Series: Understanding God

Series: Understanding God Title: Understanding the Holiness of God Text: Isaiah 6:1-8

Text: Isaiah 6:1-8 Title: Understanding the Holiness of God Introduction: The Old Testament prophets were men who held strong conviction about the Holiness of God. Isaiah, for example, began prophesying when King Uzziah died, but he had a vision of another King.

Quote – ‘I saw the Lord’ – and he saw the Angels proclaiming Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts…

Note – The Lord in His holiness is transcendent—He exceeds all limits of purity and majesty.

Quote – R.C. Sproul – “When we speak of the transcendency of God, we are talking about the sense in which God is above and beyond us.”

Note – Without a doubt Isaiah was convinced of God’s holiness, and I believe each of us as Christians today need to recognize that our God is holy – (The word holy is almost a foreign term in many churches….In this day of Christian comedians and so called Christian Rock & Roll – Many Christians don’t truly understand the very personality of the God they claim to worship.)

I. His Works Are Holy

Psalm 145:17 17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

Note – Our standard of righteousness falters – but God is holy and all His works…

Ill – Dan Quayle – Washington Post, August 4th “Character matters – we need to raise our standards at home and abroad – the first order of business is to restore standards to the White House.”

Note – God’s standard of holiness never need restoration. All of His works are holy.

A. His Creative Works

1. The Earth

Genesis 1:31 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

1 Series: Understanding God Title: Understanding the Holiness of God Text: Isaiah 6:1-8

2. Mankind Ecclesiastes 7:29 29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

Note – God’s creation was holy – man’s choices were unholy.

B. His Redemptive Work

Note – Because of man’s unholy choices – and sin – God unfolded a holy redemptive plan.

Psalm 22:1-3 1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? 2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. 3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

Note – This Psalm describes the darkest day in world history – the day when the Father turned His face from the Son of God – why? Verse 3 – God is Holy, and He always forsakes sin.

Note – When Jesus died – He who knew no sin – became sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

Note – Because of Jesus – we can be forgiven, and God’s holiness is not compromised.

II. His Word is Holy

A. His Word Manifests His purity

Psalm 19:8-9 8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

Ill – We know the Word of God is true because the world hates it.

Ill – Take a Bible out on a plane.

B. His Word Magnifies Him Personally Psalm 89:7

7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.

Note – One reason Christians are so tolerant of sin and rebellion is that we don’t reverence God.

Psalm 99:5 5 Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.

1 John 1:5 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Note – We are to walk in the light. His holy Word will light a path. (You can tell when someone is walking in the light of His holy Word.)

III. His Will for Us Is Holy

A. His Will Is Redeeming Us.

Isaiah 64:6 6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Isaiah 6:5 5 Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

Note – Because of our uncleanness – we could not have a relationship with a holy God.

Romans 3:24-26 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Note – Because of the Blood of Christ, God can redeem us, and He is still just and holy.

B. His Will Is Renewing Us

Romans 12:2 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

1 Peter 1:16 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Note – God doesn’t want His people to conform to this world but to be renewed to His image, in His mercy He will refine you and me.

Conclusion:

Did you know that God has a holy will for your life? He desires to redeem and renew your life. Many people attend church that have never been redeemed or claimed His forgiveness. They look like they “fit in,” but have never experienced God’s holiness.