Confronting our natural response to God's holiness: denial and discomfort.
How do we respond to God's revelation of himself as holy? What is our first response?
It is uncomfortable. We come to realize that…
We have rejected the guidance of the one who provided a map, a guide, and himself to rescue us from our lostness.
We have proudly looked down upon an incomprehensibly great being.
We have hated an altogether lovely God.
We have manufactured idols in our rejection of the Creator.
We have loved ourselves rather than the Triune God of love.
I once heard a pastor explain that we want God to deal with evil in general, but not our evil.
When we encounter a story of great injustice, we yearn for justice. We long for a God of justice who will respond and set things right. Our desire is to align ourselves with God's work, not oppose it. It's good to cheer and celebrate that God is holy, that He is just, and that vindication will come.
But then, at some point, the tables are turned, and we have to reckon with the reality that we are not holy, not righteous, not good - and therefore subject to God's justice and God's wrath.
As Romans 1:18 says, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth."
When we encounter a holy God, our natural instinct is denial.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
When you think of standing before a perfectly holy God, what instinctive response rises up in you?
If our natural inclination is to deny these truths, what are the implications?
Honestly examine your heart. Are there ways you suppress the truth about God's holiness or your own sinfulness?
Confession
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