God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss con\u00adfronts us with a side of God that we can hard\u00adly grasp. It shows us him as the com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent one who is nevert\u00adhel\u00adess tur\u00adned towards us. It remains a chall\u00adenge to encoun\u00adter this God and to make him neither small and pre\u00addic\u00adta\u00adble nor distant and frigh\u00adtening. Deal\u00ading with this topic is wort\u00adhwhile, for the fact that God is holy is the deepest and most com\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adve descrip\u00adti\u00adon of God\u2019s natu\u00adre. In it, it beco\u00admes clear why God is God. It is the grea\u00adtest gift for Chris\u00adti\u00adans to be able to say Father to pre\u00adcis\u00ade\u00adly this God and to live in his presence.<\/p>\n
For Gise\u00adla Bey\u00ader, 5 August 2010 will pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly remain a day of joy and sad\u00adness for the rest of her life: While her second daugh\u00adter gave birth to a healt\u00adhy grand\u00adson on this day, her youn\u00adgest was mur\u00adde\u00adred during an aid mis\u00adsi\u00adon in Afgha\u00adni\u00adstan. Loo\u00adking back, the doc\u00adtor wri\u00adtes: \u00abThe news con\u00adfron\u00adted me with the holi\u00adne\u00adss of God. He is Lord over life and death. Full stop. Litt\u00adle by litt\u00adle, I felt my way towards under\u00adstan\u00adding it somehow. But human cogni\u00adti\u00adon is pie\u00adce\u00adme\u00adal, that is still true today, even if we have expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced many things that have shed some light on what hap\u00adpen\u00aded.\u00bb (Gise\u00adla Bey\u00ader, quo\u00adted from \u00abSigns from hea\u00adven. When my daugh\u00adter died as a mar\u00adtyr\u00bb in the maga\u00adzi\u00adne Lydia 4\/2011) \tWhat fee\u00adlings accom\u00adpa\u00adny you about the new the\u00adme for the year? God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss con\u00adfronts us with a side of God that we can bare\u00adly grasp. It shows us him as the com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent one who is nevert\u00adhel\u00adess tur\u00adned towards us. It remains a chall\u00adenge to encoun\u00adter this God and to make him neither small and pre\u00addic\u00adta\u00adble nor distant and frigh\u00adtening. It is wort\u00adhwhile enga\u00adging with the topic: because\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7081,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[90],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-heilig-heilig-heilig","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-7016","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"hentry","11":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nEven if not all Chris\u00adti\u00adans have such a dra\u00adma\u00adtic expe\u00adri\u00adence as this mother, most of them come to a point whe\u00adre they rea\u00adli\u00adse: \u00abGod is dif\u00adfe\u00adrent, he is big\u00adger and more sove\u00adreign than I pre\u00advious\u00adly thought! He does things that I don\u2019t under\u00adstand, inde\u00aded that I have the fee\u00adling are bey\u00adond my under\u00adstan\u00adding.\u00bb Mrs Bey\u00ader asso\u00adcia\u00adtes this expe\u00adri\u00adence with a cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adristic of God that is dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to grasp: His holiness.
\nThe holi\u00adne\u00adss of God
\nAt the begin\u00adning of his care\u00ader as a pro\u00adphet, Isai\u00adah has an encoun\u00adter with God that throws him com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly off cour\u00adse: God appears to him in a visi\u00adon in the temp\u00adle. Isai\u00adah wri\u00adtes: \u00abIn the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He sat on a high thro\u00adne and was exal\u00adted, and the hem of his robe fil\u00adled the temp\u00adle. Abo\u00adve him hover\u00aded sera\u00adphim with six wings. Each had six wings! With two wings they cover\u00aded their faces, with two their feet and with the third pair they flew. They cal\u00adled out to each other: \u00abHoly, holy, holy is the Lord Almigh\u00adty! The earth is fil\u00adled with his glo\u00adry! This shout cau\u00adsed the foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adons of the porch to trem\u00adble and the temp\u00adle was fil\u00adled with smo\u00adke\u00bb (Isai\u00adah 6:1\u20134 NLB<\/span>).
\n\u00abHoly, holy, holy\u00bb (cf. Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon 4:8) is sung inces\u00adsant\u00adly befo\u00adre the thro\u00adne of God. In the Jewish lan\u00adguage, the importance of a state\u00adment was empha\u00adsis\u00aded by repea\u00adting it twice. If a state\u00adment is even repea\u00adted three times, this is one of the stron\u00adgest super\u00adla\u00adti\u00adves in the Hebrew lan\u00adguage. In the enti\u00adre Holy Scrip\u00adtures, the holi\u00adne\u00adss of God alo\u00adne is repea\u00adted three times!
\nWhen describ\u00ading the holi\u00adne\u00adss of God, we come up against a limit. Theo\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adan Rudolf Otto defi\u00adnes holi\u00adne\u00adss as a cate\u00adgo\u00adry that is made up of com\u00adpon\u00adents of the ratio\u00adnal and the irra\u00adtio\u00adnal. Both come tog\u00ade\u00adther in the sacred: that which we can per\u00adcei\u00adve and under\u00adstand about God, but also that which will always be mys\u00adte\u00adrious and ali\u00aden to us. The holi\u00adne\u00adss of God is a mys\u00adtery that is incom\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adble to us humans. With regard to the holi\u00adne\u00adss of God, Ger\u00adhard Ters\u00adtee\u00adgen says: \u00abA God who is unders\u00adtood is not God.\u00bb God can only be God if he remains inde\u00adscri\u00adba\u00adble. If God were so small that we could under\u00adstand him, he would not be big enough to be wor\u00adship\u00adped. In the clip that runs befo\u00adre the ser\u00admon, the mul\u00adti\u00adme\u00addia team tri\u00ades to por\u00adtray the mys\u00adtery of God with maje\u00ads\u00adtic, powerful and impres\u00adsi\u00adve natu\u00adral phe\u00adno\u00adme\u00adna. But if I can\u2019t under\u00adstand crea\u00adti\u00adon, how can I ful\u00adly under\u00adstand God? What is the beau\u00adty and wild\u00adness of thou\u00adsands of gala\u00adxies com\u00adpared to the one who has the power and crea\u00adti\u00advi\u00adty to crea\u00adte them all? What is a super\u00adno\u00adva com\u00adpared to the one who con\u00adcei\u00adved the light its\u00adelf? The holi\u00adne\u00adss of God is so uni\u00adque that we have no com\u00adpa\u00adri\u00adson. \u00ab \u00abTo whom then will you compa\u00adre me? Who is like me?\u00bb asks the Holy One\u00bb (Isai\u00adah 40:25 NLB<\/span>).
\nHoly means that God is com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent. The Hebrew word for holi\u00adne\u00adss is qado\u00adsh. This term is pri\u00adma\u00adri\u00adly based on the idea of being set apart, of being com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent. This root word is men\u00adtio\u00adned over 800 times in the texts of the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment. In the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment wri\u00adtin\u00adgs, we find the Greek word for holy, hagios, over 150 times. The state\u00adment that God is holy is cen\u00adtral and irre\u00adplaceable for the Chris\u00adti\u00adan faith. It is His actu\u00adal core cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adristic. God is abso\u00adlut\u00ade\u00adly uni\u00adque, migh\u00adty, He is the source of life.
\nIn the Bible, we repea\u00adted\u00adly encoun\u00adter the image of fire in con\u00adnec\u00adtion with God\u2019s natu\u00adre. \u00abFor our God is a con\u00adsum\u00ading fire\u00bb (Hebrews 12:29 NLB<\/span>). One of my favou\u00adri\u00adte child\u00adhood memo\u00adries of youth camps is the evenings around a camp\u00adfi\u00adre. We feel a very spe\u00adcial atmo\u00adsphe\u00adre in front of a fire. We are cap\u00adti\u00adva\u00adted by the irre\u00adpres\u00adsi\u00adble, all-con\u00adsum\u00ading power of the fla\u00admes. We enjoy the warmth that emana\u00adtes from them and we take care to keep the fire ali\u00adve. But we would never think of put\u00adting our\u00adsel\u00adves in the midd\u00adle of the fire, becau\u00adse we know that alt\u00adhough we humans can enjoy the power and beau\u00adty of fire, we have not\u00adhing to oppo\u00adse the fla\u00admes them\u00adsel\u00adves. They are stron\u00adger than us, they are dan\u00adge\u00adrous for us, they could con\u00adsu\u00adme us. A holy God who can ter\u00adri\u00adfy me one moment and fill me with peace the next.
\nThe loss of holiness
\nWhen I expres\u00adsed my wish to the wor\u00adship lea\u00adder at the begin\u00adning of the week that we sing songs about the holi\u00adne\u00adss of God today, I was told that the\u00adre are hard\u00adly any. Holi\u00adne\u00adss descri\u00adbes not just one aspect of his per\u00adso\u00adna\u00adli\u00adty, but the very essence of God. The Holy One is too mys\u00adte\u00adrious and not of this world to be cap\u00adtu\u00adred in words and melo\u00addies. Ulti\u00adm\u00adate\u00adly, all that remains when loo\u00adking at God is silent ama\u00adze\u00adment, bor\u00adne by the lon\u00adging to be clo\u00adse to Him and to be absor\u00adbed in Him.
\nHow could the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing short sen\u00adtence end? God is \u2026? Nor\u00admal\u00adly we men\u00adti\u00adon attri\u00adbu\u00adtes such as good, gra\u00adcious, gre\u00adat, love, mer\u00adciful, a father, pro\u00advi\u00adder, hea\u00adler, saviour. All of the\u00adse attri\u00adbu\u00adtes natu\u00adral\u00adly app\u00adly to God. But if the pro\u00adphet Isai\u00adah were sit\u00adting in this room, he would pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly have whispe\u00adred fear\u00adful\u00adly. We have tamed and mini\u00admi\u00adsed God and down\u00adgra\u00added him to a bet\u00adter ver\u00adsi\u00adon of our\u00adsel\u00adves. If the holi\u00adne\u00adss of God plays no role in our lives, then we also suf\u00adfer a loss of rever\u00adence for God. Rai\u00adner Har\u00adter wri\u00adtes: \u00abI have noti\u00adced that quite a few of tho\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle who con\u00advert but never come into cont\u00adact with the holi\u00adne\u00adss of God lea\u00adve God again after a while or never deve\u00adlop a real fasci\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon for him.\u00bb If we do not encoun\u00adter God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss, faith beco\u00admes bor\u00ading and we revol\u00adve around our\u00adsel\u00adves. God beco\u00admes a rich uncle from Ame\u00adri\u00adca who is sup\u00adpo\u00adsed to ful\u00adfil our wis\u00adhes and opti\u00admi\u00adse our lives.
\nIn the past, when Father Christ\u00admas still came to our fami\u00adly, the child\u00adren waver\u00aded bet\u00adween affec\u00adtion and awe. This mix\u00adtu\u00adre exerts a fasci\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon. But once Father Christ\u00admas was demy\u00adtho\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adsed, he lost his appeal. In a simi\u00adlar way, we have ambi\u00adva\u00adlent fee\u00adlings towards the holi\u00adne\u00adss of God. On the one hand we fear it, on the other we feel almost eeri\u00adly attrac\u00adted to it. God\u2019s natu\u00adre is holy, mys\u00adte\u00adrious, ter\u00adri\u00adfy\u00ading, incom\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adble, never trans\u00adpa\u00adrent. And yet he is mer\u00adciful, loving and gra\u00adcious. This com\u00adbi\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon fasci\u00adna\u00adtes us and casts a spell over us. If we rob God of his holi\u00adne\u00adss, Jesus is sty\u00adli\u00adsed as a nice bud\u00addy, God is made into the big, cool guy up in hea\u00adven and the Holy Spi\u00adrit is assi\u00adgned the role of enter\u00adtai\u00adner in our gathe\u00adrings. As a result, our faith is rob\u00adbed of its sus\u00adtaina\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty in the chal\u00adlenges of ever\u00ady\u00adday life. If God is no lon\u00adger a mys\u00adtery to us, we lose not only our awe but also our fasci\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon with God. It\u2019s like a magic trick. As soon as you have seen through it, it loses its fascination.
\nGod is not \u2019sim\u00adply\u00bb love. His love is a con\u00adsum\u00ading, dan\u00adge\u00adrous and wild fire. It is true: God is infi\u00adni\u00adte\u00adly gra\u00adcious. But his grace is a power that enables us to live a fun\u00adda\u00admen\u00adtal\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent life than the peo\u00adp\u00adle around us who live by their own strength. Whe\u00adther we reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse and ack\u00adnow\u00adledge God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss has a direct impact on our faith in ever\u00ady\u00adday life.
\nBeco\u00adming Heil(ig)
\n\u00abThen I said, \u00abIt will be ter\u00adri\u00adble for me, for I am a man of unclean lips in the midst of a peo\u00adp\u00adle of unclean lips. I will peri\u00adsh, for I have seen the King, the LORD<\/span> Almigh\u00adty!\u00bb But one of the seraphs flew to me. He held a red-hot stone in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touch\u00aded my mouth with it and said: \u00abLook, this has touch\u00aded your lips. Now your guilt is blot\u00adted out; your sins are for\u00adgi\u00adven.\u00bb \u00bb (Isai\u00adah 6:5\u20137 NLB<\/span>). The encoun\u00adter with God made Isai\u00adah shud\u00adder. Loo\u00adking at God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss made him rea\u00adli\u00adse his own unho\u00adli\u00adne\u00adss. Being unclean in God\u2019s holy pre\u00adsence is life-threa\u00adtening. It is not a good sign that most of us no lon\u00adger shud\u00adder in the pre\u00adsence of God. We have taken access to God and his affec\u00adtion for granted.
\nThe Israe\u00adli\u00adtes had to be moral\u00adly and ritual\u00adly pure in order to enter God\u2019s pre\u00adsence. In Isaiah\u2019s visi\u00adon, the solu\u00adti\u00adon lies in the glo\u00adwing stone from the altar. The seraph tou\u00adch\u00ades Isaiah\u2019s mouth with it and says that his guilt is can\u00adcel\u00adled and his sin for\u00adgi\u00adven. The coal, this holy and pure object, trans\u00adfers its puri\u00adty to Isai\u00adah when it tou\u00adch\u00ades him. Isai\u00adah is not des\u00adtroy\u00aded by God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss, but changed.
\nJesus is like the sacred coal in Isaiah\u2019s visi\u00adon. He touch\u00aded peo\u00adp\u00adle who were unclean: Peo\u00adp\u00adle with dise\u00ada\u00adsed skin, a woman with chro\u00adnic hae\u00admor\u00adrha\u00adging or even dead peo\u00adp\u00adle. The puri\u00adty of Jesus is trans\u00adfer\u00adred to peo\u00adp\u00adle. After being touch\u00aded by Jesus, we too can enter the pre\u00adsence of God wit\u00adhout fear. This invi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon, com\u00adbi\u00adned with the digni\u00adty he has besto\u00adwed on us, has cost God an incre\u00addi\u00adble pri\u00adce. The fact that God\u2019s direct appearance is tru\u00adly ter\u00adri\u00adfy\u00ading is con\u00adtras\u00adted by the gre\u00adat fear not of Jesus Christ. Through his sub\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtio\u00adna\u00adry death, we can even enjoy God\u2019s holy pre\u00adsence. Not fear, but awe. Whe\u00adre no human being can stand unpro\u00adtec\u00adted, the blood of Jesus sanc\u00adti\u00adfies us and ther\u00adeby makes us able to be with God. God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss makes our own lives who\u00adle and makes our actions towards our neigh\u00adbour who\u00adle\u00adso\u00adme. God wants us to share in the core of his being, in his holi\u00adne\u00adss. Anyo\u00adne who expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces this will be fasci\u00adna\u00adted and mes\u00adme\u00adri\u00adsed forever.
\nThrough the encoun\u00adter with the com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent, Isai\u00adah was hea\u00adled. He is now rea\u00addy for his true cal\u00adling: \u00abThen I heard the Lord ask, \u00abWhom shall I send? Who will go for us?\u00bb And I said, \u00abHere I am, send me\u00bb \u00bb (Isai\u00adah 6:8 NLB<\/span>). We beco\u00adme holy when we expo\u00adse our\u00adsel\u00adves to the holi\u00adne\u00adss of God! This is pre\u00adcis\u00ade\u00adly the goal of our the\u00adme for the year; the encoun\u00adter with the com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent. We need two important com\u00adpa\u00adn\u00adions on this jour\u00adney in our lug\u00adga\u00adge: a lon\u00adging for God and the Holy Spi\u00adrit, who leads us into the truth. Let\u2019s pray for this right now!
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nBible text: Isai\u00adah 6:1\u20137; Exodus 3:1\u20136<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat does the word holi\u00adne\u00adss mean?
\n\tWhat does God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss mean? Have you alre\u00ada\u00addy encoun\u00adte\u00adred this holiness?
\n\tWhat is lost to us when we rob God of His holiness?
\n\t\u00abYou shall be holy becau\u00adse I, the LORD<\/span> your God, am holy\u00bb \u2013 how does that work?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"