Entering Into God’s Presence

Knowing God Through His Nature & Character

God is Holy (A Moral Attribute of God’s Nature)

To Study and Ponder:

• In the OT the word “holy” contains the idea of being set apart, sacred, separate; in the NT is added the idea of cleansed, purified, free from the guilt of sin, dedicated & consecrated. (Online Bible 2004) Our God is totally incomparable, always was, always will be, the only God, uncreated, nothing like the ‘gods’ others make and worship. “He is totally separate, above and other than his creation, and is pure and spotless with no fault at all.” (Wiley God is Holy)

• Hannah sings No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. 1Samuel 2:2 (When He answers her prayers for a child. 1Sam.1:1-2:10)

• Israel is told not to fear what the nations around them fear but to ... Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble. Isaiah 8:13

• Who will not fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous deeds have been revealed.” Rev.15:4

• Jesus called God his “Holy Father” John 17:11

• God is called the “Holy One” throughout the Bible (over 50 times):- 2 Kings 19:22, Ps.22:3, 71:22, Proverbs 9:10, Isaiah 48:17 etc.

• Isaiah and John both had visions of the throne of God and creatures around it continually calling “Holy, Holy, holy ..” Is.6:1-8, Rev.4:1-11. Take time in God’s presence to meditate on these passages. Listen to worship songs like Kari Jobe’s “Revelations Song” & Matt Gilman’s “Holy”, asking God for fresh revelation of His awesome holiness.

• Places God met with men were called holy. (Exodus 3:5, 19:23, Joshua 5:15)

• God revealed himself as I AM on ‘holy ground’. Exodus 3:5

• Moses & Joshua were told to take their sandals off, a token of respect and submission in Middle Eastern culture ... also ”a confession of personal defilement and conscious unworthiness to stand in the presence of unspotted holiness.” (Matthew Henry, Wesley, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentaries)

• The “Most Holy Place” in Solomon’s temple was where the High Priest met with God, the place made available to us by Jesus 1 Kings 6:14-16, Hebrews 9:2-12

• The Sabbath day was a separate, different day - And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation. Ge.2:3

• God’s people are to be holy ... a different people

• Israel was called to be a holy people, different from the nations around - For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure. Deut.7:6 (also Lev.20:7)

• But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession....1Pe 2:9 (Ex.19:6)

• But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” 1Pe 1:15,16 (Leviticus 11:44)

• Part of being holy is hating sin as God does. (Deu 12:31; 16:22; Pro 6:16-19; 11:1; 20:10,23)

• We are made holy by Jesus’ blood and also become holy as we make right choices:-

• Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. Heb.13:12

• Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Colossians 3:12

• Also 1Cor.1:2; Eph.5:3,25b-27; Col.1:22; 1Thess.3:13; 4:4,7; Heb.10:14; 2Tim.1:9 etc.

Meditation/Memory:

Lower Grades: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” Isaiah 6:3 (NLT)

But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 1Peter 1:15  (NLT)

Middle Grades: No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. 1Samuel 2:2 (NLT)  

Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.  Revelation 15:4 (NLT)

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:12-13 (NLT)

Upper Grades: Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. Proverbs 9:10 (NLT)

The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. Isaiah 57:15 (NLT)

So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”   1 Peter 1:14-16