The Attributes Of God – God Is Holy

What are God’s attributes? When we talk about the attributes of God, we are trying to answer questions like, who is God, what is God like, and what kind of God is He? An attribute of God is something true about Him. Each Friday we will look at the attributes of God. This week, God is holy.  

“ It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!”Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke. Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” – Isaiah 6:1-5

In Isaiah 6 we learn about Isaiah’s unique encounter with God. There is a progression in his throne-room vision of God. What he sees utterly terrifies him – God is high and lifted up, and the train of His robe fills the temple. He is beyond comprehension. We get no description of God other than him sitting on a throne high and lifted up and the train of His robe filling the temple, and His total, perfect holiness. In the vision, he sees and hears angelic creatures crying out, “Holy, holy, holy.”

Isaiah sees a glimpse of God’s absolute holiness and he finds himself utterly devastated. He feels a profound sense of dread in the presence of a holy God. He realizes that God is totally holy, perfect, and pure and that he is by comparison unclean, impure, and sinful. 

The God of the Bible is a Holy God.  As we meditate on God’s supreme holiness, we cannot help being overcome with a sense of awe. The psalmist tells us, “Worship the LORD in all his holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before him.” (Psalm 96:9) Solomon writes, “Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.” (Proverbs 9:10)  

John Piper has this definition of God’s holiness: “God’s holiness is His infinite value as the absolutely unique, morally perfect, permanent person that He is and who by grace made Himself accessible — His infinite value as the absolutely unique, morally perfect, permanent person that He is. Our goal is to be holy as He is holy.” Leviticus 11:44: “For I am the Lord your God. You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.…” 1 Peter 1:15 says “But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.”

Discussion Questions:

1. Can you define the word holiness in general and more specifically for your life?
2. Do you believe a person can become holy?