THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS

Psalm 29:1-2 Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

This is a very concise psalm of David with a powerful message. All people on earth, from the lowest in rank and standing to the highest and most prominent, are to glorify and worship God. Mankind owes this to God. It is a debt that is due God, and is payable each day of our lives. Why? It is because God is our creator; the maker of the entire universe and all things within it - the heavens and earth, sun, moon, planets, stars, etc. God made the beautiful and majestic mountains, the barren deserts, the vast plains, the rivers and seas. God made the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and all the animals with which we human beings co-habit the earth.

There are other reasons, found in the bible, why we should glorify and worship God. However, the thoughts found in this psalm indicate that, if for no other reason, God is due our glory and worship because He is our Creator. How beautiful is the holiness that is demonstrated when we glorify and worship God.

Holiness is the characteristic of mankind that gives the reverence deserved by God in our worship. It is recognizing that we are God's creation and all we have came from Him and belong to Him. It is the dedication and the consecration of each one of us, and all that has been given us, to the service of God. Reader, when you observe this characteristic in a person, you are witnessing the beauty of holiness.

God wants all to come to Him. Through His holy word, he calls us to accept Him as our Creator, and to accept His Son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior. He calls us to worship Him and dedicate our lives to serving and being obedient to His will. Those that hear this call, and obediently respond to it, are told to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:1-3). The true beauty of holiness can certainly be seen in all people that accept these Christian characteristics and put them into practice in the conduct of their lives.

One that accepts God's call to holiness must change their manner of life. This means giving up conducting your own life as you want it to live it, and letting God rule in your life by doing His will. In Ephesians 4:22-24, this change is referred to as the putting off of the old man and the putting on of the new man. It's like taking off old clothes that are worn and tattered with worldly cares, and putting on fresh clean clothes suitable for coming into the presence of God and worshiping Him.

Some of the things involved in becoming holy in God's sight are found in the remainder of Ephesians 4. We must put away lying and speak the truth to our fellow man (Vs. 25). Don't let anger cause you to sin. Resolve any problems or disagreements with others before the sun goes down (Vs. 26). Not only is this beautiful but you will assuredly get a much better night's sleep. You must not give in to the temptations of the devil (Vs. 27). You must not steal, but rather work to earn sufficient income for your own needs as well asenough to give to others that are in need (Vs. 28). Let your communication be good. Whatever you say is to be a good example; will build up and edify others. Refrain from any communication that will do otherwise (Vs. 29). Put away from your life bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking and malice (Vs. 31). These things have no place in the conduct of a godly person. Instead of these sinful characteristics, put on kindness; be tenderhearted and forgiving. In the godly person that goes through this change, you will find a beautiful person.

A good scripture to close this lesson is found in Romans 12:1-2. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Indeed, in this godly person, the person possessing these Christian characteristics, you will find the beauty of holiness.