My dear readers,

Give Thanks at the Remembrance of His Holiness

We thank God for precious memories. Memories are both painful and joyful. We cannot do without them. We do not want to do without them. Yet at times they bring so much pain that we wish we do not have them. These mixed emotions make life meaningful and experientially rich.

We cannot live without relationships. It is through these relationships that memories are born. The more relationships we have of jobs, people, events, and God, the richer our lives are. Those who shy away from certain relationships and cocoon themselves in only their jobs and recreations do not have a rich life. Their life lacks emotional depth because man is made to relate with fellow man and his Creator God. This is the life of all who are made in God’s image. This is the life of all who are born again in Christ where the image of God is divinely restored. Perfection comes when we receive the glorified body. Until then we will still experience both painful (when we sin) and blessed (when we obey God) memories. 

By the grace and mercies of God, Calvary Pandan (CPBPC) is remembering 42 years of God’s goodness, grace and mercies. Very few of us have memories of the beginning of the birth of CPBPC. However, we are all recipients of God’s grace and mercies through the ministries of CPBPC by God’s ordained will. We may have painful and joyful memories in CPBPC. Yet, we must acknowledge that if not for His grace and mercies toward us, we would have been consumed by the evil forces and influences of the last days.

Of all the things we are to remember about God and His works in and through us, the psalmist encouraged us to remember His holiness! God made us to be holy the moment we accepted Christ as our Lord and Saviour. The word “saints” literally means holy ones. The LORD’s holiness is based upon the following truths about Him.

Thank Him by remembering …

1. His Righteous Judgment (Ps 97:1-5) – To execute righteous judgment in a single nation is not great. The scope of God’s righteous judgment is over the earth. No human being exists outside of God’s righteous judgment. God’s righteous judgment is all around Him like clouds and darkness. The throne of God is characterised by His righteous judgment. Imagine an all-powerful God who is sometimes righteous and other times not. Mankind would be in serious trouble. But when the almighty God is always righteous as He is surrounded by righteous judgment and exists based upon His righteous judgment, the earth rejoices. The multitude of isles is glad. Every land mass on earth is a form of an island as they are all surrounded by oceans. Sinners who dwell in every part of the earth ought to fear and stop sinning. They will face the wrath of the Holy God if they do not. Only in Christ can a sinner stop sinning. The earth is now in sin because of the fall of man. It will tremble and hills will melt at the presence of the LORD because these have become the playground of sinners where their idols live and idolatry is practised. By itself the earth need not be afraid of its Creator. But when sinful man turns this world into a cesspool of evil and wickedness, the LORD has to burn it up like garbage! God's righteous judgment demands such a divine response! Holiness requires righteous judgment to get rid of sin and every place used for sin.

2. That You See His Glory (Ps 97:6-8) – But the believer who knows God through the LORD Jesus Christ sees God’s glory in creation. The heavens declare His righteousness and God’s people see His glory. The heavens declare the righteousness of God in and through Christ. All who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ are able to see the heavens declaring God’s righteousness. The idol worshippers are not able to. They will be confounded. The evidence in our world is the global acceptance of evolution, erasing the very existence of God’s hand in creation in the minds of those who reject Christ. These would boast of themselves and their idols. The cry of the LORD to all idols is that they bow and worship Him, the one living and true God. Zion, i.e. Jerusalem, that was presented as a focal point to the world was able to hear the heavenly declaration and was glad. Who lived in Jerusalem? The people of God. Thus, verse 8 declares “the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy (God’s)” Idol worshippers are not holy in Christ. They are blinded by their idolatry; whereas the children of God see God’s glory in creation in their holiness!

That He has Made You Righteous (Ps 97:9-12) – Our righteousness did not originate from within us, for we were all depraved sinners like everyone else. There is none righteous, no, not one! How can we see the glory of God when the LORD is high above all the earth in the heavens? How are we able to see that He is exalted above all gods? We are able because the LORD is the One who has made us righteous through Christ. Hence, we hate evil because we love the LORD. He preserves us in Christ and delivers us from the wicked. He delivers us by saving us to serve Him on earth. He can also deliver us by taking us home to glory when our service on earth is done. He has shown us truths that the world cannot see such as the vanity of earthly life without Christ. All the things of the world are worthless as they will all be destroyed. We seek not for gold or silver but for the wisdom of God that is found only in Scriptures. This is the light that is sown only for the righteous who are the only ones who can see. The gladness of every child of God is the uprightness found in his heart. This enables him to rejoice in the LORD and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness because he knows that he has been made holy by God in Christ.

The focus of a local church is not a gathering of people for socializing. It is also not about fellowship even though it is an important by-product of our Christian faith. The focus of the local church is about our daily relationship with Jesus Christ. The psalmist shared with us his memories because he had many experiences with his LORD Jesus Christ. What memories do we have of Christ? Reflect on our experiences with Him. Remembering His holiness with thanksgiving will help us continue in holiness in the present and strive to remain holy in the future till we see Christ. Amen.