The holiness of God is the predominant theme of His nature and character. It refers to God’s otherness, His absolute perfection, righteousness, and purity. Without seeing his holiness, we will always struggle with a relationship with him.
At the core of God’s holiness is the fact that He is completely set apart from His creation.
God tells us this in Isiah 55:9, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
The prophet Isaiah had a powerful vision where the angels surrounding God’s throne cried out “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty” (Isaiah 6:3). The threefold repetition emphasizes God’s supreme holiness. He transcends His creation and is wholly unique and perfect in every way.
God’s holiness means He is completely without sin or moral failure of any kind. There is no imperfection, injustice or wrongdoing in Him. He is the standard of moral excellence. 1 John 1:5 proclaims “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” His ways, thoughts, and actions are flawless and pure. As Habakkuk 1:13 says “His eyes are too pure to look upon evil.”
Ultimately, the stunning holiness of God calls us to consecrate ourselves completely to Him. We are invited into a relationship with a Holy God through Christ. As we draw near, we must remember who He is – perfect, righteous and transcendent. In other words, He is Holy.
Lonnie Davis