God Cares About Holiness

In this captivating episode of The Heartbeat of Faith Podcast, Dr. Andrew Farley delves deep into the profound concept of holiness. Have you ever been in the presence of something so amazing that you didn't feel worthy of looking upon it? You've experienced a glimpse of what it means to be in the presence of God's holiness. The journey begins with an exploration of Moses' request to see God's glory, a request that unfolds a remarkable encounter. Dr. Farley discusses the incomprehensible holiness of God and how it contrasts with our imperfection. Join us as we uncover why holiness is such a crucial aspect of our faith and how it can be attained, reminding us that it's not something we can muster up on our own.

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In a riveting narrative from the saga, we encounter the miraculous healing of a lame man at the gate. This awe-inspiring story illustrates the power of faith and God's holiness. The most incredible aspect of this journey is the realization that you and I get to hold that goodness within us. We are, in essence, temples of the Holy Spirit. God chooses to contain His glory in imperfect and delicate vessels like us. So, my deep and abiding prayer for you is that you would be humbled by the holiness of God and find immense hope in your relationship with Him.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Let us pray. And one cried unto another and said, Holy, Holy, Holy,
is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full
of his glory. Isaiah chapter six, Verse three. Dear Lord,
I come before you to day in awe of your holiness.

(00:21):
You are the one True God, perfect and holy in
all your ways. Your nature is unchanging, for you are
the same yesterday to day and forever. Through the Cross,
you have made me holy, set apart for you. Through
the Resurrection, you have given me a new heart, a

(00:43):
new spirit, and your spirit living in me. May my thoughts,
words and actions reflect these amazing truths to day, and
may I bring honor to your name, as I trust
you to be my very life in Jesus' name. Amen,

(01:05):
Thank you for praying with me today. Now discover the
profound intricacies of Scripture through prey dot COM's podcast The
Heartbeat of Faith with doctor Andrew Farley. Stay tuned after
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Speaker 2 (02:24):
Have you ever been in the presence of something so
amazing that you didn't quite feel worthy of even looking
upon it, Then you understand in part what it felt
like for Moses to be in the presence of God's holiness.

Speaker 3 (02:44):
He looked up to God with his eyes foggy from tears.
Show me your glory, Moses whispered. God said to Moses,
I will show you my goodness and have it passed
before you, But you cannot see my face, for no
man can see my face and live.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
The most insane part of God's story is that you
and I get to now hold that goodness within us.
We are temples of the Holy Spirit. God has chosen
to place his glory in fragile, dependent vessels like us.

Speaker 3 (03:23):
All authority that has been given to me I give
to you. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.
Go and baptize them in the name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Hi.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
I'm doctor Andrew Farley, and welcome to another episode of
the Heartbeat of Faith podcast. It's a joy to be
with you again as we survey biblical stories to see
what God truly cares about most. His passion for rest, justice,
and the outcasts has been made evident, and now we

(04:00):
dive deeper to learn about holiness. Why does God care
so much about our holiness? And how is holiness even attained? Indeed,
it's not something we can muster up on our own.
In fact, the Bible tells us that our attempts at
holiness are filthy rags compared to God's glory. Have you

(04:23):
ever been in the presence of something so amazing that
you didn't quite feel worthy of even looking upon it.
You understand in part what it felt like for Moses
to be in the presence of God's holiness. Moses experienced
the holiness of God, and it was so powerful that

(04:43):
he couldn't gaze upon it fully.

Speaker 3 (04:51):
He looked up to God with his eyes foggy from tears.
Show me your glory, Moses whispered. God said to Moses,
I will show you my goodness and have it passed
before you, But you cannot see my face, for no
man can see my face and live. So God placed
Moses in a cleft between two rocks, and God, in

(05:13):
his glory, passed by Moses, and he could see his
back pass by. For a brief moment, Moses was able
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord. A small
sliver of eternity glowed before Moses. The maker of the cosmos,
the destroyer of stars, and the shepherd of humanity, revealed
a part of himself to Moses.

Speaker 2 (05:36):
In the Old Testament, God's holiness was too much for
anyone to handle, and the Book of Leviticus offered ceremonial
laws for Israel to seek purity and cleansing. These laws
were designated to showcase just how unclean the people of
Israel were compared to the Holy God they worshiped. Today,

(06:00):
God is still just as holy, and being in his
presence requires purity. So to enter his presence boldly, we
have to be clean. But how? The answer shouldn't surprise
you if you've been listening to our series so far.
Jesus is how we become holy and cleansed once and

(06:20):
for all. But in the Old Testament, this once for
all cleansing was not available yet. In the Book of Isaiah,
we're given a glimpse of God's throne room, and the
holiness of God is on display. Isaiah cowers in fear
because God's presence is too glorious for him to handle,

(06:42):
that is, until a singing coal is placed upon him.

Speaker 3 (06:50):
In the year that King Oziah died, I saw also
the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up,
and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims.
Each one had six wings. With twain he covered his face,
and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain

(07:11):
he did fly. And one cried unto another and said, Holy, Holy,
Holy is the Lord of Hosts. The whole earth is
full of his glory. And the posts of the door
moved at the voice of him that cried, and the
house was filled with smoke. Then said, I woe is me,

(07:33):
for I am undone, because I am a man of
unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a
people of unclean lips. For mine eyes have seen the king,
the Lord of Hosts, then flew one of the seraphims
unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which
he had taken with the tongs from off the altar.

(07:56):
And he laid it upon my mouth and said, Lo,
this hath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away,
and thy sin purged. Isaiah six one through seven.

Speaker 2 (08:13):
Isaiah was purified by white hot coal, which was a
shadow or symbol of Jesus's effect on us today. Humans
cannot normally be in God's presence because he's too radiant
and holy, But Jesus is the coal that purifies us,
making us holy and clean. In fact, we see the

(08:36):
cleansing power of Jesus even in the way he healed
people during his earthly ministry.

Speaker 3 (08:47):
Have mercy on us Jesus heard from the distance the
faint moans were coming from the shadows below some rocks
near Galilee. Jesus, our Master, please have mercy on us,
the voices cried out again. Jesus and his disciples stopped
to inspect the source of the painful moans. Then creeping
out of the shadows were ten lepers. Their faces were

(09:10):
mangled from years of rotting. Their eyes were yellow and
nearly lifeless. The disciples leaped back in fear, but Jesus
stepped forward. The ten lepers all fell to their knees
and begged Jesus to heal them. Jesus touched each and
every one of them gently. He was moved with compassion.
Go your way, show yourselves to the priests, for you

(09:34):
are healed.

Speaker 2 (09:36):
The Bible teaches there's a stark contrast between the Old
Testament days and the electrifying present we live. In picture
the Old Testament believers imagine the meticulous rituals and stringent laws.
They painstakingly observed to draw near to the Almighty and

(09:58):
endeavor to cleanse themselves and approach His divine presence in
the tabernacle with reverent trepidation. They were bound by continuous
purification rites representing the vibrant image of the distance between
humanity and God. But when we flip the page to

(10:20):
the New Testament experience, we're engulfed in an awe inspiring revelation.
The once for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ has obliterated
the chasm that stood between us and God. It's more
than a mere modification to the prior system. Through the
Cross and Resurrection, Jesus has ushered in something infinitely superior,

(10:46):
as the Cross has impeccably sanctified us to not only
be in God's presence, but to become his very dwelling place.
Hebrews ten says, for by a single offering, he has
perfected for all time those who are the holy ones.

(11:06):
We believers are now perpetually united with them, engulfed in
his unwavering love and grace. God doesn't merely visit us.
He's made us his residence in dwelling us every moment
of every day without a pause. We now live with
an audacious confidence and a daring boldness in our relationship

(11:30):
with God because we are forever one spirit with the Lord. Now,
by contrast, when Peter met Jesus, he was brought to
his knees and didn't feel worthy of even being in
his presence.

Speaker 3 (11:51):
The men rejoiced with their catch. This bigger catch would
provide for their families for months. All the men danced
in place and show for joy, but not Peter. He
looked at Jesus and fell to his face. He was broken.
He felt unworthy of Jesus's gift. Depart from me, Lord,
he said, I am a sinful man.

Speaker 2 (12:15):
But after Peter was reborn of the Holy Spirit, his
whole perspective changed. He began to comprehend the profound, delightful
mystery that our flawless, eternal God would choose to make
his home in our hearts, crafting our very beings into

(12:35):
his sacred dwelling place. We New Testament believers are immersed
in a boundless ocean of God's forgiveness, cleansing, and holiness
that has powerfully qualified us to be in perfect union
with Him, emboldening our steps as we walk through this
journey called life. Yes, we are literally temples of the

(13:01):
Holy Spirit. God has chosen to contain his glory in
delicate human vessels like us.

Speaker 3 (13:14):
The man raised his cup and shook it, waiting for
coins to trickle in. The lame man saw two men
walking side by side into the gate. Spare some coin
for a poor lame man, he asked. The two men
looked at him. The taller and older one knelt down
and looked him deeply in the eye. He smiled and
held out his hands gold and silver. I do not have,

(13:37):
he said, But what I have I can give to
you in the name of Jesus Christ. Get up and walk.
Then all of a sudden, the lame man felt a
warm sensation travel from his toes up his spine. He
looked down to his feet and moved them. His eyes
began to water with tears, and he rose to his feet.

(13:59):
He hugged at the two men, say were none other
than John and Peter.

Speaker 2 (14:06):
My prayer for you today is that you would bask
in the love of our Savior and live boldly, confiding
in his powerful grace that has permanently entwined you with him.
May your heart be lifted and your spirit be invigorated
by the irrevocable truth of your eternal union and flawless

(14:29):
identity in Christ Jesus. Remember, it's not about what we
do for God. It's about realizing and reveling in what
He's done for us. Live loved because you are fully
and incredibly loved forever. Thank you for listening to today's
episode of the Heartbeat of Faith podcast. Follow the podcast

(14:52):
so you can learn the Bible in this entertaining and
inspiring way. Download theprey dot com app, and for more
or encouragement in God's grace, visit Andrew Farley dot org.
That's Andrew Farley dot org.