God's Holiness

TOPIC: GOD’S HOLINESS

Text: Isaiah 6:1-13

vv. 3, “…they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’”

Introduction:

Yesterday I was in San Pablo to facilitate the 2nd Bayanihan Church Planting Network; part of the lesson understands the lies that Satan does to ensnare us so that we not are used by God mightily. Some of this lies are: hindi ko kaya, wala akong magagawa, walang makikinig sa akin, etc. These are lies that Satan put into our hearts and minds so that His mission will not be fulfilled. Isaiah 6:1-13 show us the key to be able to fulfilled His mission that He place before us. Let us pray first.

I want to propose that God’s holiness is the key to a successful fulfillment of God’s mission!

1. Understanding God’s Holiness

The vision is dated, for the greater certainty of it – vv. 1-4. It was in the year that king Uzziah died, who had reigned, for the most part, as prosperously and well as any of the kings of Judah, and reigned very long, above fifty years. About the time that he died, Isaiah saw this vision of God upon a throne; for when the breath of princes goes forth, and they return to their earth, this is our comfort, that the Lord shall reign for ever, Psa_146:3, Psa_146:4, Psa_146:10. Israel’s king dies, but Israel’s God still lives. From the mortality of great and good men we should take occasion to look up with an eye of faith to the King eternal, immortal. King Uzziah died under a cloud, for he was shut up as a leper till the day of his death. As the lives of princes have their periods, so their glory is often eclipsed; but, as God is ever living, so his glory is everlasting. King Uzziah dies in a hospital, but the King of kings still sits upon his throne. Isaiah saw the Lord sitting, Psa_29:10. See the sovereignty of the Eternal Monarch: he sits upon a throne - a throne of glory, before which we must worship, - a throne of government, under which we must be subject, - and a throne of grace, to which we may come boldly. This throne is high, and lifted up above all competition and contradiction and the train of His robe filled the temple – when we fully understand God’s holiness we were able also to understand that His holiness is in every place. “For where two or three gather in my name, I am in their midst.” Psalm 99:9, “Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.” Rev. 15:4, “Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy.” When Moses understands it, he removed his sandals for he knows that even that place in the mountain is holy because God’s holiness filled every place Ex. 15:11, “Who among the gods is like you O Lord? Who is like you – majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” That is also what Paul understands that even the road to Damascus was filled by God’s holiness. Isaiah understands it completely when suddenly he saw God’s holiness, His glory that filled the temple and seeing the seraphim humbly declaring God’s holiness continuously.

His understanding of God’s holiness also brought him to understand his sinfulness. It is normally the results of understanding God’s holiness that we see our sinfulness before God. “Kawawa ako, marumi ang aking labi.” (v. 5a)

2. Experiencing God’s Holiness

Read vv. 5-7, 13. From these verses we can see that understanding God’s holiness is one part but experiencing it in our lives is another thing. It is impossible to understand His holiness deeper in our life without experiencing it in our life. Isaiah experienced God’s holiness in his life:

First in v. 4 – he experience the shaking of the doorposts of the temple. When we understand God’s holiness, it will shake our life from anything that is not part of what the Lord builds in our life.

Second in v. 5 – he experienced humility and brokenness before God. Isaiah 51:17, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a contrite heart.” Eze. 11:19, “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.” Eze 18:31, “Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit.” Eze. 36:26, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27, “And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Seeing God in the Bible means to “drop dead”. When we experienced His holiness in our life it must bring our life to death.