Saturday, May 6, 2023

 It is essential for us to perceive ourselves as fully righteous in Christ, but this perception alone does not suffice as long as we reside on this earth. At times, we tend to disregard the existence of sin and strive to concentrate solely on Christ. This can lead to an intense internal conflict where we attempt to overlook the reality of our sins and uphold a righteous self-image, but fail to comprehend the true magnitude of Christ's greatness. We succumb to this tendency due to our fear of acknowledging our shortcomings, believing that a positive self-image is necessary to comprehend the potency of Christ's influence in our lives.Our tendency to rely on the philosophy of self-will to achieve righteousness in Christ is a form of self-deception. This internal struggle results in a passive mindset, leading to a combination of self-worship and a lack of genuine Christ-centered worship. The root of this issue lies in our perception of God, as we tend to view His holiness merely as a moral trait rather than the fundamental essence of all His attributes.There is a prevalent notion that a person who is entirely righteous is required for us to be considered a suitable sacrifice in worshipping God. This belief gives rise to the misconception that we must perceive ourselves as completely righteous to feel accepted by God during worship. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that God does not evaluate us based on moral equivalence and does not withhold His presence until we attain perfection.The fundamental aim of God's holiness is to guide us towards acknowledging ourselves as being completely virtuous. Conversely, when God's holiness is unveiled to us, we are intended to realize our innate inadequacies and our inability to achieve righteousness independently. During the act of worship, our reaction to God's holiness should not be primarily one of culpability, but rather an immense feeling of reverence towards the grandeur of God. This appreciation of God's magnificence and splendor should lead us towards admitting our own limitations and relinquishing any belief that we can attain righteousness through our own endeavors. A thorough understanding of the divine holiness is essential for a complete appreciation of divine greatness. Without this understanding, it is difficult to comprehend how the Holy Spirit liberates us from our constant inclination to rely solely on our own abilities.Upon experiencing a powerful sense of His presence, we will feel empowered by our faith in Him. This experience of strength and divine holiness will enable us to recognize our own limitations while acknowledging our reliance on Him. This marks the culmination of achieving freedom through worship. The Holy Spirit confirms to our spirits that our path is righteous and that we have previously attempted to satisfy our worldly desires to feel fulfilled, but such attempts lacked the potency of God's power and a genuine comprehension of His holy nature.When God reveals Himself to us in this way, it strengthens our faith, increases our capacity for unbiased love, and deepens our understanding of Him, leading us to a profound sense of assurance. We recognize that we sometimes need to undergo significant trials in order for God to impart His holiness to us and demonstrate the immense potential of His power, which is communicated to us through the Holy Spirit. This represents the most complete manifestation of His holiness.


1 comment: