The primary meaning of holy is separate, to cut. It means literally “I’m different!”
• God’s purity is distinct, unique, and separate from all that we know.
• When we find a dress or something that is outstanding, we say it is ‘a cut above the rest.’
• God is holy means He is in a different league altogether.
A. W. Tozer (1897-1963): “We cannot grasp the true meaning of holiness by thinking of someone or something very pure and then raising the concept to the highest degree we are capable of. God's holiness is not simply the best we know infinitely bettered. We know nothing like the divine holiness. It stands apart, unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible and unattainable.”
• God’s holiness is that which makes Him glorious, exceptional, outstanding, and pure.
• When Isaiah saw a vision of the throne room of God (Isaiah 6), the angels were singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.” (6:3)
• Apostle John saw a similar scene in Rev 4, and the living creatures were saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” (4:8)
To see His holiness is to see His majesty, His glory and honour.
• Psalm 96:9 “Worship the LORD in the splendour of His holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.”
• Exo 15:11 “Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you - majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?”
Holiness is not just one of the many attributes of Him; it is Him!
• His Spirit is the Holy Spirit. His Word, the Holy Word. His dwelling place is the holy Temple, His name is “My holy Name” (Eze 36).
• How do we respond to a holy God?
We WORSHIP Him – giving Him His due worth, i.e. we honour Him.
(1) WORSHIP HIM - CULTIVATE A REVERENCE FOR GOD
God has to teach Israel that He is holy, after 400 years in Egypt surrounded by idolatry.
• He said, “Tell Pharaoh to let My people go, so that they may worship Me in the desert.” (Exo 7:16)
• So He instituted the laws and regulations, teaching them the difference between holy and unholy. There were holy days, holy vessels, and holy garments. There were ceremonial washings, rituals, sacrifices, and offerings of many kinds.
• By these means, Israel learned that God is holy. It was this that God was teaching them, not the holiness of things or days or places.
• God is using things, days and practices, to help them take Him seriously. He is a HOLY God.
The 5th command says, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” (Exo 20:8)
• How do you keep a day holy? Worship God. Give Him honour and glory.
• Sadly Israel did not learnt very well, at least not for long. Ezekiel 36 revealed that.
The Lord says you profaned My Name – you spoilt my reputation, when you failed to worship Me as the One and only true God.
• Instead you worshipped idols and created for yourselves alternative gods (36:25).
• God says “I will cleanse you from all your impurities” (36:25) – your sinful ways.
• God says, “I will remove your heart of stone (36:26) – your wilful disobedience.
• All of these profane My Name, the Lord says. We need to respect God, and honour Him as God.
God is serious about this. I just want to highlight 2 incidents in the Bible to show this:
(a) Moses struck the rock twice in anger - Num 20:10-12.
The people were without water and quarrelled with Moses.
• “…Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" 11Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. 12But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honour me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them."
Moses did not obey God’s clear instruction. He did not take God’s Word seriously.
• He did not do anything immoral, but showed disrespect for God. He treated God’s instruction too lightly.
(b) Uzzah touched the Ark of the Lord and was struck dead – 2 Sam 6:3-7
King David was taking the Ark of the Lord back from the Philistines.
• 6:3-4 “They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart 4 with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it.
• 6:6 “When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. 7 The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.
According to God’s instructions, it was to be transported by the Kohathites who carried it by holding onto poles inserted through its attached rings (see Exo 25:10-22; Num 4:1-20).
• David neglected God’s instruction. It was clearly in the Law, but he did not heed it. He took on the Philistines’ way, and not God’s way.
Both incidents (and many more in the Scriptures) showed man’s disrespect or irreverence for God.
• It is never about the holiness of things, days or places. It has to do with the holiness of God.
• God wants us to take Him seriously. Anything that mars His glory desecrates His holiness.
• 2 Cor 7:1 “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
GOD: Are you serious with Me? Do you treat Me with reverence? Do you honour My Word?
How do we respond to a HOLY God?
(2) BE HOLY - COMMIT TO LIVING A CHRISTLIKE LIFE
Lev 20:26 “You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.”
• This is God’s will and plan for us, therefore it is achievable.
• We can be holy because He is holy. We can be holy because He is going to make us holy.
• The Lord said it so many times in Ezekiel 36:25 “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities… 26I will give you a new heart… I will remove from you your heart of stone…”
God is willing, but very often, we are the ones not too willing.
• We have a heart of stone. We are stubborn. We want to do things our way.
LET GOD CHANGE YOU
How? Draw close to Him. The more you see Him, the more you become like Him.
• When Isaiah saw the Lord on His throne (Isaiah 6), the first thing he realized was his sinfulness.
• Isaiah 6:5 - “Woe to me!” I cried. "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."
• But the next thing that happened was that the angel flew to him with a live coal and touched his mouth, and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” (6:7)
God was quick to cleanse. That’s what He does best. That’s what He wants to do for you.
• Only God can forgive you. And He wants to forgive you. But do we want to be forgiven?
• 1 John 1:9-10 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned [stubbornness], we make him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.”
Isaiah’s honest confession brings about an immediate cleansing.
• Just admit it and God will touch you and change you. Don’t hide it. Don’t camouflage it.
This whole experience is quite odd actually.
• When we do wrong, we don’t want to come to Him thinking He is angry with me but the very thing that will make Him happy is for us to come back to Him!
• The antidote is actually Him. We can only feel right and good when we are forgiven.
• The prodigal comes home with a prepared speech and ready to accept punishment and be a servant, but none of these came through.
• It’s just not in the heart of the Father. God is holy AND full of mercy.
I like the way D. L. Moody described this - he held up a glass and asked, "How can I get the air out of this glass?"
One man shouted, "Suck it out with a pump!" Moody replied, "That would create a vacuum and shatter the glass."
After numerous other suggestions Moody smiled, picked up a pitcher of water, and filled the glass. "There," he said, "all the air is now gone."
The victory in the Christian life is not accomplished by "sucking out a sin here and there," but by being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Get more of God and you’ll have no place for self.
• Respect the holiness of God. Irreverence is a serious matter to God. We do not want to taint the glory of God.
WATCH YOUR LIFE AND DOCTRINE
• Paul urged Timothy: “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Tim 4:16)
• Watch what you think, say or do. It doesn’t just reflect on you, it reflects on God.
• Watch what you type on Twitter or Facebook. It matters.
It may not necessarily be sinful or evil. Some things are amoral, yet we choose not to do them because it does not glorify God.
• Paul: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God…” (1 Cor 10:31-32)
• Causing someone to stumble does not honour God.
• It is sad but true. One of common stumbling blocks for many, in not accepting the Christian faith, is not that God is not good but because believers failed to give good testimonies.
HOLINESS IS IRRESISTIBLE
See it in this way. You are away on training in the fields. You’ve not bathed for 3 days. By this time you feel tired, sticky, smelly and dirty. You reached camp, and finally took a long, hot shower. With Body Shop shower gel. You are refreshed and rejuvenated. You feel cleaned and pure. And you smell good.
Your friends just step in from the field. They looked at you and sense that great difference.
That holy glow on you! You looked great. That’s what they long for. That’s what they would become in a few more minutes.
That’s holiness!
• C. S. Lewis (1898-1963): “When one meets the real thing… it is irresistible.”
• Do you long for it? Yes, we want to be like that. It’s what makes life great!
• Live a holy life, because of God is holy.
