What God's Holiness Means For Us

Of all the attributes of the Lord that I have gotten to know so far, it is His holiness that perplexes me the most. I can't wrap my head around it, at least not entirely, because it is an attribute that I do not innately posses. People can argue that humans are capable of other attributes - like love, grace, and mercy (I think we're capable of such things albeit corruptly, until regeneration.) But not so with holiness. It is completely alien to me. I am not holy, and I never knew how to be.

"Who is like You, majestic in holiness?"

Exodus 15:11

God is holy. Man is not - and nobody likes hearing that. They despise God's holiness - always making it appear that He's some legalistic deity constantly waving His finger in the air telling us "no". His holiness is so misunderstood, and so resented that man has also formed enmity towards just about anything and everything God has instituted. They hate marriage, despise the family, and attack the church. They ridicule anyone who holds to a biblical, moral standard.

Christian, does this surprise you? It shouldn't. It shouldn't because we've been told before. The evil in this world will only continue to increase until the day of His return. Besides, what makes you think you deserve better? We live in a fallen world, with fallen people - including us. Living beings are only able to act according to their true nature. A bad tree produces bad fruit. (Matt 7:18) Furthermore, it shouldn't frighten us due to the fact that we worship a God who is untouched by that evil. Since God is holy,  that means He will remain separate from all these things and continue to be sovereign over all. And so we must be patient, as God is patient with us. As alarming as all of what we see in the world today is, we must continue to remain steadfast, immovable, and gracious. So lay down your pride, your anger, and your worry, because the Lord is slow to anger and gives everyone an opportunity to come to repentance.

"Then many will fall away, betray one another, and hate one another.  Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold."

Matthew 24:10-12

Christian, does this grieve you? It should. It should because having formerly lived a life that was hostile towards God, you of all people should know how terribly damning that kind of life is. If you claim to have died in your old ways and have been raised with Christ, that makes you one with Him. That makes you belong to a Body of believers who profess the same as you. And so, like someone cutting off your finger from your hand, or even the simple act of stubbing your little toe against a post - if you so say that you are one with Christ, and One Body in Christ - shouldn't any blow against His name, or His fame, or anything He has rule over hurt you? Shouldn't it be that an attack on His righteousness is an attack on yours? After all, you have no real holiness of your own. If God is holy, that means He is seriously angry with sin, and a time is coming when He will no longer withhold his wrath and judgment from a depraved world. As sinners, I do not think we have any right to be personally angry with wrongs done against us, but as believers, we must stand up for what is True and Good.

"It is time for the Lord to act, for your law has been broken. Therefore, I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold. Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way." 

Psalm 119: 126-128

God's holiness is what makes Him God. It is the one attribute that keeps the wheels turning on all His other attributes. According to one theologian, if God's attributes were likened to precious stones, His holiness would be the crown jewel. Or as R.L Dabney puts it:

"Holiness is to be regarded not as a distinct attribute, but as the result of all God’s moral perfection together."

And so dear Christian, the next time you watch the news, or the next time someone falls ill. The next time someone wrongs you; the next time you hear someone else making fun of misfortune. The next time someone questions your faith, and even the next time someone challenges you to compromise your morals - remember these things. Remember that there is no need to question what on earth is happening to the world and humanity. Human beings will continue to operate within the framework of their character, and God will continue to operate within His. But at the same time, we must also remember that as someone who possesses faith - people who have been far removed from our former way of living - we must be holy, as God is holy.