Each Lord’s Day for the next several months, there will be a devotional entitled A Word Fitly Spoken. The title is taken from Proverbs 25:11 which says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.”
Our current study from Scripture concerns the subject of holiness. Today’s essay continues to ask the question, what is holiness? Holiness, or to be holy, is a doctrine found throughout the Scriptures; in both the Old and New Testaments. Therefore, an understanding of holiness is important for the converted, and unconverted, to know what holiness is, and what it is not.
In the Old Testament (OT), the Hebrew word for holy, or holiness, is kahdosh (קָד֧וֹשׁ׀). It means to be ceremonially and morally sacred, set apart, or uniquely consecrated. When referring to God, the term calls attention to the LORD’s unique and awesome splendor (Isaiah 1:4).
In the New Testament (NT), the Greek word for holy, or holiness, is (ἅγιος, hagios). As in the OT, hagios refers to separation from the common, unclean, profane. It is also a consecration unto God. The New Testament church borrowed heavily from the OT’s understanding of holiness. This should not surprise us. The Scriptures for the early church, prior to the writing of the NT, was the OT (Psalm 1; 19; 119; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
“The New Testament’s terminology and meaning of holiness is directly dependent upon the Old Testament’s conception of holiness.”— Dr. M.C. Lyons
“God’s holiness means He is separated from sin and devoted to seeking His own honor.” – Dr. Wayne Grudem
Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou only art holy” (Rev. 15:4). He only is independently, infinitely, immutably holy. In Scripture He is frequently styled “The Holy One”: He is so because the sum of all moral excellency is found in Him. He is absolute Purity, unsullied even by the shadow of sin. “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Holiness is the very excellency of the Divine nature: the great God is “glorious in holiness” (Ex. 15:11). Therefore, we read, “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity” (Hab. 1:13). As God’s power is the opposite of the native weakness of the creature, as His wisdom is in complete contrast from the least defect of understanding or folly, so His holiness is the very antithesis of all moral blemish or defilement. Of old God appointed singers in Israel “that they should praise for the beauty of holiness” (2 Chron. 20:21). – A.W. Pink
God calls believers to holiness (I Thess. 4;7). Every believer is God’s holy temple (I Cor. 3:17; 6:19-20). Jesus Christ will present each Christian holy and blameless before Himself (Col. 1:22). The converted are to continue in faith, love and holiness (I Tim. 2:15), along with being upright, holy and disciplined (Titus 1:8). Believers are to be holy, because God is holy (I Peter 1:16).
Christians are to strive for holiness (Heb. 12:14), to share in God’s holiness by His loving discipline (Heb. 12:10), to avoid close associations with the unconverted (2 Cor. 6:14-18), and to cleanse ourselves from any and all moral defilement (Rom. 12:1; 2 Cor. 7:1). The church is to grow in holiness (Eph. 2:21), in order to be holy and without blemish (Eph. 5:26-27).
Dr. Keith A. Mathison is professor of systematic theology at Reformation Bible College in Sanford, Fla. He comments on holiness are worth considering.
The early centuries of the church’s existence, Christian apologists would sometimes appeal to the distinctively holy lives of Christians as evidence for the truth of Christianity. Would such an appeal be of any use today? According to numerous surveys, the behavior of professing Christians is not discernibly different from the behavior of those who profess other religions or no religion at all. The phrase one often hears on the lips of pagans who observe contemporary Christian behavior is: “The church is full of hypocrites.” This should not be. We worship a holy God who calls His people to be holy and who has provided the means by which they may be holy.
The believer’s pursuit of holiness begins with a salvific encounter with the living God of the Bible who is holy, holy, holy (Isaiah 6:1-3). This encounter occurred in my life over 50 years ago. God justified, redeemed and reconciled me by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. The Lord also called me to live a holy life for His honor and glory (I Peter 1:13-16).
This pursuit has not always been easy (Rom 7:13-15). I often sensed I was moving one step forward in my pursuit of holiness, while simultaneously moving two steps backward.
God’s call to holiness for believers, referred to as sanctification, is as fundamental to the Christian life as justification. Justification results in sanctification and sanctification is the evidence of justification (James 2:14-26). True conversion, its initial occurrence and subsequent impact, results from an encounter with the holy God of Scripture. We will examine such an encounter, between the LORD and the Prophet Isaiah, next month.
Who else commands all the hosts of heaven?
Who else could make every king bow down?
Who else can whisper and darkness trembles?
Only a Holy God.
What other beauty demands such praises?
What other splendor outshines the sun?
What other majesty rules with justice?
Only a Holy God.
Come and behold Him
The One and the Only
Cry out, sing holy
Forever a Holy God
Come and worship the Holy God.
What other glory consumes like fire?
What other power can raise the dead?
What other name remains undefeated?
Only a Holy God.
Who else could rescue me from my failing?
Who else would offer His only Son?
Who else invites me to call Him Father?
Only a Holy God
Only my Holy God.
Come and behold Him
The One and the Only
Cry out, sing holy
Forever a Holy God
Come and worship the Holy God. — Michael Farren, Rich Thompson, Dustin Smith, Jonny Robinson.
Soli deo Gloria!
His Word Today 