From Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology
God’s holiness means that he is separated from sin and devoted to seeking his own honor. This definition contains both a relational quality (separation from) and a moral quality (the separation is from sin or evil, and the devotion is to the good of God’s own honor or glory). The idea of holiness as including both separation from evil and devotion to God’s own glory is found in a number of Old Testament passages. The word holy is used to describe both parts of the tabernacle, for example. The tabernacle itself was a place separate from the evil and sin of the world, and the first room in it was called the “holy place.” It was dedicated to God’s service. But then God commanded that there be a veil, “and the veil shall separate for you the holy place from the most holy” (Ex. 26:33). The most holy place, where the ark of the covenant was kept, was the place most separated from evil and sin and most fully devoted to God’s service.
The place where God himself dwelt was itself holy: “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?” (Ps. 24:3). The element of dedication to God’s service is seen in the holiness of the sabbath day: “the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy” (or “hallowed it”; the verb is a Piel form of qadash and means “to make holy”) (Ex. 20:11; cf. Gen. 2:3). The sabbath day was made holy because it was set apart from the ordinary activities of the world and dedicated to God’s service. In the same way the tabernacle and the altar, as well as Aaron and his sons, were to be “made holy” (Ex. 29:44), that is, set apart from ordinary tasks and from the evil and sin of the world and dedicated to God’s service (cf. Ex. 30:25–33). God himself is the Most Holy One. He is called the “Holy One of Israel” (Pss. 71:22; 78:41; 89:18; Isa. 1:4; 5:19, 24; et al.). The seraphim around God’s throne cry, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isa. 6:3). “The LORD our God is holy!” exclaims the psalmist (Ps. 99:9; cf. 99:3, 5; 22:3).
God’s holiness provides the pattern for his people to imitate. He commands them, “You shall be holy; for I the LORD your God am holy” (Lev. 19:2; cf. 11:44–45; 20:26; 1Peter 1:16). When God called his people out of Egypt and brought them to himself and commanded them to obey his voice, then he said, “You shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:4–6). In this case the idea of separation from evil and sin (which here included in a very striking way separation from life in Egypt) and the idea of devotion to God (in serving him and in obeying his statutes) are both seen in the example of a “holy nation.”
New covenant believers are also to “strive ... for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14) and to know that God’s discipline is given to us “that we may share his holiness” (Heb. 12:10). Paul encourages Christians to be separate from the dominating influence that comes from close association with unbelievers (2Cor. 6:14–18) and then encourages them, “Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God” (2Cor. 7:1; cf. Rom. 12:1). The church itself is intended by God to grow “into a holy temple in the Lord” (Eph. 2:21), and Christ’s present work for the church is “that he might sanctify her ... that he might present the church to himself in splendor ... that she might be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:26–27). Not only individuals but also the church itself must grow in holiness!
Zechariah prophesies a day when everything on earth will be “holy to the LORD.” He says:
“And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, ‘Holy to the LORD.’ And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar; and every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be sacred to the LORD of hosts.” (Zech. 14:20–21) At that time, everything on earth will be separated from evil, purified from sin, and devoted to the service of God in true moral purity.
If you were to fully describe holiness of God to someone, how would you do it?
What is the difference, if any, between the holiness attributed to God and the holiness we are command to have?
What should be our respons to the holiness of God?
How are we as believers to be "holy" and yet "salt and light" to the world?
Wherever God was present, it was considered holy and unapproachable by men. How are we to reconcile that with the instruction "come to his throne boldly...?"
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God is holy more so than any other of His attributes. Its like comparing planet earth to every ther planet in the universe. As Earth the only planet able to sustain life, God is the one true God, through which we may have eternal life. He is totally distinct from everything in His creation. There is nothing in creation that comes close to God. He is totally apart from sin. The holiness that God asks of us is different, because he asks us to be set apart from others; he asks us to be set apart from sin as well, but nothing can be as holy as God, and we as humans can never be truly free of committing sin. We should respond to God's holiness by trying to imitate His example of holiness embodied by Jesus Christ. We should also praise and worship God because of His supreme holiness. We as believers can be "holy" and "salt and light" by being set apart from sin, and acting as examples to others. Even as God's throne is unapproachable by men, we are called to come before him in prayer and praise not physically.
ReplyDeleteGod holiness is a complete description of who He is. when the bible says that he is Mighty, pwerful, soverign, those are some of his attributes that make up His complete and Full Holiness. since we are humans and cannot escape sin what so ever, God holiness is completely unreachable for us. Its just something that our minds can not attain. but the holiness that God wants us to strive to is the microscopic parts of His holiness that we can somewhat obtain. Although that slim part of God's holiness is something that we can comprehend, it does not meant that we are able to obtain it as a whole.
ReplyDeleteGod’s holiness means a bunch of things. It means that God is set apart from everyone and everything. That is why Christians are told by Paul to be set apart “from the dominating influence that comes from close association with unbelievers” in 2 Corinthians. God’s holiness also means that he is pure. God has nothing bad in Him and nothing evil can penetrate who He is. As I am learning more about who God is and what He is like, trying to be like God has gotten to be easier than I thought it would be. Before I knew anything about this, when people would say “be more like God” it meant nothing. Now I know that it means to be separate from sinner and to stand out as a Christian to change the lives of others.
ReplyDeleteWell, the holiness that God has is unlike any other holiness because it is the holiness of God himself. Humans aren’t told to BE God, we are told to be LIKE God. God’s holiness is many steps higher than man’s (obviously), but the principle is the same.
Our response to the holiness of God should be this: Respect. Man was made to love, worship, and respect God, and we do that by spreading His Word across the globe and never going against what He tells us. If God puts something into your life that upsets you or that you don’t think is right, then you are supposed to respect Him no matter what.
Humans are the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.” Basically, we are supposed to, as Christians and believers on Jesus Christ, “flavor” the world with the Word of God as if is it was “salt” and we are to brighten up the dark corners of the earth with the light of Jesus.
This last question is tough. We are not able to approach God because of the very first sin man committed, yet we are supposed to be bold when facing Him. Okay I see it like this: we cannot see God while we are on earth (not because ours eyes are not capable, but because God will not allow our eyes to do it) because of the first sin in the Garden of Eden; however, we are supposed to be bold when sharing our faith and to be proud of being a Christian. We aren’t supposed to back down when on the subject of God to a nonbeliever. Always be proud and honest with someone on this subject that you know needs help.
Passages like 1 Samuel 2:2 and Isaiah 6:3 are just two of many examples of passages about God’s holiness. Another way to say it is absolute perfection. God is unlike any other, and His holiness is the essence of that “otherness.” His very being is completely absent of even a trace of sin. He is high above any other, and no one can compare to Him. God’s holiness pervades His entire being and shapes all His attributes. His love is a holy love, His mercy is holy mercy, and even His anger and wrath are holy anger and holy wrath. These concepts are difficult for humans to grasp, just as God is difficult for us to understand in His entirety.
ReplyDelete-Zach Hutchison
the holiness of God is somewhat understandable except for the whole ark of the covanent thing where it was holy and the only holy place God could dwell. is that because it was holy and pure? if so how was that single part holy. was it holy ground before God got there? idk. im not too sure im making sense either lol. i think its that God was only in that place becuase it was the only holy place, after God died on the cross God erased the sins of the people and therefore we can dwell with him? i think.
ReplyDeletei would describe God's holieness as being holy and pure.
we should respond to God's holiness by being faithful and being obedient to him. even though we are sinful, God chose to clenze us by dying on the cross so he could be with us. i think...
God's holiness, by definition of this article, is the seperation of sin and the devotion to his honor. As the image of God, we are to be like him in his holiness by trying to seperate and pure our minds and bodies from sin. The holiness is the same only if we imitate it perfectly, which is very hard to do. Holiness also means to be set apart, like the sabbath does for sundays. To be holy, or set apart, it is hard to evangilize because to evangilize you have to almost surround yourself with the unholy, the unrighteous and unbelievers. Although in my mind you would have to spread the word of god but keep strong in your faith and not sway around unholy people (not give into peer pressure) and purify oneself after the deed of evangilizing is done perhaps. God's holiness should only paralyze us if we are afraid of it, if we are in awe of it we will be drawn closer to God.
ReplyDelete... oops i wasnt done.....
ReplyDeletethe whole where ever God is it is holy thing is throwing me off because God is everywhere yet im pretty sure chicas locas is not holy... so what does that mean...
for us to come to the thrown boldly (before God died on the cross) didnt people have to make sacrifices and have their sins forgiven ect but now God clensed us of our sins so we can approach His thrown... right?
thats it
I would define Holiness as something that is wonderful and almost indescribable attribute of God from which everything about Him flows.
ReplyDeleteHe is completely without blemish and absolutely perfect. Although the scriptures say that we are holy because God is holy, the meaning of the holy would be used differently for us. Being holy for us would be being pleasing to God. In other words,He is happy with an individual's behavior. Second, is being innocent and blameless with respect to other people. In other words, always treating others how you wish to be treated.
The holliness of God has fully means.The holliness of God is "only or alone". God is only holy in everything even in his creation. Expecially, God has any sin, but we have a sin since Adam and eve ate fruit in Eden. so we never can be holy. But in Bible, we are holy and light and salt. God really want to consume our dirty sin because he loves us. And then we can refined from Jesus blood. And He want to that we become light of the world and salt for other who dont know Jesus. "come to his throne boldly" mean is that we praise and worship our God.And then we have to respond to holiness of God to become standard of world. we acts like jesus although the world blamed us. And this is what jesus wants.
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