Beauty of Holiness

Give to the LORD the glory due His name ...
Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!
~ Psalms 96:8-9 (NKJV)

And one cried to another and said:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!"
~ Isaiah 6:3 (NKJV)

And they do not rest day or night, saying:
"Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!"
~ Revelation 4:8 (NKJV)

When the Bible reveals His throne, God's glory is exalted in His beauty of holiness. Unlike the "holier than thou" human trait (which when visible is hideous), the true beauty of God's holiness is in His absolute love and goodness, utterly pure of malice and evil.

If we would become like Christ—asking "what would Jesus do?"—we will be holy like Him. May I suggest that the beauty of holiness is so inextricably tied to love that it looks like this?

Holiness is patiently longsuffering.
Holiness shows kindness.
Holiness does not envy.
Holiness does not parade itself.
Holiness is not proud.
Holiness does not behave rudely.
Holiness looks after others before itself.
Holiness is not readily irritated.
Holiness forgives offenses without keeping a record.
Holiness takes no pleasure in wrongdoing,
but delights in the truth.
Holiness puts up with all things,
keeps faith through all things,
maintains hope in all things,
endures all things.
Holiness never falls, fails, or ends.

Lord Jesus, Your beauty of holiness and goodness and love is glorious. We long to look upon it. Please draw our hearts to Your Word, that You would wash us with it, that we would be holy and beautiful and irresistible in Your eyes—that we would make following You inviting to others.

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