Restored to Relationship
The process of purifying all people comes through personal relationship with Jesus and opens the door to God's presence for, in, and with all people who believe.
“Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.” Moses said to Aaron, “Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and the people; sacrifice the offering that is for the people and make atonement for them, as the Lord has commanded...Moses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.”
Leviticus 9:6-7, 23-24
There was a process to purification that prepared the people for God's presence. The idea of atonement was to cleanse, purify, and restore. Atonement not only provided a pathway to forgiveness, but more importantly opened the door for God's presence. The text says the glory of the Lord appeared to all people after the purification.
Jesus is the one who made and makes atonement for us today, but the truth still remains that there are ways to draw closer to God through purification. Is there anywhere in your life that God wants to purify? What are you reading, listening to, or focusing on? What gets into your head gets into your heart and if it is not from God might need to be purified to prepare you to receive more of Him.
“Let them praise your great and awesome name— he is holy. Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy. Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.”
Psalms 99:3, 5, 9
It is said in Revelations that the angels in heaven sing holy, holy, holy. In this text, David does the same. He repeats the phrase holy three times. The word holy in Hebrew is, qados, and means far more than purity. It is a comparative term and is meant to compare God's ways and the world's ways. Holiness is a call to separate from the common and towards devotion to the divine. Holiness opens the door to God's increased presence, much like atonement did in Leviticus.
We can all grow in holiness. This is not meant to be rigid, stiff rule following like some churches have been known for in the past. Holiness says less of me Lord and more of you. Less of my fleshly desires and more of God's spiritual blessings. How can you grow in holiness today? Are there any barriers in your heart, mind, or soul that are keeping you from intimacy with Christ?
“His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved"
Song of Songs 5:16
Wisdom tells us that there is a purity to truth and sweetness in perfect love. Thank goodness that God does not leave us where we are. Jesus continually meets us where we are and speaks life to us. He is gracious when we fall short and truthful in how we can grow.
At the same time, there is an enemy to our lives. The enemy wants to lie, deceive, and destroy. He wants us to embrace the common culture and forfeit our kingdom inheritance as children of God. He loves to make us feel guilt, shame, and live in fear. He twists the truth and wants to create doubt about the love of God. Which voice are you hearing? The voice that gives life or the voice that gives death. Purity and holiness are meant to help us feel more loved and experience more freedom.
“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know...I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it."
Jeremiah 33:3, 6, 8-9, 11, 14-16
When my kids were young, we would bathe them each night. Bubble baths and bed time routines are treasured memories. The bath was meant to cleanse them from the day and prepare them for peaceful rest. It was never because we judged how dirty they were or why they fell short. We just wanted to help them experience the sweetness of being clean. The cleansing God offers comes from a heart to make help us experience peace from purity. Consider a spiritual bubble bath. Perhaps taking a physical bath and see how nice it feels to be clean.
“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit...So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?...When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life...The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord."
Acts 11:15-18, 21-22, 24, 29
Peter's vision of a new reality where all people experienced the gift of relationship with God was no small change in thinking. Everything he had learned from the common teaching was that salvation was only for Jewish people. When we talk about repentance, we think of turning from something towards something new. Peter's thinking was purified and opened the door from a new way of thinking about others. He went from judgment to compassion. From separation to seeing others as brothers and sisters in Christ. What would happen if we did the same thing?
Baptism is an outward expression of an inward transformation. God wants to daily baptize our hearts to create room for His power and presence to fill us. He does this not to judge us, but to help us experience more of the Holy Spirit. Jesus' death was the atonement that allows us be set free from all the effects that sin has on us and opens the door for right relationship with God. Do you want more intimacy with God? Allow the Holy Spirit to purify your heart and minds and you will receive more of the blessing that God has for you today.