Geoffrey R. Kirkland
The holiness of God describes and defines God as different than His creation. Holy is the only attribute and description of God that is mentioned three times for superlative emphasis. He is Holy! Holy! Holy! The holiness of God is not just an attribute (or, a description) of God. It is the very beauty of Who God is. It is the perfect sum total of all that God is and how He deals with all His creation. For God to be holy means that He is set-apart and different. He is holy MAJESTICALLY — because he is different than his creation in his essence, in his being, in his perfections, in his God-hood. He is holy MORALLY — because is he totally set-apart and distinct from everything that is profane, sinful, and corrupt. He is holy DELIGHTFULLY — because God is infinitely happy and perfectly delighted in Himself and in His perfections.
When you begin to understand the holiness of God, you will necessarily come to realize your own vileness and sinfulness and despicableness before this perfectly pure God. Isaiah saw God’s holiness (in Isaiah 6) and immediately cried out: “Woe is me, for I am undone!” The great problem of the world today — and of many professing ‘Christians’ nowadays — is a loss of the magnitude and wonder of the Holiness of God. This Holy God is not to be joked about, trifled with, toyed with, bargained with, or ignored. To behold God’s holiness is to see His beauty, and then to realize our fallenness and depravity. And all of this then leads us to God’s Majestic Son, the Holy Lord of Glory, who clothes us with His own pure righteousness so we can not only stand before God’s holiness, and behold God’s holiness, but actually delight in God’s holiness. The only way that sinners like us can draw near to this purely holy God is to come to Christ by faith, and be clothed in His holy righteousness (2 Cor.5:21) and then we begin to behold His glory, enjoy His delights, and reflect His holiness. Without holiness, no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
Because your God is holy, worship Him with trembling and with humility. Walk with purity, devotion, and intentionality. Hate every stain of sin, every temptation that assaults your soul, and every corruption of this world. Consider your Holy God! The angels in heaven cry Holy Holy Holy! The saints on earth must reflect His holiness! How can you grow today in enjoying God’s holiness and reflecting God’s holiness?
