Deut. 7:6; 9:4-12, “Holy” Not the Same as “Righteous”

What a strange title for today’s post.  I know, if I don’t like it I should change it; but I do like it.  It gives an opportunity to emphasize and illustrate something I have thought about quite a bit lately.  In our fellowship we have been working our way through 1 Thessalonians and recently came to Ch. 4:1-3: For this is the will of God, your sanctification.  The context, of course, is Paul’s instruction concerning sexual immorality (4:3-8). 

We mentioned the thought that Paul did not say, “this is the will of God, your righteousness.”  He could have, because certainly it is.  And sexual purity is very much an issue of righteousness.  But we went on to give the explanation that “sanctification” is foundational to “righteousness.”  Sanctification is a “holiness” word and the idea is that we are “set apart,” set apart and devoted to God.  It is much like the King and the Priest in Israel: by the anointing oil they were set apart to God.  It did not make them to be always righteous, of course.  And when they were “unrighteous” they did not cease to be King or Priest.  We could refer to King David or the Priest Caiaphas as illustrations.  It is amazing that Caiaphas, as evil and power-hungry as he was, still prophesied concerning Jesus’ death, speaking for God to the Nation (John 11:49-52).  He was holy, “set apart,” but certainly not righteous.

Today’s reading makes for another powerful illustration of this.  Moses says to the Nation, you are a holy people to the LORD your God (Dt. 7:6).  What makes them holy?  The immediate answer is what we need to know: the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people to Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.  Two chapters later Moses gives the negative answer.  They were not holy because they were righteous.  Do not think in your heart … saying, ‘Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land (9:4).  God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people (9:6).  As proof, Moses goes on to review the wickedness surrounding the golden calf situation at Mt. Sinai. 

There is, OF COURSE, a strong connection between holiness and righteousness.  But the order must be understood, and I believe that is what Paul is getting at in 1 Thess. 4.  You are holy; therefore, be righteous or blameless before the LORD.  The whole point of Deuteronomy is that you are people set apart to God; therefore pay attention to the statutes, judgments and commands He has given you. 

That is how we understand 1 Thess. 4:3.  Sanctification is the will of God in the sense that God has already sanctified you in Christ and through the blood of Christ.  Since this is obviously God’s will, and you ARE set apart, then abstain from sexual immorality.  When we speak of “sanctification” as an on-going work in the lives of believers, we mean that we are growing in righteousness so that we look, more and more, like people who are set apart. 

May I add one more passage that speaks of this in 2 Cor. 7:1: Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.  The strong encouragement is to cleans ourselves; this means we need to pursue righteousness in our daily lives.  What will be the result of righteousness?  It will perfect holiness, bring holiness to its intended outcome.  God has set us apart, dedicated us to Himself in Christ.  With that calling in mind, let us pursue righteousness (2 Tim. 2:22).

The application for us today is to have the mind of Christ about these things; that we see ourselves as God sees us.  We are His, bought with the blood of Christ.