Wednesday after Epiphany I - A devotion
Lectionary for January 13
Ezekiel 36:13-28 Romans 4:1-25
Ezekiel 36:13-28 Romans 4:1-25
Let us take a moment to look at the last few verses of our Old Testament reading.
22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. 23 I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. 24 For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28 You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.
God did not send His Son for your sake! Yes, you read that correctly, God did not act for your sake. He did what He did for the sake of His holy name. He did it because we have profaned His name among the nations. So, Jesus vindicated the holiness of His great name – the name we have profaned among the nations.
How do we profane His name? First there are obvious ways for the literally involve God name. Have you ever said:
God dammit!
Oh my God!
Jesus Christ!
Each of those statements or exclamations (unless used in prayer, meditation, or evangelism) were using God’s name either for no purpose (in vain), or in a profane manner.
Sometimes though, God’s name does not even need to pass through our lips to be profaned. If you claim to be a Christian, you bear God’s name. If you bear God’s name, do you keep it holy…or have you profaned it? Here are a few questions you may ask to determine if you have profaned God’s name among the nations.
Have you ever cheated anybody?
Have you passed on information about someone where their reputation was damaged? (Even if it was true, you violated the 8th Commandment.)
Have you failed to defend the faith by simply saying nothing when it was attacked or belittled by others?
Have you ever acted in any way in which people might have cause to ask, “you are a Christian?”
God will vindicate the holiness of His name, He will clear His name from all guilt, and blame and suspicion, He will uphold the holiness of His name against all argument. That happened upon the cross of Calvary. All sins were paid in full by the righteous and holy Son of God Himself. There, God vindicated His holy name, for He purchased forgiveness there for all those who have profaned His holy name.
Now His holiness is the possession of all those in whom His Spirit bestows faith in the work of Christ. God’s holiness is what God graciously imparts to those whom He calls to bear His holy name. And then, His Holy Spirit works holiness is those who bear His name, so that His holiness might be seen in all nations.
What is it that is most holy about God’s name? That He is a gracious and loving God. He chooses those whom He calls His children, and blesses them with His gracious love and forgiveness, even when they are disobedient. The entire Old Testament is a testimony to the faithfulness of God to His chosen people – especially in their rebelliousness to Him.
You are a living testimony to the faithfulness of God, for He makes His name holy in you. You are baptized into Christ’s death, your sins put to death and buried with Christ. As He foretold in our text, He has sprinkled clean water on you, and you are cleansed from all your unfilthiness. You are baptized into Christ’s resurrection – He makes you holy so you live a new life in His holy name. He gives you a new heart, and a new spirit He puts within you.
God said, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” Whenever you gather at the table Christ sets before you of His body and blood and eat and drink, Christ gives you His heart, even as He removes your heart of stone. In this meal, your faith is strengthened, and Christ dwells in you, so that you walk in His footsteps.
All these things God does for you. And He does them for you, for the sake of the holiness of His name. His name is made holy, when you are made holy in His name, for you then are made a living witness to the gracious nature of God’s holiness.
Why do gather in God’s house. Do you do so because you already are holy? Or do you do so in order that God might again refresh you in His holiness? That is it exactly!
In God’s house, you dwell in the land that God gave to your fathers and are made His people. God feed and nourishes you, He grants you His grace, God is your God, that you might go out as living witnesses to His holiness.
22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. 23 I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. 24 For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28 You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.
God did not send His Son for your sake! Yes, you read that correctly, God did not act for your sake. He did what He did for the sake of His holy name. He did it because we have profaned His name among the nations. So, Jesus vindicated the holiness of His great name – the name we have profaned among the nations.
How do we profane His name? First there are obvious ways for the literally involve God name. Have you ever said:
God dammit!
Oh my God!
Jesus Christ!
Each of those statements or exclamations (unless used in prayer, meditation, or evangelism) were using God’s name either for no purpose (in vain), or in a profane manner.
Sometimes though, God’s name does not even need to pass through our lips to be profaned. If you claim to be a Christian, you bear God’s name. If you bear God’s name, do you keep it holy…or have you profaned it? Here are a few questions you may ask to determine if you have profaned God’s name among the nations.
Have you ever cheated anybody?
Have you passed on information about someone where their reputation was damaged? (Even if it was true, you violated the 8th Commandment.)
Have you failed to defend the faith by simply saying nothing when it was attacked or belittled by others?
Have you ever acted in any way in which people might have cause to ask, “you are a Christian?”
God will vindicate the holiness of His name, He will clear His name from all guilt, and blame and suspicion, He will uphold the holiness of His name against all argument. That happened upon the cross of Calvary. All sins were paid in full by the righteous and holy Son of God Himself. There, God vindicated His holy name, for He purchased forgiveness there for all those who have profaned His holy name.
Now His holiness is the possession of all those in whom His Spirit bestows faith in the work of Christ. God’s holiness is what God graciously imparts to those whom He calls to bear His holy name. And then, His Holy Spirit works holiness is those who bear His name, so that His holiness might be seen in all nations.
What is it that is most holy about God’s name? That He is a gracious and loving God. He chooses those whom He calls His children, and blesses them with His gracious love and forgiveness, even when they are disobedient. The entire Old Testament is a testimony to the faithfulness of God to His chosen people – especially in their rebelliousness to Him.
You are a living testimony to the faithfulness of God, for He makes His name holy in you. You are baptized into Christ’s death, your sins put to death and buried with Christ. As He foretold in our text, He has sprinkled clean water on you, and you are cleansed from all your unfilthiness. You are baptized into Christ’s resurrection – He makes you holy so you live a new life in His holy name. He gives you a new heart, and a new spirit He puts within you.
God said, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” Whenever you gather at the table Christ sets before you of His body and blood and eat and drink, Christ gives you His heart, even as He removes your heart of stone. In this meal, your faith is strengthened, and Christ dwells in you, so that you walk in His footsteps.
All these things God does for you. And He does them for you, for the sake of the holiness of His name. His name is made holy, when you are made holy in His name, for you then are made a living witness to the gracious nature of God’s holiness.
Why do gather in God’s house. Do you do so because you already are holy? Or do you do so in order that God might again refresh you in His holiness? That is it exactly!
In God’s house, you dwell in the land that God gave to your fathers and are made His people. God feed and nourishes you, He grants you His grace, God is your God, that you might go out as living witnesses to His holiness.
God has done this all to you, so that on the last day, His words to Ezekiel might be fulfilled. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. And in thankfulness to God's name being made Holy in us and through us, as God’s beloved people, we respond, “Hallowed be Thy name.”
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