“But they shall not go in to look on the holy things even for a moment, lest they die.” – Numbers 4:20
Consider this for a moment – for a Levite to look upon the holy things within the Tabernacle, even for a moment, would result in their death. Not as a punishment. Not because God is vindictive, arbitrary, cruel, or anything else. This is simply the unimaginable power of holiness. The holiness of God is beyond the comprehension of fallen, sinful creatures of dust. The degree to which God is utterly without sin, shadow, or stain is beyond our capacity to process, because we are naturally sinful. No matter how “good” we try to be, we can’t approach the holiness of God on our own. His holiness is absolutely overwhelming!
That’s why any sin, no matter how “small”, is deadly serious. That lie, that gossip, that greed, that division, that lust, that cruelty, that selfishness, those words, that silence, those things are rebellion against God’s perfect holiness. They’re a rejection of holiness. An attack on it. All sin is separation from God and His pure, perfect, overwhelming holiness. That’s why there are no “small” sins. That’s why it’s utterly inappropriate for Christians to fixate on the obvious sins of others without first repenting of their own sins.
The good news of Jesus Christ is that He gave His life to die on the cross and rose from the dead to pay the penalty for all our sins. Because of that, when we who believe in Him do repent, those sins are forgiven. Even better, through faith in Jesus Christ, we’re able to draw near to God and have Him live within us, without His holiness killing us. In Christ, there is no veil, no separation, no need to run or hide from God. But that doesn’t mean holiness is less important. Indeed, the New Testament repeatedly commands us to walk in holiness because we are God’s Temple.
While sin is no longer a cause of instant death when confronted with God’s holiness in us, every believer MUST take holiness seriously. Rather than complaining about the sins of others, we MUST look at our own hearts, minds, and actions. We must repent of the sins we find living within us and fight to put those sins which continue to tempt us to death. As a Temple of the Holy Spirit, be holy! #FollowJesus