God is holy. It is impossible to think of God rightly without separating from him all things that are impure, both in his essence and in his actions. The holiness of God is absolutely perfect and unspotted with any evil. He not only loves that which is just but abhors with a perfect hatred all things contrary to his righteousness. Since he is infinitely holy, he infinitely hates wickedness. Ex. 15:11; 1 Sam. 2:2; Ps. 5:4; Hab. 1:13
God values purity in his creatures and detests all impurity, whether inward or outward. He is so holy that he can not approve of any sin, which is contrary to his nature, no matter how trivial we may think it to be. Every act of sin is a spiritual adultery, denying God to be the chief good and object of our heart and instead giving that honor to some selfish desire or vile act. Ps. 11:7; Zech. 8:17
We prefer certain attributes of God to others because they seem more favorable to us. We esteem his mercy that relieves us rather than his justice that punishes us. We emphasize his love while ignoring his holiness. However, no other attribute is sounded out so loftily or emphasized so frequently than his holiness. God’s justice is a holy justice, his wisdom is a holy wisdom, his power is a holy power, his love is a holy love, etc. Isa. 6:3; Rev. 4:8
The moral law given in the Old Testament transcribes God’s infinite detestation of sin, manifesting his holiness in the daily sacrifices. Since it outlines his own character everything the Old Testament says about commitment to our family, loving our neighbor, caring for the poor, and social relationships is still in effect. The New Testament continues to forbid killing, lying, theft, hating without a cause, vengeance, adultery, incest, and sodomy (the biblical term for homosexuality). If the New Testament reaffirms a commandment then it is still applicable today. Man has an awareness of God’s moral laws written on his heart and every violation gives evidence of his sinful nature and the just condemnation of a holy God. The ceremonial law, with all its sacrifices, washings, and talk of defilement to the outward body, was given as evidence that everything that had a resemblance of evil was loathsome to God and that man must be clean in approaching him. Add also the prohibition of eating certain creatures considered unclean such as pork and shellfish that feed on waste, which had the moral significance of both the disgust God has to sin and the aversion the Jews ought to have under the law to everything that was filthy. The ceremonial law is no longer in effect as Christ fulfilled the law, having nailed the charges against us to his cross, and thus he became the way into the presence of God. In short, the lesson to be learned from all the sacrifices, rules, and rituals of the Old Testament was that God is uncompromisingly pure, sin is exceedingly wicked, man is a sinner too broken to save himself, and without a sacrificial substitute the sinner stands in judgment of God. Rom. 13:8; Matt. 5:27,28; 1 Cor. 6:9,10; 1 Tim. 1:8-11; Lev. 18:22; 19:11,13,16,17,18; Lev. 20:10-14; Rom. 1:24-32; 2:15; Col. 2:14-17; Eph. 2:15; Heb. 10:1; Jn. 14:6
Nothing demonstrates God’s hatred of sin as much as his wrath let loose upon his own Son. He allowed Jesus to be sin for us and die on a cross that sin, the enemy of God’s purity, might be destroyed and the image of God’s holiness might be repaired and fulfilled in fallen man. Christ fulfilled the law’s holy demands as the Lamb of God, being himself the sacrifice, taking away the sin of the world. Through his resurrection he not only demonstrated his deity but also his ability to impart his righteousness and eternal life to “whosoever” will receive it through faith. 2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 10:4,11,12; Jn. 1:29; Jn. 1:12; Rom. 10:9,10,13; Eph. 2:8,9
God’s desire is that we might live in the power of Christ’s resurrection, reflecting his glory in our attitudes, actions, and relationships. He established the importance of the marital relationship in the second chapter of the first book of the Bible as he inspired the writer to pen, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” The fact is that God used Moses to write this practical lesson for all of humanity and he chose this occasion to teach the importance of marriage between one man and one woman so it would be clear to all that this was God’s plan from the very beginning, as Jesus Himself noted in Mark 10:6-9 while addressing the issue of divorce: “But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” Phil. 3:10; Rev. 4:11; 1 Pet. 1:16
What is the significance of “cleave unto his wife” and “one flesh”? Certainly while the physical relationship is implied here the far deeper meaning is revealed through the writings of Paul as he relates marriage to the sacred relationship between Christ and his church. When a man and a woman enter holy matrimony they illustrate the complete union that exists between the second person of the Godhead and believers. We are to consider the marital relationship on this lofty plane. Like many marriages, all too often we only see the spots, blemishes, faults, and failings within local churches. We do not yet see the church as Christ has always seen it, perfect and complete. He sees the church as it will be when his transforming work is done. He sees it as the mirror image of himself, he sees it as holy. 1 Cor. 6:15,16; Eph. 5:29-32
Last week the Supreme Court of the United States attempted to redefine God’s definition of marriage when they legalized the unholy “matrimony” of same-sex couples. My newsfeed on Facebook has been filled with blogs and articles addressing the topic. I have spent a good amount of space already addressing, albeit indirectly, what grieves me the most regarding sodomite “marriage” and those who approve of it, in that it is an affront to the holiness of almighty God. I am ashamed that some professing Christians would approve of a sodomite relationship in the name of love while turning their back to God’s righteousness. I am disturbed by the misuse of scriptures among unbelievers, the attempted belittling of God’s word, twisting passages out of their proper context and willfully ignoring God’s appeal to impart to them his holiness and eternal life. The former is inexcusable ignorance, the latter is prideful blasphemy. God is holy, eternity itself will be too short for his redeemed to proclaim it.
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