The Supremacy of Christ

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.
(Colossians 1:15-20 ESV)

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Holiness Upon the Throne


The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble;... He is holy... He is holy... for the LORD our God is holy. (Psalm 99:1,3,5,9)

"The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble," writes the psalmist. Why?
"He is holy," answers the first stanza.
"He is holy," answers the second stanza.
"For the LORD our God is holy," answers the third stanza.
Put the two statements together, "The LORD reigns... the LORD our God is holy," and what do you get? You get holiness upon the throne.

To believe that God is on the throne, working out His own holy and perfect and acceptable will, maintaining and asserting the eternal law of righteousness -- is there not enough in that to fill the hearts of sinful men with "godly fear"? Is there not enough in that to make us "tremble"?

We are constantly deploring our lack of the sense of sin. Is that because we have obscured God's holiness? Sometimes I wonder whether the very emphasis we have laid on the tenderness and gentleness and patience of God's fatherly love has made it easy for me to sin. We have made God's forgiveness so cheap that sin has come to appear a light and trivial matter.

If that is so, let us this day remind ourselves of the holiness of God; let us lift up our eyes to the shining peaks of His "awful purity." Let us remind ourselves that this Holy God is on the throne -- and that He is on the throne to maintain purity and righteousness. The Will that rules is a holy will. The Power that governs is a holy power.

All who sin bring themselves into collision with the sovereign will and power of the universe. No wonder our Lord said, "Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." (Matthew 21:44, KJV)

-- John Daniel Jones
Posted by Michael Chen at 12:17 PM
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