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Holy and Spotless ...

Wednesday, March 16, 2016. Yesterday evening in our youth group (age 16-22) we had a long discussion about God and his holiness and his mercy. Reading some texts from the 5th book of Moses, one of our group members came with questions: why does God choose spotless people to come into his community? What about defects? What is God's plan for us? We had a deep and intense discussion! God wants everyone, yet what about demands to be spotless?

Do we know holiness? …

Where do we know holiness in our immediate environment? We do not know it, usually. Perhaps you know some people who have pure intentions, who are reliable and calm. That might give us a glimpse of what holiness means with respect to the biblical texts. But how pure is our heart? Usually, it carries and generates many things in it which we would not call pure at all.

We realized that we were looking into an Old Testament text, that the role of this particular passage from Exodus (5th Moses) was about educating the people of Israel about God's holiness and his full claim on the human life. His full mercy would come, and was already there in prophecies. It would come in Christ Jesus, and open a door, for everyone, in faith!

Again and again, in faith you will experience the tension coming from full acceptance in Christ, and the need to be transformed and shaped by his holy spirit on a daily basis. We cannot enter God's kingdom, but stay the same. We are fully accepted into God's family in Christ, yet we are called to act and to learn what it means to live in a holy way. Let us look into 1 Peter, where this is described, and where the spotlessness of Christ is fully proclaimed:

Christ, the Spotless Lamb …

13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. (1 Peter 1)

You are redeemed from the empty way of life. You are bought, by the blood of Christ. You are renewed. This renewal is both fact and process. It is there, but also ongoing. It is taking your whole personality into the game. Your decisions, your will, your feelings, your desires, your dreams. It is all meant, when we talk about faith.

Faith is a true adventure. It is much deeper than any simple invention, even if it is a whole scientific or technological revolution. Faith concerns the whole human, all of what we are, what we want, how we think and feel and make decisions. Faith is about a living God, his holy spirit. It is about the world, about humans, about joy, music, word and deed. It is about a wonderfull God and savior. (RWEP) ... more texts