• The Hebrew name means “the burning ones.”

 

Isaiah 6:3 “And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

• Holiness when implied to God’s nature, indicates His absolute moral purity, in this case above His creation of the whole earth.

 

(McKenna & Ogilvie, 1993) write: “Holy, Holy, Holy.” No other attribute is so praised. Angels do not sing, “Love, Love, Love” or “Justice, Justice, Justice”—they only sing “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

 

God’s Army is Unseen to the Human Eye

2 Kings 6:15-17 15When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (ESV)

• He is the Lord of hosts – “Lord Sabaoth”, The Lord of the Heavenly Armies.

 

It is God’s holy and glorious presence in which our holiness begins.

Isaiah 6:4-6 “And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone!

Because I am a man of unclean lips,

And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;

For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.”

• The closer we get to God the more we realize we are unclean.

 

Isaiah 6:7 “Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips;

Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”

• The Lord has a remedy for our sins.

 

Isaiah 6:8 “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

• The Lord prepares us for our mission.

 

God is Holiness and his plan for his people is holiness

The Lord proclaims His holiness to Moses:

 

Leviticus 19:1-2 1And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

 

Leviticus 11:44-45; as well as many other places, God proclaims “…ye shall be holy; for I am holy:”

 

“Be ye holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16).

This may come as a surprise to some, but this is not a request…it is a command from God.

 

Holiness is a Command

1 Peter 1:14-16 “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (NIV)

 

1 Peter 1:17-19 “Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (NIV)

 

1 Peter 1:20-21 “He was chosen before the creation of the world but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.” (NIV)

 

1 Peter 1:22-23 “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” (NIV)

• Living holy is by faith in Jesus Christ
• We are purified by obeying the truth

 

Worship is a Lifestyle

Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (NIV)

 

2 Corinthians 6:16-18 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (NIV)

 

Luke 17:20-21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

 

The New Testament Way To Holiness

1 Corinthians 1:28-31 “God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not —to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

• Jesus Christ is our wisdom from God
• Jesus Christi is our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
• We have nothing to boast about except the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Make Jesus Famous!