God’s Pursuit of a Holy People

I’m as independent and selfish in the flesh as any of you are. In the flesh I prefer to not bring secret things in my life into the light as much as any of you. In the flesh I love anonymity. In the flesh I would be glad to just go through the motions with church involvement, sit in the back, get there no earlier than when the service starts and leave as soon as it is over, and get on with my life.

But God……is after a people…. and not just any people. He is after a people who have died with Christ to their entitlements, space, independence, secret lives, etc.; a people who increasingly “….walk in the light as He Himself is in the Light,…” so that we can have fellowship with Him and with each other, and thus a people among whom He is able to dwell and manifest and disclose Himself for His glory, for the joy and fulfillment of that people, and for a witness and fragrance to those on the outside who are not yet a part of the people of God.

One of the things that has helped me take this call to be a “people” more seriously in my own life is seeing the prevalence of this theme in Scripture. Let’s look at a few of the many expressions of this truth in the New Testament, and then I want you to see how prevalent this theme is in the Old Testament especially in the book of Deuteronomy.  First,

“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with Idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. THEREFORE, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE, says the LORD. AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.”  II Corinthians 6:14-18         The reason the Corinthian believers should have been motivated to leave their old worldly and adulterous and idolatrous life behind including worldly associations or ungodly relationships is because of this call to be a holy united people who walk with their God. And please note in this passage and in the next one the words that are capitalized are direct quotations from the Old Testament. Sometimes the Bible translators aren’t exactly sure which exact O.T. text the N.T. writer is quoting from because so many are similar. But you can see their best determination in the margins of your reference Bibles.       

“But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD’S OWN POSSESION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, nut now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”  I Peter 2:9,10   Peter’s appeal in vs. 11, 12 for these believers to walk in godliness and purity is based on this reality of their corporate identity as God’s holy people in vs. 9, 10.

“ Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”  Titus 2:14    Paul’s reminder to Titus to flee ungodliness and pursue godliness and righteousness in vs. 12 is at least partially based on the truth that a big part of “…the joy set before…” our Savior (see Hebrews 12:2) that motivated Him to embrace all of His suffering and ultimately the cross is to be able to bring about this “people for His own possession” – this people that our trinitarian God has longed for since before creation started.

As we look at some passages in the Old Testament, I want you to note that while in Genesis 12:2 God says to Abraham that He is going to use Abraham to bring about a great “nation”, in most of the rest of the O.T. the emphasis is on God’s pursuit of a “people”. A “nation” (from the Hebrew word “Goy”) has more geopolitical connotations, whereas the word “people” (from the Hebrew word “Am”) has more kinship or family connotations.

 “And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” Exodus 5:1                  God’s appeal to Pharoah through His spokesmen Moses and Aaron was based on God’s jealous zeal for His called and covenant people.

 “Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;”   Exodus 19:5    Often God appeals to His people to respond to His voice, which speaks of the relationship He desires to have with them.

“Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.” Leviticus 20:26         Oh that we could see and understand more clearly this righteous relational jealousy that God has for His people!!! Holiness enables us to experience Him as He is and to be transformed into His likeness. Holiness is the pathway to intimacy with the living God.

 “You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord am dwelling in the midst of the sons of Israel.’” Numbers 35:34  God doesn’t use the word “people” in this passage but He does reveal His desire to dwell in their midst in this passage.

 “See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the Lord our God whenever we call on Him?”   Deuteronomy 4:5-7 This is one of the few times in the book of Deuteronomy where God refers to His people as a nation ( 7 or ) contrasted with (close to 80) He refers to them as His people.

 “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession (or special treasure) out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”   Deuteronomy 7:6      God’s ownership of Israel was a loving, kind and good ownership. He delighted in them relationally, not in exercising authority over them in some cold way.

 “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”    Deuteronomy 14:2       Very similar to the passage above.

 “The Lord has today declared you to be His people, a treasured possession, as He promised you, and that you should keep all His commandments; and that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, for praise, fame, and honor; and that you shall be a consecrated people to the Lord your God, as He has spoken.”    Deuteronomy 26:18,19   I love that phrase “treasured possession”, which speaks of God’s delight in Israel. His great intentions to bless Israel in the sight of all the surrounding nations and peoples is seen here.

 “Then Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, saying, “Be silent and listen, O Israel! This day you have become a people for the Lord your God.”   Deuteronomy 27:9   Moses and the Levitical priests were beginning to grasp this reality it seems.

Deuteronomy 28:9, 10 “The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. So all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will be afraid of you.”   Deuteronomy 28:9, 10       For those of us who know what God is after but wonder how it will ever take place, be comforted that He promises here to establish His people as a holy people. Yes we will have to cooperate and learn to be increasingly responsive to the various aspects of His building project with us. But our hope must be in His commitment to establish.

“in order that He may establish you today as His people and that He may be your God,k just as He spoke to you and as He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”  Deuteronomy 29:13    Here again God’s intention and commitment to establish a people for Himself is seen.

It is very easy in these days for a congregation to go in all kinds of directions with lots of well meaning activities and pursuits. It is very easy for church attenders to just go through the motions, not really knowing why they are going through them. May this reminder of God’s primary pursuit help us put all these things in proper perspective. May His passion and zeal for a holy people increasingly be ours. God bless you as you increasingly pursue what He is pursuing.