The sun gives light to the earth. Sunlight is the source of life, light and temperature on earth. To illuminate the earth, sunlight travels 147.15 million kilometers from the sun. The earth’s temperature ranges from 5 to 55 °C on sunny days. Around 5000 degrees Celsius is the average temperature on the sun’s surface. As sunlight travels a lot of distance from sun to earth, we experience a temperature around 5 to 55 °C on earth.
Around the sun, there is an atmospheric layer called the photosphere that extends for around 200 km. Temperatures of 5000 degrees Celsius, light exceeding the visible spectrum, intense radiation, heat waves, magnetic fields etc. are all present in this photosphere.
The sun can be compared to God. Just like sun, around God there is a layer or atmosphere called Holiness. All the natures and attributes of God, such as love, mercy, power, truth, Omniscience, Omnipotence etc., are present in this atmosphere called Holiness. All these natures and attributes of God present in this atmosphere are present at higher temperatures and standards more than 5000 °C. God resides or lives in this blanket or atmosphere of all natures called holiness. God and Holiness cannot be separated. When God comes, His holiness also comes along with him.
It’s okay to see the sun from a distance. But when we get closer to the sun then only we will experience the heat of sun. Its similar with God, as we go closer to God, then only we experience the heat of His Holiness. In the heat of God’s Holiness, we experience a pricking or stinging sensation of our sins. Our sins are exposed by the heat of God’s holiness, which then begins to burn those sins. We don’t experience any prickling when we are far away from God, but as you draw nearer, you will experience the pricking of your sins. When God comes to you then also you will experience the pricking of your sins. The sins we carry begin to burn within us in the heat of God’s holiness. The heat of God’s holiness prepares us to encounter God’s glory.
Our physical bodies are vaporized in a matter of nanoseconds if we stand in the sun’s atmosphere. Our body can withstand 70 °C at most. The same is true of God; if we were to stand in the atmosphere of God’s Holiness, which possesses a heat of holiness greater than 5000 c, our earthly bodies would be vaporized and destroyed. Our physical bodies cannot sustain the atmosphere of God’s Holiness i.e., God in His Holiness. We cannot enter God’s holiness in our strength and physical bodies. Only by the mercy of God and blood of Jesus we have a chance to enter God’s Holiness. To enter or survive in God’s Holiness, we need bodies which can sustain God’s Holiness. We need divine bodies made in the image of Jesus Christ to sustain and live in God’s Holiness. It’s better that God does not come in all of His holiness in our Sunday services. We don’t know how many people will survive if God comes in all His Glory and Holiness.
In Exodus 3, Moses encountered a glimpse of the atmosphere of God’s Holiness. Moses saw a burning bush, which is a strange and alluring sight when viewed from a distance. When he got closer, he heard God’s voice that he is standing on Holy Ground.
Before Moses came, the fire of God lit the bush on fire and made the ground Holy. Holiness or holy ground is a dwelling place of God from where God speaks.
After so many years, God appears to Moses, and His first words are Moses, Moses, do not come closer. God called Moses’s name twice. It is an alarming voice. With an alarming voice, God warned Moses not to come closer because the place is Holy ground. God might have spoken with this alarming voice because the consuming fire of Holiness would have destroyed Moses. For God, His holiness is more important. The atmosphere should not be disturbed by Moses sandals. Even though God spoke after so many years, the first words He said were not ones about love or promise but rather about holiness. Without Holiness a person cannot approach God. God’s holiness is a consuming fire which can destroy Moses. The fire of Holiness destroys the sin, if a person is full of sin, he will be completely destroyed.
God’s holiness is also a consuming fire that does not consume or burn the bush but sets Moses’s heart on fire. Its burns the sins but at the same time reveals the character and nature of Jesus.
The second words from God to Moses, was to – remove the sandals that made the holy ground unholy. Before God speaks His purpose or plan, God will let you know all the sandals that must be removed.
God is so particular about His Holiness that only after He revealing our sins and we correcting (removing our sandals) our lives, does He speak about His plans and promises.
When we come to God, we first encounter His Holiness (Heat of Holiness).
When God comes to you, first He will make you encounter His Holiness (Heat of Holiness).
If God speaks to you and you don’t experience the heat of His Holiness correcting you (exposing your sins and making you repent) and changing you, then God is not speaking to you.
Without encountering heat of God’s Holiness, if God speaks to you, its fake. God’s holiness will correct you then only will He speak to you about your circumstances and promises.
When you encounter the heat of God’s holiness, a fire will burn in your heart, one side of which will expose your sins and other side it reveals Jesus. These things will happen parallelly.
Today we need to encounter God in all His Holiness. Like Moses, when we get a glimpse of God in all His Holiness, suddenly everything comes alive i.e., God’s vision, all blessings, promises, plans come alive. God’s holiness removes every unholiness, which also makes God’s voice clearer and clears. Sometimes our doctrines also made us unholy and have obstructed God from speaking to us. In your pursuit to seek the face of God, ask God to take you in the path of correction (exposing all sandals) and toward Holy ground.
