OUR WHOLLY HOLY GOD

 

Our Wholly Holy God

Who is God? That question has no simple answer, unless it be, “Our Creator.” That answer is true, but is much too simplistic. God is complex in nature, yet easy to get to know when the heart is receptive. Volumes upon volumes have been written about God over a period of several thousand years, but the best source of information is still the Bible, His Word.

God reveals Himself to us through nature (natural revelation), but it is through reading His Word (special revelation) that we come to know Him. Reading the Bible brings us into a relationship with Him, for this is the means through which He communicates with us. Through His Word He comforts, He warns, He teaches, He professes His love. His promises bring us hope or fear, depending on which path of life we choose. Those choices are defined in His Word. When we read His Word with our hearts, and not just our eyes, He reveals Himself to us as our loving Father, the Father of all creation, the Father of time, as we know it. God Himself is timeless.

God is the name above all names. He attaches great significance to names in the Bible, including His own. The name “God” appears 3,979 times throughout the English Bible. It appears as “LORD,” in all capital letters, or “Lord,” with only the “L” capitalized, 7,484 times (NIV). But there are more variants to the name than those translated into English. “El” and “Yahweh” are the two most frequently used names for God in the ancient versions of the Old Testament. There are several variations of the Hebrew name “El,” such as “El Shaddai,” meaning God Almighty, “El Hai,” meaning the living God, and “Elohim,” said to be the plural of majesty, eminence, fulness, or greatness. “Yahweh” is believed to be a form of the Hebrew verb “to be.” It further means “He is,” He exists,” “He is present.” He describes Himself as the “I AM” in his conversation with Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 4). Some English translations use the name “Jehovah” in place of Yahweh.

Because of man’s fascination with God, who He is, and what He is all about, many studies have been done. The word theology comes from the Greek word “theos,” meaning God, and “logos,” meaning “word” or “discourse.” (Enns, p. 183) The meaning later expanded to include Christ and the Holy Spirit in the study, since they, too, are part of the Godhead.

One of the more complex issues about God is the Godhead. The Godhead is three Persons--God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit--in one. Each Person in the Godhead assumes a role in the lives of mankind, yet they are One. They were all there at the creation of the universe (John 1:1-3), but God the Father maintained his role as the invisible sustainer of the universe while His Son, Jesus Christ, assumed the role of flesh and blood. With this human identity came the limitations of and demands of the flesh, such as eating, drinking, being tempted, suffering, and dying. We will never be able to stand before Him on Judgment Day and say, “You don’t know how hard it was.”

Christ’s purpose in coming was multi-faceted, such as to set an example for us, to teach the Apostles and others in person, and ultimately to take our sins upon Himself so that we might be redeemed. In this state Christ was still God, but was somewhat limited by his fleshly nature. He is The Word, the gospel, the good news. All things that are, ever were, or ever will be, point to Him.

After Christ ascended into heaven, He left behind His Holy Spirit, which came in a mighty manifestation upon the Apostles on the Day of Pentecost, ten days after Christ’s ascension. The Apostles were given special gifts from the Holy Spirit, such as healing, speaking in other languages, casting out demons, and an immunity to snakebites. The Apostles could pass the gift onto certain people but those people could not pass it on (I Cor. 13:8-10). The purpose of the special gifts was to prove Jesus was, and is, who He said he was and still is. However, all are given the indwelling of the Holy Spirit at baptism (Acts 2:38). This phenomenal gift from God helps us to learn the truths of God, pricks our hearts, and motivates us to take action. Our lives are transformed; we become new creatures. When we repent and are baptized, we too become wholly holy.

--Becky Wall