Once upon a time there was a man named Faith who owned a very very very dirty pig. Pig just loved to roll around in the mud. When Faith woke up and fed Pig breakfast, Pig was in the mud. When Faith went to give Pig lunch, Pig was in the mud. When Faith gave Pig dinner, Pig was in the mud. All day long Pig played and slept in the mud. Pig just loved the mud and therefore was always very very very dirty.

One day Faith said, “I’m tired of having such a very dirty pig.” So, Faith decided to clean Pig up. Faith took Pig out of the mud and washed him off under the water. However, Pig didn’t like getting a bath and longed to jump right back into the mud. Faith kept Pig in the water even as Pig struggled to get back into the mud. Finally, Pig wasn’t dirty anymore. This made Faith very happy, but as soon as Faith turned his back, Pig ran right back to the mud and got himself even dirtier than before. Faith merely laughed, took Pig out of the mud, and put Pig right back under the water to be washed clean again.

1 Chronicles 16:29 (NKJV)

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.

1 Corinthians 5:6-7 (NKJV)

6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

 

Sin is a disease that slowly spreads through your whole heart until it corrupts every bit of the image God created you in… his beautiful, wonderful, holy, and righteous image. Sin works just like yeast as it spreads through bread and ferments. Any amount of sin you allow into your life will corrupt your holiness and pose a hindrance to your ability to worship God.

This is because true worship can only take place in a heart filled with holiness. Since we were made in the image of our holy God, we must return to that image of holiness if we wish to enter into deeper relationship with God through worship. True worship commands the heart of a worshipper to repent of any and all sin it bears. Thus, removing any possibility of your holiness being corrupted.

1 Chronicles 16:29 says worship the Lord “in the splendor of holiness.” This last phrase could also be mean “in holy attire.” Imagine holiness as a clean white shirt you put on and wear around. In order to enter into God’s deeper presence you must be wearing this shirt. Or better yet, returning to the story of Faith and Pig, imagine yourself as Pig and let Jesus Christ wash you clean and make you holy through your faith in Jesus Christ! Don’t be like Pig returning to the mud. Instead be like Faith, fed up with the mud (sin) and joyfully pursuing cleanliness (holiness)! Let’s go into Encounter 2015 with this mindset, ready to engage in true worship of Jesus and cleansing through the Word of God!