Date: September 30, 2024

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, power, and dominion forever and ever, and to the Holy Ghost, who continues to dwell within us, guiding our steps.  This week’s message is the culmination of the series on Holiness: “It’s Holiness or Hades (Lake of Fire): Which Do You Choose?”

Holiness is a crucial distinction between God and sinful humans, particularly in our fallen state and our redeemed condition, where we entirely rely on God for any holiness within us. God’s holiness, an essential concept, signifies His complete moral purity and the moral gulf between God and those who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior, consequently changing our lives.

The prophet Isaiah declared, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty” (Isaiah 6:3). It is the only description of God repeated in the three-fold formula. God is GENUINELY holy. This scripture served to remind Israel in the original context, and us at present, that God’s holiness is a matter of enormous spiritual significance.

In conclusion, the greatest hope of the Israelites and us today is to see God, and our greatest fear is not to see God because absolute holiness is attractive and terrifying. The holiness of God is evident throughout Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. This is why so few of Jesus’ contemporaries understood him as described in the Gospels. When God appears in history, His presence is mysterious. Therefore, the first appropriate reaction is worship and gratitude. When God appears in history, His presence is mysterious. Therefore, the first appropriate reaction is worship and gratitude. When God sends His holiness into our lives, our lives should help change communities through His Holy Spirit. The good news of Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection should be preached to all nations.

When God defeats evil, there will no longer be a need for a temple with a “holy of holies,” as the Holy God will dwell among his people forever and ever.

Let us remember, “…with God, all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). This message of hope and possibility is a constant reassurance of God’s power in our lives. 

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop