The Holiness of God

INTRODUCTION:

I.   It was during the days of King Uzziah of the southern kingdom of Judah that one of God’s most notable prophets came on the scene – his name was Isaiah (a name that meant “Jehovah saves” or “salvation comes from Jehovah”)

A.  In fact, the name “Isaiah” is a one-word summary of message he came preaching to the people of Judah who were now drifting further and further from the Lord, and slipping ever so slowly into the realm of apostasy.

1.  Although, according to 2 Chronicles 26:4, King Uzziah “…did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done,” he had done two things that both angered and disappointed the LORD:

a.      He had grown so strong and powerful that he also became arrogant and prideful.  On one occasion, he even went into the Temple to burn incense – a duty that was reserved solely for the priests of Aaron.  When Azariah the priest reprimanded him, Uzziah was outraged that anyone would speak to him in this manner – but he was immediately struck with leprosy from the Lord (and remained a leper until the day he died).

b.      The other mistake of King Uzziah was that he didn’t destroy all the idols and the high places of idol worship in the land when he had the chance – and neither did Uzziah’s son Jotham who followed his father to the throne.

(1)  In 2nd Kings chapter 15, we’re told Jotham, “…did what was right in the sight of the LORD; he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.  However the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.” (2 Kings 15:34-35)

BODY:

I.   It was during the year when King Uzziah died that Isaiah went into the Temple to worship, and there saw a vision that shook him to the very depths of his soul.

A.  Isaiah 6:1-7:  In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.  Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.  And one cried to another and said:  "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!"  And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.  So I said:  "Woe is me, for I am undone!  Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."   Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.  And he touched my mouth with it, and said:  "Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged."

1.  The scene that Isaiah paints for us here only begins to describe the majesty and greatness of what it would be like to come into the very presence of “the King, the LORD of hosts.”

a.      Through the haze of smoke (probably the smoke from the alter of incense), God is pictured sitting majestically on a high throne; His flowing robe fills the entire Temple.

b.      An unspecified number of seraphim surround the throne of God, calling to one another in antiphonal fashion, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!"

c.      The room literally shakes from the thunderous voices of the seraphim as they lift their voices in praise to God.

2.  Incidentally, this is the only passage in the entire Bible where the word “Seraphim” appears.  Like the cherubim in numerous other passages, seraphim were a special kind of heavenly creature.  But unlike the cherubim, Isaiah tells us that the seraphim surrounded the throne of God.

a.  They each had six wings:

(1) With two wings they covered their face – symbolizing that they didn’t consider themselves worthy to behold the face of God.

(2) With two other wings, they covered their feet – in Eastern cultures today, showing ones feet is a sign of disrespect, especially in the presence of nobility or those of high rank.

(3) And with the remaining two wings, they flew – ready at all times to do whatever God commands them to do.

3.  No wonder Isaiah trembled at this awesome scene.

a.  Apparently Isaiah had only seen the glory and majesty of God and not the actual face of God, for God once told Moses, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” (Exodus 33:20)

b.  Still, Isaiah had seen enough that he was sure he would now die:  “Woe is me, for I am undone!” (Isaiah 6:5)

c.  Furthermore, Isaiah felt he was totally unworthy to witness these things because he was an unclean man with unclean lips.

d.  And yet, He suddenly finds himself in the presence of almighty Jehovah – the only true and living God, and perhaps all he could think about were the words that were still ringing in his ears – "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!"

B.      In Revelation chapter four, there is a similar scene where the apostle John had a vision of twenty-four elders sitting around the throne of God.

1.  Revelation 4:4-11 – Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads.  And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices.  Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.  Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal.  And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.  The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.  The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!"  Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."

C. In our song books, we have the wonderful song, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” with words by Reginald Heber and music by John B. Dykes.

1.  Heber’s words were inspired by Isaiah chapter 6, and by John’s account in fourth chapter of the book of Revelation.

II.  The reaction of Isaiah, when he saw the grandeur and holiness of almighty God, was common in Biblical time.

A.  For example, consider these Old Testament passages:

1.  In Exodus chapter 15, we have the words of a beautiful song of praise Moses and the children of Israel sang to Jehovah for delivering them from the Egyptians.

a.  Among the words were these in verse 11: "Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods?  Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11)

2.  In 1st Samuel chapter 2, Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel, praised God for all He had given her. 

a.  Among her words of praise were these:  “No one is holy like the LORD, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God.” (1 Samuel 2:2)

3.  Throughout the Psalms, David constantly magnifies the holiness of Jehovah. 

a.  “But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.” (Psalm 22:3)

b.  “To You I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel.  My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, and my soul, which You have redeemed.” (Psalm 71:22-23)

c.  “My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, and all flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever.” (Psalm 145:21)

4.  But the most challenging statements about the holiness of God came from God himself. 

a.  To Moses, Jehovah said: "Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2)

B.      In the New Testament:

1.  In Luke 1:35, an angel of the Lord appeared to Mary to announce that she will become the mother of the Son of God.

a.  The angel told her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35)

b.  Beginning with verse 46, Luke records the words of Mary as she praised Jehovah for all He had done:  And Mary said:  "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.  For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.  For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name…” (Luke 1:46-49)

2.       Throughout the New Testament we have constant references to:

a.  Our bodies being “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)

b.  To the Saints in Corinth, the apostle Paul said, “For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” (1 Corinthians 3:17)

c.  Paul also called the Colossian brethren, “the elect of God, holy and beloved…” (Colossians 3:12)

d.  And to the church at Thessalonica, Paul said, “I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren.” (1 Thessalonians 5:27)

e.  In giving the qualifications of elders (bishops or overseers) in the church, Paul said they were to be, “…a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy…” (Titus 1:8)

f.   In describing the priesthood of Jesus Christ, the apostle Paul (believed to be the writer of Hebrews) said, “For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens…” (Hebrews 7:26)

g.  But it is the words of the apostle Peter in his first epistle that draw us back to the words God spoke to Moses.  Peter needed to encourage brethren whose faith and faithfulness to the Lord was slipping in the face of persecution.

(1) So, he told these troubled saints, Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." (1 Peter 1:13-16)

III. The words of the LORD telling us to “be holy” are not stated in the form of a suggestion – but rather a command!   “BE HOLY!”

A.        But that poses a serious problem.

1.  The word “holy” means: “…sacred, pure, morally blameless…” (Strong).

2.  So, how can weak, imperfect, sinful people like us ever expect to be holy – to be “sacred, pure, morally blameless”?

B.        When we look further, we discover that the word has additional meanings.

1.  “Holy” also means to be, “set apart for God, to be, as it were, exclusively His…” (Thayer)

2.  Or, “fundamentally signifies "separated", and hence, in Scripture in its moral and spiritual significance, separated from sin and therefore consecrated to God, sacred.” (Vine)

3.       In other words, we can be holy by being set apart, and by belonging exclusively to God – separated from sin, and consecrated to God.

a.  This is what the apostle Paul meant when he wrote: “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1)

b.  This is also why Peter wrote to first-century Christians saying, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…” (1 Peter 2:9) 

C.       There is simply no way we can miss the fact that the Scriptures calls first-century Christians “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” – they were these things because they had been cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.

1.  How were they cleansed from “all filthiness” – cleansed from their sins?

a.  Peter gave the answer on the day of Pentecost to the very people who had been the betrayers and murderers of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  He told them:  “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

b.  After Saul of Tarsus (who later became the apostle Paul) had been blinded by the Lord, and the preacher Ananias came to him and told him all about Jesus, Ananias concluded, “And now why are you waiting?  Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16)

c.  Finally, in Peter’s first epistle he gave an example of how Noah and his family were saved from the flood, and drew a parallel to baptism by saying, “There is also an antitype which now saves us — baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter 3:21)

2.  First-century Christians became a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation because they had been cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit by being baptized into Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins.

D.       But what about those who have done that but have fallen along the way – what about those of us who have not remained “morally blameless,” or “separated from sin?”

1.  The apostle John gives us the answer:  “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses 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.” (1 John 1:7-9)

a.  Because we have been baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins, there is no need to be baptized again when we sin.

b.  John tells us that we simply need to “confess our sins,” and that the Lord “is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” – and we’ve already learned that being cleansed from all unrighteousness makes us holy!

CONCLUSION:

I.   I want to end by tell you why we need to be holy.  The answer lies in the final chapters of the book of Revelation.

A.  In the vision of Revelation, John describes one of the most glorious scenes of all.

1.   Revelation 21:1-4 – “Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’”  (Revelation 21:1-4)

a.  Remember – Heaven is said to be a “holy city” prepared by God Himself.

2.   Finally, consider this.  In 2nd Peter chapter three, when Peter spoke of the second coming and final judgment and destruction of the heavens and the earth, he said something that is very significant.

a.  2 Peter 3:10-13 – “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.  Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?  Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:10-13)

b.  Did you catch that?  Peter said we “look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” 

(1) Those who are holy are also righteous – those whose sins have been forgiven of their sins, by either being baptized into Christ, or for those who have been baptized, by confessing their sins and thereby become “cleansed from all unrighteousness.”

B.  Simply put, heaven is a holy city where righteousness dwells.

1.   It will be the eternal home of those who have obtained the remission of their sins, or who have been cleansed from all unrighteousness. And, do you know why?  Because the only way we can come into the presence of the holy God, is to be holy ourselves.

2.   Have you done what you need to do to enter that holy city some day – are you holy as God is holy?  Are you one whose life is characterized by righteousness?

3.   If not, there is no better time than right now!