If we want to become godly or Godlike, we also need to be sure we aren't confusing holiness with moralism. Imagine how horrible it would be if some people actually became like their god! (In fact, that chilling idea is what's behind Bill Maher's proposition that religion must die for people to live; and he's right vis-a-vis most religions.)
Holiness, for the Christian God, is defined by His Love. Holiness is whatever Love does.
Monday, October 13, 2008
More on Holiness
Posted by Anastasia Theodoridis at 5:58 AM
Labels: Who God Is
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3 comments:
Amen!
Jesus, Thy boundless love to me
No thought can reach, no tongue declare;
Unite my thankful heart to Thee
And reign without a rival there!
Thine, wholly Thine, alone I am;
Be Thou alone my constant flame.
O grant that nothing in my soul
May dwell but Thy pure love alone;
Oh, may Thy love possess me whole,
My joy, my treasure, and my crown!
All coldness from my heart remove;
My every act, word, thought be love.
(Paul Gerhardt)
I was just thinking along these lines this morning. I am ashamed of some of the things I"ve done in the name of Holiness (and I'm sure I'm not done doing shameful things) but I realized that much of what was done by me in our last church setting was done so that my spiritual "mentor" could measure my holiness and then supposedly guide and direct me appropriately...I shudder to think we spent so much time there...
So I should add that in that setting, holiness was not whatever Love does but whatever gains me man's approval in the name of Holiness. Love didn't really come into it much except to be instructed that the discipline of instruction in holiness by the spiritual mentor was an act of love toward me (I love you, therefore I will measure your holiness, properly chastise you and then direct you to holier ways). I'm not sure where God came into this equation either, come to think of it...sick, sick, sick...
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