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Ramadan Mubarak, Day 11: The Holiness of God

How the sacred otherness of God sets him apart from what is sinful

by Sarah MacDonald

Do you revere God? Do you ever think about His Holiness in the light of your sinfulness? I'm going to ask you to take an honest look at your life. 

If you are observing Ramadan, I'm sure you are fasting and praying more than usual this month. In the Qur'an, Sura 5:7-9 speaks of Allah having a full knowledge of our innermost thoughts, and because of that we are to fear Allah. The Qur'an speaks of Allah being aware of all we do. "Allah has promised those who believe and do good deeds forgiveness" (Sura 5:9). 

The Bible has similar statements. God judges the thoughts and intents of the heart (injeel, Heb. 4:19), and so we are to fear Him (Tawrat, Ecc.12:13), because there is not a place on earth He doesn't see (Prophet Jeremiah 23:24 and Prophet David in Psalm 139:7-10). But here's one of the differences I'm asking you to ponder: the God of the Bible is not a God who judges based on our works (Injeel, Eph.2:8-9, Tit.3:5) 

I want to place you in a courtroom scenario to communicate the point I'm making regarding the holiness of God. Ask yourself these questions honestly. Have you ever lied? Have you taken the Holy Name of God in vain? Have you ever wanted something someone else owns? Have you always kept God first in our life? Have you looked with lust at another person? God counts that as adultery. Have you hated anyone? God considers that as murder. You may seem innocent on the outside, and I'm sure you're a very nice person, but this Law is screaming out against you. It screams out against me also. It shows the motives of the human heart. Our hearts are desperately wicked and beyond cure (Prophet Jeremiah 17:9). 

Our "righteous" deeds, our good works, are like filthy rags compared to God's Holiness (Prophet Isaiah 64:6). We are standing before a just and holy God who has to punish our sin! If God is really a just Judge, He will certainly punish sin. If He is holy, He will not allow sin into Heaven. He will not say that we can be forgiven if we do good works, because, in order to be a just and holy God, He is self-bound by his justice to send us to Hell. We all deserve Hell. God is not corrupt. You may say, yes, but He's most merciful and forgiving! Yes, He is, but He is also holy and uncompromising. God would cease to be holy, if He let us go free based on our own works. If fasting and good deeds could save us, justice would not be served. The guilty would go unpunished. Is that the God you serve? 

When I was studying Islam, one thing struck me that I feel compelled to share with you. Keep your thoughts on your guilty state in the courtroom and consider this: Sura 3:157-158 speaks on being killed or dying for Allah's cause. "For, indeed, if you die or are killed, it is to Allah that you shall be gathered". Islam provides little assurance of salvation besides martyrdom. As soon as I read that, I felt a sudden clarity and a deeper understanding of the Islamic faith. 

Christianity provides definite assurance of salvation, and yet I was doubting my own salvation at the time. If I believed Islam, putting myself in those shoes, I would immediately plan a jihad. After I understood the reasoning behind this thinking, I gained a greater passion to speak out against this faulty logic in order to help hurting souls who are struggling with assurance like I once did. 

Shedding your own blood will never save anyone for eternity. Take this to heart: in order for God to remain just and holy, for justice to be served, INNOCENT blood had to be shed. God sent Himself in the person of Jesus Christ to die on the cross to legally dismiss our case. He is the only way, the only truth, and the only life. He lived a sinless, perfect, holy life that only God could do, and died in our place so that you can be forgiven. 

So now, I'm asking you to consider these things. This could be your last day on earth. Are you going to risk being wrong on this? Are you going to risk your eternity? I'm pleading with you to repent, to turn from your sins and to turn to Christ, who alone can save you! If you really believe that God is holy, and you really desire to honor Him, run to the Savior! As a Christian I care about you and your eternal salvation! Godly people are here for you to talk to you and help you through this! Don't wait! Listen to your conscience and flee to Christ while there is still time! Don't insult the holiness of God! I want to leave you with one final thought from the words of Christ Himself (Injeel, Mark 8:36-37): 

"What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" 


*If you would like to participate in a Bible study about this subject and similar ones, email us at comparingfaith@gmail.com or text 313.485.7153.
  • 26 May 2018
  • Author: Guest Blogger
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