Holy Yet Corrupt

Holy Yet Corrupt—Cognitive Dissonance 

The redemptive power of the blood of Jesus washes us pure, but the corrupt condition of the soul continues to bring constant defilement from the fallen world, the flesh, and the enemy. The Lord God has not waived the requirement for purity to enter into His presence. Like our spiritual ancestors, we must purify and sanctify ourselves to approach God. The Apostle Paul repeatedly pleaded with the believers to listen to his appeal for perfection (1 Corinthians 13:11). We are called to be holy (1 Corinthians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:16) because He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight (Ephesians 1:4). Jesus instructed us to be perfect because our heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). Our Lord would never ask anything from His children without providing the means to accomplish it. The blood and the cross of Jesus are the believers’ means for satisfying God’s requirements for purity and holiness. The cross heals the corrupt state of the heart, and the blood washes it pure. This is a continuous process of death and resurrection through which the old nature of flesh is replaced with the righteousness of Christ. We enter God's presence without the threat of death as Aaron did, but with the promise of transformation into His glory. 

The Apostle Paul calls this transformation into holiness and perfection a “mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). Holiness is an intrinsic characteristic of God’s very nature. Humankind can achieve holiness only by being transformed into the image of Christ, the Lord God Himself.  This is the process of becoming EHAD with Jesus. He spoke of this transformation, saying, 

On that day, you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me, and I am in you. (John 14:20) 

When, in your own life, “that day” comes to pass, and you become aware of being EHAD with Chris, then great will your assurance be, knowing that you are walking on the road of holiness. It is no longer you who exhibit godly attributes but Christ living in you (Galatians 2:20); His holiness and His perfection (not yours) are manifesting in your life. King David wrote extensively on the requirements for entering the presence of the Lord. 

Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? (Psalm 15:1) 

And without hesitation, he delivers the answer:

He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken. (Psalm 15:2-5)

When we come to the Father purified, sanctified, and transformed, our oneness with Him as designed at the beginning of time is restored. Through the redemption of the soul (salvation) and its healing (sanctification), God’s requirements for becoming EHAD with Him are satisfied. 

The cure from traumatic experiences proceeds from our restoration to the initial divine design, which mirrored God’s likeness and image (Colossians 3:10). Through Jesus, we regain our new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24). We are given fullness in Christ (Colossians 2:10). We have been restored to our uncorrupted design, back to the Garden of Eden design. 

The process of attaining the fullness in Christ starts with the justification of sin (salvation); it proceeds with cleansing from defilement (sanctification); it culminates with a transformation into the likeness of Christ. At that point, we have become EHAD with Christ.