The Holiness of God

Back in the days of the Bible, there was a method of emphasizing a point by what is called the method of repetition. The Bible uses this method often, as did Jesus. Look at John 6:47 where Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.” Because Jesus begins with a double repeating of the word truly, we can know that He was putting even more emphasis on what He was about to say. (Pretty sure everything Jesus said deserved our complete attention, but He knew people didn’t really listen, so He used the technique.) Thus, when we see something repeated in scripture, we can know it is of extra importance. (Again, the entire Bible is important.) But occasionally in scripture, we find a triple use of a word or a point. When we read something that is repeated three times in scripture, we can be assured is of the superlative importance to our need to pay attention.

In view of this method of communication we see used in scripture, take hold of this. The Bible speaks often of the attributes of God. We know God is love. We know God is just. We know He is merciful.  We can find descriptions of what and who God is all across His Word, but only once, does the Bible use the method of repetition to describe God by a Word three times in succession. That word? That description? It is holy.

Isaiah 6:3
And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

Revelation 4:8
And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

God’s holiness is the very essence of who He is and every other attribute, as important as they are, comes after His Holiness. We must come to our God in reverence and awe because He is Holy. We must devote our life’s quest to know God to the highest level possible in understanding the heights of His holiness. When we do that, we will understand the other attributes of God in a much deeper way as well. Then and only then, can we begin to approach our God in the way we are called to; to worship Him in spirit and truth.

John 4:23-24
 But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him.  God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

In order to be a true worshipper, we must know and we must seek to understand, the holiness of our God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Start there. When we approach God and see His holiness, it ought to make us tremble. If it doesn’t? Then we know nothing of the holiness of God.