The Kings Highway
- Submitted by: rlockette
- Views: 243
- Category: History: Religion
- Date Submitted: 07/08/2012 05:08 PM
- Pages: 4
- Report this Essay
The King's Highway
Would you consider it a compliment if someone called you holy? The answer is, it depends on whom that someone is.
After all, the word holy is used in different ways by different people.
If a person is considered excessively religious, he is called a Holy Roller, or a Holy Joe, or he is said to be holier than thou.
The truth is, most of us have mixed feelings about being called holy. It could be a compliment or an insult-depending on the person doing the talking.
Let me try another question. Are you a holy person?
Again, most of us have mixed feelings. I imagine there are very few of us who would use the word holy to describe ourselves. We probably feel more comfortable using words like loving or trustworthy or joyful.
The truth is, the word “holy” has negative connotations, even to many Christians. We’re not sure what it means so we rarely use it to describe other people. It’s often used in an insulting way so we feel vaguely uncomfortable applying it to ourselves.
Yet God said, “Be holy, as I am holy.”
Holy, Holy, Holy
How important is it?
Holiness is the only attribute of God mentioned in triplicate.
Two times the Bible tells us that God is holy, holy, holy (Isaiah 6:3, Revelation 4:8). Think about that for a moment. If God says something about his character once, that’s enough to settle it. When he says it twice, that’s emphasis. But when he says it three times, that means it’s of supreme importance.
The Bible never says that God is love, love, love or mercy, mercy, mercy, or justice, justice, justice. But it does say that he is holy, holy, holy.
The word itself means “to be set apart.” A thing is holy if it is set apart for a special use. Other words you might use are words like distinctive or different. Applied to God, holiness is that characteristic that sets him apart from his creation.
We can go a step farther and say that anything is “holy” that is “set apart” for God.
That’s why we call the Bible the Holy...
Would you consider it a compliment if someone called you holy? The answer is, it depends on whom that someone is.
After all, the word holy is used in different ways by different people.
If a person is considered excessively religious, he is called a Holy Roller, or a Holy Joe, or he is said to be holier than thou.
The truth is, most of us have mixed feelings about being called holy. It could be a compliment or an insult-depending on the person doing the talking.
Let me try another question. Are you a holy person?
Again, most of us have mixed feelings. I imagine there are very few of us who would use the word holy to describe ourselves. We probably feel more comfortable using words like loving or trustworthy or joyful.
The truth is, the word “holy” has negative connotations, even to many Christians. We’re not sure what it means so we rarely use it to describe other people. It’s often used in an insulting way so we feel vaguely uncomfortable applying it to ourselves.
Yet God said, “Be holy, as I am holy.”
Holy, Holy, Holy
How important is it?
Holiness is the only attribute of God mentioned in triplicate.
Two times the Bible tells us that God is holy, holy, holy (Isaiah 6:3, Revelation 4:8). Think about that for a moment. If God says something about his character once, that’s enough to settle it. When he says it twice, that’s emphasis. But when he says it three times, that means it’s of supreme importance.
The Bible never says that God is love, love, love or mercy, mercy, mercy, or justice, justice, justice. But it does say that he is holy, holy, holy.
The word itself means “to be set apart.” A thing is holy if it is set apart for a special use. Other words you might use are words like distinctive or different. Applied to God, holiness is that characteristic that sets him apart from his creation.
We can go a step farther and say that anything is “holy” that is “set apart” for God.
That’s why we call the Bible the Holy...