Hallowing Gods Name All Scriptures quoted unless otherwise stated are from the New American Standard Bible. Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. (Matt. 6:9). To most people the word hallowed elicits thoughts of Halloween, ivy-covered walls, or starchy religious traditions. But those are all far from its biblical meaning. Hallowed in Matthew 6:9 translates a Greek word that means holy. When Christ said, Hallowed be Thy name, He was saying in effect, May Your name be regarded as holy. When you hallow Gods name, you set it apart from everything common and give Him the place He deserves in your life. Throughout Scripture, holiness is attributed to persons or things that are consecrated to Gods service. The Sabbath day, for example, was to be kept holy--set apart from the other days (Ex. 20:8). The Israelite priests were to be considered holy because they rendered special service to the Lord (Lev. 21:8). As believers in Christ we are to be holy because we belong to God (1 Pet. 1:15). Holiness also speaks of moral excellence and purity. God is called the Holy One (1 Pet. 1:15) not only because He is set apart from His creation, but also because He is pure and sinless in His character. Thats why Isaiah pronounced a curse on himself when he saw the Lord and heard the angels crying out, And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” 4) And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. 5) Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” (Isa. 6:3- 5). He was overcome with a sense of his own human sinfulness in the presence of a holy God. Such a God deserves your highest respect and reverence. He is your gracious and loving Father, but He is also the sovereign, majestic God of the universe. Consequently, you must guard against thinking of Him as a buddy or addressing Him flippantly. Additionally, He deserves your humble obedience. You hallow His name only when your life is marked by righteousness and moral excellence. John 14:15 says, If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. May that be true of you today, and may you seek to honor Him in all that you do! FINAL THOUGHTS: Always approach God with a sense of respect and reverence. Think of specific ways that you can hallow His name today. Ask Him for the grace to do so. For Further Study:
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 18:40:02 +0000
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