The New Theme
Last week I finished the short theme on Knowing God, and next week I begin a series of posts on the new theme, “7 Aspects of God’s Holiness.”
God’s holiness is misunderstood by non-Christians and little understood by Christians, yet it defines him. If we do not understand his holiness, we fundamentally do not understand God. If we do not love God’s holiness, then we do not love God as he is, for he is the Holy One (Isaiah 1:4). Because we all sin, we have a natural reluctance about this subject, but we can overcome that through increased understanding, for God’s holiness is good and desirable in every way. That is what people do not understand—the sheer goodness of God’s holiness—and that is what we will explore.
There is another benefit to this subject. As we learn to understand and appreciate his holiness, we will learn to love personal purity. “This is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). So do not miss a week, for it will profoundly change your life.
Favorite posts
I love Psalm 91, and our journey through its reassuring words was a highlight of last year. Meditating deeply on it is a must in these perilous times. My first post on it started in a majestic place: Dwelling in the Shelter of the Most High. Read it, for it can make you fearless.
You may have noticed I have been posting the audio of some of my sermons. My recent favorite is Getting Great Faith.
Here are some books I’m reading
- None Like Him: Ten Ways God Is Different from Us (and why that’s a good thing), by Jen Wilkin
- The Pursuit of Holiness, by Jerry Bridges
- Your Eternal Reward, by Erwin W. Lutzer
- The Apostle: The Life of Paul, by John Pollack
- Show Me your Glory, by Steven J. Lawson
- None Greater: The Undomesticated Attributes of God, by Matthew Barrett
- Evangelism in the Early Church, by Michael Green
Investing in Knowing God
Knowing God is the most valuable investment of your time and life. He is the ultimate person and most worthy to be pursued in a love relationship. He is the only truly good person (Mark 10:18). He is the most creative, knowledgeable, and interesting person. He is the most loving person. He is the most beautiful and inspiring person. He is infinitely superior to us in every imaginable way—the most excellent person. He is literally perfect and without limitation. Absolutely pure—clean, morally sanitary—and thus eternally healthful to one’s body, soul, and spirit. He is kind, gracious, generous, compassionate, patient, benevolent.
When you choose to boast in knowing God over all other boasts (Jeremiah 9:23–24) and make it your goal to know him better every day, it is as though you were the poorest person in the world marrying the richest person in the world, or the most disfigured guy in the world marrying the world’s most beautiful super-model, or the lowest IQ in the world marrying the greatest genius in the world. When you choose to boast in knowing God, you are “marrying” way up—infinitely up.
Knowing God is the most rewarding, delightful, and inexhaustible knowledge you can have.
Prayer Request
The proposal for my book on holiness is in the hands of several publishers. Please pray it finds a home with a publisher who will make the most of its ministry and bring maximum glory to the Lord.