THE HOLINESS OF GOD

What kind of God have we? This question is presented often to the minds of thinking people. Another question closely related is also asked frequently: What does God expect of us?

We have no need to grope about blindly to seek an answer to these questions for the answer is found easily in the Bible, God's Book, in which is given a revelation of God and of His will for man. The Apostle Peter epitomizes the answer to these questions as found in the Scriptures, and states in a few words what is the moral character of God, also what God expects of man: "Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy (I Peter 1:16). God answers man's query about Him in the statement, "I am holy."

The Bible Reveals God's Character

Throughout the Scriptures numerous statements are given which stress the moral character of God or emphasize His holiness. Among these may be found the statements: "I the Lord your God am holy." "I the Lord am holy." "The Lord which sanctify you am holy." "He is an holy God." "This holy Lord God." In frequent places in the Old Testament God is called, "The Holy One of Israel." The great prophet Isaiah was granted an unusual vision of God as the thrice Holy One, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts."

The idea of the holiness of God permeates the writings of the New Testament also. The New Testament writers stress not only the truths presented by men of old, but also they emphasize greatly the Holy God as the Holy Spirit and magnify His work in the world today.

The greatest revelation of God is given, not in words nor in statements made about Him; it is given in a Person, in our Lord Jesus Christ. Of Him it was said: "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, he hath declared him" (John 1:18). Also it is said He, "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

In Jesus is given a living revelation of the Holy God. He lived a normal physical life, possessed all essential qualities of the human nature, contacted people of all stages of moral living, and experienced all conditions of our human existence; yet He was "holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners" (Heb. 7:26). Jesus revealed the holiness of God to be a practical holiness. He lived among sinners but was separate from them in moral character. To Jesus we must come for our highest and most practical conception of the holiness of God. He is the living embodiment of that holiness in the world in which we must live.

What Is Holiness In God?

What shall we say in answer to that question? It would be the height of presumption to undertake any comprehensive answer, for there is no other attribute or characteristic of the nature of God which theologians have found so difficult to define as the holiness of God. It is one of those divine mysteries, something that transcends our thought; a glory to be known in adoration and fellowship, and not so much something to be comprehended by our minds.

The Scriptures speak but little of the holiness of God as something in the abstract, something to be taken to pieces to be analyzed and understood; rather they speak much more of "The Holy One," a Person to be known, a God to be worshipped and adored. While we may not be able to give any comprehensive definition to the holiness of God, we may give a brief moment to a consideration of this characteristic of His nature.

Holiness in God is more than an attribute, it is the sum total of all of His moral characteristics. Holiness is the moral excellency of the Divine nature, that quality which permeates all of His nature and binds together all of His moral attributes to make Him the God that He is -- a holy God. Holiness emphasizes His absolute purity, His freedom from all moral imperfections, it comprehends the perfection of His wisdom, his righteousness, His faithfulness, His goodness. To say that God is holy includes the perfection of all of His moral qualities, His blessedness, His glory. Someone has said, "In divine holiness we have the highest and most inconceivably glorious revelation of the very nature of the divine Being."

Perhaps we may give a clearer suggestion of the meaning of holiness in God if we engage in a brief study in contrast. What makes Satan what he is? Is it not the absence of holiness? Without holiness wisdom becomes subtlety and cunning, justice becomes cruelty, sovereignty becomes tyranny, truth becomes falsehood, power becomes oppression. Because God is holy, His holiness permeates His whole being, His wisdom is entirely consistent with His moral nature, His justice is marked with mercy, His sovereignty with love, His truth with grace, and His power is free from oppression.

In this discussion of the holiness of God, the consideration will be first of

God's Separateness From Sin

The primary meaning of the scriptural teaching of holiness as it relates to God is God's separateness from sin. The Bible pictures the Holy God as being absolutely sinless, possessing infinite purity; He dwells in a holy place, is absolutely removed from and opposed to all sin, and therefore no sin can be admitted into His immediate presence. The question was asked by one of old, "Who shall stand in his holy place?" The reply given was, "He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully" (Psalm 24:3, 4).

There is something awful and Overpowering about the thought of the holiness of God and its separateness from sin. As the Holy God, He is not only separated from sin, but He is eternally opposed to sin; sin is the very opposite of His nature. As the holy God, He wills and seeks the destruction of sin from His universe. The very thought of this holiness as opposition to sin brings fear and dread to the sinner. The holy God is separated from him, He is opposed to his sin, He will punish and destroy sin. How much such a conception of the holiness of God is needed today!

There are some Bible scenes which picture this phase of God's holiness, His separateness and opposition to sin and His will to destroy it. A brief consideration of several of these will aid greatly in our understanding of His holiness.

Consider Sinai from this point of view. Here is a demonstration of the awfulness of God's holiness. Here is holy God pictured as Occupying a holy mountain, revealing a holy law to an unholy people. Amid lightnings, thunderings, loud sound of trumpets and smoking mountain, God spoke audibly to His people. But they may not approach Him. The curious dare not break through to see. Bounds were set, the mountain was sanctified. If even a beast touched the mountain it was to be stoned or thrust through with a dart. "So terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake" (Heb. 12:21). What was the effect of this divine manifestation upon the people? "And when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, speak with us, lest we die" (Ex. 20:19). A picture of the terrible, awful holiness of God -- a holy God, separate from sin, giving a holy law and a pronouncement of the penalty for breaking it, manifesting His opposition to sin. The people, realizing their own un-holiness could not stand in His presence, nor have Him speak to them -- "Let not God speak with us, lest we die."

The awfulness of God's holiness is pictured in the experience of the prophet Isaiah. The prophet, God's spokesman to Judah, was prostrated in the temple before Him. He was mourning the death of King Uzziah. The throne of David was vacant, the king was dead. He was anxious about the new ruler who would ascend the throne. Thus prostrated before God he was privileged to see "the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up" -- Ah, the throne of the universe was occupied even though the throne of David was vacant. But yet what particular aspect of God did that vision stress? The holiness of God! The. seraphim -- the burning ones -- cried one to another saying: "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isa. 6:3) .

What was the effect of this vision upon the prophet, the man of God? It acted like a mighty X-ray upon his own heart. The vision of the holiness of God gave to him a deep consciousness of his own uncleanness; his impurities became so apparent that he. cried, "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 mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts" (v.5). What was he saying? He was saying, "I am conscious of uncleanness in my life. How can I live? I have seen the holy God, the One who is absolutely pure, the One who is absolutely separate from and opposed to sin!" Terrible! Awful! Overpowering! was the vision of the holiness of God to the prophet. Little wonder he said, "Woe is me! for I am undone."

A look at Calvary will give another view of this phase of God's holiness. There is a dark side to Calvary. We think so much of its glory and of the beauty of its redeeming love that often we overlook its darker aspects. But Calvary shows a holy God bringing judgment upon sin. A holy God, separate from sin, could not spare His own Son when that Son, who knew no sin was made sin for us, and suffered the punishment for our sins, the sins of the world. Why the darkness for the space of three hours? Why did the sun hide its face? Why did the earth quake? Why were the rocks rent? Why did the cry come from that innocent Sufferer's heart, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Why? It was the scene of a holy God bringing judgment upon sin. A holy God was in such opposition to sin that He could not spare His Son when that Son bore upon Himself the sins of the world. Thus Calvary pictures the terrible, awful aspect of the holiness of God.

A consideration of the manifestation of God's wrath emphasizes the awfulness of His holiness in its separateness from sin. There are numerous examples in history of the outpoured wrath of God, but a look at the statements of scripture relative to future events will serve to picture this phase of His holiness. John, the exiled apostle, saw somewhat in detail what the Apostle Peter prophesied when he wrote: "The heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (II Peter 3:10). John's description reads thus: "And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood. And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heavens departed as a scroll when it is rolled together, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places, and the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (Rev. 6:12-17).

What is this? It is a picture of the holiness of God shown in His judgment upon sin and the impenitent -- the wrath of the Lamb. Terrible! Awful! Overpowering! is the holiness of God as revealed in His opposition to sin and His will to destroy it.

A consideration of another aspect of God's holiness emphasizes

Holiness And His Moral Government

The characteristic of the nature of God which makes Him absolutely consistent in all moral and righteous matters is His holiness. This holiness of God is active particularly in His moral government.

God's holiness provides the absolute standard of right and wrong. Whatever is in accord with His holiness is right; what is not in accord with His holiness is wrong. Such a standard runs consistently throughout God's whole moral universe. There is rigidness, absoluteness, something demanding about the righteousness thus required.

The requirements of the moral law with their consequent penalties pronounced upon those breaking that law are a manifestation of the holiness of God. "The soul that sinneth it shall die" (Ezek. 18:4), and similar statements of scripture indicate the holiness of God in its requirements of righteousness among men. The requirement of character is stressed by the Apostle Peter in these words: "As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation" or conduct (I Peter 1:15).

It has been said that there is no absolute standard of right and wrong, that each succeeding generation establishes its own standards, that the practices of the group provide the moral code for all. But there is an absolute standard of righteousness, it is the holiness of God; and it runs consistently throughout God's moral universe. It may be granted that interpretations of that absolute righteous standard have differed throughout the centuries, that some generations have had clearer perceptions of it and have lived closer to it than others; but the standard remains the same -- it is God's fixed, eternal standard, the revelation of His holy character. What is in accord with His holiness is right; what is not in accord with that holiness is wrong. That was true in the eternities of the past; it was true in the early history of the human race; it is true today; it will be true forever -- it is God's fixed standard of righteousness.

Would we judge ourselves as to our own righteousness? Let us not judge ourselves by ourselves. Let us not judge ourselves by the standards of others. Let the standard of our judgment be the holiness of God. Where do we stand in character as we square ourselves with the requirement God has made: "Be ye holy in all manner of conversation -- in all manner of human relationships, or conduct?" Where do we stand in our inner nature? In our attitudes toward others? In our judgments of people? Are we right? Are we wrong? We must determine that in the light of the holiness of God. How greatly that righteous standard stresses our need of a Saviour and Divine Helper!

There is majesty in God's holiness as represented in the righteousness and in the consistency of His moral government. Like the highest snowcapped peak of a mountain range it towers in grandeur and might above all the standards of men. Unchangeable, enduring, unexcelled is God's holiness exhibited in His moral government. The holy God is immutable in His character and constant in His requirements of righteousness.

There is an awfulness to the holiness of God when viewed in the light of His opposition to sin; but there is a majesty in that holiness as we think of His righteousness and of the consistency of His moral government

Another phase of holiness must be considered to give balance to our thought of the holiness of God. While He is absolutely separate from sin and is in active opposition to it, while He is rigid in His requirements of righteousness in the standards of His moral government, He also is a gracious, merciful, redeeming God; and a further manifestation of His holiness is given in His great work of redemption. So we consider

Holiness And Redemption

The positive aspect of God's holiness is not His absolute purity, His separateness and His opposition to sin, nor is it fully portrayed in the majesty of His moral government. The positive aspect of the holiness of God is His infinite love actively manifested in His willingness to save the sinner and exhibited in the sacrifice He made on Calvary for man's redemption. A holy God could not be indifferent to man, the creature of His own hands made in His own image, even though that man had become polluted by sin. A holy God would destroy sin, but He would save the sinner. A holy God is gracious. A holy God would redeem man.

The holiness of God manifested in redemption takes us to Calvary. In our former look at Calvary we saw the awfulness of the holiness of God revealed in His judgment upon sin as He spared not His only Son but permitted Him to bear the sin of the world and to provide atonement for man. At Calvary also we see the majesty of the holiness of God in the preservation of His moral government as the requirements of His righteousness were met fully by "the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world."

But at Calvary the holiness of God is revealed further in that great act of redemption in which His heart was laid bare in an act of love providing redemption for sinful and unholy mankind. There at Calvary, God, the holy God, "was in Christ reconciling the world to himself" (II Cor. 5:19). The holy God could not be indifferent to man, He could not be inactive toward his sin. He who was absolutely opposed to sin and willed its destruction, and would make men holy even though it brought great suffering to His own loving heart, even though He in Christ must taste death for every man.

In redemption the holiness of God is manifested as the grace of God. "Grace means that Divinity dwells not in the iron will that never yields but in the holy Love, stronger than iron, that yields, and in yielding saves to the uttermost" (James Robert Cameron in "God the Christlike," page 41). Grace is love, holy love, that bleeds for its object, and for love's sake endures the cross, despising the shame. Grace is the moving of a holy, righteous God, intolerant of sin, bending low with a tender heart of love to save, showing in an act that it is not the will of the heavenly Father that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (II Peter 3:9). Grace denotes the merciful kindness of God by which He exerts His holy influence upon sinful men to turn them to Himself, to bring them to repentance and forgiveness, to make them His children, to purge their hearts from the pollution of sin and make them holy, and to continue the reign of grace in the redeemed heart, through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 5:21).

The primary purpose of redemption is to bring into existence through the grace of Christ a redeemed or holy manhood with a character in the spiritual likeness of God. This is the purpose of a holy God revealed in His redeeming love.

There is a beauty in that holiness; something attractive which draws the heart of the sinner, something which inspires the deepest expression of devotion and worship to a holy God.

The awfulness of His holiness as revealed in His absolute sinlessness, in His separateness and opposition to sin, brings fear and terror to the hearts of those who contemplate only that phase of His holiness. The majesty of His holiness as revealed in the consistency of His moral government and in His righteousness inspires wonder and respect from those who consider that. But the beauty of His holiness as revealed in His holy love dying to save an unholy people from sin, pronouncing judgment upon the sin He abhors, preserving His righteousness by the gracious atoning act of the Lamb of God, and bringing His grace to redeem and save unworthy and unholy people, touches the hearts of men deeply; it draws them to Himself and makes them to exclaim: "I can love a God like that. I will accept Him as my Saviour and Lord."

What is God like? Peter revealed Him as saying of Himself, "I am holy." Yes, God is a holy God, perfect in all of His moral characteristics, absolutely sinless and separate from sin, opposed in His nature to sin, ever seeking its destruction. He is a holy God, rigid and demanding in His requirements for righteousness and in the consistent preservation of His moral government. But also He is the loving, gracious heavenly Father; a holy God who would redeem and save the sinner and through grace bring man's character to conform to His own: "Be ye holy, for I am holy."

The story is told of a beautiful little girl who lived in the slums of a great Eastern city. Christians working in the neighborhood of her home had opened a mission which the girl attended. She had won her way into the hearts of these Christian workers until she became the object of much of their love and care. At Easter time a florist sent to the Mission a number of beautiful white lilies, left from his large supply, to be distributed among the unfortunate people of the slums. To this little girl the Mission workers gave the most beautiful lily of them all. They stood by to watch her reactions, for not until then had she seen a flower as beautiful as this. Soon she broke into tears; then began to sob.

"Why are you crying?" asked the workers. "Don't you like that lily? Don't you think it is beautiful?"

"Oh, yes, I like it . . . . I surely do," sobbed the girl. "It is so beautiful and white. But I didn't know how dirty I was until I saw how white this lily is. That's why I am crying."

Ah, that is it! We never know how dirty, how impure, how sinful, we are until we contemplate the holiness of God, its purity, its sinlessness, its righteousness, its redeeming love!