I had a thought this morning that floored me with its stunning incongruity. It was simply this:
God has invited me to warm myself at the fire of his holiness.
God's holiness is the expression of all that makes God good - all that makes him "other" than anything that is different from and less than he is. His holiness is the perfect expression of his perfection - and it is mainly symbolized in the Bible as light, smoke, and fire.
God appeared to Moses as a fire in a bush. After Israel was delivered from Egypt, God led them through the wilderness as a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of smoke by day. And then - when they had arrived at Mt. Sinai, the Bible says:
Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.
This is not a warm and inviting image. This is not a crackling, romantic fire in your fireplace. This is not an eager Boy Scout's bonfire.
This is unimaginable power and energy. It is alien and hostile in its absolute goodness to us as those who are less than holy. It is the righteous nature of God made manifest - and for those who are not absolutely righteous by nature, it is a terrible and horrifying sight.
As the author of Hebrews said, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God," and "Our God is a consuming fire."
And yet we are invited.
Even though it is like being invited into a nuclear reactor to warm our toes or being invited to bury our faces in the mane of wild lion to feel the warmth of his skin or being invited to dance on the surface of the sun.
But, as crazy as it seems, there it is. We are not rejected because we are unworthy. We are not repelled - or worse - drawn in to our destruction. We are invited in as guests - as recipients of grace, made acceptable by the only One who could make us acceptable.
And its all because God has provided us a substitute in judgment. Since Jesus entered into the fire of God's judgment for me, that fire no longer threatens me. Since he wrapped himself in my sin and degradation and entered into that fire for me - and was consumed and destroyed by it - I am no longer condemned. Since he rose again from the dead, having made perfect and complete satisfaction with God for my sin, I now stand in his resurrection life. And in that alien holiness, my new identity as the forgiven and adopted child of God, I enter the furnace of God's presence at home - comfortable and invited.
I am invited to warm myself at the fire of God's holiness.
God has invited me to warm myself at the fire of his holiness.
God's holiness is the expression of all that makes God good - all that makes him "other" than anything that is different from and less than he is. His holiness is the perfect expression of his perfection - and it is mainly symbolized in the Bible as light, smoke, and fire.
God appeared to Moses as a fire in a bush. After Israel was delivered from Egypt, God led them through the wilderness as a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of smoke by day. And then - when they had arrived at Mt. Sinai, the Bible says:
Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.
This is not a warm and inviting image. This is not a crackling, romantic fire in your fireplace. This is not an eager Boy Scout's bonfire.
This is unimaginable power and energy. It is alien and hostile in its absolute goodness to us as those who are less than holy. It is the righteous nature of God made manifest - and for those who are not absolutely righteous by nature, it is a terrible and horrifying sight.
As the author of Hebrews said, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God," and "Our God is a consuming fire."
And yet we are invited.
Even though it is like being invited into a nuclear reactor to warm our toes or being invited to bury our faces in the mane of wild lion to feel the warmth of his skin or being invited to dance on the surface of the sun.
But, as crazy as it seems, there it is. We are not rejected because we are unworthy. We are not repelled - or worse - drawn in to our destruction. We are invited in as guests - as recipients of grace, made acceptable by the only One who could make us acceptable.
And its all because God has provided us a substitute in judgment. Since Jesus entered into the fire of God's judgment for me, that fire no longer threatens me. Since he wrapped himself in my sin and degradation and entered into that fire for me - and was consumed and destroyed by it - I am no longer condemned. Since he rose again from the dead, having made perfect and complete satisfaction with God for my sin, I now stand in his resurrection life. And in that alien holiness, my new identity as the forgiven and adopted child of God, I enter the furnace of God's presence at home - comfortable and invited.
I am invited to warm myself at the fire of God's holiness.
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