The Holiness of God
Among the innumerable attributes of God, “holy” is the predominant one used to qualify Him. Jesus referred to Him as the “holy Father” (John 17:11). Holiness is His character. “Holy” is commonly defined as “set apart, separate, or sacred.” When referring to God, it means not only set apart, but without equal and without comparison. He is in a class by Himself.
He is totally unique with no compare. He is not just holy, but He is holy, holy, holy. When a word is mentioned twice in the Bible, it is particularly important, as when Jesus says “verily, verily.” When it is repeated more than two times, it is extremely important: it is beyond. This is the only attribute of God that is mentioned in the Scriptures three times. We never see “wise, wise, wise God,” though He is all-wise. Also, the Third Person of the Godhead is called the Holy Spirit.
Many take holiness as the most important part of God’s character, because not until we understand His holiness shall we utterly understand and appreciate His other attributes such as mercy, love, and grace. For God, who is totally pure and righteous, to come to our level, into our sinful environment, and give us divine help and forgiveness is unfathomable. Those whom God has kindly shown a glimpse of His glorious throne have been terrified of the awesomeness of His holiness.
When God gave the prophet Isaiah the privilege to have a glimpse of heaven with God seated on the throne in the year that King Uzziah died, what did he see and hear? He saw the seraphs, the angelic beings crying one to another, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). He was terrified and cried, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty” (Isaiah 6:3-5). Isaiah saw God’s glorious holiness, and it was beyond description. He saw his own righteousness as filthiness before Him. No wonder the Bible says, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). God is holy and has no comparison.
The apostle John also had a vision of heaven, and he saw four living creatures that had six wings and were covered with eyes all around, even under their wings. Day and night, they never stopped saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8).
Job, whom God described as a blameless and upright man, who feared God and shunned evil, tried to defend his uprightness before his friends during his calamity. However, after the holy God had spoken to him and Job realized the unmatched holiness of God, he simply said, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore, I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5-6, NKJV).
When the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in flames of fire and Moses saw that the bush did not burn up, he turned aside to look at the strange sight. Then God said, “Moses, Moses, Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). The same thing happened when the angel of the Lord appeared to Joshua: “Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy” (Joshua 5:15). Anywhere God steps automatically becomes holy. God can’t stay in a filthy place. He is holy.
God’s holiness has no compare. He is matchless and without peer. He is alone by Himself. Moses in his song of praise to God said, “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11).
Hannah, who was barren for many years, was mocked by Peninnah, the second wife of her husband. In her distress, she prayed unto God for a child, and God looked upon her and blessed her and removed her shame. She said these words in her prayer of thanksgiving: “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).
God Himself said in the book of Isaiah, “Who will you compare Me to, or who is My equal?” (Isaiah 40:25). Absolutely, there is no comparison! The Psalmist, in consideration of the holiness of God, wrote:
“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” (Psalm 86:8-10).
Other gods have mouths, but they do not speak, and they have eyes, but they see not. When there is fire or trouble, their worshippers carry them to safety. These gods are mere projections of those who worship them.
God Demands Holiness from His People
God watches jealously over His people and demand we be holy as He is holy. “Be holy, for I am holy.” When earthly parents endeavor to live a good life and avoid unclean things with the help of the Holy Spirit, they expect their children to follow or imitate them. And when they see one of their children living totally opposite to what they believe and cherish, they are grieved. How do you think God feels? He has emotions too. God, who is absolutely holy, is grieved over any of His children living an unclean life. The Psalmist says, “For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright” (Psalm 11:7).
You have been washed in the precious blood of His dear Son, and He set your feet on the right path, giving you life. Not everyone who sees the dawn of the day gets to see the sunset, but you spend the day wallowing in sin. This means you have no appreciation of what He has done in your life. The Scripture says, “Without holiness we cannot see God” (Hebrews 12:14).
God will not ask us to do something for which He has not made provision. How shall we get there? Thank God for His provision in 1 John 1:7-9: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
My friend, what you must do daily is confess your sins and trust in His faithfulness. He is just and will forgive you your sins. Psalm 103:3 says, “Who forgives all your iniquities.” Note that He says “all.” That is to say, nothing is left.
Also practice what Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8: “Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”