The Holiness of God

The Holiness of God

Introduction

To be holy means to be separate by a cutting off. The English word has its roots in the word “wholly” which means complete and well in every sense.

The word “holy” and its derivatives occur nearly 700 times in the scriptures. We read of: “holy land,” “holy city,” “holy place,” “holy of holies,” “holy garments, ” “holy Sabbath,” “holy gifts,” “holy crown,” “holy ointment,” “holy convocation,” “holy water,” “holy vessels,” “holy offerings,” “holy hill Zion,” “holy temple,” “holy mountains,” “holy name,” “holy promise,” “holy seed,” “holy portion, “holy name,” “holy people,” “holy Ghost,” “holy Spirit,” “holy prophets,” “holy scriptures,” “holy women,” “holy men,” “holy hands,” “holy angels,” “holy city,” “holy Jerusalem,” and “holy apostles” to name a few.

The holiness of God is not only taken for granted, God Himself declares that He is holy:

Lev 19:2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.

The seraphim also lift up this declaration in heaven:

Isa 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

His name is even said to be holy:

Ps 111:9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.

Isa 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

And His works testify and prove His holiness – He commits NO sin!

Job 34:10 Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.

Hab 1:13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

Not just a possessor of holiness

The holiness of God is not something that God has, or a certain way that God acts. It is an essential part of His nature – who He is. God is not holy because His works, deeds, plans and ideas are holy. His actions and endeavors are holy because God is holy.

God is not like man. When we attribute holiness to man we say that because of the works and life that a man lives. A man can live a holy life in spite of the fact that his nature is inherently evil. God is holy because His nature is holy. This explains why the Lord did NOT say “Be ye as holy as I am holy.” That would be absolutely impossible. Instead He said: “Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16)

He is the Holy One

It goes without saying that no other creatures including the holy angels, seraphim, or cherubim are holy as God is.

1 Sam 2:2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.

He is holiness in its absolute and purest form. There is no standard of holiness that God must conform to in order to qualify as holy. If there were, it would be superior to God. God is the standard of holiness – the absolute standard.

His holiness permeates His character

Everything God is and does saturates with holiness. While we know that God is a balanced being, it seems that His holiness guides His other attributes and characteristics. For example, His wrath and anger against sin is contingent on His holiness. Conversely, His pleasure in uprightness and purity are also reliant upon God’s holiness. If God were not holy, He would not hate sin, neither would He love righteousness.

Ps 5:4-5

4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.

5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

1 Chron 29:17 I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. . . .

Ps 147:10-11

10 He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.

11 The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

Righteousness is a manifestation of His holiness

God’s righteousness can be defined as the perfection of God’s nature. Though closely associated with God’s holiness, it is more of an application of God’s holiness. At first thought we think of the word “right.” God’s righteousness is the declaration that everything God is and does is not just holy (complete and without sin) but right.

Ps 116:5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.

Jer 12:1 Righteous art thou, O LORD . . .

Everything God says is right:

Isa 45:19 . . . . I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.

Everything God does is right:

Ps 145:17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

When the text says “all his ways” it means the same thing Romans 8:28 means when it says “all things.” This is where some break away from biblical theology to shape their own personal theology. Some would have us believe that God makes mistakes. That He couldn’t possibly be right when he allows certain atrocities to occur. This is an error. God is never unfair, unjust or wrong – even when we think He might be.

The problem is simple. We are so unholy in our lives and so used to it that we cannot see ourselves as God sees us and the world! Daniel and Ezra both had the right perspective with what they saw their country go through as a result of God’s judgments:

Ezra 9:15 O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.

Dan 9:14 Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.

Justice – a fruit of God’s holiness

When we contemplate the overwhelming idea of God’s holiness we are eventually drawn to its inevitable conclusion – justice.

The justice of God is not merely “impartiality,” or “giving what is due.” It goes deeper because it is a part of who God is. It describes in one word the absolute right and legal authority God has over His entire creation.

God’s justice is as pure as He is. He will not “clear the guilty” (Ex. 34:7); nor will He judge with “respect of persons” (1 Peter 1:17). His judgments are “according to truth” (Rom. 2:2), and He will never “pervert judgment.” (Job 34:12)

Justice - Vindictive Retribution

It speaks of the vindictive retribution to the sinner. To the sinner who will not believe on Christ – he cannot be cleared of his sins. He will have to pay the penalty. If it were not so, God would not be holy and therefore would not be God. If sin were to go unpunished, God would not be a “just” God. Since God is holy in essence, He not only hates sin, but the sinner, and must punish sin forever.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death . . .

Ps 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell . . .

Matt 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Rev 20:14-15

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Justice – a declaration of righteousness

Just as the justice of God speaks vindictive retribution to the sinner, it speaks a declaration of righteousness to the saint. Just as God is just and righteous when a sinner is condemned to burn in the lake of fire for eternity, so is God just to declare the saint righteous and free from the penalty of sin.

This marvelous truth is only possible because of the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ. When God demanded justice for the human race – all were condemned (John 3:18). When God’s holiness dictated that there should be no leniency toward sin, it seemed that all hope for man was lost. But when Jesus shed His blood for us on the cross the wrath of God was satisfied and justice was served. God not only could save sinners, but He could still be just in doing so.

Rom 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

CONCLUSION

Practical application – Knowing that God is holy should affect our lives.

If you are not saved, it should prompt you to see your deplorable condition as you are headed for a burning lake of fire for all eternity.

If you are saved it should kindle a desire in you to “be holy.” God does not approve of your sinful ways. He never has and never will.

If you are not saved, you can either received the just reward of your deeds by being cast into outer darkness, or you can be justified by faith in Jesus Christ – declared righteous and free from the penalty of sin.

If you are saved and have sinned against the Lord, you can be forgiven and your fellowship restored. God is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)