We are not God
To illustrate the difference between human beings and God, imagine an empty canister about the size of a large peanut butter container. There is a label on the jar that reads: “To determine if you are in fact God use only the contents of this container to create a 1957 Corvette, preferably a red convertible model. You have ten minutes to accomplish this task. Ready. Set. Go!”
The person screws off the top of the jar and looks inside only to find it empty. The small print on the back of the container reads, “Since God was able to create all matter and every living thing in the universe in six days, it is not too much to ask of you to create one thing from nothing.” This is called the “You’re Not God” kit.
Part six of six
God possesses two types of qualities. The first type he shares with human beings. We are spiritual, able to think, and are moral beings. This is possible because God is a Spirit, possesses intellectual capabilities, and is moral (loving and just). Although we share these type of qualities with God, he possesses them perfectly while our ability to be spiritual, intellectual, and moral is flawed by sin. The second type of characteristics is unique to God. He is self-existing, unchangeable, infinite, and perfect. We possess no parts of this type of qualities and never will because God is totally other than his creation, while we are part of the things he has created.
6) Jesus is holy
Majesty includes the moral qualities of God–specifically his holiness (part of the first type). When you think of majesty remember– the Majestic One is also the Holy One. Just as God is truth, he is also holy.
Glory, power, eternity, authority, truth, and holiness are immutable qualities of God’s majesty. They never change. Negatively stated: He cannot be less than majestic. He cannot lose a battle, or die, or be overcome, or lie, and he cannot sin. O that these qualities, at least to some degree, would describe us!
Human beings were originally created as majestic beings. When our first parents Adam and Eve were created they were holy beings completely in step with God their Creator. Because of this initial condition, they enjoyed unencumbered fellowship with God. Unfortunately, they disobeyed God and fell from their majestic state. Sin marred their nature and fellowship with God was disrupted.
Sin separates us from a holy God. Sin brings chaos. Sin causes conflict. Sin confuses and complicates life. Sin is indecent. Holiness is decency. Holiness is clarity and simplicity. It resolves the conflict by acting honorably and honestly. Since holiness comes from a loving and merciful God, it brings peace. Peace is a by-product of purity. Where holiness dominates peace resides. The gift of holiness reunites us to the Holy One.
By grace we become holy. Holiness is not produced by work or merited through obedience. Holiness is a state of being before a holy God. His holiness motivates good deeds and obedience. If you walked the streets of heaven and came to God’s house you would describe its appearance by saying it’s adorned with holiness. Our mission is to paint our house with holiness and plant trees of righteous in our yard. We are to purchase holy furniture and store holiness in our closets.
To ensure fellowship with God is never broken, Jesus sent his Spirit to make us holy. King Solomon saw sin as oppressive. What God’s people needed was a comforter to relieve oppression, but none was found (Ecc 4:1). None until Jesus. Because Jesus was holy, he could ask the Father to send us a counselor who would forever comfort us and make us holy (Jn 14:16).
God’s Spirit is both holy and the spirit of truth. It’s difficult to separate holiness from truthfulness. They belong together. God promises his Spirit will never abandon us to sin. As his children, the Spirit will make us holy. The Holy Spirit teaches us the truth that we might manifest holiness (Jn 14:26). Truth leads to purity just as purity brings peace. The Spirit of truth testifies that Jesus is the Holy One of Israel (Jn 15:26). Christians know the truth because they have been made holy. It was the Holy Spirit who fulfilled the prophecy that the Messiah would come through a young (virgin) girl. Mary gave birth to the Holy One as the Spirit overshadowed her (Lk 1:35). The Spirit of prophecy is the person who teaches us the truth that Jesus is holy. Being truthful he speaks holy words and being holy he speaks truthfully.
The Holy Spirit relays and reminds us of the promise that Jesus will never abandon us to our sins. His job is to apply the holiness of Christ’s majesty to us so that we will reflect his majesty through being holy. Part of the work of God’s Spirit is to cause us to speak as he does, with holy and truthful words.
Practically speaking, one of the first times I saw this happening in my life was immediately after my conversion when I stopped swearing. I prided myself that I could swear the bark off of a pine tree. But when God’s Spirit entered my spirit he transformed me, and my words began to reflect his holy and truthful words. It wasn’t a conscious act on my part. I just quit cursing and began to say words that would bless. You could say God washed my mouth out with the soap of his holy and true words so that I would reflect his majesty through my speech (Pr 8:13, Eph 4:29). The majesty of Jesus Christ is celebrated when in worship we reciting and listen to holy and true words.
If we gather these six characteristics of God into one big idea we define the majesty of Christ. In totality divine majesty is glorious, powerful, eternal, triumphant, true, and holy. No other person possesses such qualities in such purity as Jesus. Majesty is so much a vivid description of who he is that Peter addressed God using the title “Majestic” (2 Pet 1:17). Another name for Jesus is “Majesty.”
To celebrate the majesty of Christ is to worship him as God ruling high from his heavenly throne. He is no ordinary man, or teacher, or prophet. He is God incarnate displaying his majesty every time we enter his presence. We worship a spectacular God/man who is far beyond any famous person we might meet. We worship the Lord Jesus.
A Challenge
As you complete this six-part devotional series it would encourage your family if you dedicated one week to read these devotionals with them. They are designed to train your brain and prepare your heart for Sunday’s worship of the Majestic One. Download, print, and plan to read one devotional each day for six days (beginning with Monday). At the end of the week, your family will be prepared for Sunday worship with a new perspective on who they meet during Sunday worship. Worshiping his majesty is life changing and invigorates weekly public praise and worship. The most famous person you will ever meet offers you the privilege of meeting with him every week. Let us worship his majesty.
“Your statutes stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days, O LORD” (Ps 93:5).
