Early in Genesis we meet God, the Problem Solver. His perfect creation has been spoiled, corrupted by human sin. It becomes so bad, in fact, that God destroys much of his creation in a great flood (Gen 6-9). But the corrupting disease remains, and so does the breach between God and the human creatures made in his image.
But when humanity reaches its sinful worst, God is at his gracious best.
In the course of human history, God chose one person, Abram (Gen 12), through whom he proposed to create a holy community and bless the world. He promised this man (later called Abraham), "All peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Gen 12:3).
God designated Abraham's descendants, the nation of Israel, to serve as "a light to the nations" (Isa 42:6), exhorting them, "Be holy, because I am holy" (Lev 11:45).
Then, when the timing was perfect, God focused all his light and holiness into a single beam, in the incarnate Christ. Jesus came to be "the light of the world" (John 8:12). He also gathered around Himself men and women to whom he passed the lamp (Matt 5:14). These men and women—at first primarily Jewish, then a mixture of Jews and non-Jews—became God's new and final version of the holy community.
Its composition may have changed, but its mission has not: God intends to reconcile the world through this holy community, which is the church.
To fulfill the great task of bringing God and the world together again, certain characteristics must be present within the church. First of all, we must be holy. In the language of the New Testament, we are to be "saints." Today, that term typically is used in reference to a very religious person, now dead, like Saint Francis or Saint Augustine. It also is used to describe someone who is overly tolerant, as in "She is such a saint. I could never put up with him as a husband!"
In the New Testament, this term is to describe a person who has been consecrated to God, set apart for His service. With this privilege comes the obligation to be holy. As the apostle Paul says, "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight" (Eph 1:4). God's people, the "saints," are to model what God is like.
By our holiness, we reflect God to a darkened world. It may seem naïve to imagine that holiness is possible in an unholy world or that holy lives can have an impact on others. But never underestimate the power of God's grace. It was this grace that brought us to spiritual life (Eph 2:6-7) and that "teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly live in this present age" (Titus 2:12).
Having understood God's passion to be reconciled to His creation, and having experienced the riches of His grace, we are optimistic about what God can do in the world! We know that sin's most deadly poison finds its antidote in God's grace.
Personal holiness grows best in a holy community. There I see models of godliness on which I can pattern my own pursuit. There I am continually reminded of our shared purpose. In the church I find support, and encouragement to keep going, when the road to Christ-likeness becomes an uphill climb. In the holy community I know that people will love and support me, even if I stumble on the way to sainthood.
Characterizing all the relationships within the holy community, and between it and the world, must be love. After all, the God we represent describes Himself as the source and embodiment of love (1 John 4:7-8). It was love that first prompted God to seek reconciliation and to create the church. And Jesus held up love as his community's distinguishing mark (John 13:35).
How does a holy community actually accomplish its purpose of bringing God's light to the world?
The Bible makes clear that one important way is through worship. Consider how much of Israel's law had to do with sacrifices, festivals, holy places, ceremonies, the priesthood and the tabernacle—all aspects of worship. The New Testament picture, although somewhat altered, still emphasizes worship as an important function of our mission. The church has become the temple
(1 Cor 3:16), and Christians are "a royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:5) who offer "sacrifices of praise" (Heb 13:15) and prayers as incense (Rev 8:3).
But how can worship help us to be a light to the world? In worship, the holy community most fully experiences the reconciliation that has become its mission. There she meets with her God and from there she goes out to help others meet Him. In worship she remembers the reason she exists; from worship she derives the confidence to shine as a light to the world.
The holy community also carries out its mission by being God's hands and feet in service to others. The true garment of holiness is not the spotless white robe, unsullied by contact with corrupt humanity, but the towel Jesus put on when He washed His disciple's feet. "There is," as John Wesley said, "no holiness but social holiness." To humanity adrift in the dark, 'God desires to send his beam of holy love, to light their way to safety in him. Graced to mirror God's nature into sin's night, the holy community reflects that gracious light....and the ancient breach is healed.
