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Holiness of God (Part 4)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's holiness embodies transcendent purity, signifying His beyondness, otherness, and aboveness. He is great beyond our comprehension, exceeding every superlative we can apply to Him. Our vocabulary and senses can only offer pale imitations of His essence, as He surpasses all human understanding. The word "holy" encapsulates the totality of His excellence, revealing the vast difference between Him and us, which fosters humility in our hearts. His power, as seen in the vastness of creation, underscores His holiness. The sun, stars, and countless galaxies reflect a mere trace of His majesty and splendor, originating from within Him. His thoughts and creative power are infinitely higher than ours, transcending all aspects of existence. Unlike the changing world marked by decay and entropy, He remains constant, never changing, demonstrating transcendence in reliability and trustworthiness. He assures us, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you," and Jesus Christ declares, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away," affirming His enduring presence to enforce them. His steadfast love is as certain as death, yet surpasses it, overturning death through resurrection and restoration of life. His understanding, goodness, mercy, justice, and kindness are infinite, marking Him as transcendent purity in every attribute. He calls us to be holy as He is holy, a daunting yet purposeful command to reflect His image. Through fellowship with Him, established by Jesus Christ, His holiness is communicated to us, transforming us to shine with His radiant glory. Confronted by His holiness, we recognize the immense difference between our sinfulness and His sinless life, yet His purpose is not to crush us but to provide an image of what we are to become. His grace supplies what He demands, enabling us through a relationship with Him to overcome our carnal resistance and grow in holiness. This process, supported by His unending grace, leads us toward glorification, where we will reflect His radiant beauty, fulfilling the destiny for which He created us.
Holiness (Part 2)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe holiness of God is a transcendent quality that sets Him apart from all creation. He is in a class by Himself, incomparable, unique, and unapproachable, not in remoteness, but in the sense that no one comes close to being like Him. His name is holy because He is holy, and this holiness is elevated to the superlative, as seen when the seraphim proclaim, "Holy, holy, holy," emphasizing a super importance unmatched by any other characteristic of God. This transcendent holiness evokes profound reactions in those who encounter it. When Isaiah was confronted by the holiness of God, he was overwhelmed, declaring, "Woe is me, for I am undone," recognizing his own unworthiness and filthiness in the presence of such absolute purity. Similarly, Job, upon encountering God, abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes, unable to withstand the comparison to God's holiness. The disciples, witnessing Jesus Christ's power over nature, were more terrified by His holiness than by the storm itself, struggling to categorize Him as He revealed Himself to be separate and unique. The term "holy" derives from a root meaning to cut or separate, indicating a cut above, a superiority or transcendence. God's holiness is a transcendental otherness, an infinite distance separating Him from us in every quality, making Him seem foreign to human understanding. Encountering this holiness presents a stark contrast to human nature; when we meet the Absolute, we know we are not absolute; when we meet the Infinite, we know we are finite; when we meet the Eternal, we know we are temporal. God's holiness extends to all aspects of life, touching economics, child-rearing, education, politics, marriage, and more, as His lordship over creation encompasses everything. As witnesses to His uniqueness, we are called to proclaim before the world that Our God is God, reflecting His holiness in our lives. The purpose of our redemption is to serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness, striving to understand and embody this transcendent quality despite our human limitations.
Holiness of God (Part 3)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe holiness of God is defined by His transcendence, a quality that sets Him apart as infinitely superior and separate from all creation. Holiness, derived from a root meaning to cut or separate, implies being other and different, carrying strong connotations of purity in character and morality. When applied to God, it signifies an unrivaled, unparalleled, and incomparable purity in every aspect of His being and actions as Creator and sovereign Ruler. His transcendence means He exceeds usual limits, existing above and beyond us in every quality, creating an infinite distance that makes Him almost foreign to human understanding. God's holiness is not merely one attribute among many but adds a transcendent quality to all His characteristics. His love is holy love, His mercy is holy mercy, and His justice is holy justice, ensuring that He acts according to principle, not whim or uncontrolled emotion. This transcendent holiness governs all His actions, even in judgments that may seem severe, such as the destruction of millions or the death of His sinless Son, as every act is balanced with holy love, holy justice, and holy wisdom. Only God is truly holy, and nothing created possesses holiness inherently. He alone can sanctify, lifting something or someone from the commonplace to the special, as seen when He declared the ground where Moses stood as holy due to His presence. This sanctification places individuals in a state of holiness, separated for His use, though it initially pertains to position rather than character. As holy brethren, we are called to treat each other with deference and purity, reflecting our separation by God, regardless agape love, not because others deserve it, but because of their relationship to God. Holiness must be perfected through a transformative process, enabled by God's Spirit, fellowship with Him, and faith and humility that produce obedience. This sanctification unto holiness begins with exposure to truth, as God reveals Himself and confronts us with His character and holiness. Through His Word and Spirit, we are cleansed and transformed, striving to produce the divine likeness in all behavior. The Holy Spirit is the power at work within us, essential for possessing God's holiness, as without it, one cannot appreciate or attain the beauty of holiness. Perfecting holiness involves choices and attitudes leading to right conduct, moving beyond initial sanctification to a life reflecting God's purity. It requires separation from all that is profane, meaning far from the holy dwelling place of God, and a relentless pursuit to be like Him. This process, from the glory of man to the glory of God, is central to seeing the Lord, as without holiness, no one will see Him. Holiness, described as the beauty of all God's attributes, is the rule of His actions and the excellency of His divine nature, standing as the antithesis of all moral blemish and defilement.
The Gift of Eternal Life
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Martin G. CollinsThe difference between living forever and eternal life is that longevity does not equate to quality of life. Living forever while enduring pain lacks appeal.
Do You Really Want Just Any Eternal Life?
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsWe have a natural desire for eternal life, but living endlessly would not be a blessing if our circumstances were miserable. Eternal life means quality of life.
What Is Prayer?
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughPrayer to a tool we must learn to use. Because we take on the characteristics of those we are around, we should keep company with God continually though prayer.
Deuteronomy (Part 3) (1994)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe will not be prepared to rule in the Millennium unless we are experientially persuaded of God's faithfulness to His Covenant and His intolerance of evil.