Good morning people who approach God from a place of reverence and awe.

1 Samuel 5:11-12 NIV So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it will kill us and our people.” For death had filled the city with panic; God’s hand was very heavy on it. Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.

The Philistines captured and disrespected the ark of the Lord. This was in essence the presence of God. The result was God’s heavy hand came upon them.

It’s no small matter to mess with the presence of God. Yes, God is love, but God is also holy.

I believe there is coming a restoration of holiness to the church. It most surely needs to happen. Flippancy and compromise needs to turn to holiness, awe and honour. True humility needs to come back to the people of God.

The gospel of grace is essential in the church – it is essential. Without it, we are still lost. Grace is what saved us, not works. Grace also sustains us. We can’t be good enough by ourselves, and that is why we need a Saviour. This is all good news.

But it doesn’t equate to license; a belief that we can do what we want because we are under grace, not under law. This is immature thinking and it is based in deception.

Also, talking about holiness and God’s holy standards is not legalism! Oh how I wish that some would see the truth with this.

God is holy, and He has called us to be holy even as He is holy. This is biblical.