Posted on 03/16/2018 7:53:03 PM PDT by metmom
"Hallowed be Thy name" (Matt. 6:9).
God is holy and deserves your highest respect and your humble obedience.
To most people the word hallowed elicits thoughts of Halloween, ivy-covered walls, or starchy religious traditions. But those are all far from its biblical meaning. "Hallowed" in Matthew 6:9 translates a Greek word that means "holy." When Christ said, "Hallowed be Thy name," He was saying in effect, "May Your name be regarded as holy." When you hallow God's name, you set it apart from everything common and give Him the place He deserves in your life.
Throughout Scripture, holiness is attributed to persons or things that are consecrated to God's service. The Sabbath day, for example, was to be kept holyset apart from the other days (Ex. 20:8). The Israelite priests were to be considered holy because they rendered special service to the Lord (Lev. 21:8). As believers in Christ we are to be holy because we belong to God (1 Pet. 1:15).
Holiness also speaks of moral excellence and purity. God is called the "Holy One" (1 Pet. 1:15) not only because He is set apart from His creation, but also because He is pure and sinless in His character. That's why Isaiah pronounced a curse on himself when he saw the Lord and heard the angels crying out, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory" (Isa. 6:3- 5). He was overcome with a sense of his own human sinfulness in the presence of a holy God.
Such a God deserves your highest respect and reverence. He is your gracious and loving Father, but He is also the sovereign, majestic God of the universe. Consequently, you must guard against thinking of Him as a buddy or addressing Him flippantly.
Additionally, He deserves your humble obedience. You hallow His name only when your life is marked by righteousness and moral excellence.
May that be true of you today, and may you seek to honor Him in all that you do!
Suggestions for Prayer
Always approach God with a sense of respect and reverence. Think of specific ways that you can hallow His name today. Ask Him for the grace to do so.
For Further Study
Read each of these verses, noting the specific ways you can glorify God: Joshua 7:19; Psalm 50:23; John 15:8; Romans 15:5-6; 1 Corinthians 6:20; Philippians 2:9-11; and 2 Thessalonians 3:1.
Studying God’s Word ping
Psalm 50:14-15 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.
Psalm 50:23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!
Good one. And a good reminder of just Who we are privileged to be in fellowship and service.
All this good solid teaching gives lie to what we are accused of in thinking that we can sin wantonly, don’t need to live righteous lives, don’t have any respect for God because we think of Jesus as our buddy, etc.
In every area we are falsely accused, wee have this kind of good teaching that proves those accusations wrong.
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