The Holiness of God

2019-10-14

Please understand from the outset that anyone that sets out to talk about the holiness of God will not do Him justice, and this essay will not do so either. This will not be an exhaustive study, as it is not possible to even write one. This will mention some of the highlights of God’s holiness.

Wholly Other

In another writing, I say that holy means “set apart.” This is true, but it still does not do the LORD of glory justice, because if He were “set apart,” it implies that He was once a part of something not holy. To say that God is holy is to say that He is “wholly other.” There is none like Him. He is different from anything we find in creation:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Superior to All

To make the greatest understatement one could utter, anything that is exalted as a god is far inferior to God:

Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone. (Psalms 86:8-10)

Unique

To say God is holy is also to say that He is unique:

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

The Unholy Cannot Approach God

Anything that is not holy cannot stand before the LORD of glory:

And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us? (1 Samuel 6:20)

The Inherent Holiness of God

Other people and things are considered holy throughout the Bible, to be considered at another time. However, God is inherently holy, the source of all holiness, and anything else that could ever be called holy would derive its holiness from the LORD God:

Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest. (Revelation 15:4)

God, the Only One Worthy of Worship

Because of God’s holiness, He is the only one worthy of worship:

Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy. (Psalms 99:9)

God is Without Sin

The Bible tells us:

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man (James 1:13).

Because of the purity of God, the sinner cannot come into His presence:

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth (1 John 1:5-6)

The LORD of glory cannot look on evil:

Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity (Habakkuk 1:13).

Prophets of the past came into the presence of God and immediately recognized their sinfulness (Isaiah 6:5). Others were told to take off their shoes, because the presence of the Lord made the ground holy (Exodus 3:5; Joshua 5:15).

God’s Righteousness

Because God is completely holy, He is completely righteous. As a judge, the LORD does perfect justice every time.

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

Again, we read:

But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. (Isaiah 5:16)

Our Response

Our response to God’s holiness is to be like the prophets in the Bible. Isaiah recognized his sinfulness when He saw the holiness of the LORD (Isaiah 6:5). Daniel (Daniel 5:11) and John (Revelation 1:17) fell down in fear before the Son of God as dead men. God’s holiness exposes our sinfulness inherent in our being, our actions, our words, and our thoughts. Because God “canst not look on iniquity,” He will pour out His wrath on evil humankind, including you and me. However, God in His mercy sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die in our place. Jesus suffered the full force of His Father’s wrath on the cross. Everything about our evilness was judged in the holy Son of God. Jesus also rose from the dead and will return to judge the world in righteousness. Trust in Jesus Christ today, who received the wrath of God on our behalf, and be delivered from God’s wrath on the day of judgment.