RUN LIKE A CHAMPION

“Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.” (Leviticus 20:7, 8)
The world describes beauty in terms of youth. Slim, perfectly shaped bodies seem to catch people’s attention. Yet one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever met was a 90-year-old man only a few months from death. Dr. Frank Laubach was known for developing a method to teach people to read and write. His method of literacy training is still used around the world.
Dr. Laubach was an extraordinary missionary and a great man of prayer. He spent his last few years teaching at Asbury College and Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. That’s where I met this spiritual giant. In 1970, a great revival broke out on the campus. A few weeks later, I had the opportunity to speak to the students. It was one of the most incredible moves of God I’ve ever experienced. A chapel service that was supposed to take 30 minutes ended up lasting for seven days and seven nights without interruption. It was a divine moment when God visited a Christian campus.
When I visited Asbury, I sat at the feet of this godly gentleman. He said, “I’ve longed to see this day, and God has been faithful to allow me to see such a move of His Spirit. I’m ready to go home.” A few months later, Dr. Laubach passed into the presence of the Lord.
A sweet aroma about his life lingers with me to this day. It’s the fragrance of a man who was like Jesus. His attitudes, faith, and commitment pointed me to Jesus. I saw Jesus in this man. He had come to know God as Jehovah M’Kaddesh, God, the Sanctifier.
The word sanctify in the Bible is the same word as holy. It simply means “set apart.” God is holy. He’s set apart, because there’s none like Him. He’s the Creator, and we’re the creation. He’s absolute purity, and all mankind is impure. He’s holy. But He’s also the Holy One who sanctifies His people. He’s set apart — and when we come to know Him, He sets us apart for His glory and honor. He’s Jehovah M’Kaddesh, the God who sanctifies.
The first time God reveals Himself as Jehovah M’Kaddesh is in Leviticus 20:7, 8. The children of Israel had come to know God as Jehovah Nissi, God, our banner. They were rallied to victory because they had a banner under which they marched. But God wanted them to have more than a banner. He wanted them to have a fragrance of beauty. In short, He desired that they be holy, just as He is holy.
There’s a certain beauty about holiness. We’re exhorted to worship God in the beauty of holiness. God is our Sanctifier. He’s the One who makes us holy. When Christ comes into our hearts, holiness enters our lives because the Holy One has invaded our innermost being. The more we come to know God as Jehovah M’Kaddesh, the more beautiful we become. That’s why the most beautiful people in the world are those senior citizens who’ve walked with God for many years. As they have come to know God as Jehovah M’Kaddesh, they’ve grown in the beauty of His holiness.
It’s not the young and trim that are beautiful, but the humble and holy. A person will either grow to be a cranky, old man or woman, or they will become more like Jesus.
The choice is ours. Draw near to God. Get to know Him as Jehovah M’Kaddesh. You’ll grow into a beautiful person.