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-23-
The God Who Is
The People of God
In Isaiah chapter 62, note that the context speaks of the people of God. In verse 12, we read, "And they shall call them, `The holy people,' `The redeemed of the LORD:' and thou shalt be called, `Sought out,' `A city not forsaken.'" Note here that "the redeemed of the Lord" are called "The holy people." God saves men to be holy men. "This is the will of God, even your sanctification ..." (I Thessalonians 4:3). "Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness" (Psalm 97:12).
The Bible calls the people of God "saints" because they are "holy ones." They are called "the holy seed" in Isaiah chapter 6, where they are said to be like the teil tree, and as the oak "whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves" (verse 13). But people who do not grow and multiply, whose lives do not produce holiness, are not what they seem to be.
In I Peter chapter 2, note verse 9. "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (I Peter 2:9). Many people do not like the adjective "chosen;" but the generation of people in our text is not a generation in which people place themselves, but is a "chosen generation," a people chosen by God.
Note also, that Peter calls them "a royal priesthood," i.e. a kingdom of priests; "a holy nation;" "a peculiar people" that should show forth His praises who has called them out of darkness into His marvellous light. The people of God are a holy people, and only such people are the people of God.
Lifting up holy hands—Paul wrote, "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting" (I Timothy 2:8). The Charismatic folks have twisted this verse to mean that God wants His people to raise their hands into the air. Anyone can raise his hands. Such an exercise does not mean a man is a holy individual.
"Hands" do things: they work. In this passage Peter makes reference to Psalm 134, verses 1 and 2: "Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD." The passage obviously speaks about the work of the priests as they ministered before the Lord. Certainly the priests were not to raise their hands into the air, but rather they were to be diligent about their holy work. Therefore, it was required that their hands be holy. It is figurative language that is used here, as when Isaiah declares, "The trees of the field shall clap their hands" (55:12).
The people of God should see that their hands are holy hands, i.e. that they do holy things. They are to be a holy people. They constitute a holy nation, are made a holy seed, and are called with a "holy calling" (II Timothy 1:9).
A holy calling—"Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (II Timothy 1:8,9). Note here that it is God who has called us. We did not call Him; and He called us when we had no interest in Him.
God called us when He spoke to our hearts through His Holy Spirit and convicted us of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. This is a holy calling. It was a call for us to come, as the songwriter said, "leaving the paths of sin." Another has written,
Then I bid farewell to the way of the world To walk in it nevermore.
We were called to walk as holy men; to be busy about holy things, and like our God, to speak in a holy manner. In whatever we do, we are to be a holy people.
A holy priesthood—Peter declares, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." We are a spiritual house, and we are a holy priesthood (I Peter 2:5).
Again, Peter writes, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness" (II Peter 3:10,11).
Note first, that the elements are going to melt with fervent heat, and that the heavens are going to pass away with a great noise, and the works that are in the earth are going to be burned up.
But note second, that God, who is thrice holy, is concerned that His people behave themselves as a holy people, "and so much the more as (they) see the day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25b). Since God is their Heavenly Father, they share His image and likeness.