Isaiah 6:1-5
The Lord Is Holy
Next Sunday, we begin revival meetings, a week of meetings designed
to stir spiritual life within God’s people. As revival draws near, I
typically agonize over what we need to do to have an actual revival.
There is no question what God’s people need to be revived and I
believe there is no question but that you and I need revival as well.
But how do we get it?
The formulas I have been taught are:
1. Repent
2. Pray
3. Worship
But if that is all there is, we aren’t doing it right. I think
something is missing.
What is missing and where does it fit into our formula? I think the
very first step may be the step that we are missing. I think before
those three things will do us any good, we must see our need. Most
Christians today—including myself—do not see the need for revival
because we do not see God’s holiness.
We might see our sinfulness, but that is not the same as seeing God’s
holiness. We might see our short comings, but that is not the same
as seeing God’s holiness. We might see our inability, but that is
not the same as seeing God’s holiness.
God’s people need to see God’s holiness before we are going to have
revival. That has led me to study God’s holiness for the last
several weeks.
To say the least, my study has been disappointing. I was hoping to
find some sound, sure truths that I might share which would spark
revival. What I found was that the Bible really does not teach a lot
about God’s holiness. The Bible speaks a lot of God’s holiness (I
found over 500 references to holiness), but it does not teach much on
holiness.
For this service, let me share with some of the things that I found.
I. The Bible tells us that we cannot naturally comprehend God.
Job 11:7 Canst thou by searching find out God?
canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
8 It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do?
deeper than hell; what canst thou know?
9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth,
and broader than the sea.
A. The Bible is not trying to discourage us in our walk with the
Lord.
1. It is just pointing out what ought to be obvious.
2. God is infinite. We are finite. How can we who are
limited expect to comprehend a God who is limitless?
3. The answer is, "We cannot."
4. We can and should try to comprehend Him. We should make it
our life and eternal purpose to understand as much about
God as is possible, but we shall never completely
understand Him—at least not on our own.
Proverbs 30:3 I neither learned wisdom, nor have
the knowledge of the holy.
Matthew 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of
my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the
Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save
the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal
him.
B. Thankfully, we are not alone and do not have to seek God by
natural means alone.
Mt 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto
them, With men this is impossible; but with God
all things are possible.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by
his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things,
yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man,
save the spirit of man which is in him? even so
the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit
of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the
world, but the spirit which is of God; that we
1. It then becomes the Christian’s first and greatest quest
to see God and to learn Him.
2. We are always learning of God’s love, grace, forgiveness,
mercy, faithfulness, power, etc. When will we seek to
learn God’s holiness?
C. Is it important that I understand God and His holiness?
1. Absolutely! Our concept of God is the one thing that
determines how we will interact with Him.
2. Whatever we think about God will color how we worship
and how we will serve.
a. Our understanding of God will draw the borders which
we will live within and the heights we will soar
unto.
b. It will determine what we feel He expects of us.
3. Literally, everything about our relationship with God
hinges on our concept of Him and that includes God’s
holiness.
a. And one of the most consistent, uncompromising,
unchallenged statements about God is that He is holy.
v. We must seek to understand holiness.
II. The definition of holiness
A. Believe it or not, but even defining the word "holy" is not a
simple matter.
1. People are not sure what the word means.
2. People are not even sure what language the word holy comes
from.
B. So what I am left to do to define the word is to look at how
it is used in the Bible. I find a Bible definition of the
word holy would have to include three aspects.
1. Any definition of holiness would have to also include the
idea of UNIQUENESS.
a. There are several words in the Bible for holy or
holiness.
b. A.W. Tozer said that one Hebrew word is normally used
to speak of the holiness of God while another is
normally used to refer to things or people that are
called holy.
c. The reason for this is because things and people are
not naturally holy.
d. People gain their holiness by associating with God who
is holy.
e. Tozer argues that God’s holiness is unique and
different from all other things and people.
f. The Scripture agrees.
Exodus 15:11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among
the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness,
fearful in praises, doing wonders?
1Samuel 2:2 There is none holy as the LORD: for
there is none beside thee: neither is there any
rock like our God.
Psalms 71:19 Thy righteousness also, O God, is
very high, who hast done great things: O God,
who is like unto thee!
g. Some writers said of God’s holiness that it is the
"other" as so different to be completely separate
from anything that is common or could be associated
with mankind.
2. A definition of holiness would have to include the idea of
PURITY, PERFECT CLEANNESS, UNSOILED.
a. This is the concept the Bible is giving when it
compares God to light.
1John 1:5 This then is the message which we have
heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is
light, and in him is no darkness at all.
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them,
saying, I am the light of the world: he that
followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but
shall have the light of life.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect
gift is from above, and cometh down from the
Father of lights, with whom is no variableness,
neither shadow of turning.
b. God is completely pure, no spot of darkness or stain.
He is holy.
3. Any definition of holiness would also have to include the
idea of DEDICATED, DEVOTED, and SEPARATE.
a. The holiness of which we speak is so unique and
different that it cannot come into contact with the
unholy.
b. Of the three concepts in this definition, this is
probably the most difficult for Man to comprehend,
yet the Bible makes is clear.
c. No corrupt man can see the Holy God and live.
Exodus 33:18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me
thy glory.
19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass
before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the
LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I
will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I
will shew mercy.
20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face:
FOR THERE SHALL NO MAN SEE ME, AND
LIVE.
d. Until Jesus Christ came in the flesh to the earth, no
man ever saw anything more of God than just an
earthly facsimile.
(1) Moses saw a burning bush,
(2) Abraham and Joshua saw angels,
(3) Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel saw visions of God.
e. In fact, God commanded Moses to put up special
barriers to keep the unholy people of Israel from
running onto the top of Mount Sinai and being
destroyed.
Exodus 19:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go
down, charge the people, lest they break through
unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.
f. Even the most holiest of God’s servants could not
come into the presence of God, let alone see God,
without it having a devastating effect upon them!
(1) Daniel fainted and was left sick.
Daniel 8:27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick
certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the
king’s business; and I was astonished at the
vision, but none understood it.
(2) Ezekiel fell down and had no strength to get up.
Ezekiel 1:28 …And when I saw it, I fell upon my
face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
2:1 And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon
thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.
2 And the spirit entered into me when he spake
unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard
him that spake unto me.
(3) John the Apostle fell down petrified at Lord’s
presence.
Revelation 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his
feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me,
saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the
last:
g. This reaction was in part due to the fact that, in the
presence of God’s holiness, these godly men felt
their own wickedness.
Daniel 10:8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw
this great vision, and there remained no strength
in me: for MY COMELINESS WAS TURNED IN
ME INTO CORRPUTION, and I
retained no strength.
Habakkuk 3:16 When I heard, my belly trembled;
my lips quivered at the voice:
ROTTENNESS ENTERED INTO MY BONES,
and I trembled in myself…
h. When was the last time we felt spiritual sick by
coming into God’s presence?
(1) Whenever it was, that was the last time you were
exposed to God’s holiness.
(2) You may have experience God’s love, God’s
forgiveness, mercy, grace—all of which are good,
but we also need to experience God’s holiness—
especially if we are going to have revival.
III. Three truths about holiness to get us started:
A. God’s holiness is not balanced.
1. God is a God of balance.
a. God’s love, mercy, and grace are all balanced by God’s
justice.
b. God balanced man’s freewill against His sovereignty.
2. But there is nothing to balance out God’s holiness.
3. God is always completely 100% holy no matter what
situation, no matter what He is accomplishing, and no
matter who He is dealing with.
a. Nadab and Abihu
b. King Uzziah
c. Ananias and Sapphira
B. God’s holiness is a burning fire.
1. What did Moses see in the wilderness? A burning bush
2. How did Ezekiel’s vision of God begin? A great cloud and
a fire, enfolding itself.
3. In the Old Testament, what came down from the sky? fire
4. When the Holy Ghost came upon the church, what fell?
cloven tongues like as of fire
5. What did God use to lead the children of Israel? A pillar
of fire by night
6. How are the eyes of our Lord described in Revelation?
They are aflame with fire
7. What about God does the fire represent? It represents
God’s holiness, that which burns away the sinful, the
carnal, the unholy
C. God’s wrath is a reflex of God’s holiness.
1. I believe the judgment of God falls when the holiness of
God is offended and the mercy of God is used up.
2. Thank God for His mercy, but mercy is balanced with the
justice of God and so it has a limit.
a. Once that limit is reached, the natural response to
God’s holiness will be triggered.
b. Which is what? Wrath
Friend, you don't want to be around when the wrath of God falls! And
you don't have to be. Take God's love and mercy while it is offered.
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