Compelled to Worship: Holiness

“Who among the gods is like you, LORD? Who is like you — majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders" Exodus 15:11

The throne room of heaven is a fantastic scene. It is richly depicted in Revelation 4 and Isaiah 6. The visions give a glimpse of God in a light that is critical if we are to understand Who He is in a right way. Today, that attribute is God’s holiness.

In these scenes of the Old and New Testaments, we are treated to imagery of creatures that declare God’s glory without ceasing.

But there is only one attribute that is being eternally declared around that throne in heaven: God’s holiness. They are not crying out ‘love, love, love’ or ‘truth, truth truth’ despite being good and right attributes of God’s character.

Holiness, however, is the attribute that proceeds from the mouths of those beings which were created for the express purpose of glorifying God for all eternity. Ask yourself when the last time you heard a pastor called his congregation to live holy lives, and preached it without apology? It’s a challenge because any command of that nature necessarily causes that pastor to reflect on how he doesn’t meet the standard either – so how can he call his congregants to do it?

The reality is no pastor should be calling his congregation to live holy lives based upon the example of his own life or personal authority. It should be proclaimed out of obedience to faithfully teach the Lord Jesus’ commands – with all humility.

The Late Martin Lloyd Jones once stated, “If you ever want to separate the sheep from the goats in a congregation – call them to live holy lives.”  Nothing makes a person more angry than when you call them out for unholy living.

The Doctrine:

Holiness defined: To divide or cut something in two, so that the two things are separated. With respect to God it means that He is separate from humanity in essence. He is elevated above, distinct from, and superior to us in every way.

Some words that describe this attribute in scripture declare that He is exalted, transcendent, high & lifted up, supreme, and majestic. These are not words that describe you or me.

We cannot look upon God in His holiness and be indifferent as though it is normal. It is so mind-boggling that scripture tells us that we would die if we saw Him face to face.

But the vision in Isaiah 6 is remarkable in describing it.

“I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne;”

God is depicted as high and exalted – which tells us of His resplendent nature and authority.  The Lord is ‘seated’ which means that God is actively presiding, ruling, and reigning over all creation that is in subjection to Him.

“…and the train of his robe filled the temple.”

The greatness of kings was measured in part by the magnificence and length of their train. The greater the king the longer the train. In this room there is no space for any other competitor as His train fills the entire temple and overshadows everything and anyone who would enter.

Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.

The title of Seraphim means “burning ones.” These creatures were burning in their passion and intensity for God. It is impossible to be in the presence of God and remain unaffected. There is no casual worship in that throne room.  You likely encounter casual regard of worship every week at a church gathering. But here there is no one with their hands in their pockets, checking their phones, using careless speech, or half-hearted singing.

The creatures are described specifically for us too. Two of their wings covered their faces, unable or unwilling to even look directly at God. These creatures are sinless and still shield their eyes from looking upon the holiness of God.

With two wings they covered their feet.  This uniquely parallels the action Moses took when he removed his sandals in the presence of the Lord. This signifies that a servant is unworthy to be in the presence of their Master. Again, the Seraphim are sinless.

With the other two wings the creatures flew. In this action they are prepared to do the work of the Lord so that only a command need be uttered and they would be instantly responsive to the Lord’s will.

And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

These words are repeated three times to emphasize the superlative of the attribute. It is like saying, “Holy, holier, holiest” and the emphasis was never lost on the Jewish reader. There is a gaping chasm separating our Holy God from His creation.

Lastly, they declare that the entire earth is full of His glory. Glory being the revelation of His holiness. Then we read that the thresholds and door posts of the room literally quake and shake in His presence which fills the room with smoke (1 Kings 8).

Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”

Isaiah’s only response is to fall in terror and to declare a woe over his own head. Isaiah was instantaneously overwhelmed by awareness of his own sin in the presence of a holy God. Instinctively he knew the incredible offense of simply being near such a holy One.

The Christian Ethic:

At the end of the sermon one Sunday, a congregant approached Dr John MacArthur and told him that God had appeared to him that very morning while he was shaving. After he got done relaying what ‘god’ had told him MacArthur responded, “Well, did you finish shaving?”

His question elicited a simple point.  How could someone have an encounter with the Living God and remain so casually occupied with common things? He should have been out of breath, slobbering all over himself, half-shaved, and barely dressed running out of the house proclaiming what the Only Holy God had told him.

There are many these days who claim to have encounters with God but if those encounters are not impressing a desperate need for the receiver to be holy, we have little reason to even give them the time of day.

This experience was devastating for Isaiah. It absolutely crushed him. It should crush you as well. But what a wonderful gift of God to reveal Himself to us so that we may be crushed along with Isaiah.

But in this passage God sends a creature with a hot coal to touch the lips of Isaiah and proclaim, 

“See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

Isaiah was not required to remain as a crushed man before a Holy God. He was not trodden underfoot by the boots of angels and Seraphim who are repelled by his sinful presence. No, God sent a servant to purify his guilt with a fiery coal. A refiner’s fire, in scripture, purifies the precious metal removing the dross.

Hundreds of years later God would send His Son as the One who would purify us from our sin. His sacrifice would act as a doorway for us to enter into the throne room of God without the crushing weight of sin.

If believers were to have just a few moments with God as Isaiah had, our relationship to sin would cease to remain so casual. Our worship of God both in life and on Sunday mornings would become fervent and intense like the burning Seraphim. Our concern for upholding His law would be like a lightning prod compelling us to obey and do all that we are able to do for His glory.

If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, then knowledge of, reverence for, and dwelling in His Holy Word, is surely the prerequisite. If fearing God leads to glorifying Him then we had better start treading the water.

We can only have one of two responses to God:

Continued fruitless rebellion or soul-burning repentance and worship.

Prayer:

Father in heaven You dwell above the clouds in a throne room that eclipses the authority of all kings, nations, and powers.  Your holiness transcends anything that we might, with human eyes, consider good or pure. You alone are worthy to be called holy and we declare it now. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. Who was, and is, and is to come. Blessed be the great name of God our savior Jesus Christ. Amen.