It has been a few weeks since my last post, working in the marketplace has had my schedule a little off kilter. We have been on this journey discussing holiness, parenting and ultimately parenting holiness in our homes. The paradigm we have of pursuing holiness is key. Paradigm is the lens through which we all view both culture and Biblical Holiness.
As parents, navigating this one dynamic of our lives, households and faith of our children; Holiness is pivotal to how they will relate to God into adulthood.
My personal definition of holiness is this: “Holiness is the radical pursuit of Gods presence through
Radical obedience to His word and Radical separation from anything that impedes or hinders His presence in my life and my home”
These four truths give us a framework, a paradigm if you will to walk out this definition of Holiness.
- I love my Father, and I know He loves me (Resting in Identity as son or daughter) I talked about this in part 3 of this series, you can read it HERE
- My Father is for my good (Recognizing God is not withholding pleasure but guarding for our gain) I discuss this in part 4 of the series, you can read it HERE
- I love my Father and I don’t want to disappoint him (not because of how He will look at me, but rather because of how I value Him)
- I love my Father and I know He loves me and because of that we want to be in each others presence (I don’t want anything to hinder or impede His presence in my life)
This week we will put some skin on this idea that: I love my Father and I don’t want to disappoint him (not because of how He will look at me, but rather because of how I value Him). When we grasp our identity in Christ and embrace a confidence in knowing He loves us and He is for our good then His disappointment in us takes on new meaning. Without identity us disappointing God takes on the perspective that God somehow looks down on us. That’s a worldly view of disappointment. It says God sees us differently because of our behavior (performance based identity) and leads us towards legalism.
I lost my earthly father to Pancreatic Cancer in 1992, I was 19. When I was a youngster being disciplined my father used to have this saying, he would say “This hurts me more than it will hurt you”. I used to think: yea right that’s a load of crap. I never understood disappointment. I somehow always thought my disappointing him made him see me differently.
I never got the truth that when I disappointed him it was painful to him. It didn't change how he looked at me, I was always his son. It was painful to him because he was so for my good and he knew I was better than that. It grieved… Share on XEphesians 4:30: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” In this case the word grieve is used as a verb, meaning: “to cause to feel grief or sorrow.” In other words, the Scripture is exhorting me not to cause the Holy Spirit to feel grief or sorrow as a result of my choices. I grieve the Holy Spirit by not allowing myself to be led by Him, but choosing my own way instead. I grieve the Holy Spirit by not obeying Him. I grieve the Holy Spirit by not obeying the Word. Shouldn’t sorrow be considered a too-human reaction to ascribe to the holy God? Doesn’t it diminish Him to suggest that my sin can make him feel genuine sorrow? We are not accustomed to thinking of our thoughts and actions affecting God’s heart. Just like as a child I could not wrap my head around the sorrow and grief my father had because of my disobedience. But they do. God is a feeling God, He is moved by a heart that yearns for His children’s best. When we fall short of that best God does grieve over it.
Why would it ever be that we would be able to embrace that God loves us, just as His word describes, yet not be able to understand He grieves over us, is jealous for us, is moved in compassion towards us? My pursuit of holiness is in part my expression of love towards my Abba, whom I do not want to experience grief or sorrow because of me. It hurts me to cause my Father sorrow. I do not want to disappoint my Abba. I have placed a high value on my relationship with God, pursuing holiness and choosing not to disappoint, not to grieve or cause Him sorrow is birthed from the value of that relationship.
Join us next time as we dive into the last of these four points: I love my Father and I know He loves me and because of that we want to be in each others presence (I don’t want anything to hinder or impede His presence in my life)