GETTING TO KNOW GOD:  HE IS HOLY

TEXT:  "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts." - Isaiah 6:3

In some circles, the holiness of God is rarely mentioned.  It is easy to talk about the love of God, the grace of God and the mercy of God; but it is not popular to speak about the holiness of God.

The problem is that most people have a poor understanding about God's holiness.  How may we define God's holiness?  God's holiness is His moral perfection, defining His intrinsic glory.  It is not simply that God is morally excellent.  Instead, He is morally perfect.  Every aspect of His being (His attributes) is impacted by His holiness.

These days, morality is defined by personal preference rather than a Biblically defined standard.  Mankind has sunk to such a low level of depravity in order to avoid the standard God has already set.  However, mankind is still held responsible to God -- not according to their self-subscribed standard, but by His ultimate standard.

What do we mean by God's holiness?  God's holiness is His divine perfection, free from fault, flaws or failures.  God is spotless from all sinful impurities. 

Have you ever had surgery?  If so, you know that an operating room should be kept spotlessly clean.  Unclean instruments, unclean surgical hands, and an unfit setting are detrimental to surgical success.  We expect the hospital to provide a clean environment for a medical procedure.  We expect dirt and grime to be kept away from such a place.

God is far more spotless than an operating room.  His moral perfection so permeates His being that the dirt of sin is never permitted near Him.  He is holy. 

Our pagan society wishes for God to be known only as a "God of love."  Certainly, God is love.  However, when Isaiah saw the LORD high and lifted up, he heard the seraphims crying out, "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts."  Notice the emphasis of their cry.  Three times they referred to God as holy.  We tend to dismiss such emphasis, but we should not.  His divine nature is so perfect that the utterance of the word "holy," was not sufficient to describe Him.  Instead, three times God was proclaimed to be holy.

As we worship the Lord, we need to remember His holiness.  The utter perfection of His being should have us in awe of Him. 

God's holiness also creates a problem for us.  Since He is morally perfect, no dirt or filth is permitted in His presence.  Each one of us must admit that we have been soiled by the dirt of sin.  In fact, we are filthy sinners.  Like Isaiah, the thought of God's holiness such drive us to say, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." (Isaiah 6:5).

Sadly, many think they are going to heaven because they are "good."  Their concept of goodness is shaped by human comparison.  When we view our situation in relation to God's holiness, we are prompted to see our filthy condition and know the hopeless situation we are in.

How can filthy sinners come in the presence of God?  First of all, through God's convicting power, we must see our sinful state.  Until a man sees his condition in light of God's holiness, he is prone to continue in self-righteousness.   Recently, while cleaning the house, I realized how deceitful dust and dirt could really be.  In a dimly lit room, everything seemed fine.  However, when I turned on the light, I began to notice how dusty the furniture really was.  The same is true for your life and mine.  We think we are relatively clean until the light of God's Truth exposes the reality of sin in our lives. 

Secondly, a man must repent.  He must reject his self-righteousness.  He must come to the end of himself, with genuine contrition.  Like the prodigal son, he must admit his unworthiness to come to the Father.

Finally, a man must turn to Christ, alone, for salvation.  Not only must a man throw himself at the mercy of God, he must see that the only provision for his sin is found in the finished work of Christ on the cross.  Placing his faith in Christ, the blood of Jesus cleanses him from sin.  At that moment, the righteousness of Christ is imputed unto him.  Through Jesus Christ, a sinner becomes a saint.  Through faith in the Lord Jesus, an unrighteous man becomes a righteous child of God.

We need an experience similar to Isaiah's.  We need a fresh view of God's holiness.  We need to spend time in prayerful contemplation of His divine perfection.  He is holy.  He deserves and demands holiness from His people.  Being transformed by the Holy One, we have incentive to worship and serve Him.  

God is not just "a regular guy."  He is the Sovereign God of the universe.  He is holy.  Even the Name of God is holy (Isaiah 57:15).  That is why we should be VERY careful in our use of His Name.  "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." (Exodus 20:7).

We need to have a healthy understanding of God.  Even American Christians tend to humanize God --- acting as though God is just a human being.  I believe we'd experience revival in our churches if we began to think of God as the holy, divine being that He really is.