and the people were afraid to be near Moses. It is likely just as Jesus said: This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. John 3:19 (NIV). Moses’s face glowed with God’s glory, which brought discomfort to those around him.

We are led to believe that Moses put a veil over his face to accommodate the people, but Paul received a revelation: We are not like Moses, who used a veil to hide the glory to keep the Israelites from staring at him as it faded away. 2 Corinthians 3:13 (TPT)

Live in the Light

Moses had a meeting with God that was so glorious that it was written all over his face. But like the rules and forms left when the intensity of revival diminishes, Moses’s veil represented a shell of the former glory.

There is probably no reason why a revival or a visitation from God cannot continue perpetually. We must keep looking into the brightness and glory of his face. God’s word does say: without holiness no one will see the Lord. But what exactly does that mean for us? It is certainly not our holiness, but how do we share in his holiness?

I read something recently that gave me an idea. Light, specifically UV light, has proven to be a very effective disinfectant.[1] When I think of what is holy, I see purity, separation from the world’s filth, and set aside for God’s purposes. John declares: But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 (NLT). I can accept that definition of what it means to be holy.

We must admit that it can be frightening to stand exposed before God’s light. We will see things revealed in us that we must confront. To walk in the light requires courage, perhaps far beyond what we have known. Oswald Chambers shares this insight:

If the Spirit of God detects anything in you that is wrong, He does not ask you to put it right; He asks you to accept the light, and He will put it right. A child of the light confesses instantly and stands bared before God; a child of the darkness says—‘Oh, I can explain that away.’ When once the light breaks and the conviction of wrong comes, be a child of the light, and confess, and God will deal with what is wrong; if you vindicate yourself, you prove yourself to be a child of the darkness.^[2]