Holiness of God

Isaiah 6:1–5 ESV

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

Holiness is the preeminent attribute of God and the greatest truth that we can ever learn about Him

God is transcendent above His creation and above His creations corruptions

God’s Holiness is Intrinsic or Inherent

Meaning its inward, essential or belonging to His Nature

Holiness is not merely something that God decides to be or do

It is essential to who He is

God IS Holy

God would have to cease to be God in order to be unholy

He would have to deny His own nature to do something that is unholy

Revelation 4:8 ESV

And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

Isaiah 6:3 ESV

And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

God’s Holiness is Preeminent

the importance of 3 times

Holiness is the foundation of all that God is and does

If there is one attribute of God that we simply cannot overemphasize

God’s Holiness is Transcendent

Exodus 15:11 ESV

“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

Job 15:15 ESV

Behold, God puts no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight;

1 Samuel 2:2 ESV

“There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.

Isaiah 40:25 ESV

To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One.

This does not mean that there is sin or corruption in heaven but it communicates two great truths

1 nothing, not even the heavens themselves or those who dwell there, is holy like God

2 God’s holiness is intrinsic or inherent

What this means all other beings or things (even heaven and its holy angels) derive their holiness from God.

They are not holy in themselves, but their holiness flows from God as a gift of grace to them.

If God turned away from them and withdrew His grace, they would fall from their holy state into sin and corruption

What has God done for us, and how are we to respond?

Proverbs 9:10 ESV

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Leviticus 11:44 ESV

For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground.

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Leviticus 20:26 ESV

You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.

How important is it that we acknowledge and understand the Holiness of God?

How important is it that we grow in our own personal holiness?