A SHORT
COURSE for Young People and Adults
INSTRUCTOR - THE HOLINESS OF GOD
GET
ACQUAINTED - Ask, "What puzzles, disturbs, or surprises you most
about God?"
Respond
to the question, "Are you saved"?
It's
not specific enough in that it fails to identify the reason salvation is
necessary. Saved from what?
What
two concepts must one understand in order for God's judgment of sin and the
pouring out of God's wrath at the death of Christ to make sense?
The holiness of God and the sinfulness of man
·
The primary meaning of the word "holy" as applied to God
in the Bible is separate, on a different plane (out of our league),
transcendent (exceeding usual limits), in a class all by Himself.
How
is the primary meaning first drawn out in the Bible?
"In the
beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." (Gen.1:1-27) By showing His supreme and absolute uniqueness as creator in contrast to all else (creation).
What
was the result?
"The
heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims His handiwork (Ps.19:1)" and "the whole
earth is filled with His glory (Isa.6:3b)."
·
The connotation of the
word "holy" and it's derivatives in the Bible is moral and ethical
purity, excellence. (see Heb.12:14;
1 Pt.1:15-16)
[see The Church before the Watching World by Francis
Schaeffer, appendix, Holiness and Love]
·
God alone is HOLY in the absolute sense of being supreme in His
transcendence and excellence. He is perfect in essence (self existent, eternal, unchanging, etc.); nature (knowledge, power, wisdom,
etc.); and character
(righteous, good, etc.). [Perfection is not
equitable with the idea of limits.]
Look
up the following passages, note the context and write your observations and
comments. Notice the kinds of words that
are associated with and used to describe God's holiness.
Ex.15:11 is
from the song of Moses. God had shown
the gods of the Egyptians to be false and Pharaoh to be powerless to stop Him
from taking the Hebrews for Himself. Now
He destroys the entire Egyptian military in the red sea as He delivers His
people. "Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is
like You, majestic in holiness,
awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?" is a rhetorical
question extolling God's transcendent
nature as seen in His awesome power and works. "In the greatness of Your majesty, You overthrew Your adversaries" (v.7).
Compare
and explain Rev.15:3-4.
"Great
and amazing are Your deeds, O Lord God almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O king of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord and glorify
your name? For You
alone are holy. All nations will come and worship You, for Your righteous acts have been
revealed." - It is analogous to the victory song of Moses where God pictured
redemption and judgment. It is the Lamb
who brought them about.
Comment
on the following passages that refer to different aspects of God's holiness.
What
do they have in common? All pose rhetorical
questions.
Dt.3:24, "What god is there in heaven or on earth who
can do such mighty acts as Yours? - Moses remembering the past 40 years of God's
deliverance and provision, pleading with God to enter the land
Ps.71:19, "Your righteousness, O God,
reaches the highest heavens. You who
have done great things, O God, who is
like You?" - reflections and prayer of an old man
(David?) on his troubled life and God's righteousness in What He has wrought
Mic.7:18, "Who is a god like You, pardoning
iniquity and passing over transgressions for the remnant of His
inheritance? He does not retain His
anger forever because He delights in steadfast love." – God is longsuffering
toward
{"Ascribe
to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the splendor
[beauty] of holiness." (Ps.29:2) "Worship the Lord in the splendor
of holiness; tremble before Him all the earth." (Ps.96:9)}
Comment
on the following passages. What do
they have in common?
They exalt Christ by ascribing to Him different aspects of God's holiness.
Jn.1:18; 3:16, 18; 1 Jn.4:9 - Jesus is described as only, only begotten, one and only [translation of a single
Greek word]
son of God, meaning unique, only one of his kind.
1Tim.6:15b-16 - "our Lord Jesus
Christ…who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of
lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light,
whom no one has ever seen or can see. To
Him be honor and eternal dominion.
Amen."
·
Notice how attempts to express the exalted
holiness of God stretches beyond the limits of language. It is obvious that human language is
insufficient to do so.
What
title containing the word "holy" is applied to God in the Old
Testament?
The Holy
One of
What
title containing the word "holy" is applied to Jesus in the New
Testament?
"Have You come to destroy us?
I know who You are - the Holy One of God."
(Mk.1:24) - Jesus casts out an
unclean spirit “[God’s] Holy One” (Acts 2:27) - quoting Ps.16:10
"We
have believed, and have come to know that You are the
Holy One of God." (Jn.6:69)
- Peter's
declaration when many disciples turned back
{Following
upon Jn.1:1-3, "The Word became
flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only son
from the Father, full of grace and truth" (Jn.1:14). Speaks
of the absolute uniqueness of Jesus and similarity to the Father.}
What
are the expressions of sovereignty in Isa.6:1?
"The Lord" [sovereign]. Sitting upon an exalted throne [absolute
authority]. "The train of His robe filled the temple" [beyond all earthly authority].
Comment
on v.3. "Holy, holy, holy is
the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory." Holy to the superlative
degree, commanding an angelic army.
The verification of His supremacy, knowledge, wisdom, power, goodness,
etc., is evident throughout the planet.
In
your own words, describe the scene in v.1-4.
The exalted grandeur and majesty of the sovereign and transcendent
God.
Explain
Isaiah's reaction (v.5). It is the breakdown of a man who sees the awesome
reality of God, "I am undone."
He is exposed as completely unworthy and pronounces utter hopelessness
for himself and his nation in their defilement.
What
elements are common to Isa.6:1-4
& Rev.4?
A human
observer; scene of glory and power; central figure is God, seated on a throne;
appearance not described; surrounded by living creatures, worshipping.
What
is decidedly different between Isa.6:1-7
& Rev.4?
John is not threatened and disturbed as Isaiah was. "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God
almighty, who was and is and is to come."
(4:8b, see Rev.5)
Explain
Peter's response in Lk.5:4-11 at the
great catch of fish.
"Depart
from me, for I am a sinful man, O
Lord." (v.8) - completely unexpected
Explain
the disciples' reaction in Mk.4:35-41
when Jesus calms the storm.
"And
they were filled with great fear … 'who then is this that even the wind
and sea obey Him?" (v.41) What did they expect when
they woke Him?
List other forms, define, and cite
examples. NAS, ESV, and NKJ are recommended translations.
Evil;
Bad; Wicked; Wrong; Corrupt; Lewd; Malicious
Iniquity - a general term for
unrighteousness, not conforming to what is right, ie. injustice
(Rom.6:19)
Sin, sinner - to miss the mark, fall
short, fail to measure up, goal set by a positive
command (Rom.3:23)
trespass, trespasser - to take a false step
and so blunder from the correct path of uprightness and truth (Rom.5:16-17; Col.2:13)
transgress, transgression - to pass over the line
drawn by a negative command, break law (2
Pt.2:16)
lawless, lawlessness – people’s failure to
recognize any law governing their actions (2
Thes.2:7; 2 Pt.2:7)
disobey, disobedient - one word means unpersuadable, obstinate rejection of God's will, (Eph.5:6); another means refusal to
listen to a proper authority (Rom.5:19)
offend, offense, offender - stresses the effect of
your trespass upon someone else, you cause them to stumble (Mt.13:41)
How
can sinners dwell with God in His perfection of holiness? Acts
26:18 Paul was sent to the
Gentiles "to open their eyes [they have no comprehension of the truth] that they may turn from
darkness [ignorance] to the light and from
the power of Satan [who has kept the truth from them (2 Cor.4:3-4) and in whose domain they live, Col.1:13-14] to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place
among those who are sanctified in Me [Jesus]." By being sanctified [set apart, made holy] by faith in Jesus
"God is most glorified in us when we
are most satisfied in Him," John Piper
Look
up the following passages and note the kinds of words that are associated with
and used to describe God's holiness: Rom.11:33-36; 16:27; 1
Pt.4:11b; Rev.5:11-14
Further Study
Recommended - MP-3 rym200~1, "Target
Audience" by Steve Lawson - "The Holiness of God" (revised and
expanded edition) by R.C. Sproul [or CD Series; cassettes; MP3; http://www.ligonier.org/]