The Holy And The Profane...

Intro:  Have we noticed that we are living in a base and profane age... take for instance the proliferation of the common use of profanity (bad language) in the world... you go by a playground, a school, the gas station, the grocery store people are using bad language... used to be when I was growing up that was more viewed as 'men talk' which sometimes younger guys would use to act tough but it would be refrained from in the presence of women, children and older people... some 'old school' types still have this approach however; it seems apparent that at least one guy somewhere broke that 'men talk' rule as now there are females and children that could make a sailor blush with the things that come out of their mouths...

Maybe you've also noticed there is an ongoing downhill societal slide in coarseness and crudeness... an approach of baseness... where maybe the language is not outright profanity but the concepts being discussed are of a nature again that once was not acceptable in mixed company...  All around us there is also a tearing down of chivalry... a degradation of the concept of goodness and of protecting and shielding innocence... we also find ourselves in an increasing secular environment where the concept of God is suppressed and even ridiculed... What does the term Holy even mean to most people here in our Bay Area? Unfortunately it is evident that this world is headed in the direction of ever increasing spiritual darkness. Today I'd like to talk a little about what this means to us...   

It is my specific purpose to… discuss  the difference between the holy and the profane... with a focus on asking how well have we as God's people learned, retained and applied these concepts to our lives?

1Pe_2:9  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:

Ezekiel 44:5-23 (excerpts) KJV  And the LORD said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary.  (6)  And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations,...   (10)  And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity.  (13)  And they shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy place: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed.  (14)  But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein.  (15)  But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD:  (16)  They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall

keep my charge.  (23)  And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

Four (4) Points...

1. Holy: The words Holy & Holiness combined appears in 587 verses 654 times

Holy = 544 verses, 611 times

Holiness =43 verses, 43 times

 

   Holy is defined as follows in the Dictionary...

adjective, holier, holiest.

1. specially recognized as or declared sacred by religious use or authority; consecrated:

holy ground.

2. dedicated or devoted to the service of God, the church, or religion: a holy man.

3. saintly; godly; pious; devout: a holy life.

4. having a spiritually pure quality: a holy love.

5. entitled to worship or veneration as or as if sacred: a holy relic.

6. religious: holy rites.

7. inspiring fear, awe, or grave distress: The director, when angry, is a holy terror.

noun, plural holies.

8. a place of worship; sacred place; sanctuary.

From Mr. Tuck's Sermon “Are You Holy, or Can You Be?” from May 2015...

    (url = https://www.ucg.org/sermons/are-you-holy-or-can-you-be)

            in OT = Kodesh, separate, consecrated.

            in NT = Hagiazo, Gk MAKE HOLY< purify, consecrate to be hallowed, holy … to

             sanctify.

    What defines HOLINESS?

WE are made holy by righteousness, by purity, by character…

HIS Character is pure and perfect and Christ is the same. It is illustrated by Fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5.

Righteousness is DEFINED by God’s Commandments. And he cites 1 John 3:1-4

 

1st Step: Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and        I will raise him up at the last day.

2nd Step: MUST Accept Jesus Christ as our Personal Savior. His life worth more than ALL        creation.

3rd Step: MUST have been GRANTED Repentance from our sins so we can see ourselves as we        truly are.

4th Step: Blood of Christ washes us of our sins.

5th Step: Must receive God’s Spirit via laying on of hands.

6th Step: OBEY God’s LAWS as MUCH as we understand them.

7th Step: You are THEN Justified before GOD via Jesus Christ… as LONG as you walk in        God’s Holy Way.

Some things that scripture refers to as Holy (I got through 160 of 544 verses):

God, God's Name, Places (certain pieces of ground, a person's dedicated house, the Camp in ancient Israel, God's habitation, the sanctuary... called the most holy and holy of holies)... Feast Day Convocations, Time (Feast Days themselves... our family has a saying as the sun sets... “It's Holy Time”), nation (a holy people), men of God, priest's garments, sacrifices & offerings (& the remnants... only to be eaten by those designated to receive), anointing oil, tree fruit of the 4th year, things used in the temple service, land in jubile (year of release), things devoted (promised) to God, tithes, water, holy instruments & trumpets (for war),      

2. Profane: The word Profane appears in 46 verses, 50 times

   Profane in the Dictionary is...

     adjective

1. characterized by irreverence or contempt for God or sacred principles or things; irreligious.

2. not devoted to holy or religious purposes; unconsecrated; secular (opposed to sacred ).

3.  unholy; heathen; pagan: profane rites.

4. not initiated into religious rites or mysteries, as persons.

5. common or vulgar.

      verb (used with object), profaned, profaning.

6. to misuse (anything that should be held in reverence or respect); defile; debase; employ basely or unworthily.

7. to treat (anything sacred) with irreverence or contempt; violate the sanctity of:

to profane a shrine.

        In OT... main word is strongs H2490 châlal (khaw-lal')

A primitive root (compare H2470); properly to bore, that is, (by implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one’s word), to begin (as if by an opening-wedge); denominatively (from H2485) to play (the flute): - begin (X men began), defile, X break, defile, X eat (as common things), X first, X gather the grape thereof, X take inheritance, pipe, player on instruments, pollute, (cast as) profane (self), prostitute, slay (slain), sorrow, stain, wound.

        In NT... main word is strongs G952 bebēlos (beb'-ay-los)

From the base of G939 (a threshold); accessible (as by crossing the door way), that is, (by implication of Jewish notions) heathenish, wicked: - profane (person).

   Some scriptural concepts for profane:

We are not to profane... God's Name, His Ordinances, His Sanctuary, His Hallowed Things, The     Sabbath & Holy Days... or even ourselves...  

    A woman who is profane is not to be taken as a wife...

    God refers in some places to princes, prophets & even priests who do not do what is right as

    profane.

    God cast satan out ' as profane' when he rebelled...

    Old wives' tales are referred to as profane

Babblings are referred to as vain & profane (Albert Barnes indicates... The reference is to such controversies and doctrines as tended only to produce strife, and were not adapted to promote the edification of the church;)

    There is a reference also to having a separation from profane places... in contrast to those which     are holy...

    A most interesting and sobering reference is to God viewing Himself as profaned by  

    people's approach to holiness...

(Ezekiel 22:26 KJV)  Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

(Ezekiel 23:38-39 KJV)  38) Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths. 39)  For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house.

This is abominable and should be very thought provoking to us... especially as we have children here among us in this congregation... how many things or circumstances around us may become an idol to us...  something that we are willing or unwittingly find ourselves apt to put before God and what He says to do?  This is something to ponder...  Have we at times possibly done wrong by the children in our congregation here and made God feel profaned?... harming them by not treating the things of God, in their sight, with the respect God deserves. Maybe tainting there young minds from a proper approach to the Almighty...  It's definitely a sobering concept.   

3. No Mixing Required...  Can the Holy and the Profane be mixed... is there a recipe for how much Holiness to how much Profaneness is still acceptable?  I think not... let's go through a few concepts together on this...

The two trees... Of Life vs. Knowledge of Good and Evil

<<<comment on tree of life's purity and how the mixture of the other tree leads to death>>>

Matthew 7:18  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Matthew 12:33  Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

What does the scripture say about Vessels... can they hold both the pure and the unpure and be of use?

2 Timothy 2:15-21 KJV (15)  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (16)  But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. (17)  And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; (18)  Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. (19)  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. (20)  But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. (21)  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 KJV (1)  Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. (2)  For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. (3)  For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: (4)  That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; (5)  Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: (6)  That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. (7)  For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

(8)  He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 KJV (16)  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  (17)  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

We are to be vessels of holiness... will we take the effort to maintain a purity to be such? Or... will we allow ourselves to become a “chamber pot” (a toilet) of satan's wasteful ways and appetites?

4.  Get thinking and acting!  A very good place to be watchful is where we see compromises are being requested or pressured for... or where we are tempted to take the path of least resistance... I would call these pivot points... just a few examples would be:  

how about watching a TV show or a movie that only has only a few profane words or just a little nudity or 'mild' sex scenes? How about ones where characters of a promiscuous or abominable nature are included and highlighted?  How well are we doing at avoinging being entertained by sin?   

Another one is preparing for keeping of the Sabbath...  are we remembering the Sabbath each and every day of the rest of the week to keep it holy as we are commanded? Do we find at times we could have made effort to do something on another day toward making the Sabbath special? but did not... or maybe we have planned on going to fellowship somewhere with brethren after services on the Sabbath but waited until the day of to purchase our 'potluck' contribution instead of making arrangements as much as possible ahead of time...

Keeping on the topic of the Sabbath: how focused on the things and activities of God are we on  God's Feast Days?... He call the Sabbath and other the Holy Days His... Do we have events come up that 'carve a little time away' with comings and goings to/from &/or with some preparation to attend events which would really be better left outside of holy time? Do we find ourselves compromising by rationalizing that it's just this one time?... God will understand... are  we sure? In light of the passages we read in Ezekial 22 & 23... it would be in our best interest to evaluate our approach and look to God to direct us on His comfort level on what we are doing or abstaining from within His Holy time...         

Learning the difference between the Holy and the profane... and applying ourselves to fully keeping ourselves in God's Ways and unspotted from the world's approaches will bring peace to our lives...

Brethren, it is also very true that obedience to God brings great clarity.

Our Church ministry is doing their job teaching us Gods Ways, how Christ thought and acted and encouraging us to think and act likewise... are we doing our part?... are we learning to live more fully cognizant in our lives of the difference between the Holy and the profane?  

In Closing: A quote from the Ladies Club... The Power of a Praying Woman book Chapter 1...

“Although it may often feel like it, there is never a time when nothing is happening in your life. That's because whether you realize it or not, you are never standing still. You are either going forward or you're sliding back. You are either becoming more like Christ every day or you're becoming less like Him. There is no neutral position in the Lord.”

It Is Time to Move Forward –

Do you feel like at this moment in your life that you are a survivor, an overcomer, or 

somewhere in between?

Do you feel you are growing spiritually? * Mentally? * Emotionally?

And I'll just add one final question as a tie-in to close out our subject today... are we growing in recognition of the Holy and increasingly asking God's help in separating ourselves from the profane?