I am deeply distressed by so many of the contemporary fads and flippancy that underscore the shallowness of much of American Christianity. Nothing is more disturbing than our failure to recognize the central truth about God--that He is holy, holy, holy (Isa. 6:3).

His holiness is His only attribute repeated three times like this.

The words of Exodus 15:11 echo in my heart: "Who is like unto Thee, O Lord...majestic in holiness, awesome in praise, working wonders?"

Are you a holy minister? That is basic. One has to ask if we have any right at all to represent our holy God if we are not totally committed to a holy life.

A "Los Angeles Times" headline reads, "New Creed of Business: Jesus Sells." Tragically, our Lord has been reduced to a utilitarian genie, and hucksters and salesmen have become the chief spokesmen for our faith.

This greatly alarms me. As those who are privileged to be called to teach and preach His Word, we must be the prophetic voice of our God and affirm the holiness of His Name. We must demand that any effort in the name of our Lord manifest the integrity of His nature.

He is holy, holy, holy and must be so represented. Anything less suggests our apparent loss of respect for the majesty, awesomeness, and holiness of our Lord.

The hour's challenge for Christ's church is this, "Let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor. 7:1).

And it all begins with us--the shepherds (Isa. 24:2; Hos. 4:9). We must be known like Aaron, the priest, who was to be marked by the words, "Holy to the Lord!"

Let me make several suggestions that will provide a "second wind" when we are ready to drop out of the race for holiness.

Cleanse your mind and soul with God's Word. Ponder long over great passages about God's holiness. Some timeless chapters include Job 38-42, Psalm 99, Isaiah 40-46, and Revelation 4-5.

Be like David. "Thy Word have I treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee" (Psa. 119:11).

Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). Dr. George Sweeting suggests that prayer is God's cure for caving in. The greatest saints have been most aware of their sin and potential for collapse.

Nehemiah (1:6), Ezra (9:6), and Daniel (9:5) each confessed their sins in the fear of God who in turn shored them up for the tasks ahead.

Immerse yourself in some excellent reading about God's holiness. I am concerned that the pastors I meet don't read. When they do read, they don't read great literature. And when they do read great literature they don't immerse themselves in it. The kind of depth and passion for holiness we find in the great Puritan writers can't be absorbed through speed reading.

Turn off the television and spend some time with some of the great works that may be collecting dust on your shelf. Stephen Charnock is superb in his classic, The Existence and Attributes of God. Tozer's The Knowledge of the Holy and The Pursuit of God are priceless. The century-old Holiness by Bishop Ryle and Jerry Bridges's recent The Pursuit of Holiness will be a blessing.

The men most used by God always have "Holy to the Lord" (cf. Ex. 39:30) deeply engraved in their thinking. It isn't the cleverness of our methods, the techniques of our ministry, or the wit of our sermons that puts power in our lives. It is the awe of God that produces holiness.

Robert Murray McCheyne was twenty-seven when he wrote these words of encouragement to a newly ordained missionary friend of his:

"How diligently the cavalry officer keeps his sabre clean and sharp; every stain he rubs off with the greatest care. Remember you are God's sword--His instrument; I trust a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name.

"In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy ministry is an awful weapon in the hand of God."