What can we learn from Moses' encounter with God about personal holiness? Drawing Near: The Starting Point of Holiness • Exodus 34:29 opens with Moses “coming down from Mount Sinai,” fresh from forty days in God’s presence (Exodus 34:28). • Personal holiness always begins with intentional time alone with the Lord—unhurried, undistracted, receptive. • Psalm 27:4 echoes the same heartbeat: “One thing I have asked of the LORD… to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and seek Him in His temple.” Transformation You Can’t Manufacture • “He was unaware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken with the LORD” (Exodus 34:29). – Moses didn’t try to glow; the radiance was the by-product of communion. – Genuine holiness is never cosmetic. It is God’s work, not self-polishing (Philippians 2:13). • 2 Corinthians 3:18 ties Moses’ experience to every believer: “We all… are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory.” Holiness That Others Notice • Aaron and the Israelites “were afraid to come near him” (Exodus 34:30). – The glory highlighted their own uncleanness, stirring awe and conviction. – A holy life still carries a quiet weight; people sense something different (Matthew 5:16). Veils, Transparency, and Ongoing Fellowship • Moses covered his face to spare Israel overwhelming exposure (Exodus 34:33–35). • Under the new covenant, Christ removes the veil (2 Corinthians 3:14-16). We approach with “unveiled faces,” invited into continual fellowship. • Personal holiness thrives when we keep no barriers—open Bible, open heart, open confession (1 John 1:7-9). Holiness Is Mission, Not Isolation • Moses didn’t stay on the mountain; he returned glowing to a people who needed God’s Word. • Holiness equips us for service—carrying truth, interceding, leading (1 Peter 2:9). Practices That Cultivate Radiant Living • Schedule lingering, Scripture-soaked solitude with God. • Embrace obedient surrender; the tablets in Moses’ hands symbolized submission to God’s commands (John 14:15). • Walk in transparent fellowship—no hidden sin, quick repentance (Psalm 139:23-24). • Serve others from the overflow; share what God shows you (Colossians 3:16). • Keep your eyes on Christ, trusting Him to sustain the glow (Hebrews 12:2). Personal holiness, then, is simply the life of God shining through a believer who lingers in His presence, obeys His Word, and carries His glory into everyday relationships. |
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