When You’re Longing for Holiness

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!” Isaiah 6:3 (ESV)

Lately I’ve been avoiding the news. But today I glanced at the headlines, just to make sure nothing had blown up while I was sleeping. Headlines announced kidnappings, shootings, riots, and torture. The news stories chronicled so much evil in the world.

Idealist that I am, I have a mental picture of how the world’s supposed to be. In a perfect world, everyone would act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before God. But as inhabitants of this planet, we’re missing the mark by miles. We don’t even come close to hitting the target.

And I also have a mental picture of the way my life should look. In a perfect world, I would always act graciously, lovingly, kindly. I’d always do and say the right thing. But daily I don’t live up to the expectations I have for myself.

I long for holiness.

If holiness is a sinless, morally perfect state, then God alone is holy. So I long to see him with my own eyes and to witness firsthand how he’s going to fix the terrible mess we humans have made of our world.  But God is so pure, so holy, so indescribably glorious that we can’t look at him and live. However, God gave a couple of people a chance to peek into heaven for a glimpse of his glory.

Isaiah’s Vision

Isaiah had a vision of God on his throne surrounded by angels calling out “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory.”

The room filled with smoke and the foundations of the thresholds shook because of the thunderous sounds. Isaiah’s immediate reaction was to recognize his own sinfulness in the presence of God’s holiness.

And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost;  I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

Isaiah 6:5 (ESV)

 

John’s Vision

John, the beloved Apostle, has a similar story. The Book of Revelation gives us John’s account of the vision he had of heaven. He saw Jesus, and though he had known Jesus on earth, John could hardly find words to describe him in his resurrected body in heaven.

Jesus had hair “like snow.” His eyes were “like a flame of fire,” and his feet were “like burnished bronze.” John heard a voice “like the roar of many waters,” and described a face “like the sun”.  

And like Isaiah, John was awestruck.

^“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.” Revelation 1:17 (ESV)

Oh, no! I’m a dead man!

Like Isaiah, John sees a host of living creatures praising God unceasingly, saying:

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
    who was and is and is to come! Revelation 4:8 (ESV)

In contrast to the evil in the world, our God is holy, holy, holy. (Stated three times for emphasis). And, surprisingly, because we belong to him, we are called to be the mirrors that reflect his holiness in world filled with darkness.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

I Peter 2:9 (ESV)

In the Meantime

I don’t feel very holy or royal. But God has called you and me to separate ourselves from the evil in the world and to reflect his light.

So what can we do in this in-between time, when our souls long for holiness but we’re stuck in the muck?

Though we can’t be perfectly holy, we can aim to reflect God’s glory.

 When I look for ways to live a holier life, I notice I need to be more careful about the words I say. When Isaiah stood before God, he was keenly aware of his “unclean lips.” I, too, have “unclean lips,” so working on my speech seems like a good place to start. I’ll never achieve true holiness while my feet are still planted on terra firma, but I await the day when I’ll see God face to face in all his glory.

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

I John 3:2-3 (ESV)

Father, you are an awesome God. We long to live in a pure, holy, sinless world where we’re forever in your presence. Our souls ache for the perfection of heaven, but until we can live there with you, help us to live lives worthy of our calling. You’ve brought us out of darkness; help us to be the light in our world.

When we get discouraged or even shocked by all the evil we see in the world, we can remember that God is holy, and one day we’ll live with him in true holiness.