Pursuing HolinessSample

This is devotional is submitted by Dan - missionary in the Philippines

God is Holy

Grasping God's holiness can be difficult. The word holy appears over 900 times in the Bible, but we still struggle to understand it. Thankfully, the Bible gives us pictures to help us better know God as he reveals himself to us.

 "Woe to me!" cries out the prophet Isaiah as he hears the voice of the Lord and sees YHWH sitting on the throne. He curses himself and declares that he is "lost" or "ruined" or "undone." Isaiah is coming apart at the seams. He is experiencing personal disintegration. Among all the people, Isaiah was the best, the most righteous — he had it all together. Then, instantaneously upon catching a glimpse of our holy God, he is shattered, and all he can do is cry out about his state of wretchedness - "I am a man of unclean lips" (Isaiah 6:1-6).

God is gracious to Isaiah and atones for him through the cleansing pain of fire. Isaiah did not hide his sin. He was fully exposed. He confessed and mourned his uncleanliness in the sight of the thrice-holy God who put him back together again, clean and fit for service. 

Although holiness can, of course, refer to one's purity being morally immaculate, we are focusing on a different aspect of God when we discuss his holiness. The primary meaning comes from the word to cut or separate. God is different than us. Not just different, not just separate, but a cut above, beyond the limits. God is higher than all of creation by his nature. Holiness is God's crown that informs all of his other attributes: holy wisdom, holy justice, holy mercy. God is different — separate from creation. 

Though he is transcendent, far above us and separate in his majestic splendor, God is also immanent; He is present with us. It is only by God's grace, through the Gospel, that this is possible. We are glad that God comes down to us, but we are also afraid. When we are confronted by the holiness of God, not only do we realize our sinfulness, but we realize our creatureliness, our finitude, our mortality, and we are helpless and exposed. 

Because of God's presence in his creation, he can also make things and people holy by virtue of his "setting apart" or consecrating those things or people to himself. 

These things are not ethically or morally holy but set apart from the profane or the everyday and are no longer to be used for their common purpose, but only in service to God. Only God can make things holy. When a man calls something holy that God has not made holy, this is desecration. This is idolatry. 

In the New Testament, Christians are referred to as saints, which simply means "holy ones." This does not mean they are sinless, but they are set apart by God to serve him and to be like him. 

Reflection Questions

Have you ever been "undone" by God's presence? 

Do you think of holiness only as morally good? How is being "set apart" a helpful definition?

What are some things God sets apart for special use? Do you also do this?

How does God's holiness affect your interaction with him?