The beauty of holiness
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,
Bow down before him, his glory proclaim. John Samuel Bewley Monsell
Read Ezekiel 36:22—27
Holiness, true holiness, is beautiful. It is more than goodness. Its end is glory, which is intense, ravishingly beautiful. If anyone by their lives has made me want to be a Christian it is likely that I saw at least a little touch of this in them. It was not because they won an argument with me about God. It would rather be that I saw the touch of God upon them. I saw holiness, and it was attractive. Holiness, someone said, is its own argument. This night what better thing can I do than allow God to cleanse me, remove my idols, remove my heart of stone, and put his Spirit within me?
Lord of glory, Lord of lords and God of gods, your holiness is beyond human beauty. The beauties around me, in my living environment, are beautiful enough, and many of them tempt me, and my heart can be turned from you, and it does turn from you. Cleanse me from false idols and false loves. Especially cleanse and forgive me for not seeing your own true glory, for not deeply desiring you. For you desire me. And you desire that I should delight in you. And you in me. Christ Jesus is my righteousness, my sanctification and redemption,[1] the one who sets me apart to belong wholly to you. Fill me with your Spirit so that the things I have thought about tonight may be real within me.
[1] 1 Corinthians 1:30