Focu\u00adsing on God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss could at best crea\u00adte pres\u00adsu\u00adre or a sen\u00adse of distance. Holi\u00adne\u00adss is God\u2019s core cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adristic. On this ground, howe\u00adver, He is also love. Both belong tog\u00ade\u00adther. Holi\u00adne\u00adss wit\u00adhout love would empha\u00adsise the rift bet\u00adween God and human beings. Love wit\u00adhout holi\u00adne\u00adss would explain it away. Holy love, on the other hand, over\u00adco\u00admes the rift, but does not abo\u00adlish it. Such love is strong, pene\u00adt\u00adra\u00adting, win\u00adning and changing.<\/p>\n
The weekend befo\u00adre last, our son and I went on a city trip to Lon\u00addon. The sen\u00adtence we heard the most during the three days was: Plea\u00adse mind the gap. This refers to the gap bet\u00adween the under\u00adground and the plat\u00adform. Our con\u00adcern this year is to mind the gap bet\u00adween our holy God and us humans. Plea\u00adse mind the gap! Note that God is incom\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adble, mys\u00adte\u00adrious, com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent, sepa\u00adra\u00adte! On Mount Sinai, God shows Hims\u00adelf very impres\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly in His holi\u00adne\u00adss. Powerful natu\u00adral phe\u00adno\u00adme\u00adna accom\u00adpa\u00adny the encoun\u00adter with Moses and empha\u00adsise His majes\u00adty and great\u00adness. Rever\u00adence for this God is the appro\u00adpria\u00adte reac\u00adtion of man. This could lead us to think that it is exhaus\u00adting, dan\u00adge\u00adrous and some\u00adwhat sca\u00adry to seek this God and encoun\u00adter Him. \tShe sees the man in his distress and has mer\u00adcy on him. The Bible text hides a piquant detail: Zac\u00adchae\u00adus was too small to catch a glim\u00adpse of Jesus. \u00abWhen Jesus came, he loo\u00adked up at Zac\u00adchae\u00adus and cal\u00adled him by name: \u00abZac\u00adchae\u00adus,\u00bb he said, \u00abcome down quick\u00adly! For I must be a guest in your house today\u00bb \u00bb (Luke 19:5 NLB<\/span>). A holy love is cent\u00adred on the other and looks first. \u00abWe want to love becau\u00adse he loved us first\u00bb (1 John 4:19 NLB<\/span>). Jesus\u00bb love imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00ads\u00ades Zac\u00adchae\u00adus\u00bb need and takes care of it by invi\u00adting Hims\u00adelf in. Jesus\u00bb love is so gre\u00adat that it rea\u00adches far bey\u00adond the gap and over\u00adco\u00admes the safe\u00adty distance. A love that is ste\u00ade\u00adled by God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss is straight\u00adfor\u00adward, immense\u00adly strong, all-per\u00adva\u00adding, uncon\u00addi\u00adtio\u00adnal, invi\u00adting and trans\u00adforming. We can all be gra\u00adteful that through the sacri\u00adfi\u00adci\u00adal death of Jesus, the gap bet\u00adween us and the holy God has been fil\u00adled and we can approach Him as the loving Father. Howe\u00adver, in this important step that we are allo\u00adwed to take towards God, we some\u00adti\u00admes over\u00adlook the fact that God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss has not been fil\u00adled in. Plea\u00adse mind the gap \u2013 still appli\u00ades! We may be reci\u00adpi\u00adents of uncon\u00addi\u00adtio\u00adnal love, but at the same time we must never lose our rever\u00adence for the unavai\u00adla\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty and majes\u00adty of God. God is holy. But He is also love, a holy love. Quite dif\u00adfe\u00adrent from ever\u00ady\u00adthing else that calls its\u00adelf love. \tRead the Bible text together! Focus\u00adsing on God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss could at best trig\u00adger pres\u00adsu\u00adre or a fee\u00adling of distance. Holi\u00adne\u00adss is God\u2019s core cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adristic. On this ground, howe\u00adver, He is also love. The two belong tog\u00ade\u00adther. Holi\u00adne\u00adss wit\u00adhout love would empha\u00adsise the gap bet\u00adween God and peo\u00adp\u00adle. Love wit\u00adhout holi\u00adne\u00adss would explain it away. Holy love, on the other hand, overcomes\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7307,"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-7296","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
\nIn the midd\u00adle of the LORD<\/span>\u2019s appearance on Mount Sinai, we read: \u00abHe pas\u00adsed by Moses and said, \u00abI am the LORD<\/span>, the mer\u00adciful and gra\u00adcious God. My pati\u00adence, my love and my faithful\u00adness are gre\u00adat\u00bb \u00bb (Exodus 34:6 NLB<\/span>). This unavailable and holy God is at the same time mer\u00adcy, grace, pati\u00adence, love and faithful\u00adness. For us humans, this may seem like a con\u00adtrast to God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss, but with God the\u00adse are not dif\u00adfe\u00adrent sides of his natu\u00adre, but dif\u00adfe\u00adrent facets of one and the same person.
\nHoli\u00adne\u00adss wit\u00adhout love
\nThroug\u00adhout the Bible, the term holy is asso\u00adcia\u00adted with God a thousand times. Holi\u00adne\u00adss is God\u2019s actu\u00adal core cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adristic. Implan\u00adted in this core, the\u00adre are other out\u00adstan\u00adding cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adristics. For exam\u00adp\u00adle, it is said twice in the Bible that God is love.
\nWhat if God was abo\u00adve all holy, but had litt\u00adle love? That would cau\u00adse enorm\u00adous pres\u00adsu\u00adre and fear. Ques\u00adti\u00adons would ari\u00adse: Can I hold my own befo\u00adre God? Have I tried hard enough? Or would I end up stan\u00adding befo\u00adre God with \u2019sawn-off trou\u00adsers\u00bb? If God were only \u00abholy\u00bb, we would be con\u00adsu\u00admed by Him: \u00abFor our God is a con\u00adsum\u00ading fire\u00bb (Hebrews 12:29 NLB<\/span>). We would only know the des\u00adtruc\u00adti\u00adve side of a fire.
\nPart of Jesus\u00bb mis\u00adsi\u00adon on this earth was to reve\u00adal to us the human face of the hea\u00adven\u00adly Father and holy God. (Colos\u00adsi\u00adans 1:15) Zac\u00adchae\u00adus wan\u00adted to sei\u00adze the oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty when Jesus came to Jeri\u00adcho. He was a tax coll\u00adec\u00adtor by pro\u00adfes\u00adsi\u00adon, which made him extre\u00adme\u00adly unpo\u00adpu\u00adlar with the locals. On the one hand, he was a col\u00adla\u00adbo\u00adra\u00adtor becau\u00adse he was in the ser\u00advice of the hated occu\u00adpy\u00ading power from Rome. On the other hand, he was a cor\u00adrupt crook who made a for\u00adtu\u00adne at the expen\u00adse of his fel\u00adlow citi\u00adzens. On the day of Jesus\u00bb visit to the city, Zac\u00adchae\u00adus clim\u00adbed a tree to catch a glim\u00adpse of this holy man, about whom the most wond\u00adrous sto\u00adries were cir\u00adcu\u00adla\u00adting. As well as get\u00adting a bet\u00adter view, he was also able to put a safe distance bet\u00adween hims\u00adelf and Jesus. This beha\u00adviour betrays his self-doubt. He did not feel wort\u00adhy of immer\u00adsing hims\u00adelf in the crowd and crea\u00adted a gap bet\u00adween hims\u00adelf and Jesus.
\nIf only Jesus had been holy, a dead\u00adly fla\u00adme\u00adthrower might have thrown Zac\u00adchae\u00adus from the tree. At the very least, he would have burnt his fin\u00adgers on the con\u00adsum\u00ading fire. Per\u00adhaps Jesus would have thought that Zac\u00adchae\u00adus would first have to reform in order to come into cont\u00adact with Him, becau\u00adse holy and unclean \u2013 that does\u00adn\u2019t fit. Plea\u00adse mind the gap! The gap would be a huge obs\u00adta\u00adcle that, at best, could be over\u00adco\u00adme with the grea\u00adtest effort. Zac\u00adchae\u00adus would have to fight his way over the gap with the grea\u00adtest effort.
\nLove wit\u00adhout holiness
\nIf, on the other hand, Jesus was abo\u00adve all kind and only a litt\u00adle holy, then the two of them would have made love on the spot, roas\u00adted a cer\u00adve\u00adlat on the \u00abcon\u00adsum\u00ading\u00bb fire and spent a roman\u00adtic time tog\u00ade\u00adther. We would have cover\u00aded the gap with a cloak of silence. They are not pet\u00adty. Jesus beco\u00admes an easy-going mate who crea\u00adtes a good atmo\u00adsphe\u00adre. The next day, Zac\u00adchae\u00adus would have clim\u00adbed back into his cus\u00adtoms house and con\u00adtin\u00adued to sprawl. But from now on he would have testi\u00adfied that he now knew Jesus too. But the\u00adre would have been no dif\u00adfe\u00adrence in his behaviour.
\nA love wit\u00adhout holi\u00adne\u00adss is soon sof\u00adten\u00aded, not a con\u00adsum\u00ading fire, fra\u00adgi\u00adle, human. We humans use the term love exces\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly. What beg\u00adins with fer\u00advent decla\u00adra\u00adti\u00adons of love some\u00adti\u00admes ends sur\u00adpri\u00adsin\u00adgly quick\u00adly in the end. Alt\u00adhough love is cent\u00adred on the other per\u00adson in the most intrin\u00adsic sen\u00adse, we very quick\u00adly end up self-cent\u00adred out of human strength. The icing on the cake of marital love is sex. It is per\u00adhaps during sex that we rea\u00adli\u00adse most cle\u00adar\u00adly how quick\u00adly things can tip over and our own satis\u00adfac\u00adtion takes cent\u00adre stage. We are also very chal\u00adlen\u00adged in our marriages.
\nIf God were love in this way, we would have to deep\u00adly doubt His faithful\u00adness and decisi\u00adve\u00adness towards us. Not\u00adhing of \u00abWhen we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He can\u00adnot deny Hims\u00adelf\u00bb (2 Timo\u00adthy 2:13 NLB<\/span>).
\nHoly love
\nGod\u2019s love is dif\u00adfe\u00adrent becau\u00adse he is holy in his deepest essence. Just as holi\u00adne\u00adss is set apart and uni\u00adque, so is holy love. His holi\u00adne\u00adss gua\u00adran\u00adtees the purest good\u00adness, mer\u00adcy, love and empa\u00adthy. This holy love has the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing characteristics:<\/p>\n
\n\tShe is irre\u00adsis\u00adti\u00adble and casts a spell. For Zac\u00adchae\u00adus, this means that he joyful\u00adly accepts the announce\u00adment of the visit wit\u00adhout hesi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon. \u00abZac\u00adchae\u00adus clim\u00adbed down as quick\u00adly as he could and, full of exci\u00adte\u00adment and joy, led Jesus into his house\u00bb (Luke 19:6 NLB<\/span>). It was not Zac\u00adchae\u00adus who had to labour to over\u00adco\u00adme the gap, but Jesus, the human face of the holy God, does. Love shows its\u00adelf irre\u00adsis\u00adti\u00adbly, like a deli\u00adca\u00adte plant that pushes irre\u00adpres\u00adsi\u00adbly through the hard tar\u00admac. The indignant peo\u00adp\u00adle by the way\u00adsi\u00adde grum\u00adbled: \u00abHe is stay\u00ading as a guest with a noto\u00adrious sin\u00adner\u00bb (Luke 19:7 NLB<\/span>). The pure and holy one visits the unho\u00adly and sin\u00adner. Holy love is uncon\u00addi\u00adtio\u00adnal through and through.
\n\tShe is wil\u00adling to make sacri\u00adfices and for\u00adgi\u00adves. We search in vain in the text for a dia\u00adlo\u00adgue tech\u00adni\u00adque on how to address a person\u2019s pro\u00adblem are\u00adas in the most hel\u00adpful way. Jesus does not do this. Every accu\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon falls away from us when we encoun\u00adter the holy love of God. It is not the impu\u00adri\u00adty that is trans\u00adfer\u00adred to the clean per\u00adson, as was to be expec\u00adted, but the oppo\u00adsi\u00adte hap\u00adpens. Heal\u00ading tou\u00adch\u00ades the sick and makes them who\u00adle. Just as the coal touch\u00aded Isaiah\u2019s lips and can\u00adcel\u00adled his guilt. \u00abWhen we live like Christ in the light of God, we have fel\u00adlow\u00adship with one ano\u00adther, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cle\u00adan\u00adses us from all guilt\u00bb (1 John 1:7 NLB<\/span>). Fel\u00adlow\u00adship with the holy God means that the blood of Jesus cle\u00adan\u00adses us from every sin. This is only pos\u00adsi\u00adble through the grea\u00adtest love ever seen. \u00abThe grea\u00adtest love is shown by the one who lays down his life for his fri\u00adends\u00bb (John 15:13 NLB<\/span>). If Jesus were not holy, He would have avo\u00adided the cross and saved His own skin! The crystal\u00adli\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon point of God\u2019s holy love is on the cross of Golgotha.
\n\tIt chan\u00adges and always remains. Love based on holi\u00adne\u00adss crea\u00adtes the breakth\u00adrough in Zac\u00adchae\u00adus. \u00abMean\u00adwhile Zac\u00adchae\u00adus stood befo\u00adre the Lord and said, \u00abLord, I will give half my wealth to the poor, and if I have chea\u00adted peo\u00adp\u00adle on their taxes, I will repay them four\u00adfold!\u00bb \u00bb (Luke 19:8 NLB<\/span>). A self-cent\u00adred, money-ori\u00aden\u00adted ego\u00adist was trans\u00adfor\u00admed into a gene\u00adrous, empa\u00adthe\u00adtic altru\u00adist (= sel\u00adfless, unsel\u00adfi\u00adsh per\u00adson) sim\u00adply by coming into cont\u00adact with God\u2019s love. No moral ser\u00admon or lec\u00adtu\u00adre could have achie\u00adved what pure, irre\u00adsis\u00adti\u00adble love can do. His holi\u00adne\u00adss leads to peo\u00adp\u00adle allo\u00adwing them\u00adsel\u00adves to be sanc\u00adti\u00adfied and refrai\u00adning from sin.<\/p>\n
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: Luke 19:1\u201310<\/p>\n
\n\tJesus is the human face of the holy God. Whe\u00adre does the holi\u00adne\u00adss of Jesus beco\u00adme visi\u00adble in the Zac\u00adchae\u00adus story?
\n\tWhe\u00adre does the love of Jesus spill over to Zacchaeus?
\n\tWhat would love be wit\u00adhout holi\u00adne\u00adss and what would holi\u00adne\u00adss be wit\u00adhout love?
\n\tDescri\u00adbe and embrace the loving holi\u00adne\u00adss of God!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"