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Explore the significance of holiness in the Old Testament through Isaiah 6:1-10, examining its impact on worship, salvation, and faith. Discover practical implications of God's holiness in the lives of believers.
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Introduction • A confession • How important is holiness? • R. C. Sproul (The Holiness of God, pp. 24-25) • J. I. Packer (Knowing God, p. 183) • Other reasons for the importance of this subject: • We are commanded to be holy (1 Peter 1:14-16). • Christians are destined to be holy • It is the basis and motivation for our worship (Psalms; Revelation 4:8-11). • We cannot see God without it (Hebrews 12:10, 14).
Introduction • Why authors deal with holiness as they do • J. I. Packer: no chapter on the holiness of God in Knowing God • R. C. Sproul (The Holiness of God, p. 53) • How would you define “holy” and its opposite? • My approach • An attempt at a definition of holiness • Holiness as revealed in the Old Testament • The problem with holiness • O. T. indications of the solution • Practical implications and applications
A definition of the holiness of God • The incomparable (unrivaled) excellence of God (Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy, p. 104)
A definition of the holiness of God • The unfathomable excellence of God (Tozer, p. 104). • The collective excellence of God (Kenneth Prior, The Way of Holiness, p. 17; Sproul, p. 57). • The awe inspiring (fear/reverence producing) excellence of God (Packer, p. 183). • The holiness of God and the glory of God (Exodus 33 and 34).
The holiness of God is revealed at the exodus. • Exodus 3:5 (“Take off your shoes. . .”) • Exodus 5:2 (“Who is the LORD . . .?”) • Exodus 12:12 (judgment on the gods of Egypt) • Exodus 15:1-18 (Israel’s song) • Exodus 18:11 (Jethro) • Exodus 19:4-6 (a “holy nation”) • Exodus 20:3 (“No other gods . . .”) • Exodus 32ff.
The problem of a holy God and sinful men • Isaiah 6:1-5 (see Exodus 33:1-3; Habakkuk 1:13) • Moses strikes the rock (Numbers 20:12; 27:12-14; Deuteronomy 32:48-52) • Uzzah touches the ark (2 Samuel 6:1-11) • Nadab and Abihu – “strange fire” (Leviticus 10:1-10) • Joshua 24:19 • God’s provision for a sinful people • The Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 34:9ff.) • The promise of divine cleansing (Isaiah 6:6f.; 52-53; Ezekiel 36 • Deuteronomy 30:1-6f.; Jeremiah 31; Ezekiel 36:16
Conclusion: Implications and applications • God’s holiness is the standard which reveals man’s sin and need of salvation. • God’s holiness is a death blow to pluralism. • God’s holiness is the motivation and content of our worship. (If His holiness is infinite, then worship should never be dull or repetitive – we’ll be doing it for eternity.) • God’s holiness is the basis for our faith and confidence. • Grasping God’s holiness sustains us in suffering and silences our objections (Psalm 73; Job; Habakkuk 3; Hebrews 12:10, 14).