Q.

In your article about lifting up holy hands (see Lifting Up Holy Hands) would this be the same as holding up pure hands? Like someone that is righteous and has a very close relationship with Christ?

Kelli

A.

Hello Kelli,

Thanks for your follow-up question to the article on lifting up holy hands. The question has two parts. One expands the other.

First, yes “pure” hands would be the same as “holy” hands. It would be the concept of Psalm 24:3-4, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart.” Holy, pure, or clean describing “hands” would all be the same. Yet, Psalm 24 speaks of “clean hands and a pure heart.” This precision indicates both outward and inward purity. Obviously, there is a sense where this must be true, or it would be hypocrisy. But we must be careful not to embrace meritorious thinking by misunderstanding outward holiness. This leads us to the second part of your question.

The expansion of your question says, ”Like someone that is righteous and has a very close relationship with Christ?” The key is understanding “righteous” and “close relationship with Christ.” If this understanding of “holy hands” means someone with a good record, at least for a recent or given time-period, which tends toward a mere outward understanding of holiness, then you are back to performance-based thinking. But we don’t ever earn things from God. Jesus earned it all. We can only access Him, and His righteousness, by faith.

But if “holy hands” means cleansed hands and supernaturally enabled hands, then the holiness comes through the blood of Jesus being applied to you, and is sustained through the holy life of Jesus being imparted to you. This occurs through honesty for cleansing and God-dependence for Spirit-enabled living. Honesty and faith accesses the very righteousness of Jesus Christ. Hands cleansed by the blood and enabled by the Spirit may be said to be “holy” or “pure” hands.

John

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