SPIRITUAL INTIMACY – KNOWING THE HOLY ONE
1 Cor. 2:9-13; Prov. 9:10
Americans talk about the pursuit of happiness - we think it’s a God given right. In reality, as believers it is not happiness that we are to pursue, but holiness. From God’s perspective, we can only be happy, when we respond appropriately to His holiness.
When you talk about holiness, some people turn you off because they think you are wading in deep water.
Deep – is not a place we visit in our search for God, it’s what happens to us when we find Him.
Calvin Miller ‘Most of us dress our Christian faith in an ill-fitting discipleship that, like a cheap suit, leaves us uncomfortable most of our lives. Among our friends at church we struggle to keep our reputation for godliness bannered forth. We would like to appear to be like Jesus without the discipline of really being like Him.....we talk ourselves into a spiritual reputation we have never really earned. We continue to live on the surface, only talking of the deeper life.
I. THE DEPTHS OF GOD
1 Cor 2:7-we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written, Things which the eye has not seen and the ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him. 10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God
most often, we interpret those verses as a reference to eternity – and they are – but they are much more. There is ‘here and now’ in these verses.
While eyes, ears, heart of man – are limited – we can’t begin to fully measure the immensity of what God has for us.
Yet, for those who long for intimacy w/ God:
☛ He gives us spiritual eyes to see the invisible.
☛ Spiritual ears to hear the inaudible.
☛ Spiritual hearts to understand what is foolishness to the worldly.
☛ GOD, THROUGH HIS HOLY SPIRIT ABIDING IN US, DRAWS US INTO A NEW DIMENSION.
‘heart’ - the whole man - emotion, thoughts, affection.
vs.10 ‘even the depths of God’ – bathos the depths of God refers to God’s essence, His attributes, will, plan. Can be translated profundity - intensity - weightiness.
When you think of deep, you think about the depths of the ocean. Below the surface, Deep, tranquil, silent. ‘bathos’ – is the root for the word ‘bathysphere’ – which is a steel-walled diving bell used by oceanographers that can safely descend to the depths of the ocean.
TO GO DEEP W/ GOD REQUIRES DISCIPLINE. 29X in his letters Paul speaks of the Mystery of God.
We don’t go deep to study God – we go deep to get to know God – in getting to know God, we see how shallow, small and desperate we really are.
LOST PEOPLE HAVE KNOWLEDGE:
But it is limited, energized by the devil who empowers me with a form of wisdom that inflates their egos and blinds their minds. This wisdom is fleshly – empty – it does not satisfy.
Many school systems - HIGHER EDUCATION - don’t want anything to do w/ the Bible. They reject the deity of Christ. They see no need for the cross.
WE SPEND 18 YRS. RAISING OUR KIDS IN CHURCH AND THEN TURN THEM OVER TO WORLD TO DESTROY THEIR MINDS WITH ‘HIGHER EDUCATION’
‘rulers of this age’ - It was the educated religious crowd that crucified Jesus. It was the enlightened Romans who persecuted the church.
Abraham Maslow conceptualized the pyramid of priorities. According to Maslow, only a few people adjust their lives to live at the peak. He said the whole world is comprised of non-peakers talking to non-peakers about peak experiences.
Unfortunately – that’s where most S.S. classes are – most churches are – we are in the wading pool discussing non-essentials & God wants us to get into deep water.
God has prepared incredible things for His children here and now. He has revealed those in His Word – through His Spirit.
GOD WANTS HIS CHILDREN TO BE IN THE KNOW - He isn’t playing hide and seek with us. He wants us to walk in the light.
1 Cor 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
☛ the Spirit teaches us in words (v. 13). God has spoken to us in His Son, in the Scripture, by His Spirit -- and they always agree.
"combining spiritual things with spiritual words" or "explaining spiritual things to spiritual people." The Bible is the Word of God, given by the Spirit of God.
Going deep with God will remove our interest in shallow things forever. It will give us a new appetite, hunger that can not be satisfied w/ cotton candy Xty - fluff.
II. THE FEAR OF THE LORD.
2 Chron 19:7 "Now then let the fear of the LORD be upon you;
26X you find this phrase ‘the fear of the Lord’
several times you find the fear of the Lord and wisdom tied together.
Prov 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Ps 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments;
Prov 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. 15:33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom,
The writer ties ‘the fear of the Lord’ and ‘the beginning of wisdom’ together. Fundamental - foundational.
WISDOM – is a dominant theme in the O.T. it means more than getting facts or gathering information or building a database.
Prov. 1:1-7 - wisdom is related to ‘discipline’ insight’ what is right’ direction and guidance’ – in other words,
The fear of the Lord is fundamental to values, world view.
YOUR VALUE SYSTEM - WORLD VIEW WILL DETERMINE HOW DEEP YOU GO WITH GOD. If you do not share the same values that God has, you can’t be intimate with him.
EITHER YOUR VALUE SYSTEM - WORLD VIEW - STARTS W/ GOD OR IT STARTS W/ YOU.
Anytime you see LORD - all caps - it refers to Jehovah. Revealed to Moses as ‘I am who I am’ – Tell them ‘I AM has sent you’ – Jesus said, “I AM’
In the O.T. – they took off their shoes, bowed low – today we come to church dressed like we’re going to a cookout. We dress better for funerals, weddings than we do worship - and in many ways, our dress can show a disrespect for God.
In the N.T. - Peter proclaimed that Jesus was the Holy One of God – today, he’s the man upstairs, the big guy in the sky. We are flippant and flippant people never fear God.
☛ That which is lightly held is easily dropped.
☛ WE ARE MORE CULTURAL THAN XN.
☛ we are more into style than sanctification.
NOT SPEAKING ABOUT LEGALISM HERE - I’M TALKING ABOUT HAVING RESPECT - HONORING GOD - IN WHAT WE DO, HOW WE LIVE.
Ps. 2:11 ‘Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling’
III. THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY ONE.
Hebrew is a poetic language. Often times themes are repeated but with a slight difference. This verse is an example.
✒ fear and knowledge Lord and Holy one
✒ wisdom and understanding
Jer 9:23-Thus says the LORD, " Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD
most of the people we honor today are not known for knowing God. They are known as celebrities - rich & famous - well bred - educated - athletes. Someone has said celebrities are people who are famous for being well known.
The real purpose of life is not to be well known – the purpose is to know God... the Holy one. ‘Holy’ – the verb means ‘to cut, separate, set apart’ - it means God is wholly other, distinct, unique.
Lev 11:44’For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. 45’ For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.’"
The adjective holy is applied in a number of ways:
✒ Creation -the tree in the garden was set apart - holy. The 7th day was holy.
✒ Moses, at the burning bush was on holy ground.
✒ The tithe is holy to the Lord.
✒ The people could not enter the Holy of Holies -set apart.
✒ The land was set apart - even today, call it the Holy Land.
✒ the sacrifices had to be holy - clean - undefiled. The lamb had to be spotless.
Again, He is wholly other - set apart. He is distinctly different.
We enjoy talking about God’s grace, love, peace, mercy - but you can’t mention those and ignore His holiness.
In fact, in reality, His GRACE is holy, His LOVE is holy, His PEACE is holy, His MERCY is holy.
His JUSTICE is holy, His ANGER is holy, His RIGHTEOUSNESS is holy.
LOOK AT PS. 99 - PROCLAIMING GOD’S HOLINESS - REVELATION OF GOD’S CHARACTER.
Take your pen and write a few words in the margin of the Psalm.
Ps 99:1The LORD reigns, let the peoples tremble; He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake! Majesty.
God is alive and well and ruling His universe. He is the overarching authority - nothing is accidental.
☛ God was in charge the Exile as much as the Exodus.
☛ as much on Mt. Calvary as Mt. of Transfiguration.
☛ as much in Paul’s writings as his imprisonments.
Some of the greatest movements of God have been in the underground church - where Xty was outlawed - but it flourished.
2 The LORD is great in Zion, And He is exalted above all the peoples. Exaltation
3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name; Holy is He. Awesomeness
‘awesome’ – means that which is filled w/ awe. We use the word, but we’ve lost the meaning. Songs are awesome, athletes are awesome, golf shots are awesome.
AWESOME SHOULD MEAN SOMETHING THAT IS SO UNIQUE THERE IS NOTHING IN THE SAME LEAGUE.
G. K. Chesterton ‘The world will never starve for want of wonders, but only for want of wonder.’
4 The strength of the King loves justice; You have established equity; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. Just and righteous.
Most of us would agree that our legal system is in trouble. Crooks go free - the prison system is in chaos – seems people get away with murder...But We worship a God who is going to set the record straight. Going to judge the earth and the works of men.
Lady Justice may wear a blindfold - but God is not blind to what’s going on.
5 Exalt the LORD our God And worship at His footstool; Holy is He. reverence
6 Moses and Aaron were among His priests, And Samuel was among those who called on His name; They called upon the LORD and He answered them. 7 He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; They kept His testimonies And the statute that He gave them. 8 O LORD our God, You answered them; You were a forgiving God to them, And yet an avenger of their evil deeds. Approachable
God allows us to enter into His presence. We are encouraged to come boldly before the throne of Grace.
Heb 10:19-Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;
9 Exalt the LORD our God And worship at His holy hill, For holy is the LORD our God. Holiness.
THE HOLINESS OF GOD IS REVEALED IN HIS ACTIONS AND DESCRIBES HIS CHARACTER.
APPLICATION:
Prov. 23:7 For as he thinks within himself, so he is.
The battle is in the mind. I must set my mind on things above.
Rom. 8 ‘The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God, for it does not subject itself to the law of God.
HAVE TO GET THE RIGHT MIND SET TO KNOW THE HOLY ONE.
The brain weighs about 3lbs. but it controls the body. It consumes 25% of our bloods oxygen, handles 10,000 thoughts a day, regulates around 100,000 heartbeats a day, controls over 600 muscles and coordinates 23,000 breaths a day.
At the same time - there is a battle raging. To live life on our terms on by God’s plan. Our mind controls our emotions, will, thinking, direction, values.
Sow a thought, reap an act.
Sow an act, reap a habit
Sow a habit, reap a character.
FOR WORLDLY THINKERS:
☛ God and theology are playthings to be tossed about flippantly if at all.
☛ religion is a theory
FOR BELIEVERS:
☛ God is real and theology is truth.
☛ Xty is built on inerrrant facts.
2 Cor 10:5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
EITHER WE APPROACH LIFE EMBRACING A HOLY GOD OR WE APPROACH IT W/ MAN ON THE THRONE AND GOD ON THE FRINGES.
IN 1610, the French Mathematician, Rene Descartes, determined that there was only one thing he couldn’t doubt - A good day’s work. He came to a conclusion: I think, therefore I am.
That simple statement became a philosophy – man, rather than God is the fixed point around which everything else revolves. Human reasoning is the foundation for all knowledge and doubt is now a value.
This is worship at the altar of self – no one with that philosophy can know God or be intimate with God.
Prov 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
