Holy and Loving
Notes
Transcript
Can God Be Both Holy and Loving?
Can God Be Both Holy and Loving?
Welcome everyone, my name is Zach Klundt.
We are going to be covering a topic today that I think is a bit different then some of the topics we have covered in this class so far.
Because today there is not any special vocab words to learn, no words that are hard to pronounce or even understand.
While it is some really good doctrine and theology, it really comes down to two really strong questions and a realization that is based on how you answer them.
The two questions are is God Holy and is God loving?
Both question is what we are going to be diving into tonight.
And the common answer for most believers is we would say yes.
But by saying yes to both we then are say that God must be loving and holy.
And if God is loving and holy then eventually those two things are going to stand it contrast to one another.
I think we think about this as a society correct?
We want a loving God yet we don’t really care to have the just or the holy side of God.
The side of God that does not have a tolerance for sin— God demands payment for sin, in his holiness.
Yet it is the same God who sent this one and only son to save the world because of love his love for us—
Let me give you an example:
If you knew someone who was murdered and the police found the murder— and he was 100% guilty.
Stood on trial and everything— and the juror convicted him but the out of no where the judge says— nah he is free to go.
How would you react?
Probably not great— I mean if he killed someone we would want retribution.
We want them to be judged.
We would be outraged by this injustice.
We want Justice to be carried out.
And this is essential what we are talking about God’s holiness and his love.
God deserves to have justice.
God is Holy and God demands that we are in line with him.
Yet we don’t tend to like this idea.
That God would punish us.
That God would be against us.
That God should punish us and our work.
We may say only God can judge me, until we see God judge us, and then we get mad at the stuff we are judged for.
We make claims that a loving God would never want to do that.
We would rather put God in a compromising position rather then ourselves.
This is the balance of Holy and Love.
God is both— Tonight we are going to look at how this is possible and see why this matters to us.
I figure the best way to start is to talk about Holiness.
The question we all need to ask is simple:
Is God Holy
Define holy
Anybody have a definition they want to share?
Moral and ethical wholeness or perfection; freedom from moral evil.
Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Holiness
The holiness of God speaks to God’s existence as completely separate from his creation and, at the same time, to his pure and utterly incorruptible nature.
What does it mean to be holy?
Personally what does Holiness mean?
When we take about holiness in general it is this idea that something or someone is set apart.
When God appears to Moses as a burning Bush he tells Moses— the ground you are standing on is holy ground.
It is set apart from the other ground in a unique way.
As believers we are called to be holy, yet by going from God’s definition of Holy that would be impossible— Moral perfection— ethically wholeness.
This could not be us, but this is us when we talk about use being set apart for God.
As in we are dedicated to him.
There are two different ways to look at holiness- one is according to us and one is according to God’s attributes.
What defines his holiness?
God must be Holy, it is one of his attributes, it set him apart from creation.
His very nature is holy.
God is set apart from creation.
God's holiness is an intrinsic part of His nature, stemming from His perfect righteousness, purity, and separation from sin.
It is not something He acquires or achieves, but rather an essential attribute that defines Him.
The concept of holiness in the Bible is often associated with the idea of "set apart."
God is set apart from all creation, transcending human understanding and limitations.
He is infinitely pure and just, incapable of wrongdoing or compromise.
This absolute moral perfection is what makes Him holy.
Furthermore, God's holiness is expressed in His unwavering commitment to His own character and standards.
He is faithful to His promises and just in His judgments.
His holiness demands reverence and awe, inspiring a deep sense of humility and worship in those who encounter Him.
In essence, God's holiness is the foundation of His divine nature, setting Him apart as the ultimate standard of goodness and righteousness.
It is a reflection of His infinite glory and majesty, and it is a source of both comfort and challenge for humanity.
Is God Holy?
100%
Passages where we see his holiness on display.
And one called to another:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies;
his glory fills the whole earth.
Each of the four living creatures had six wings; they were covered with eyes around and inside. Day and night they never stop, saying,
Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God, the Almighty,
who was, who is, and who is to come.
There is no one holy like the Lord.
There is no one besides you!
And there is no rock like our God.
For I am the Lord your God, so you must consecrate yourselves and be holy because I am holy. Do not defile yourselves by any swarming creature that crawls on the ground. For I am the Lord, who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God, so you must be holy because I am holy.
But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.
It would be fair to say that God is holy.
Which brings us to the next question: Is God loving?
Is God Loving?
Define Love according to us?
Love means so much to all of us.
So let’s define it as simple as possible— When I say love what do you think about?
So what is love?
Love is a deep emotional and spiritual bond characterized by affection, care, trust and a desire for the happiness and well-being of another person.
What does it mean to be loving?
Do things for other, show up, consistently in their lives, calling to accountable actions.
What does it mean for God to be loving?
God is very simply put love.
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
It is another one of his attributes, God is loving.
God’s love is the divine attribute that indicates God’s disposition to be self-giving and for the good of the other.
There are several key ways to look at God’s love:
Unconditional Love: He loves us despite our flaws.
Self-Sacrificing Love: God sent Jesus to die for us— God goes to extreme lengths to demonstrate his love for us.
Compassionate Love: God is deeply compassionate towards his creation— he does care for us.
Gracious Love: God’s love is full of grace. Grace is unmerited favor. God forgives and gives us mercy.
Just Love: God will hold people accountable for what they do, less they repent and put their faith in God.
Is God loving?
Yes again— his is the very definition of love.
What defines his love?
God’s love does not make sense to us.
Several years ago— A song came out called Reckless Love— and you may know the song and you may even have your own opinion of the song.
That is great for you— I think however when we honestly read the stories from the Bible and how God is loving, the more i feel like this song describes God’s love well.
I’m not saying that God is reckless.
Let us clear the air there.
Yet this song talks about how God was willing to go all in and give up his son for us— knowing full well that people would not believe in Him, that they would mock Jesus and God— yet God in his perfect still sent holy loving, Jesus to die for their sins.
“Oh the overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God.
It chases me down, fights till i’m found, leaves the 99.
I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still you give yourself away.”
Let us think about this.
Let’s look at the parable that Jesus used for this example:
What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
The 100 are walking and one goes off on their own— would not God in his love go after the one.
We are not told where he leaves the 99 but they are on the mountains and a search party starts.
We would probably hear from others that you shouldn’t don’t waste your time with that one.
I’m glad that I was one that He came after and call me to him, because I was a loss sheep but was found by my Shepard.
Another Example.
If I was in a situation where I was continuing to give my love to my spouse, even though she does not accept it, she throws it back in face, she questions my love all the time, she doesn’t talk about me or really even speak to me unless she wants something?
How do you think I should respond?
I think I would be pretty mad and eventually I would leave.
I think to stay would be nuts, it would crazy to stay— some may even say it would be reckless of me to stay.
I think that is how we can best define love— it is never-ending, always chasing, and very overwhelming.
Passages where we see his love on display.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
If we can all conclude that God is holy and that he is love separately— then it must also be true of God that he is both of these things at the same time.
So how does this shape our lives?
Let’s start with Holiness:
Understanding God's holiness can transform our approach to sin, reverence, worship, and living a sanctified life.
When we stand up to God’s standard of holiness— there is not much to compare.
We stand at odds.
The contrast is stark.
It doesn’t really even exist.
And this should drive us to our knees like the Prophet Isaiah, who saw the Throne room, with God seated on his Throne, and the Seraphim, those fiery, dragon type creatures.
That were shouting— Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God of Host.
And the whole temple was shaking.
The image of God in his absolutely holiness drove Isaiah to cry out— Woe is me! I am a man of unclean lips.
I shouldn’t be here.
You ever get somewhere and you feel out of place, like you went into the wrong bathroom, at a taco bell only to be mocked when you came back out, by your wife, kids, and all the youth group student you took.
Yeah me either.
But we can imagine right.
Isaiah sees perfection and he knows that he is no where close to it.
And because of God’s holiness Isaiah is driven to confession of sin and he repent and God cleanses him, and then send him on a mission.
We have to understand that God is a holy God.
We are not the same as he is.
Because of his Holiness this should drive us to live for the one who is.
Understanding Holiness can also provide comfort and encouragement amidst the struggles of moral compromise in a fallen world.
Because what begins to happen is when we doubt God’s holiness— That he is just.
When we doubt this— we get to places where we begin to question why does suffering happen, why does bad things happen?
It is a good question, I’m sure we all have heard this and even wrestled with it.
Now what are people really asking there?
I believe people are saying— I can’t believe in a God who would allow evil to happen.
I can’t believe that God would just allow all of these bad things to happen in our world today.
He can’t be loving— it is not a knock on his holiness but of his love.
The love they want is one that everything is good and great and we all are peaceful and harmonious.
They don’t want to take accountability for their actions.
They want a loving God—not a holy God.
A holy God says no— I love you but I can’t allow this to continue.
Where do we see this at?
One of the first places we can see this happen is the story of Sodom and Gomorrah.
For I have chosen him so that he will command his children and his house after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. This is how the Lord will fulfill to Abraham what he promised him.” Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is immense, and their sin is extremely serious.
Abraham and Sarah are eating with the three visitors, aka God.
God just told them they were going to have a son— Sarah laughs remember?
And as they are conversing— God says— Should I tell him what I am about to do?
The sin is to grave to ignore.
When you get an only loving God (according to us) who allows us to have desires of our hearts, because that is what we believe love is.
Love doesn’t tell me no— Love tells me you be you in our current culture.
That love has no accountability.
And then it comes to my life— the most loving thing you can do is support me and let me be me.
And when that happens you get to a place like Sodom and Gomorrah.
Sin is running rampant.
Probably just as bad or worst then when God flooded the earth.
And God could have not said a word to Abraham.
God would have been just and Holy still if he said nothing and burned that city to the ground.
God would have been just as loving as well, even if he burned it to the ground.
This is where God’s mercy and grace step in.
God would have been fine to do what he wanted to do, but he told Abraham, his plan and what does Abraham do?
Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will you really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away instead of sparing the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people who are in it? You could not possibly do such a thing: to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. You could not possibly do that! Won’t the Judge of the whole earth do what is just?”
The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
Abraham begins to negation with God.
God know that there is not 50 righteous people in the city.
He knows it— yet he listens.
And Abraham keeps this conversation going and he keeps taking away people.
He keeps going to the Lord and saying well what about 45 righteous people, and then 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, and the Lord listens and until he get to ten and then he disappears.
I would take that the Lord agreed with that— that if ten righteous people would have been present then God would have spared them.
But there was one and even in God spearing Lot and his family— you have a spouse who desired sin over her own life— and then daughters who would get their father drunk so they could have his children.
Who would be the Moabites and the Ammonites— who would be some of Israel’s greatest enemies.
And as you look back at this story— God is gracious, he was willing to spare the whole city if ten righteous people were found, sadly— there was not even 10.
Abraham says in Gen 18:23
You could not possibly do such a thing: to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. You could not possibly do that! Won’t the Judge of the whole earth do what is just?”
Won’t the judge of the whole earth do what is just?
This is the question Abraham ask?
And once all the dust answers his answer is yes.
The Answer is always yes.
God is going to do what is just every time, because only God can judge perfectly every time.
“The Judge of all the earth always does what is right. In the midst of a world that is wicked and evil and overlooks crimes against the innocent, We can take comfort in knowing that our God is just, and one day he will make all things right.
In the context of the Bible, God's holiness is ultimately revealed in Jesus Christ, who embodies the perfect holiness of God and invites us to be partakers of His divine nature through faith in Him.
While we cannot achieve holiness on our own— we have righteous thrown on us like a robe when we come to Christ.
It make the striving for holiness possible like it says in
since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
God would not call us to something impossible.
Yet it is impossible when we do it on our own.
It has to come from Christ, so that we can live a life that is set apart of our King.
Let’s talk about love.
Understanding God's love helps believers find comfort in trials, assurance of salvation, and a motivation to love others selflessly.
God's love is unconditional, unwavering, and transformative, calling us to live in response to that love.
Throughout Scripture, Christ embodies God's love—demonstrated through His sacrifice, teaching, and continuous intercession for mankind.
When we stand before The Holy God of the universe.
Our sin stains stand out like sore thumbs.
Our unworthiness makes God’s love even more beautiful.
As we looked in Isaiah 6 and talked about Isaiah standing before a Holy God and seeing that his sin is vial.
God in his love does something extraordinary.
He forgives him.
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
This burning coal that is so hot that even the fiery Seraphim dare not touch it, he puts it on the lips of Isaiah.
While the Seraphim touched Isaiah it was God who heard his plea and cleansed him not the Seraphim.
God removed his sin.
Isaiah was forgiven by God— And in that forgiveness— Isaiah does what next?
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
“It is God’s love— a love that provides the atonement needed for forgiveness— that not only upholds but fulfills the conditions of divine holiness.”
When we experience God’s love— it transforms us and it drives us into being on mission for him.
Think back to maybe when you first were saved and how on fire you may have been for the Lord.
The Zeal you had for him.
You were will to serve anywhere and everywhere, you spoke to anyone and every about Christ.
Isaiah never forgot about this love that God showed him.
I’m not saying that we forget about God’s love.
If we are repented, believers in Christ, we must never forget the love that was hung on Calvary’s hill.
Because we know that Isaiah’s story is incredible— Yet God did a greater work in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Who came to save the world from sin?
Why?
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
It was God’s love that sent Jesus to earth to save us.
And in that Love Christ would stand as our propitiation.
It is because of our state of separation from God due to us not being able to uphold the law.
And a Holy God who hates sin and can have nothing to do with it— that why we even get John 3:16.
Yes it is his love for the world that he gave up his son— a reality he knew at the beginning of time and beyond.
It was that sin needed a price to be paid.
Justice needed to be served to a holy loving God.
The cross is not a just a symbol of love, but of holiness.
That sin was paid for but it was not something we had to pay for.
We know that sin had to be punished.
And that is when Jesus steps in.
While it was an act of love, it was also justice being served.
The word propitiation highlights this well.
Propitiation means that he satisfied the penalty for our sin by bearing on the cross the wrath of God that we deserved.
Because we serve a holy loving God— a penalty had to be handed out.
He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
Justice had to take place.
And on that day it was.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
The cross is the greatest example love we will ever see.
And because we serve a holy loving God.
We respond to a world in love.
We give out love, we tell people of God’s great love, we are lights to those around us.
We are good neighbors, tippers, employees, bosses, leaders, husbands and wives, dads and moms,.
We love all of those around us.
Never forgetting the love that God has for us.
That he sent his son to die, because of our sin.
Sin drove Jesus to the cross because a debt was owed to our holy God.
And it was his grace and mercy that was given to us, but his grace and mercy did not compromise his justness.
God is still holy and he sent his son to be our propitiation.
If anything grace flowed from His righteousness.
So yes:
God is both Holy and Loving
Both of these attributes of God show up at different times throughout the Bible.
It is who he is— It would have been simple to come in and just say yes, and class dismissed.
I hope that tonight you leave with a better love for our holy loving God.
Let’s pray
Off until Jan 8th!
