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The God Who Is
Chapter 5
GOD IS HOLY
God is holy. The most basic attribute of God is His holiness. Holiness lies at the foundation of virtually every attribute, whether divine or moral. The love of God is established upon His holiness. His justice is a holy justice. Consider the fact that the only reason God is almighty, all-wise, ever present, unchanging, and eternal is because He is holy. With the loss of this single doctrine, the knowledge of God is completely lost.
Three Examples:
The flood—For instance, consider Noah's ark rising upon the flood as the waters cover the earth. See the ark as it rises above the mountains as God judges the world, but saves Noah and his wife, his three sons, and their wives. Can the reader imagine a sign on the back of the ark that reads, "Smile, God loves you." What an anomaly! How uncharacteristic of the nature of God would such a sign be! Yet, many people imagine that this is the message of the Gospel. People do not know God!
Sodom and Gomorrah—The message the angels brought to Sodom and Gomorrah was not "Something good is going to happen to you!"
The stoning of Stephen—Stephen was not stoned for preaching, "I'm OK; You're OK", or "God loves you just the way you are." Anyone who would preach such a false gospel would get along famously with society. God is holy, yet the sermons being preached in most churches elevate love above every other attribute of God.
The Trisagion
In Isaiah chapter 6, note what has come to be known as "the Trisagion" or "the three holies." "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
"And one cried unto another, and said, `Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.'" The mention of three "holies" is significant because it allows for the doctrine of the Trinity, or, as is sometimes said, "One for the Father, One for the Son, and One for the Holy Ghost." The Trinity is certainly intimated.
"The Way of Holiness"
Adam Clarke was right when he said, "He who does not fear God does not know God;" and the thing that causes us to be most reverent before the Lord is not His justice, but His holiness. When we speak of the "holiness of God," we mean the purity of His nature whereby He abhors sin and demands purity.
In Isaiah chapter 35, note verse 8. When the prophet speaks about the millennial kingdom, he declares there is going to be a highway constructed and a way, and it shall be called, "The way of holiness." It will not be known as "the way of love," but the "way of holiness."
The High Priest's Miter
Moses recorded for us in Exodus chapter 39, in verse 30, that among the holy garments that clothed the high priest was a miter which is here called "a crown" and which served as a hat. "And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, `HOLINESS TO THE LORD.'" One would think by the modern prostituted gospel that it read, "Love to the Lord," or, "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." However, it read, "HOLINESS TO THE LORD."
The Horses' Bridles
The prophet Zechariah tells us that when the Lord shall come with ten thousand of His saints, "In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, `HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD'..." (14:20).
The Attributes of God
"Holiness" can be prefixed to the other attributes of God. His goodness is predicated upon His holiness. He has a holy love. God is eternal because He is unchanging. He is unchanging because He is perfect. He does not change because there is no change or decay in His holiness.
Holiness is the basic attribute of God; and consequently, the white linen fence that surrounded the tabernacle preached loudly to the people, "HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD." The first thing that people must recognize about the character of God is that God is holy—not that God is love.
The Names of God
The names of God declare Him to be holy. In the book of Job, chapter 6, note verse 10. Job testifies, "I have not concealed the words of the Holy One." Again, we read in I Samuel chapter 6, "And the men of Bethshemesh said, `Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up against us?'" (verse 20).
"And Joshua said unto the people, `Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins'" (Joshua 24:19). Joshua here testifies that God is a holy God, yet Scripture tells us that "there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not" (Ecclesiastes 7:20). The nature of man is not holy. This is the reason it must be converted.
The psalmist wrote, "Holy and reverend is his name" (Psalm 111:9). The word "holy" like the word "reverend" used here are not names for God, but are attributes of His name. I have heard some say that a pastor should not be addressed as "Reverend," because it is the name of God; yet I have never heard anyone say a man should not be spoken of as being "holy." The two words used here simply express the character of the name of the Lord.
It should also be noted that there was a day when ministers of the Gospel were respected or "revered" on account of the Gospel they preached, and because the hand of the Lord was upon them. Today, however, most ministers want to be known as "one of the boys."