This week, there was a lot of big news about the upcoming FIFA World Cup contest that will be taking place across the Americas next year. The World Cup is an international soccer tournament meant to encourage unity and sportsmanship among the nations through the sport of soccer every four years.
My passion for the sport of soccer began as a child growing up as an Army brat living in Italy. Soccer is one of the few sports I enjoy watching and playing.
For the last three years, the qualification stage has been ongoing to determine which teams qualify for the tournament. This week, FIFA (Federation of International Football Association) held its draw at the Kennedy Center to determine the match pairings of the qualified teams. The objectives of this draw are:
- Group formation
- Fairness and balance
- Confederation rules
- Setting the stage
- Path to the knockout rounds
Despite the pomp and pageantry of the draw in Washington, DC, there has been pushback from some conservatives over President Trump receiving the tournament’s first peace award.
Unfortunately, many conservative leaders have forgotten, we are called to give God all the glory for his greatness, not a man or nation (Psalm 72:18-20, 115:1, 1 Corinthians 10:31). Even Fox News argued over the credibility of President Trump’s special award.
Many have forgotten only God deserves our praise, because we are God’s people whom He set apart from this evil world to be His holy people (Leviticus 20:26, Deuteronomy 7:6, 1 Peter 2:9).
What Is Holy
Holy is a term we typically use to describe God and things of Heaven, but biblically it is also used to describe God’s people. Holy is defined as, “Exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect and goodness and righteousness; having a divine quality.”
God’s people are called to bring change to this corrupt kingdom, not to rule it with pride and power like earthly nations (Isaiah 58:10, Matthew 5:13-16). We are called to holiness, not earthly greatness, like many false teachers and apostates deceive God’s people with (Hebrews 12:14, 2 Timothy 4:3-4).
God promised He would make His people great if they were holy and faithfully obeyed His ways (Exodus 19:5-6). That is why the Bible has a lot to say about being holy and being God’s people (Acts 2:38, 1 Peter 1:16).
Because of sin, this world is corrupt and unholy (Genesis 6:11, Romans 8:22, 1 John 5:19). God set His people apart from this fallen kingdom to be His holy representation (Exodus 20:26, Ephesians 4:29).
God’s people are to be holy and help restore the world to God’s holy image and purpose (Acts 1:8, Romans 8:19-21, 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, Ephesians 2:10, Colossians 1:19-20, 1 Peter 2:9). The apostles remembered their Jewish education about God’s holiness and being His holy people.
Qāḏôš
The prophet Moses tells us how God created everything in the beginning, and it was all good (Genesis 1:1-30). God created mankind in His image to do His will in the garden (Genesis 1: 27). At least until Satan promised mankind earthly greatness and led creation astray (Genesis 3:4-5).
When sin entered God’s perfect, holy creation, it became corrupt and cursed and unholy (Genesis 3:17-19). God’s plan through His people and the second Adam is to restore the creation to God’s Holy image and ways (Deuteronomy 28:1-2, Psalm 23:3, Isaiah 61:7, Jeremiah 30:17).
The Hebrew word in the Old Testament for holy is qāḏôš, and it can also mean “Sacred, Holy One, saint, or set apart,” depending on the context it is used in. We are to reflect His holiness, not chase earthly greatness.
God called His people out of the darkness of this fallen kingdom to reflect His holy light by doing His will, not theirs or the ways of this fallen world (Exodus 19:6, Isaiah 49:6; 60:1-3). That is why Judaism emphasizes God’s call to be holy and pure (Deuteronomy 14:2):
- Be ethical
- Disciplined and intentional
- Observe Shabbat
- Show compassion
- Pursue justice
- Charity
- Torah study
- Love thy neighbor
- Forgive
When Jesus began His earthly ministry, He reminded His followers to be perfect and holy like God (Matthew 5: 48). Jesus taught His followers to be in the world, but not to be unholy like it (John 15:19; 17:14-16).
Our Rabbi taught His followers to give to Caesar what had his image, but to give God what has His image to remind them they are to be holy like God, just like the prophet Moses taught us about bearing God’s image (Matthew 22:21, Mark 12:17, Luke 20:25).
Our Lord taught His followers to seek God’s will and His Kingdom, not this temporary unholy one (Matthew 6:10, 33). We cannot be holy if we are seeking our selfish desires and listening to our wicked hearts (Genesis 6:5, Jeremiah 7:24, Mark 7:21-23).
Christmas
I have always found it intriguing and interesting that the Jewish people do not celebrate Christmas. They waited thousands of years for the promised Holy Messiah (Psalm 2:7, Isaiah 9:6, Jeremiah 23:5-6), but rejected Jesus because He wasn’t what they wanted for a king and Savior.
The holy people of God failed to recognize the Holy One of God because they were more focused on an earthly kingdom and temporary greatness. God’s people listened to their selfish hearts of stone and followed the ways of this world. They forgot the ways of God and how His holiness is different from this world’s greatness (Isaiah 55:8-9).
It is a harsh reminder for the 21st-century church and their hearts of stone because many of them have placed their hopes into an earthly kingdom and temporary greatness that will not last.
Christmas should remind us of God’s holiness and how His ways are not like ours or this world (Job 38:4-5, Romans 11:33):
- Loving
- Merciful
- Forgiving
- Humble/gentle
- Light
The Christmas story is a story of giving, not taking or demanding our selfish ways. This weekend, news broke that a third of American employers plan to lay off employees due to the economy.
As God’s people, we should remember to always put others first, not profit, greatness, or our selfish wants (Philippians 2:3-4). God called us to be holy, and let Him make us great. That is a theme of the Christmas story, God gave his Son who humbled Himself for all who believe (John 3:16). Too many people who claim to follow Jesus are focused on earthly greatness and temporary happiness rather than being qāḏôš!
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