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Stephen
Charnock wrote, "Power is God's hand or arm, omniscience and
his eye, mercy his bowels, eternity his duration, but holiness is his
beauty".
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Of
all of God's perfections, his holiness elicits the most reverent
response.
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"Who
will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name, for you alone
are holy" (Revelation 15:4a).
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To
understand holiness of God it should be of primary concern to every
true believer, because God's word makes it very clear that,
"Without holiness, no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews
12:14).
1.
God's holiness is perfect and absolute, and unequaled by any of his
creatures.
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Exodus15:11
Who among the Gods is like you, O lord? Who is like you--majestic in
holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?
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Deuteronomy
32:4 he is the rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are
just. A faithful God who
does no wrong, upright and just is he.
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1
Samuel 2:2
There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there
is no rock like our God.
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Psalm
18:30 As
for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all to take refuge in him.
2.
God's holiness is absolute, and unaffected by the presence of any evil
outside of himself.
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Job
15:15-16
If God places no trust in his holy ones, if even the heavens are not
pure in his eyes, how much less man, who is violent corrupt, who
drinks up evil white water!
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Job
25:5-6 if
even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes,
how much less man, who is but of maggot-a son of man, who is only a
worm!
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Habakkuk
1:13a your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate
wrong.
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James
1:13-14
When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me".
For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he intend to
anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is
drag away and enticed.
3.
God's holiness is manifested in all of his works.
4.
God's holiness forms the basis for his dealings with all of his creatures.
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Leviticus
11:44 I
am the lord your God; consecrates yourselves and be holy, because I am
holy. Do not make
yourselves on clean by any creature that moves about on the ground.
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Isaiah
57:15 for
this is what the high and lofty one says--he lives forever, whose name
is holy: "I live in a high
and in a holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in
spirit, to revive the spirit fully and to revive the heart of the
contrite".
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Ezekiel
28:15 you
[Satan] were blameless in your ways for the day were created till
wickedness was found in you.
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Hosea
11:9 I
will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate
Ephraim. For I am God,
and not man--the Holy one among you.
I will not come in wrath.
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Revelation
6:10 they
called out with a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, Holy and
true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our
blood?"
5.
Believers are admonished to think and act in ways consistent with God's
holiness.
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Psalm
30:4 Sing
to the Lord, you saints of his; praise his holy name.
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Matthew
5:48 Be
perfect, therefore, as your heavenly father is perfect.
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2
Corinthians 7:1
Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify
ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit,
perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
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1
Thessalonians 4:7
For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
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Hebrews
12:14
make everyone for to live in peace with all men and to be holy;
without holiness and no one will see the Lord.
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Revelation
15:4 who
will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone
are holy. All nations
will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been
revealed.
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