The Holiness of God the Father, part 1

We believe in the Trinity – God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

This morning we are going to look at the holiness of God the Father. Then in the following weeks, we will look at the holiness of the Son and the Holy Spirit. I want us to see God’s holiness in its wholeness as the beginning in order for us to reverence and respect His holiness.
 

Holiness: it is such a big word – especially to beings that are not holy. To be holy, according to Webster’s dictionary, is to be perfect in goodness and righteousness. To be holy is to be set apart. We are not born holy. We all know that no one teaches a child to lie or steal. We are born corrupted. The term used to describe that is the “Adamic Nature.” David tells us that we are born in sin. We are not holy. When we repent and are saved, we are forgiven for the sins which we have committed; yet, the nature of sin with which we are born, remains. But God calls us to holiness. In fact, we are called to be holy as He is.

If we are going to be holy as He is, we must first know what God’s holiness is.
 

One of the greatest hymns that we sing says, “Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and Mighty! God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity.” We are instructed, throughout the Scriptures, to “Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness.” And, 1 Chronicles 16:29 instructs us, “Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness” CSB. In the Scriptures, God is called holy more than 400 times.
 

Holiness is more than just an attribute of God; it is who He is. God is Holy. God’s holiness is the total of what and who He is, and He has described Himself as holy. He is the absolute standard of all moral perfection. His actions are marked by the presence of all goodness and by the absence of all evil and can never be otherwise. God’s holiness shows man’s inadequacy (without being transformed by grace) to serve and worship Him. His desire is that we be holy, as He is.
 

Everything God is and does is holy. It is impossible to select aspects of His deity that are more holy than others because He is superbly perfect in every thought and action and because His very essence is holiness.

We cannot begin to comprehend or grasp all that there is about the nature of God, but this week, I want us to see how God reveals His holiness. As 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the LORD roam throughout the earth, to show Himself strong for those who are wholeheartedly devoted to Him” CSB. 

Continued tomorrow