Family Resemblance in Holiness

“and you shall be holy to Me, for I, the LORD, am holy and have set you apart from the nations to become Mine.” Leviticus 20:26

Family Resemblance in Holiness

Holy – It’s not about morality.  The word qadash is exemplified best in Numbers 16:38.  The story makes it clear.  Holiness is about separation.  Our world no longer recognizes the gulf between the sacred and the profane.  We rarely experience anything set apart (separated) for holy use.  Sunday, for example, is culturally no different than any other day.  We barely recognize the day of worship as sacred.  We go to church (maybe) and then visit the stores, the restaurants, the sports arenas and all the other ordinary day activities.  It’s no longer separate.

Have you noticed that the trend is to move the sacred toward the profane?  Have you observed that “tolerance” and “relevance” usually mean shifting what was once sacred toward the common?  Do I reflect God’s holiness when church operations look more and more like corporate business meetings?  Am I displaying God’s holiness when I insulate myself from the poor and downtrodden by moving to gated communities?  Do I exhibit God’s holiness when my only contact with the lost is a special missionary offering?  Do I recognize God’s holiness when I have a stained glass window built in my honor?  Do I reflect God’s holiness by being a better person in my workplace?  Or is holiness something bigger than that?

Separation.  The word implies distance from something.  God’s holiness means distance from everything sinful.  But qadash also means separation for consecration and devotion.  It is not simply movement away from something.  It is attachment to something else.  If I am to be holy as God is holy, it is not sufficient for me to simply avoid sin.  I must also be consecrated to God.  That’s why it is not a matter of morality.  That’s why the most ethical human beings who are not consecrated to the Lord will perish in spite of their high morals.  Qadash isn’t essentially about how I act.  It is about whom I am devoted to.  Even religious followers can make this tragic mistake.  Being a better person is not the same as submissive devotion.  The thief on the cross stands closer to God than many, many church members.

What about your life?  Are you separated for consecration to Him or are you trying to mix the sacred into your common world?