After the first site, I went to a second site and found the same result. In addition, many sermon titles and descriptions contain the phrase “the holiness of God,” however, after listening to some of them, I was shocked to find they did not offer a biblical or meaningful perspective of God’s holiness. Instead, the sermons portrayed holiness as exclusively dealing with one’s behavior. When they speak of God’s holiness, they usually mean “That God acts purely.” After talking to several church members and pastors in an informal poll, this seems to be the majority view of holiness among those I spoke to.

The holiness of God, like all His attributes, must be given its proper place with the other attributes, and God must define it since He is the one who perfectly knows Himself (Mt 11:27). Twice in Scripture (Isa 6:3; Rev 4:8), we see angelic worship where they emphasize His holiness saying, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” Notice, those who exist in the immediate presence of God see fit to point to this attribute. This should show us the importance of holiness, although not to the exclusion of others. But a casual observer must admit that there is something special about the holiness of God. It is something more than just His mere behavior. Additionally, holiness is the only attribute repeated three times in quick succession in Scripture. Though God is loving, just, creative, faithful, sovereign, peaceful, fatherly, jealous, good, almighty, omnipresent, omniscient, immutable, eternal, and a host of other attributes, none of these are put on display in the same way as holiness.

However, even in accepting this, there is still a propensity to downplay and misdefine the holiness of God, which is a grave travesty. We must start with a correct definition of holiness and then move into the implication for the believer in light of this attribute. I hope that through this article you will see the grievous error of downplaying and improperly defining holiness and that you will see the holiness of God more clearly and that it will impact your life.

Please do not misunderstand what I am saying, I do not think one attribute is superior to another. Instead, God is a unified whole of all His attributes simultaneously. He is perfect, never growing in His attributes, nor lessening in them. It is difficult to distinguish the different attributes from each other. Some observe the frequency of certain attributes and suggest that they are more important than others. This might lead them to explain God and the rest of His attributes through the lens of that one attribute. But when we carefully observe what the Scriptures teach, we see that God does not do this, rather He emphasizes specific attributes for His self-revelation in certain circumstances and specific reasons. As we will see, the holiness of God helps fight the errors of idolatry, syncretism, worship, salvation, sanctification, and a host of others. The frequent mention of the holiness of God is a testament to our frequent error and sin.

We must begin our discussion with the meaning of the word “holy.” The two words in the original language, are qōḏeš in Hebrew and hágios in Greek. Both words have the base meaning of “to be separate.” In the ancient world, when something was “separate” it was set aside for a particular use or separate in nature.

To say that God is holy is to speak of His separation or His uniqueness. Moses asked in Exodus 15:11, “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you?” This refers to God’s uniqueness. Although man is made in the likeness of God, we are not gods. There are many things that God is that we are not. God is not collectively made up of His creation; instead, He is separate and wholly other.

What makes Him different? Moses answered that God is “majestic in holiness” (Ex 15:11). There exists an awe-inspiring splendor in God’s otherness. Numerous accounts of humans experiencing God’s glory demonstrate that they felt an overwhelming sense of awe and fear in His presence where they became aware of their unworthiness. They realized that God is other, while they are sinful; they experienced a profound awareness of their creatureliness. For us, it is this same creaturely awareness that should drive us to the cross. It causes us to see that we are sinners, and He is distinct in His holiness, and the only way we can be right with this holy God is through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Other passages speak of God’s holiness in a way that reveals what is meant by “holy.” For example, Psalm 99:1-3 speaks of God’s transcendence or His exaltation above all others. He is separate from us; He is above us. This does not erase the fact that God is imminent. Instead, we behold Him, the Great God who is beyond us.

In the New Testament, we are told that God’s children are called to holiness because God Himself is holy (1Pt 1:16). His separation from His creation is far more than transcendent “otherlyness,” including even His actions and reactions. God’s actions are holy since they f low from His otherness. They are holy because they display His majesty and transcendence. They are holy because they are unique to Him. Thus, as His children, it would make sense that we act separately from our old lifestyle and that of the world. We should act consistently with our Heavenly Father’s character. Our good works are done in such a way that they are dedicated and set apart for Him.

While there is a positive side to God’s holiness, namely, He loves what is good or holy, we see there is also a negative side to God’s holiness — He hates sin. His hatred is utter contempt for sin, and He desires to eradicate it. One can see that both aspects of His holiness flow into the giving of commands and judgments.

God’s holiness is His intrinsic, awesome, and transcendent otherness displayed in His character and actions. When the creature beholds this holiness, either in person or through the Scriptures, we are immediately struck with awe, fear, awareness of our condition, and awareness of His transcendent otherness. When we examine this phenomenon in light of all of His attributes, we see that His holiness causes us to be in awe and His love beckons us to come. He works in our hearts in such a way that we are convicted of our sin, we see our smallness, and we are convinced that this Holy God is the only solution for our soul.

With a proper understanding of the holiness of God, we can move our attention to the practical implications of this doctrine. The first is worship, the believer’s appropriate response of love for God’s glory. God’s holiness should cause our heart to change and soften and our soul should be amazed and in awe of God. When you catch a glimpse of His holiness from the pages of Scripture, the heart will bow. The mind will be transfixed, and you will immediately be overcome with His worthiness and your unworthiness. The believer that thinks upon the holiness of God cannot be tempted to follow another god or idol while we say boldly, “Who is like our God! Majestic in holiness and splendor.” Idolatry is not merely wrong because the idols do not exist, but it is terrible because we do not see our God in the splendor of His majesty.

The second implication of the holiness of God is regarding how we view ourselves and our actions. We sense our smallness and our depravity. When humans have this sense, it should drive them to say, “Woe is me!” We see our sinfulness and it causes us to see our need for salvation. We know that we are deserving of God’s judgment. As we grow in the knowledge of God’s holiness, we begin to hate the darkness and love the light.

The third implication would be the distinct privilege of the believer; we are called to be holy. This means we are called to be different, consecrated for the service of God. We are to leave worldliness and lead a life of holiness. How does this attribute call us to be different and consecrated for His service? The Apostle John points out in 1 John 1:5-10 that fellowship with a holy God requires us to be holy. There is a certain inevitability that we will act unholy, and the consequence is a break in fellowship. Therefore, there will be the conviction of sin, the desire to restore fellowship, followed by confession of sin, and yielding to the Spirit. The Spirit of God works on our hearts and produces holy living.

The fourth implication would be our communication of God’s holiness. I do not mean that we stand behind our pulpit and preach our version of “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” — though one would wonder if that were needed in some churches today. What I mean is that we must discuss God’s true nature and point the people of God to admire Him for who He is as revealed in Scripture, especially during these days when so many believers are distracted by politics, social media, and a host of other things. As we call them to think upon the attributes of God (including the holiness of God), this will sharpen our focus, mission, and message.

As I look around the evangelical church in America, many things alarm me. I suppose I could go on a theological diatribe about a host of practices in the church that, in my opinion, devalue the gospel and the character of God. It would be easy to point to the foolish and low-hanging fruit of some of the most egregious offenders. It would be easy to say, “If they only knew the holiness of God.” Nevertheless, I wholeheartedly believe that the issue does not lie with them but with us. I can recall numerous times when I did not think of the Lord as being holy. I did not plan a church event to point out the holiness of God. I imagine that many of us have been more awestruck by human feats than by the holiness of God. Yes, it is wrong when we see others devalue the holiness of God, but it is wildly inappropriate when we devalue it ourselves.

This problem must be corrected first in our hearts; we must see the Lord as holy! We must act as if the Lord is holy! We must talk as if the Lord is holy! We must celebrate the holiness of God, like Moses, who said, “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in Holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” (Ex 15:11).

ENDNOTES

[1] Stephen Charnock, The Existence and Attributes of God (Minneapolis: Klock and Klock Christian Publishers, 1969), 448-49.