Embracing Holiness: A Call to Divine Proximity

Holiness is not a distant, abstract concept, but a call to live in close proximity to God—a proximity that is both awe-inspiring and sobering. The journey through Jeremiah 16 and 17 reveals that God’s holiness is so intense, so pure, that it demands a response from His people. When God commands, “Be holy as I am holy,” it is not a suggestion to be merely good, but an invitation to be set apart, to be marked by His presence, and to recognize the weight of standing near the Holy One.

The story of Jeremiah is a warning and a promise. Judah, like the priests before them, had taken God’s holiness for granted, offering polluted worship and ignoring His repeated calls to repentance. God’s judgment was not arbitrary or cruel; it was purgative—a cleansing fire meant to remove what corrupted His people and their relationship with Him. Holiness demanded that Jeremiah separate himself, not out of pride, but as a sign of God’s relentless pursuit of purity among His people.

Yet, even in judgment, God’s heart is for restoration. The exile was not the end, but a prelude to a greater rescue—a return from Babylon that would one day be eclipsed by the resurrection of Christ and the gathering of all God’s people. Salvation is not just about being rescued from sin, but being restored to God’s presence, transferred from darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son.

Holiness also exposes the true condition of the human heart. Our greatest problem is not external, but internal—the deceitfulness and sickness of our own hearts. Only God can search, test, and transform us. Trusting in Him, rather than in our own strength or the world’s solutions, is the path to blessing and fruitfulness.

Finally, holiness marks the covenant people in visible ways. In Jeremiah’s day, Sabbath-keeping was a sign of trust and rest in God’s provision. Today, our rest in Christ—our willingness to cease striving and trust in His sufficiency—sets us apart. True rest is not inactivity, but a declaration that God is our provider and Savior, and that our lives are ordered around His presence.

To be holy is to be separated from sin, to cling to the greater rescue in Christ, to let God’s holiness search and transform our hearts, and to live as those marked by His covenant grace. In Christ, we are made permanently clean so that we may be permanently close to God—no longer fearing death, but rejoicing in the nearness of His holiness.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Holiness Demands Separation God’s call to holiness is a call to be set apart, not blending into the world but living distinctly for Him. This separation is not about pride or superiority, but about protecting the purity of our relationship with God and avoiding entanglement with what corrupts. When God purges something from our lives, it is always for our good, even if it is painful in the moment. True holiness means surrendering what we cling to and allowing God to cleanse us for His purposes. [36:20]
• 2. God’s Judgment is Purgative, Not Punitive God does not act out of spite or arbitrary anger; His judgments are always aimed at cleansing and restoring His people. He is relentless in pursuing our hearts, using circumstances, conviction, and even discipline to draw us back to Himself. When we experience loss or correction, it is often God’s loving hand removing what keeps us from Him, urging us to trust and pursue Him more deeply. [43:24]
• 3. Salvation is Both Rescue and Restoration The story of God’s people is not just about being saved from something, but being restored to something greater—His presence, His kingdom, and His promises. The gospel is not complete if it only focuses on forgiveness; it must also celebrate the new reality we are brought into through Christ. Our ultimate hope is not just escape from judgment, but eternal life in the renewed creation with God. [49:56]
• 4. Holiness Exposes and Transforms the Heart The greatest barrier to intimacy with God is the deceitfulness of our own hearts. True holiness begins with honest self-examination and a willingness to let God search and transform us. As we delight in the Lord, our desires are reshaped to align with His, and our duty becomes our joy. The process is lifelong, requiring humility, trust, and a continual return to the fountain of living water. [68:26]
• 5. Rest is a Mark of Trust and Covenant Identity How we rest reveals who we trust. Sabbath-keeping in the Old Testament was a visible sign of reliance on God, and today, our willingness to rest in Christ’s sufficiency sets us apart. Refusing to rest is a subtle declaration of self-sufficiency, while true rest proclaims that God is our provider and sustainer. In a restless world, a life marked by peace and trust in God becomes a powerful witness to His grace. [82:04]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:48] - Opening Prayer and Worship
• [07:10] - Worship: Shout Your Name
• [11:20] - Worship: You Overcame
• [15:57] - Worship: How Great Is Our God
• [19:48] - Announcements and Invitation
• [23:42] - Church Family Life and Serving
• [26:12] - Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 16:1-13
• [29:58] - The Weight of God’s Holiness
• [33:10] - Jeremiah’s Call: Standing in Awe
• [35:41] - Four Realities of Holiness
• [36:20] - Holiness Demands Separation
• [46:04] - Holiness Brings the Greater Rescue
• [53:01] - God’s Search and Rescue Mission
• [57:52] - Engaging with False Gospels
• [63:11] - Holiness Exposes the Human Heart
• [78:11] - Holiness Marks the Covenant People
• [82:04] - The Power of Rest and Sabbath
• [89:57] - Proximity to Holiness in Christ
• [91:51] - Closing Prayer and Worship
• [95:11] - Personal Prayer Request and Benediction

Bible Reading

Jeremiah 16:1–13 (ESV) — The word of the Lord came to me: “You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place. For thus says the Lord concerning the sons and daughters who are born in this place, and concerning the mothers who bore them and the fathers who fathered them in this land: They shall die of deadly diseases. They shall not be lamented, nor shall they be buried. They shall be as dung on the surface of the ground. They shall perish by the sword and by famine, and their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth. For thus says the Lord: Do not enter the house of mourning, or go to lament or grieve for them, for I have taken away my peace from this people, my steadfast love and mercy, declares the Lord. Both great and small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried, and no one shall lament for them or cut himself or make himself bald for them. No one shall break bread for the mourner, to comfort him for the dead, nor shall anyone give him the cup of consolation to drink for his father or his mother. You shall not go into the house of feasting to sit with them, to eat and drink. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will silence in this place, before your eyes and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. And when you tell this people all these words, and they say to you, ‘Why has the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? What is our iniquity? What is the sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?’ then you shall say to them: ‘Because your fathers have forsaken me, declares the Lord, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law, and because you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, every one of you follows his stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me. Therefore I will hurl you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.’”

Observation Questions

1. What specific instructions did God give Jeremiah about his personal life and his interactions with the people of Judah? ([27:30])
2. According to the passage, what reasons does God give for the coming judgment on Judah? ([40:10])
3. In the sermon, what does the pastor say is the difference between God’s judgment being “purgative” versus “punitive”? ([43:24])
4. What visible sign did God give Israel in Jeremiah’s day to mark them as His covenant people, and what did it represent? ([01:18:11])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does God command Jeremiah not to mourn, marry, or participate in normal community life during this time? What does this say about the seriousness of God’s holiness? ([33:49])
2. The sermon says that God’s judgment is “purgative”—meant to cleanse, not just punish. How might this change the way someone views hardship or loss in their own life? ([43:24])
3. The pastor points out that the greatest problem is not external circumstances but the deceitfulness of the human heart. How does this understanding affect the way someone approaches repentance and spiritual growth? ([01:08:26])
4. Sabbath-keeping was a visible sign of trust in God’s provision. What does it mean for Christians today to “rest in Christ,” and how might that look different from simply taking a day off? ([01:22:04])

Application Questions

1. The sermon says, “Holiness demands separation—not out of pride, but to protect the purity of our relationship with God.” Are there areas in your life where God might be calling you to separate from something or someone for the sake of holiness? What would it look like to surrender that to God, even if it’s painful? ([36:20])
2. When you experience loss, correction, or discipline, do you tend to see it as God’s anger or as His loving attempt to cleanse and restore you? Can you share a time when God used a difficult circumstance to draw you closer to Him? ([43:24])
3. The sermon says, “Salvation is not just about being rescued from sin, but being restored to God’s presence.” In what ways do you focus more on what you’re saved from, rather than what you’re saved for? How can you shift your mindset to embrace the fullness of life with God? ([49:56])
4. The pastor said, “Our greatest problem is not out there, but in here—our hearts.” What are some practical ways you can invite God to search and transform your heart this week? Is there a specific area where you need to be honest with God about your motives or desires? ([01:08:26])
5. How do you typically approach rest? Do you find it hard to stop striving and trust God’s provision? What is one practical change you could make this week to practice true rest in Christ, as a declaration of trust in Him? ([01:22:04])
6. The sermon described how the way we rest can be a witness to others. Is your life marked by peace and trust in God, or by busyness and striving? How might your approach to rest impact those around you? ([01:27:50])
7. The pastor said, “In Christ, we are made permanently clean so that we may be permanently close to God.” Do you struggle to believe that you are truly clean and welcomed into God’s presence? What truth from this sermon can you hold onto when you feel unworthy or distant from God? ([01:30:35])