Belonging
Jesus teaches that God is both a loving Father and a holy God, and believers must approach Him with reverence and obedience. God’s holiness not only reveals who He is, but also transforms believers through sanctification. The petition “Your kingdom come” calls for Christ to reign fully in the world and especially within the believer’s heart, destroying the power of sin and establishing His rule in every area of life.
Introduction
There are seven petitions in the Lord’s Prayer.
The first petition comes after the phrase “Our Father who is in heaven.”
“Hallowed be Your name.”
God is holy.
We must recognize His holiness and His glory.
We must understand that holiness is God’s greatest attribute.
Nathan Finochio said in a sermon:
“God’s holiness is before His love. His love is a holy love.”
This is a deep truth.
His hope is a holy hope.
We have a holy faith.
We have a holy Bible.
We are meant to have a holy Church.
Everything sacred that is directly connected to God participates in His holiness.
What Does “Holy” Mean?
“Holy” signifies many things about who God is.
Primarily, it means “other.”
God is not like us or like the world.
He is separate.
There is a distinction between the Creator and the creature.
Christians do not believe in pantheistic or panentheistic ideas.
That God is inside everything and everything is divine.
These ideas come from Eastern mysticism and New Age thinking.
They must be confronted with the Word of God.
The Holiness of God
Leviticus 22:32
God calls His name holy.
Everything about God is holy.
Everything in the temple was consecrated as holy.
There were degrees of holiness within the temple:
The outer courts
The Holy Place
The Holy of Holies
Holiness marks:
God Himself
The house of God
Everything connected to Him
Isaiah 6:3
“Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts.”
God’s glory visible on the earth is a reflection of His holiness.
The essence of holiness exists in God alone.
God as Holy Father
Jesus teaches:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.”
God is a good Father, but also a holy Father.
There is a proper tension between:
Relationship with God
Fear of the Lord
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
True love for God produces reverence and honor.
Filial Fear
Filial fear is similar to the respect a loving child has for a father.
As love grows, reverence and honor also grow.
Closeness with God should never produce disrespect.
We must not abuse:
His grace
His mercy
We are never called to dishonor God’s holiness.
Sanctification
John 17:17
“Sanctify them in Your truth.”
1 Peter 1:15–16
“Be holy, for I am holy.”
God desires to make His people holy.
God’s presence comes to transform us.
God does not adapt to our sinfulness; He changes us.
We do not relate to God on our terms, but on His.
He is Lord before He is acknowledged as Savior.
God accepts us as we are, but He does not leave us unchanged.
Perseverance in Holiness
God desires to remove everything mixed with sin in our lives.
We need sanctification in His holy name.
This section of the Lord’s Prayer reminds believers:
We belong to God’s family
Yet His name is holy
God’s holiness becomes refuge and strength for believers.
Though holiness confronts the flesh, it is beautiful to the spirit.
“Your Kingdom Come”
The Second Petition
“Your kingdom come.”
This petition asks for God’s kingdom—not our own kingdom—to come.
Human beings often build kingdoms for their own glory.
God desires to establish His kingdom:
In our hearts
In our lives
In this world
The Eternal and Present Kingdom
Matthew 25:34
This refers to the eternal kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world.
The kingdom also has a present dimension:
Christ reigning in this world.
Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords.
All authority belongs to Christ (Matthew 28:18).
Nations and rulers are subject to Him.
Recognizing Christ’s kingship means aligning with truth.
The Kingdom in Personal Life
God’s kingdom must come personally into our lives.
God desires to destroy the reign of sin within us.
Christ must reign over every part of the soul.
There are strongholds of sin that must be torn down.
The enemies in the Old Testament symbolize sins and vices within us.
Romans 6:12:
“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body.”
Believers must allow Christ to truly reign in their lives.
Warning
It is possible to sing about God’s reign while sin still rules the heart.
A.W. Tozer said:
“Christians don’t tell lies, they sing them.”
The kingdom of God must truly live within us.
