"Being Reflectors Of God's Beauty" (With Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

Recently I wrote here about "Beauty, Art, and God".  Then I wrote primarily about how God loves beauty and how He is a Master Artist as all of creation testifies.  This weekend I will focus on the beauty of the Lord Himself, and how we should, as true believers, reflect His beauty and His attributes in our conduct and in all of our life.

"And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it."  -  Psalm 90:17

"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple."  -  Psalm 27:4

First, just what does it mean to say "the beauty of the LORD"?

Matthew Poole's Commentary tells us it is "His favorable countenance, and gracious influence, and glorious presence."

The word  translated "beauty" here means pleasantness, then beauty, as well as splendor.  Holiness is also the beauty of the Lord (Psalm 110:3), as is His goodness (Zechariah 9:17).  You can pretty much sum it all up by saying that "The harmony of all His attributes is the beauty of His nature"; as Matthew Henry tells us.

Here is a song video about the beauty of the Lord:

In Psalm 90:17 it says "let the beauty of the Lord be upon us."   This not only means the Lord's blessing upon us, but also that we may endeavor to exhibit some of the Lord's beauty and attributes in our own speech, conduct, and attitudes....that we may reflect God's holiness, His goodness, His love, His patience, and so much more.  This becomes more manifest as we grow spiritually to maturity in our walk with the Lord.  His beauty will inspire us to be filled with love and gratitude towards Him, and to be on fire to witness to others about the Gospel; to be reflectors of His beauty.  

When we became true believers, we became a new person (2 Corinthians 5:17).    "And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him:"   -  Colossians 3:10.   This is possible because at salvation God changes the believer's nature.  Therefore we can reflect the Lord's beauty by having a holy nature; a heart that has been transformed; a godly life will be the outcome of our conversion.  And a godly life is a wonderful reflection on the beautiful, saving power of our Lord.  

"For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn amongst many brethren."  -  Romans 8:29

Romans 8:29 is referring to believers having the moral  conformity to the likeness of God's Son.

All of these holy attributes we acquire at conversion (although it takes time to mature spiritually, the possibilities are there) because at conversion we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, which empowers us to live a godly life and to reflect the beauty of the Lord.

"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise," -  Ephesians 1:13

Following is a sermon clip  (about 2 minutes in length) by Charles Spurgeon on being reflectors of the Lord's beauty:

The beauty of the Lord is also found in redemption and, as stated previously, in His creation; as well as the revelation of His character and work in Scripture.   If you are a true believer, you need to endeavor to develop a strong, close, personal and intimate relationship with the Lord through Jesus Christ, and that will empower you to grow in maturity and to be filled with love and devotion to God like you have never experienced before.  In order to have this close relationship, you need to be in prayer often; you cannot have a good relationship with someone you never communicate with.  Daily reading of God's Word is important as well, for God "speaks" through the Bible.  You get to know more about Him and Jesus when you read His Holy Word, thereby growing closer to Him.

If you are an unbeliever, you need to turn to God before it is too late.   None of us know whether we will be alive tomorrow, or even in our next few minutes.   Now is the time to give your life and devotion to the Lord, so you will not suffer the coming 7 year Tribulation and eventually hell itself.  

Pray and ask God for forgiveness. Honestly repent of your sins and do not continue living in sin;  Believe that Jesus is the Savior and only through Him is eternal life in heaven possible.  Believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, and that His shed blood on the cross can wash your sins away; redeem you.

Jesus is waiting with open arms of love and forgiveness if only you will come to Him in full faith and belief and in repentance.  

Romans 10:9,10,13 tells us,  (9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."   -  John 14:6

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."  -  1 John 4:16

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are past away; behold, all things are become new."  -  2 Corinthians 5:17

"You Must Be Holy To Enter Heaven" - Inspirational Weekend

Hamakua Marsh on Oahu, Hawaii,(shown in my photo above) is a bird lovers paradise and I enjoy visiting there and taking many photographs.  Again, the beauty of Hawaii is a small glimpse of a paradise on earth.  The paradise of God's heaven is too wonderful to even comprehend with our finite minds!  

Two previous posts on this blog have dealt with how to enter the Kingdom of God;  one is about repentance and being born again found here , and the other about how humility and being childlike is necessary to enter God's kingdom which is found here.  I urge you to read both posts, and meditate upon the Scriptures found there.

Today, we will focus on holiness.   I have dealt with this topic previously last year.  Now I will go into more depth about the meaning of holiness and how you need to be holy to enter heaven, God's Kingdom.

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."  -  Hebrews 12:14

A short note on being peaceable:  we are not to engage in or instigate litigation, strifes, or slander.  We are to make war with sin, but not with people; with bad passions and corrupt desires, but not with our fellowman.   Being peaceable is part of being holy.

"They who are expecting to be saved without holiness or religion, are destined for certain disappointment.  Heaven and earth will pass away but God will not admit one unrepenting and unpardoned sinner to enter heaven.  "   

Notice in Hebrews 12:14 that it says to "follow holiness."  You will not gain holiness by just sitting still and doing nothing.  It requires effort; you need to deliberately pursue holiness with a passion.  To be holy means to be a true follower of Jesus Christ.  Holiness requires cultivation.   "You must pursue it with determination; with eagerness, with long-continued perseverance, as a hunter pursues his prey."

Remember, there is no heaven without holiness.

  

"You cannot achieve holiness by your own effort.  But Christ can do it for you, and He can begin it now.  Believe on Him and He will begin with you; in fact, that believing will be the fruit of His having begun with you."  (Charles Spurgeon)

Pray for the Lord to help you to become holy.  Read and study your Bible and pray without ceasing  (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  All Scripture is inspired by God.  Therefore, God "speaks" to you through the reading of His Word.  The more you take in spiritual food, the more spiritual (and therefore holier) you will become.

Someone has said, "Holiness is the beauty and ornament of the soul."   Also, "It {holiness} is our brightest resemblance to God; our principle glory in this world, and our highest happiness in the next."

Holiness is the fruit of sovereign and effectual grace .  (Ezekiel 36:25-26)

"Now if our text {Hebrews 12:14} said that without perfection of holiness no man could have any communion with Christ, it would shut every one of us out, for no one, who knows his own heart, ever pretends to be perfectly conformed to God's will..  It does not say "perfection of holiness", mark: but "holiness".  This holiness is a thing of growth.  As the spirit of God waters it, it will grow till the mustard-seed shall become a tree."   -  Charles Spurgeon

I have shared the following sermon previously, but felt it needed to be shared again on this post.   It is a  45 minute sermon by Charles Spurgeon titled "Holiness Demanded".   

 "I have now concentrated all my prayers into one, and that one prayer is this, that I may die to self, and live holy to Him".      -  Charles Spurgeon

"The greatest test of whether the holiness we profess to seek or to attain is truth and life will be whether it produces an increasing humility in us.  In man, humility is the one thing needed to allow God's holiness to dwell in him and shine through him.  The chief mark of counterfeit holiness is lack of humility.  The holiest will be the humblest."   -  Andrew Murray

"Holiness consists of three things -  separation from sin, dedication to God, transformation into Christ's image.  It is in vain that we talk about the last, unless we know something experimentally about the first."  -  James H. Aughey

"If Christ has died for me - ungodly as I am, without strength as I am - then I can no longer live in sin, but must arouse myself to love and serve Him who has redeemed me.  I cannot trifle with the evil that killed my best Friend.  I must be holy for His sake.  How can I live in sin when He has died to save me from it?"  -  Charles Spurgeon  

True holiness is seated in the heart.  It is not just a name you or someone else gives you, but rather your inward nature.   It is a divine principle embedded deep within your heart and soul.  The only way one can become holy is by a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ; by fellow-shipping with Him; by knowing Him intimately and desiring His will above all else.   You must be born again (John 3:3) and renewed in your mind (Romans 12:1-2) in order to be holy.  But, of course, to begin with, you need to repent and turn from your sin and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior (John 3:16); to have faith in Him by grace and to believe His shed blood on the cross can wipe all your sins away; and believe also in His resurrection  (Romans 10:9,10,13).  

"Holiness is not a single grace, but an assemblage of all the graces. and extends to all the duties of the Christian life.  ..... It is not meekness, humility, faith, hope or charity; but all these united...."

True holiness in man is through the mediation of Christ.  Only as we begin to know Jesus can we grow in holiness as, at the same time, we increase in the knowledge of Him.  "Real saints are a living image of the invisible Savior."

Beware of self-love that may prompt us to love God for His goodness to us.  Many unregenerate men may have a selfish love towards God because of a selfish heart.  "But to love God because He is infinitely holy, is a disposition natural to a renewed soul only, and argues a conformity to His image."

Ponder these things, and may grace abound towards you as you enter this Christ-filled weekend.

"But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."       -  Romans 6:22

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."  -  2 Corinthians 7:1  

"And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."  -  Ephesians 4:24

"Is It Impossible To Be Holy?" - Inspirational Weekend

Spring is right around the corner for most of you living on the mainland USA.  Here in Hawaii there is something always in bloom year round.   When I think of Spring I automatically am reminded of its beautiful flowers.   I still miss some of the mainland's flowers that we do not have in Hawaii; like dogwood tree blossoms and azaleas as well as many others.   Flowers make me feel good and I bask in their beauty.    I imagine there will be beautiful plants in Heaven as well.   

Below is a YouTube video of nature in Spring:

I hope you have a very happy weekend and that this information cheers you.  Sometimes I think I get too serious with all this end time prophecy and spiritual information; but then again we live in very serious times filled with turmoil and unrest and we need to turn our attention to God's Word and find comfort there.   A holy life that is pleasing to God is a very serious matter and we need to take heed to what really matters in this life.....pleasing and obeying our Creator.  

When I used to read 1 Peter 1:15-16 I would think that it is impossible to do what it says there. Those verses say:  "But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."   We are all sinners, and need to repent daily; how can we possibly be holy?   The idea is to pursue holiness, to the best of our ability and with the Lord's help.

We are imperfect creatures and fall short, but we can be holy in the sense that we are "dead to sin" and we "cleanse ourselves from what is dishonorable."   Our focus is on God and Jesus, to obey and follow their guidance to the best of our ability......not to forget that the Lord, by His Holy Spirit, enables us to live a godly and holy life.    This is not perfection of holiness, that will only happen when we reach Heaven.    God in His love and mercy, has made provision for our sin:  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."      -  1 John 1:9    So we need to daily confess and forsake our sins as we pursue holiness.   We cannot deliberately sin with no remorse if we are true followers of Jesus.   

"If you think you can walk in holiness without keeping up perpetual fellowship with Christ, you have made a great mistake.  If you would be holy, you must live close to Jesus."  -  Charles Spurgeon

"No man should desire to be happy who is not at the same time holy.  He should spend his efforts in seeking to know and do the will of God, leaving to Christ the matter of how happy he should be."           - A. W. Tozer  

Sanctification means to be set apart, and that for a holy use; it means to purify.   When you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit regenerates you and indwells you, making you able to live as holy a life as possible.   As Christians, we grow in purity over time....a lifetime.   God and the Holy Spirit are in the process of perfecting us and it takes patience and time.   It takes the power of the Holy Spirit to reach deep inside you to regenerate you; it is impossible by your own human effort.

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."  - Hebrews 12:14.  Let me stress that again,  "Without holiness, no one will see the Lord."  You cannot just dismiss your sins and say."Oh, that's just the way I am" and go on about your business as usual.  You need to repent and forsake your sins.

So now I understand better about verses such as 1 Peter 1:15-16 and also Ephesians 1:4 which says,   "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:"  Be constantly in prayer and read the Bible daily, in order to grow closer to God and Jesus and to have a close, intimate and personal relationship with the Lord.  God speaks to us through His Word, and thereby teaches us to be obedient and holy.   

Being pleasing to the Lord and living as holy a life as possible will determine whether you will be ready when Jesus returns soon to gather "His Bride" - the church, true believers- to Him in the Rapture to Heaven.    Something to look forward to with great expectations!

Below is a sermon by Charles Spurgeon on holiness:

"Holiness, as taught in Scriptures, is not based upon knowledge on our part.  Rather, it is based upon the resurrected Christ in-dwelling us and changing us into His likeness."  -  A. W. Tozer

"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."       -  Hebrews 10:10