God Is Holy
Part 1 of a 15-part series on the attributes of God.
When Isaiah saw God in the temple, he was surrounded by angels called seraphim who said one thing constantly:
"And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Armies; his glory fills the whole earth." Isaiah 6:3, CSB
It was as though God gave them an assignment: "You can say only one thing about me, and you must say it always. Choose wisely." Of all the things they could have said about God, they said, "Holy, holy, holy." They could have chosen "love," or "merciful," or "gracious." Instead, they chose "holy."
Nearly 2,000 years later, the apostle John saw God in the book of Revelation. He describes the angelic beings around God's throne saying the very same thing:
"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." Revelation 4:8, CSB
Two beings, separated by nearly two millennia, chose the same word to describe God. There are two things we can learn from that: God is consistently and unchangeably holy, and if God is anything, He is holy first and foremost.
Nothing else about God makes any sense unless we understand that, above all else, God is holy. Take holiness away, and every other attribute collapses.
If God were not holy, His righteousness would collapse into hypocrisy. Have you ever met a self-righteous person who always demands righteousness in others? What's the first thing anyone notices about them? Their hypocrisy. They demand righteousness in others when they have glaring faults of their own. If God were not holy, He couldn't demand righteousness in us, because He Himself would be lacking it. Verses like this one would be powerless:
"When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him, saying, 'I am God Almighty. Live in my presence and be blameless.'" Genesis 17:1, CSB
If God were not holy, His love would collapse into sentimentality — or worse, lust. There are many hurting people who've heard the words "I love you" from someone whose love wasn't pure — love that always came with a price tag: "I'll love you if you do ___." "I don't love you because you did ___." God's love comes from a place of purity and holiness. If it didn't, a verse like this would be pointless:
"And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him." 1 John 4:16, CSB
And if God were not holy, His forgiveness would be limited. If you wronged someone and sought their forgiveness, at most they could forgive you that one wrong — they can't offer forgiveness for your soul. If God were not holy, His forgiveness would be just as limited. But Scripture says:
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9, CSB
Only a holy God can grant that kind of forgiveness. So God must be holy, or He isn't God. Any attribute of God that isn't rooted in His holiness isn't biblical — there's no attribute of God that runs counter to His character, and His character is holy.
What does it mean that God is infinitely and completely holy? It means we can trust Him fully — every aspect of His character and being is fully trustworthy.
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17, CSB
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Hebrews 13:8
Is Holiness Communicable or Incommunicable?
Both, in a sense. Holiness as it pertains to God is uniquely His. At the same time, He expects us to be reflections of Him.
"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48, CSB
We all become what we worship — the more you worship God, the more like Him you become. To meet the standard of holiness God expects of us, we need a Savior, and that Savior is Jesus Christ.
What This Means for God's Disposition Toward Us
God is holy, and therefore a moral being. Anything contrary to that is a personal offense to Him. While God in His mercy gives mankind time to repent, because He is holy, He will — and must — destroy what offends Him.
"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2 Peter 3:10-13, KJV
Rather than make us self-righteously proud, that should humble us — and make us concerned for the souls of others.
— Brother Glenn
Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.