FROM THE DAWGHOUSE…
How Should God’s Holiness Impact Us?
As Bishop Jayson Quiñones shared at Forge recently, when we speak of God’s holiness, we are not merely describing one of His attributes. We are speaking of the essence of who God is. Utterly set apart, morally perfect, and infinitely pure. Holiness is not something God achieves; it is something God is. And when that reality grips us, it changes everything.
In Isaiah 6, the prophet has a vision of the Lord, high and lifted up, with seraphim crying out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” (v.3).
Confronted with the holiness of God, Isaiah doesn’t feel inspired, he feels undone. “Woe is me!” he cries, “For I am lost… for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (v.5). That’s the first impact of God’s holiness: it humbles us.
For so long, I have felt that in our fallen state, we have become far too casual with God. We tend to shape Him in our image. Approachable, kind, maybe even lenient. But when we behold His holiness, all illusions fall. We realize that He is not like us. He is not merely better; He is other. And in that light, we see the depth of our sin. God’s holiness confronts our pride, our self-sufficiency, and our attempts to justify ourselves.
This is why the church emphasizes total depravity: not that we are as bad as we could be, but that every part of us is touched by sin. The holiness of God reveals that we cannot stand before Him unless something (or Someone) bridges that infinite gap.
That “Someone” is Jesus Christ, the holy One made flesh. The same God who thundered at Sinai also hung on a Roman cross. At the cross, God’s holiness and mercy meet. He did not sweep sin under the rug. He poured His just wrath on His own Son, that we who were unholy might be made holy in Him. The gospel is not good advice for making better people. It is good news that God has made a way for sinners to be reconciled to a holy God.
Hopefully this moves us to worship. Not shallow, feel-good worship, but deep, reverent adoration of the One who is holy and merciful. We approach God now with confidence. Not because we are worthy, but because Christ is.
“Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16) is not a suggestion. It is the call of every believer. Holiness is not legalism, it is likeness. We are called to reflect the character of our Father. This includes purity in thought, integrity in action, and love that is set apart from the world’s ways.
In a culture that prizes authenticity but ignores repentance, the church must remember that to belong to a holy God means we live differently. Not to earn His favor, but because we already have it. We pursue holiness not out of fear, but out of love. Holiness becomes our joy, not our burden.
God’s holiness should shake us, awe us, and ultimately transform us. It strips us of self-righteousness and sends us running to Christ. And in Christ, we are made holy. Not just positionally, but increasingly, day by day.
May we be men who tremble at His holiness and rejoice in His grace.
Joe Bouch
