THE HOLINESS OF GOD
(Isaiah 6:1-8)
If I were to go into the average church in America and ask them to finish this statement, “God is…” what do you suppose they would say. Or if I were to ask these same people what they think is the primary attribute of God’s what do you suppose they would say? I suspect that the answer I would get to both statements would the LOVE. Most people think that the primary attribute of God is His love—but THAT IS NOT SO! The one attribute of God, upon which all His other attributes are contingent, is His HOLINESS!
I. THE PRE-EMINENCE OF GOD’S HOLINESS
The holiness of God is the center of His attributes and from which all His other attribut emminates/
A. God cannot be loving apart from His Holiness.
B. God cannot be gracious apart from His Holiness.God cannot be merciful apart from His Holiness.
C Before God could extend His mercy, He had to first deal with the sin that defiles His Holiness!
D. God’s Holiness. demands the He deal with sin.
You may be thinking that I am saying that God doesn’t love us, but this is not true. In I John 4:16 we read that “God is love.” But before John tells us that God is love, he first tells us in I John 1:5 that God is “Light.” In Heb. 12:29 we read that God is “a consuming fire.” Every other attribute of God’s is contingent upon His Holiness.
II. THE POSITION OF GOD’S HOLINESS
In the visions of Himself which God gave men in the Scriptures, the one thing that stood out most prominent was His holiness. Although the holiness of God is the one attribute that He most wants us to recognize, it is sad to say, but none-the-less true, that it is the one thing that men either do not recognize, or do not choose to recognize
A “Who is like unto Thee, O LORD among the gods? Who is like Thee, glorious in holiness (Exodus 1
B. “And ye shall be holy unto Me: for I the LORD am holy” (Lev. 20Holy and revered is His Name” (Psa. 111:9).
C. “And one (angel) cried unto another, and said, “Holy, Holy is the LORD God of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory”
(Isa. 6:3)
II. THE PROFANING OF GOD’S HOLINESS.
The message of the Bible, first, last and always, is that GOD IS HOLY! And being holy, GOD MUST PUNISH SIN!
This is the entire bible all rolled into one, but man does not like this message. Since Cain, men have been trying to deny God’s Word; to approach God in terms other than what God demands.
A. We Profane God’s Holiness By Our Actions before the World
EXMPLE: King David (II Sam. 11:1-1)
1. Problem with David’s Sin
The worst thing about David’s sin;
a. It was not that he was an adulterer;
b. it was not even that he had murdered Uriah, the Hittite.
No, the worst thing about David’s sin is found in II Sam. 12:14. Nathan the prophet pointed at David and said, “Because you have done this you have given the enemies of god cause to blaspheme him.”
2.. Problem of Many Christians
Too many Christian live by situation ethics.
a. God give us men who will say,“Sin is Sin!” It’ll always be black. It’ll never be gray.
b. God give us men who will say, “Help me Oh God to never sin against you.
B. We Profane the Holiness of God By Our Reaction to Affliction
C. We Profane the Holiness of God By Our Reaction to our Own Sins.
If we are ever to have revival in America; if we are ever to have revival in our churches, we are going to have to have Christians who are broken about the sin in their own lives. I find in the Bible that no man was ever used of God who had not first been broken about his own sin.
1. Would to God that Christians could get hold of this fact of the HOLINESS OF GOD!
2. Would to God that unsaved sinners could get hold of the facts of God’s holiness and their own unholiness!
3. Would to God we had prayers like John Hyde (Praying Hyde),
A man who could get hold of the throne of God and travail in prayer with God.
4. Would to God that Christians had a proper vision of the he holiness of God.
Then, and only then, will we recognize ourselves for what we are, and we will see the lost and dying around us for what they are.
D. We Profane the Holiness of God in our Churches by our Worldly Musi
We have so much of this diabolical so-called “Christian Rock” with the pagan/heathen drum beat in our churches that the Holy Spirit cannot use the church’s music to prepare the souls to worship our holy God. The holiness of God and the world are at opposite poles and can in no way ever be brought together.
“Be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darknesdarknes?
“And what concord hath Christ with Belial? And what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
“And what agreement hath the temple of God (your physical body–see I Cor. 6:19-20)? For ye are the temple of the lving God; as God hath said, ‘I will dwell in them, and walk in tyhem and I willb e their God and they shall be my people.
“Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate’ saith the Lord. And touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive”–(II Cor. 6:14-17).
Unfortunately there are generations of young people in our churches who have not heard the Great Hymns of the Faith. We need to get back to understanding that church worship is not to make us feel better or to pump us up. The ONLY purpose of church worship should be to and recognize and honor the HOLINESS OF God.
UNDERSTAND THIS IMPORTANT FACT: Christ died not only to substitutionally pay for our sins, but He also died to provide the means by which we could have the righteousness and holiness that God’s holiness demands.