I say to you, if you know, first of all, we don't use the word that much.
We don't run around saying, wow, John's really holy, which is great.
But if we do use the word, how do we, can you give some examples of what pops to mind if I said, wow, that person's really holy?
Like, what pops to mind?
He's religious.
Sorry, oh, religious. Yep.
Holier than thou.
Metallica, yes.
Yes, right. So typically not a positive connotation.
And with regard to God, if someone, if we're in normal conversation and the topic of God's holiness comes up, what do people typically, what pops into mind when we think about, oh, you go to church?
You know, you believe in that there is a God and and then I were to say to my friend, yes.
And not only I believe there's a God, God is holy.
What does a normal person do with that?
What would you say?
Not a trick question.
Just whatever whatever pops to mind.
Both their eyes.
Yeah.
Why is that?
I think what you were touching on before that that holy tends not to be used in a positive term.
It's more of a derogatory term.
And I think the culture more and more is responding that way.
So I'm not sure that that necessarily answers your question.
Yeah.
And so I think at the outset, as we dive into some definitions, we just have to be mindful that we're not coming at these even our terminology with a clean slate.
Right.
It's tainted.
But so I want to just take a minute and put down two of the lenses that theologians typically use when they try to put handles on God's holiness so that we can discuss it.
And then I'm going to I'm going to actually add a little bonus of my own.
So I'm glad this is being recorded so that I can be dragged before the elders and they can be like, hey, no, you're you wandered off the farm.
So the first one is kind of springs from the definition of holy, which is that God is set apart.
He is.
I'd like to think of this in terms of ontology, in terms of being the essence of of being.
So we we all have an ontology, right?
We all have a being.
So we're already into words and trying to use words and we're going to have to grapple a little.
That God in the essence of his being.
Is set apart.
He is.
Unique.
He is sacred.
He is other.
He stands alone.
He has no equivalent or rival.
These are ways that I'm trying to put a little.
Meat on the bone.
So when we speak of God's holiness, we're talking about.
And his essence and not an aspect.
So sometimes when we talk about God's attributes, we talk about communicable attributes and non communicable attributes.
There's a fancy way of saying some of God's attributes, human beings, for example, can share in.
And then others of God's attributes belong to him alone.
And then when we're talking about holiness, my way of thinking is like where we're.
Our default is to think of it as the non communicable attributes.
Attributes.
So.
We.
We might think about, like I said earlier, that God.
Just by the fact that God created everything.
And then everything else besides God is derivative and gets its being from God.
If you're a toaster oven, you've got your being from God.
If you're Sam Stevens, you've got your being from God.
But God didn't get his being.
His.
He just is.
Right.
So this is a good time to actually pause and just say.
We are going to bump up against a ton of mystery.
I think really whenever we deal with the whenever we get real with.
What the scriptures teach about just about any topic.
We're going to bump up against our limitations as created human beings.
And this is just one of those places.
So I'd like to just fire off.
A few passages for you.
That will be familiar.
Just to.
Give us a little flavor of scripture.
How scripture refers to this.
God.
Another way we might say it.
Just in common talk is God is God.
And I'll.
I'll try to explain why I'm going to simplify it down to that.
As we move along.
So God is God.
So here's some of the way scripture talks.
And this will be familiar to you.
I am the Lord and there is no other besides me.
There is no God.
Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the heavens of the earth.
The creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
There is none holy like the Lord, for there is none beside you.
There is no rock like our God.
Okay.
So the first category, if you will, when we talk about God's holiness is his set apartedness.
The second category is what we think of when we think of a holy roller.
Or when we did our little exercise, we're like, what pops into mind?
When we think about someone that's just always follows the rules and is a good, you know, it's a goody-goody.
If we look at it negatively.
But God is holy.
He set apart morally with regard to what he does and his actions.
So we might use terms like goodness and virtuous, perfect, always does what is right, always does what is just, faithful, morally upright.
And here are some passages for us to think about.
The Lord is upright.
He is my rock.
And in him there is no unrighteousness.
God is light.
And in him is no darkness at all.
God is a righteous judge and a God who feels indignation each day.
I know, O Lord, that your judgments are righteous and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
The Lord is good to all and his mercy is over all that he has made.
So, God is good.
God is God.
And God is good.
He is morally.
He's not just good.
He is goodness.
He's not just good.
He's perfectly good.
And this includes, the Bible teaches, that when God demonstrates wrath,
or when God demonstrates judgment against sin,
or when God exercises his freedom to choose a course of action over another course of action,
or to choose a person for a particular calling,
or even for their eternal destiny,
the Bible teaches that God is good.
God is good.
He is right.
He is never capricious,
never doing evil,
never harming someone else's autonomy.
So now we're kind of getting into,
we touched on this,
Tyler touched on this a little bit last week,
but we're getting into some territory where questions may arise.
And I want to talk about those in a bit.
But I want to go on to my third bonus that is sort of hovering around this discussion.
And I just want to say that I think we can talk about God's holiness in terms of him being set apart
aesthetically with regard to his glory.
So you can hardly pick up a paragraph of scripture and not encounter the overflowing,
grasping for words to even describe the glory of God.
And I think when we're talking about holiness,
we should have glory in mind.
Because what we're not doing here is a cold exercise of science.
We're dealing with ultimately,
mysteriously,
a God who is also a person.
We have feelings because God has feelings.
We have emotions because God has emotions.
And we think something's amazing,
and we just are overwhelmed
because there is a thing called glory.
And it's,
part of God's set apartness.
We could use words like
weightiness,
or worthiness,
or magnificence,
or great beauty,
or
value is a terrible word,
actually,
because it sounds like Walmart.
But,
you know,
value.
A theologian,
who I like,
said,
the glory of God is the manifest beauty of his holiness.
It is the going public of his holiness.
I really kind of like that.
It was John Piper.
I really kind of like that formulation.
So,
these are sort of the three
ways,
I think,
just to have the discussion.
And now,
I want to talk
about
how God's holiness,
when we talk about God's holiness,
holiness,
we're not doing so in a vacuum,
right?
We're not innocent creatures
that are analyzing God's holiness,
and it's point one,
two,
three,
four.
We're doing it in a context.
And our context
is where we find ourselves
on the timeline
of God's
redemptive
history.
And that means,
as we all know,
and we talk about all the time,
that
God's holiness
and our sin
and our rebellion
and our lack of
acknowledging God as God
and
our lack of
bending the knee to God
and saying,
you are good.
And
when we encounter
God's glory,
we want
our own glory,
right?
Going all the way back
to the beginning of the story.
So,
what I want to do now
is just
acknowledge
there's a huge,
huge
chasm
between
God
and
human beings.
This is
obvious,
right?
But
because if we're thinking
about God's holiness,
obviously we could talk
a lot more about
digging into what it is,
but I think it'd be
fruitful
in this class
as we're just encountering
the attributes of God
to say,
okay,
why does this matter
to us?
So,
I want to say
all human beings
experience
this chasm,
not just Christians.
In fact,
many of us here,
some of us here
never knew a day
when we wouldn't have
called ourselves
a Christian,
but many of us here
had seasons of our life
where we were
far away
and had been
brought near.
So,
I want to take a second
and just open up
to the room
how
do human beings
experience
this chasm?
In what ways
do we
good,
if we're going to think
in these terms,
good ways?
Like,
have you ever eaten
an apple?
like,
the apple
just magically
grew on a tree
and
somewhere,
somehow,
that thing
came into being
maybe by pure chance
but maybe not
because it's delicious,
comes with its own wrapper,
grows from a seed
magically,
but,
and then there are
a lot of
bad
or hard
ways we encounter
this holiness.
So,
I wanted to just
ask,
how do we
as human beings,
not necessarily
Christians,
encounter
this
holiness
and encounter
the chasm?
How do we
feel the chasm?
Or do we
feel it?
Laura?
What comes to mind
is
when we see
things in nature
that we can't
really take in
on a dark night,
if there were
such a thing
in this part of the country,
but
to see
those stars
and to see
like there's no way
I could even begin
to count them
or to stand,
it comes from
standing on the edge
of the ocean
and realizing
it goes for
thousands of miles
and it's deeper
than I can imagine
or standing
at something
like the Grand Canyon,
just things that are,
we can't,
we can't take it in,
it's too big.
Yeah,
and I think
it touches on
if we,
if part of God's holiness
is that he created
and we,
there's the creator,
whatever,
I don't even want
to make a ball,
like whatever that is,
and then there's
all of us
and everything
and the Grand Canyon
and the ocean
and the whales
and the poppins,
I mean,
they're amazing.
what else?
What else do we experience
in our normal life
where we feel the chasm?
We feel it.
You don't have to be
a Christian.
Yes?
I think it also happens
in grief
when we've loved
someone deeply
and taken out
of our lives
and we stand
at the edge
of a train
and say,
how can life
go on without,
where did that person
go?
They were,
they weren't
a commodity.
They were a being
and now they're not here.
Where,
where did they go?
It's like literally
being on the edge
of the chasm.
Matt?
In a very different way,
I'm going to suggest
something,
separateness,
you mentioned,
and goodness
as,
you know,
ways of looking
at holiness.
Both of which,
I think,
tend to be at odds
with our society's
value of tolerance.
and when somebody
in Christian
or non-Christian,
you know,
has a sense
that,
ah,
you know,
God's
different than me
and,
and he says,
I'm not good.
I have failed
to be
what I should be.
I'm not accepted
by God.
Then,
the sinful
rebelliousness
of his,
you know,
mounts up
and wants to
reject that.
And either
acknowledging
the chasm
that God,
if he's there,
has created
or rejection
of such an idea
that would reject us.
I would like to
re-say back to you
what I heard,
which is,
first of all,
there's guilt.
There is guilt
because
in our hearts,
regardless of,
there's,
there's guilt
because we know
we do bad stuff.
There you go.
That's fifth grade version.
Then,
there's the reordering
of what good is
and the chaos
that ensues
when,
when we,
when human,
when people take hold
of,
um,
their consciences
and say,
um,
you know,
they,
they re,
they reorder
right and wrong
and it's just,
it's just chaos
ensues.
You know,
it's another way
I think we all
encounter
this chasm
is that
God doesn't come down
on Wednesday.
God has revealed a lot,
you know,
in his scriptures
but out there
in the workaday world
and the people
who are ignoring
scriptures
or even those of us
that have them
or,
let's face it,
I mean,
we're confused
about a lot of stuff
and there's the chasm.
I mean,
obviously,
God could just come down
and one day
perhaps will
and it's just like,
ooh,
with this light,
that clears up a lot,
you know,
but right now
I'm going to murder
my own baby
because I want freedom.
Sorry,
but I'm just saying,
like,
there's ways
we all get
everything all confused
because there's
a separate,
God is
at a distance
in a way,
you know.
What else?
What about death?
What,
you're kind of
hitting on it
a little.
Have you ever
been to a funeral,
I had this experience
where Mona lost
a grandparent
and it was just
devastating
and they were
one of,
he was a wonderful man
and I remember
talking to his daughter
after the service
and I said,
this just isn't
right.
It is just
not how things
are supposed to be
and I honestly
thought that
that was a human,
she wasn't a believer
at all
and I just thought
that's,
that's human
when we
see death
or we see
someone
get a horrible
disease
when they're
young
and,
you know,
there's that part
of us
that's just like,
no.
You know,
well,
she actually
replied,
this is
completely
natural.
This is
completely
normal
and
if you
were to
embrace that
then you
wouldn't be
sad right now
and you
would just
say this
is the,
whatever the
Disney thing
is,
the circle
of life,
whatever.
But the
point is
that there's
chaos,
you know,
and
so
we have
this chasm
yeah,
one more
part of the
chasm I'd
like to
mention is
the mystery,
the mystery
component
where
God
has
revealed
himself
in nature
and in
creation,
he's revealed
himself in
scripture,
he's revealed
himself to
believers by
the Holy
Spirit,
but
there's
still
mystery
shrouding
a lot
and it's
to be a
human being
and to
not have
answers
to
big
questions,
some of
them we
were touching
on last
week,
it's very
dissettling
and
it's,
what I
want to
point out
is I
think it's
just,
it is
part of
that God
is holy
and perfect
and pure
and we
have
rebelled
and the
result is
a separation.
When I
teach the
third graders,
but then I
had a bunch
of my own
third graders,
so like I
had training
for this,
but I
used to
say to
them,
you know,
the magnitude
of the
crime is
in part
determined by
the stature
of the
offended
party.
so,
let's say
you're on
the playground
and you
kick your
friend in
the shins
and they
go and
tell their
mom and
then their
mom calls
your mom
and it's
like,
oh,
you got
in trouble,
you know,
you can't
kick people.
But let's
say you
kick the
principal
in the
shins.
Well,
now you're
in a
different,
well,
of course,
well,
maybe today
that would
be okay.
Maybe they're
like,
oh,
kick me
again.
When I
was growing
up,
that would
be really
bad.
We got
paddled,
y'all.
Like,
seriously,
like,
assume the
position.
I am not
kidding.
At least
they had
to call
my mom.
She's
like,
yes,
paddle
him.
But
imagine
it's,
Ronald
Reagan came
and spoke
in the
Fairfield
Green
when I
was in
high
school
and we
all
went.
And
imagine
that you
somehow broke
through all
the security
people and
you get
in there
and you
just kick
the president
of the United
States in the
shins as hard
as you can.
I think you
just vanish
if you do
that.
They put you
in a black
car and
then you're
gone.
Where did he
go?
I don't know,
but you can't
kick the president
in the shins.
and I
think
imagine
kicking
the God
of the
universe,
literally
giving the
double birds
to the God
of the
universe.
Like,
so,
there's a
chasm.
It's serious.
I mean,
it's so
serious that,
you know,
just the fact
that we get
up every day
and everyone
we know
is going
to be dead
in like 80
years.
I mean,
and then
we,
the things
we quibble
over are
almost absurd
when you
take a step
back and
say,
this is,
the chasm
is real
and the
signs of it
are everywhere.
So,
now,
what I want
to do
is
talk about
as
Christians
about
Jesus
bridging
the gap
of that
chasm
and then
I want
to give
some
encouragement.
I want
to
throw
some
verses
on the
table
and have
a discussion
to encourage
us
because
what I'm
going to
say about
Jesus is
going to
be familiar
and then
there's a
big
and yet
the chasm
remains
because of
our place
on the
timeline.
Right?
So,
let's talk
about
Jesus
bridging
the chasm.
I'm just
going to
read a
couple
passages
and maybe
in light
of what
we talked
about
already
they'll
have
a
particular
saltiness.
So,
in the
Gospel of
Mark
we have
this
simple
but
profound
couple
of
verses.
And
Jesus
uttered
a loud
cry
and
breathed
his
last
and
the
curtain
of
the
temple
was
torn
in two
from
top
to
bottom.
What
was the
curtain
in the
temple
about?
Yeah,
why?
Because
we're
not.
Yeah,
so we'll
pause for
one second
and just
do a
minute
of
the
temple
being
God
is
like
both
and.
It's
God
hasn't
abandoned
humanity
even
though
we kicked
him in
the shins
in the
garden.
But he
can't just
come down
like here
I am
and all
my
holiness.
We would
all just
burn
and we'd
all incinerate.
And so
there was
an elaborate
system
of
barriers
and
that
included
these
purity
laws
that
have
to do
with
our
cleanliness
of our
being.
not
just
going
out
and
openly
sinning
but
doing
things
in
ordinary
life
that
God
said
if you
touch
this
thing
which
you
have
to
touch
because
it's
part
of
life
now
you're
unclean
in
your
being
and
you
have
to
be
made
clean
again
by
doing
these
things
over
here.
The
point
being
that
God
is
teaching
us
that
we
need
a
cleansing
and
we
need
to
be
pure
if
we're
going
to
come
into
his
presence
and
even
our
representatives
have
to
be
super
pure
and
there's
a
literal
curtain
this
far
and
no
further.
So
somehow
when
Jesus
died
that
curtain
was
no
longer
needed
it
came
down.
And
then
listen to
this
from
Ephesians
but
now
in
Christ
Jesus
you
who
once
were
far
off
have
been
brought
near
by
the
blood
of
Christ
for
he
himself
is
our
peace
who
has
made
us
both
one
and
has
broken
down
in
his
flesh
the
dividing
wall
of
hostility
so
the
chasm
has
been
breached
by
Jesus
providing
for
our
cleanliness
and
dealing
with
what
our
sins
deserve
by
the
way
next
week
I
am
we're
going to
take
on
grace
so
so we
kind of did
it on
purpose
like
holiness
and
then
grace
and mercy
which are
different
but
anyway
so
I
don't
I
think
I'm
just
going to
stop
there
because
I
think
we
are
all
I
think
everyone
in
this
room
is
professing
believer
if
not
sorry
see
me
after
class
and
I
want
to
move
on
to
the
and
yet
we
still
experience
much
of the
chasm
that
one
day
we
will
not
experience
if
God's
promises
are
true
for
example
we're
going
to
physically
die
like
it's
just
always
out
there
but
we're
going
to
physically
die
our
bodies
get
sick
our
relationships
are
tortured
messes
under
the
hood
there's
still
mystery
everywhere
God
commands
us
to
believe
in
Jesus
he
holds
us
responsible
for
believing
in
Jesus
and
he
tells
us
we have
to be
born
again
to
even
see
any
of
it
to
even
be
awake
to
choose
Jesus
and
he
tells
us
we're
responsible
in
Romans
9
and
then
when
we
get
to
the
end
it's
like
I'm
God
and
you
don't
get
to
come
up
here
and
come
behind
my
curtain
and
put
me
in
the
dock
on
this
you're
just
going
to
trust
me
but
that's
hard
right
I mean
it's
a mystery
that
mysteries
remain
there's
existential
turmoil
everywhere
even
for
believers
and
sometimes
even
especially
for
believers
do
we
encounter
the
disdain
of
other
human
beings
who
are
also
in
their
muck
and
mire
because
of
this
chasm
and
we're
like
here's
a
like
here's
a buoy
and
like
get
your
buoy
away
from
me
and
you
get
away
from
me
and
get
your
laws
off
my
body
and
just
blah
and
so
I
want
to be
realistic
and
I
want
to
just
acknowledge
and
I
want
all
of
us
to
acknowledge
that
to
do
real
business
with
God
and
the
gospel
is
not
to
slap
a
face
on
of
happiness
an
artificial
like
just
chin
up
of
course
we
have
resources
and
we
have
a
lot
of
I'm
not
trying
to
sound
like
we
should
be
in
despair
at
all
in
fact
I
want
to
give
a
fresh
word
of
encouragement
by way
of
talking
about
holiness
again
the
Bible
does
not
teach
that
God
is
holy
and
pure
and
perfect
and
we
kicked
him
in
the
shins
and
we
are
sinful
and
we
deserve
his
wrath
and
Jesus
made
a
way
for
us
to
just
have
a
shield
over
us
and
then
hide
under
that
shield
and
then
when
it's
all
said
and
done
God
will
let
us
sit
in
the
back
row
of
heaven
but
you
made
it
that's
not
what
the
Bible
teaches
in
fact
the
Bible
teaches
that
in
a
mysterious
sense
and
I want
to be
very
careful
here
but
we
are
to
share
in
the
holiness
of
God
and
I
want
to
revisit
the
three
categories
that
I
put
on
the
table
the
first
category
is
this
in
our
being
so
God
is
God
he
created
everything
we're
not
the
creator
we're
never
going
to
be
the
creator
but
God
has
a
holiness
in
his
being
that
we're
invited
to
share
in
let
me
just
read
you
a
few
verses
that
hint
at
this
sorry
got
the
wrong
papers
in
front
of
me
hang
on
okay
so
Peter
says
through
these
he has
given
us
his
precious
and
magnificent
promises
so that
through
them
you may
become
partakers
of the
divine
nature
now
that
you
have
escaped
the
corruption
in
the
world
caused
by
evil
desires
so
in
some
sense
Christians
through
Christ
being
united
to
Christ
being
adopted
into
God's
family
partake
in the
divine
nature
Paul
says
such
were
some
of
you
but
you
were
past
tensed
washed
you
were
sanctified
you
were
justified
in
the
name
of
the
Lord
Jesus
and
by
the
spirit
of
our
God
he
says
elsewhere
he
has
now
reconciled
in
his
body
of
flesh
by
his
death
in
order
to
present
you
holy
and
blameless
and
above
reproach
before
him
Jesus
said
to
the
disciples
already
you
are
clean
because
of
the
word
that
I
have
spoken
to
you
Paul
says
for
God
has
chosen
us
in
Jesus
before
the
foundation
of
the
world
to
be
holy
and
blameless
in
his
presence
so
I'm
going
to
stop
here
and
I
just
want
to
say
this
is
where
it
actually
becomes
important
that
we
do
have
some
categories
for a
word
like
holy
because
if
we
only
think
of
holy
in
terms
of
our
moral
performance
then
it's
hard
to
square
with
some
of
a
lot
of
these
amazing
passages
that
refer
to
our
holiness
as
a
status
you
might
say
or
as
a
part
of
who
we
are
because
we're
in
Christ
so
maybe
we can
be
holy
rollers
that
was
the
name
of
it
I
play
adult
kickball
so
don't
judge
me
for
that
but
you
know
everyone
had a
pun
on
either
kicking
or
you
know
you
roll
the
ball
so
they
were
the
holy
rollers
bunch
of
folks
from the
Catholic
church
so
in a
sense
we
share
in
or we
partake
in
God's
divine
nature
as
believers
and
it's
impossible
to
avoid
the
timeline
do
you
do
you
hear
the
timeline
it's
there's
already
and not
yet
is the
theologians
way
right
but
already
we're
pure
without
being
born
again
we
can't
even
see
the
kingdom
of
God
so
if
we
see
it
and
we're
however
lamely
putting
our
faith
in
Christ
and
bowing
the
knee
and
begging
for
forgiveness
we're
participating
in the
divine
nature
and
we
are
in
some
mysterious
sense
seen
as
pure
by
our
father
so
I
find
that
to be
very
encouraging
when
we're
still
in the
middle
of the
chasm
the
distance
okay
we also
share
in God's
righteousness
we share
in his
moral
he's
morally
perfect
and he's
inviting
us
into
a
combination
of
being
reckoned
morally
righteous
but a
call
to
live
out
that
moral
righteousness
this is
a very
hard
thing
to talk
about
I think
we all
know
this
but
listen to
these
verses
Paul says
in Romans
but now
that you
have been
set free
from sin
and have
become
slaves
to God
the fruit
you reap
leads to
holiness
and the
outcome
is
eternal
life
so here
the timeline
now we
have a
forward
looking
aspect
to that
particular
thought
elsewhere
for his
sake
I have
suffered
the loss
of all
things
and count
them as
rubbish
in order
that I
may gain
Christ
and be
found
in him
not having
a righteousness
of my own
that comes
from the
law
but that
which comes
through
faith in
Christ
the righteousness
from God
that depends
on faith
that might
could have
gone in the
first category
but let's
move on
we exhorted
each one
of you
and encouraged
you and
charged you
to walk
in a manner
worthy of
God
who calls
you into
his own
kingdom
and glory
you ever
read Bible
words and
they just
turn into
Bible words
and they're
just like
a little
piece of
cardboard
that pangs
off your
forehead
and you're
just like
oh yeah
glory in
God's
kingdom
and yeah
I'm gonna
read this
again
hold on
we exhorted
each one
of you
and encouraged
you and
charged you
to walk
in a manner
worthy of
God
who calls
you into
his own
kingdom
and calls
you into
his glory
you know
this is
future
looking
but
man
is there
hope
there
to
sustain
us
as our
friends
die
as our
co-workers
we're in a
mess
with our
like as
we're in
the grind
of the
chasm
that still
remains
man
this is
some
amazing
hope
right
and then
Peter simply
says
that
God
says
be holy
because I
am holy
be holy
because I
am holy
God
first
establishes
us
he makes
us clean
he washes
us
we're
passive
in that
regard
and then
he's like
you're in
the family
now
and this
is how
the family
rolls
come
joyfully
participate
it's a
privilege
right
to
to try
to strive
to take
that path
it will
not be
a privilege
if we
get this
timeline
out of
order
it will
be yet
another
burden
if we
don't
see
that God
has cleansed
us
that the
blood of
Jesus
is potent
enough
to cover
us and
establish
us
and make
us
children
and
then we're
called in
to follow
God
and being
good
and it's
good to be
good
I've wrestled
with this
for a long
time
but it's
good to be
good
and have a
pathway open
to being
good
you know
we're familiar
with God
saying
no one
can please
me
at all
apart from
faith
and
I read
that to
mean
any
goodness
that we
do
apart from
recognizing
faith in
Jesus
where we're
cleansed
and where
the curtains
come down
isn't
goodness
that's going
to count
so
now this
last one
kind of
on my
own out
here
this
where
we'll
see what
Pastor Matt
says
but
so we
share in
God's
glory
in some
sense
we share
in God's
divine
nature
we share
in God's
righteousness
his moral
perfection
we share
in it
we're
invited
into it
and in
some
sense
we share
in God's
glory
few
verses
for you
so this
is Jesus
praying
in
John
gospel
John
I
ask
that
they may
all be
one
just as
you
father
are in
me
and I
am in
you
that they
also
may be
in
us
so that
the world
may believe
that you
have sent
me
the glory
that you
have given
me
I have
given
to them
that they
may be
one
even as
we are
one
and in
them
I in
them
and you
in me
that they
may become
perfectly
one
I
mean
whatever
that
means
it
doesn't
mean
that
we're
going to
just get
into heaven
by the
skin of
our
teeth
and we're
in the
back
of the
bus
because
we kick
God in
the shins
and he
loves us
enough to
not to
not separate
from us
for forever
but
you're
going to
have to
stay away
in fact
not only
does it
feel like
we're being
invited into
the room
but
through
Jesus
I mean
the words
fail you
you know
but
being brought
in
like truly
being brought
in
and God's
glory is
God's
glory
and if
he's going
to bring
us in
and graft
us in
and somehow
we're in
the middle
of that
glory
that
goodness
this should
have
sustaining
power
and listen
you got
many people
in this room
know me
well
and they
hear the
way I
talk
and
I'm
preaching
myself
up here
but
it should
fuel our
hope
when we
look at
this
a few
more
he
called
you
to
this
through
our
gospel
that
you
might
share
in
the
glory
of
our
Lord
Jesus
Christ
Paul
goes on
to say
and we
who
with
unveiled
faces
all
reflect
the glory
of the
Lord
are being
transformed
into his
image
with
intensifying
glory
which
comes
from the
Lord
who is
the
spirit
and
those he
predestined
he also
called
those he
called
he also
justified
those he
justified
he also
glorified
and after
you have
suffered a
little
while
the
God of
all
grace
who has
called
you to
his
eternal
glory
in
Christ
will
himself
restore
confirm
strengthen
and establish
you
for this
light
momentary
affliction
is preparing
for us
an eternal
weight of
glory
beyond all
comparison
so
the
chasm
is real
the
grind
is real
we're
in the
wilderness
season
still
and by
the way
the
wilderness
season
they're
all over
scripture
literally
they are
literally
all over
the
scriptures
this
season
of
trust
me
trust
me
my
grace
is
sufficient
for you
in this
season
but
you're
still
in the
season
and
so
I hope
that
you know
contemplating
the holiness
of God
for
Christians
it can
be
an
amazing
rejuvenating
thing
not
a
depressing
thing
okay
I've
done so
much
talking
and
that's
not
how
you're
supposed
to do
Sunday
school
but
it's
just
a
big
topic
next
week
I hope
to be
a little
more
interactive
thoughts
questions
comments
when you
talked about
separateness
you know
I thought
of the
phrase
I've
heard
God
is
holding
other
some
people
say
ah
that's
you know
the
base
meaning
of the
word
holiness
but
then
God
says
to us
be
holy
because
I'm
holy
so
the
first
time
I
put
those
together
whatever
God's
holiness
is
communicable
to us
you know
to some
extent
thank you
yes
like for
that
dot
to be
connected
one of my
favorite
passages
scriptures
is in
gospel
of
Luke
where
he
describes
the
encounter
of
Jesus
at the
house
of
Mary
and
Martha
there's
so much
that
is
captured
right there
and what
you just
said
Matt
be
holy
Mary
was
made
holy
in that
moment
I believe
by the
way that
she
worshipped
when she
knew that
she would
be held
and gazed
upon
by Christ
and she
offered
her life
her
that was
holiness
her holiness
was being
restored
and believe
in that
moment
that's
how I
see it
alright
let me pray
for us
Father in
heaven
we thank
you for
Jesus
we thank
you for
not
leaving
us
alone
to
go our
own
way
and to
be far
from you
forever
and we
simply pray
that you
would
increase
our
faith
be real
to us
help
help us
to
see
things
rightly
and
to cling
to Christ
in Jesus
name we
pray
amen
oh
God
them
I
please
that
looks
Ländern
you
I
can hook
you
I