The Revelation of God

Lesson 7

Lesson Text—Leviticus 10:17

Leviticus 10:17Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?

Lesson Text—Leviticus 11:44-45

Leviticus 11:44-4544 For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Lesson Text—Leviticus 11:44-45

45 For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

Lesson Text—1 Peter 1:15-16

I Peter 1:15-1615 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Focus Verse—Leviticus 11:45

Leviticus 11:45 For I am the LORD that bringeth

you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be

holy, for I am holy.

Focus Thought

God stands as distinct, yet He

calls willing individuals into

relationship with Him. From these

believers, God demands holiness

and He grants His holiness to

them.

I. God Is DistinctCulture Connection

His Holiness

What does “holy” mean? Only God can define what holiness is, because He is the originator of it. He is the only One who can produce it. God is holy and His virtues set the parameters of what holiness is. God is the epitome of holiness. Without God there is no such thing!

I. God Is DistinctOver the centuries, humankind has

had various misconceptions of what holiness is. Some have determined that to be holy one has to be isolated from society and live a monastic life of solitude. Some have slept on cold stone floors and were scourged daily by their monks. Anthony is the most famous of the Egyptian desert fathers who often lived in caves in the fourth century.

A little later in history, Simon Stylitus sat on a pole for thirty-nine

years.

I. God Is DistinctHis food had to be hoisted up to him. Vermin would fall off his body and be caught by the people below who came out to share in his holiness. Even today some consider the use of modern appliances, power machines, and technological devices to be worldly—and therefore unholy.

The Scriptures command us to be holy (I Peter 1:15). We are fallen people, which make this a daunting command. To be holy is to be like God.

I. God Is DistinctThe only way we can achieve this command is to have God impart His holiness to us, which we receive through obedience to the Scriptures and the power of the Holy Spirit. Holiness is not a self-generated virtue. Our greatest acts of devotion and sacrifice are not enough to qualify as holy. Without God and His holiness, we can only produce self-righteousness. Only God is truly holy!

I. God Is DistinctContemplating the Topic

God told His people, “Be holy, for I am holy.” The only way the Israelites could enter into relationship with a holy God was that they be holy. His holiness is the reason all believers are commanded and should desire to be holy. It is also the reason we cannot judge the “level” of holiness we think we have reached by measuring against what we used to be or against the holiness of others, but only

against His holiness.

I. God Is DistinctThus it is imperative that every Christian study carefully the holiness of God, for without an understanding of what He has revealed about His holiness, we cannot begin to understand even the basics of His self-revelation, and therefore cannot discern the standard by which to gauge ourselves. All who love God should seek to know His holiness and to allow it to work in their lives.

I. God Is DistinctComparing the highest level of

holiness ever achieved by a human being to God’s holiness would be like comparing a penlight’s feeble beam to the sun’s magnificent brilliance. The sunrays would swallow up the penlight’s beam. But the contrast in that analogy does not go far enough. The imperfection found in a human is more like a black hole in space devouring every glimmer of light that comes near.

I. God Is DistinctIf God’s holiness is illustrated by the brightest star in the universe, then by comparison, our light, no matter how bright, only brings darkness to the universe. And if “the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:23).

Sometimes we cope with this shortcoming by laying aside our gauge of God’s perfect holiness and taking up the measuring rod of other people’s imperfections.

I. God Is DistinctHowever, instead of increasing our stature, this measuring rod strips off our facade and reveals to both God and others our stunted stature. No matter how favorable we thought our comparison with others, we were not holy at all.

“For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not

wise” (II Corinthians 10:12).

I. God Is DistinctOur measuring rod is no less than Jesus Christ Himself; and beside Him every one of us stands shamefully short. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But thanks be to God, “we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2).

I. God Is DistinctSearching the Scriptures

God Is Distinct

In the Old Testament, the word holy is translated from the Hebrew word qodesh meaning “separate or apart” (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament). Numbers 16:38 illustrates the biblical meaning of qodesh: “The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar:

I. God Is Distinctfor they offered them before the Lord, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel” (Numbers 16:38).

The Greek word for holy is hagios. Hagios derives from an older Greek word hagos, which means “an object of awe,” in either a positive sense of adoration or a negative sense of repulsion. The verb form, meaning “to recoil from,” is never used in the Bible.

I. God Is DistinctThere is some debate as to the actual meaning of hagios, but most scholars accept the general sense of “separated” (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament). It is clear that for the writers of the New Testament hagios had much the same meaning as qodesh, since it was the word chosen to translate qodesh in the Greek Old Testament.

Qodesh is the opposite of qol. Qol means “common or ordinary.”

I. God Is DistinctIn Ezekiel 22:26, God protested that “her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.” Although the word profane can carry the meaning of degrading, vulgar, or contemptible, in this verse it simply means to treat something that is special as if it were

ordinary.

I. God Is DistinctQol is related to a word that refers to drilling or digging a hole. Thus, qodesh is a positive presence of something, and qol is a negative absence of something (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament).

In modern usage holy calls to mind positive moral qualities, but that is not the essence of its meaning. Instead, holiness is more to be understood in terms of position or relationship with the divine.

Transparency 1

I. God Is DistinctAnything set apart for use by or

worship of God is holy. This explains the usage of qodesh in Genesis 38:21 for female harlots and in II Kings 23:7 for male temple prostitutes (literally “holy women” and “holy men”). These people, in the eyes of pagan religions, had been set apart for service to their gods.

In the same manner, objects and places could become holy because they were set apart for use by or worship of God. Holiness could even

be contagious.

I. God Is DistinctLeviticus 6:27 tells us that anyone who touched a sacrificial animal was made holy and must be ritually cleansed. What’s more, it was possible to become holy accidentally. Leviticus 6:27 says that if the blood of a sacrifice spilled on a garment, the garment became holy and had to be washed in a holy place to redeem it back for personal use.

Throughout the Bible we find numerous examples of holy people who were morally impure.

I. God Is DistinctThey were holy because they held an office or function that separated them from the ordinary secular world. For example, “because he was high priest that year,” Caiaphas was used by God to prophesy at the same meeting in which he plotted the death of Jesus (John 11:51, New English Translation). Samson, a Nazarite separated for service to God, consorted with harlots, one of which brought about his downfall. Eli, a high priest who was derelict in his duties, prophesied

to Hannah she would have a son.

I. God Is DistinctSolomon, the anointed king whose heart was drawn away from God, built a magnificent Temple and dedicated it to God.

This helps to explain one of the most important elements of the holiness of God. Obviously, God is not holy because He is set apart for service to Himself or to the worship of Himself. God is not narcissistic. He is holy because in His being He is absolutely separate from all other things.

I. God Is DistinctGod is a wholly unique being. He is the only one who is being. All others have being. All living things except God were created by Him and derive their being from Him. In the same way, God is the only one who is holy. All other beings can obtain holiness only from relationship with Him. When we say God is holy we are referencing God’s uniqueness and His supreme otherness.

This is not to say that God is not immanent in creation.

I. God Is DistinctFalse religious systems often envision a god who is transcendent—lying beyond our range of perception and only remotely and mystically connected to the universe—or too immanent, simply another ordinary part of the universe. Instead, God is transcendent in His being and immanent in His doing.

In Habakkuk 1:13, the prophet pondered how God could look on as the Babylonians perverted justice, for he said of God, “Thou art of purer eyes

than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity.”

I. God Is DistinctYet Proverbs 15:3 states, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” The writer knew God watched the deeds of good and bad people alike because He would someday judge them all. Therefore, these verses do not contradict each other any more than God’s transcendence contradicts His immanence.

The word holy is associated with moral purity because a vital part of God’s otherness is His absolute,

incorruptible virtue.

I. God Is DistinctInfinite goodness is interwoven inextricably into God’s being. As illustrated in the relationship between qodesh and qol, God’s purity is not simply the negative absence of defilement, sin, or iniquity, but it is a positive perfection of character. One cannot take on the holiness of God by only putting aside sin and evil; rather, he must allow God both to remove his immorality and fill him with positive goodness.

I. God Is DistinctThus, while God’s holiness

signifies His absolute uniqueness, otherness, or transcendence, an important part of that holiness is His absolute purity, beneficence, and love. Intrinsic to these characteristics are also absolute justice, judgment, and abhorrence of evil. God’s vengeful wrath is just as much a part of His perfection as His gracious forgiveness. In fact, damnation is much more obviously a manifestation of God’s holiness than is grace.

I. God Is DistinctWe could never explain how a holy God could offer love, grace, and forgiveness to sinners if it were not for the Cross.

Transparency 2The application of His blood makes usholy, and we partakeof His divine nature(II Peter 1:4).

II. God Grants HolinessGod Grants Holiness

God does not simply forgive our sins and overlook our trespasses. Rather, as a result of His sacrifice on Golgotha, He grants us His holiness: “Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (I Corinthians 1:30). Upon our obedience to His plan of salvation, He places us immediately into a relationship with Him, which transforms us into a holy people.

I. God Is DistinctWe are no longer qol, common and ordinary, but qodesh, separate and set apart.

Sealing this relationship, God makes His dwelling place in us when we receive the Holy Ghost, so that we become “partakers of the divine nature” (II Peter 1:3-4). And “having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” He calls us both to God’s “glory” (doxa, exalted state) and His “virtue” (arete, moral excellence).

I. God Is DistinctGod’s intimate sharing of Himself

empowers us to act out our positional holiness through practical holiness. We then “make every effort to add to [our] faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish love” (II Peter 1:5-7, The NET Bible). We can begin to live apart from the world while still in the world because He is “apart” and yet “in.”

I. God Is DistinctHoliness is therefore a gift of God

and not an act of will. Having been granted holiness, we apply our will and efforts to becoming conformable to His image (Romans 8:29). (See also Romans 12:2; Philippians 3:10.) Yet, in that effort we must recognize we will always fail until the final redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23; Ephesians 1:7, 14; 4:30). Living a holy life is no more than progressively becoming in ourselves what we have already become spiritually in Him.

I. God Is DistinctHowever, attempting to live a holy life, no matter how successful the attempt, in no way makes us holy. We are holy or not holy based on our relationship with Him, which itself is based solely upon the unearned gift of grace (Ephesians 2:8).

III. God Demands HolinessGod Demands Holiness

As a practical matter, God’s holiness separates us unto Him, but it also separates us from the world. Quoting Isaiah 52:11 and Ezekiel 20:34, Paul commanded New Testament believers to “come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (II Corinthians 6:17).

I. God Is DistinctFor the Old Testament Jew, the

covenant included many commands related to daily living. For example, the Law required the Jews to wear a fringe at the bottom of their garments (Numbers 15:38), refrain from trimming their beards (Leviticus 19:27), not wear clothing of mixed cloth (Leviticus 19:19), never eat a young goat that had been boiled in its mother’s milk (Exodus 23:19), and to circumcise their male offspring (Leviticus 12:3).

I. God Is DistinctOver the years, rabbis developed a ponderous set of traditions that resulted in negating or expanding these commands into mindless formalities. Nevertheless, the primary symbolism of these commands demonstrated the separation God requires of His people. New Testament believers today see these commands as demonstrations of the guilt of humanity, our powerlessness against sin, and our need for a Savior.

I. God Is DistinctI Peter 1:15-16 tells us, “But be holy

in every detail of your lives, as he, whose servants you are, is holy; Because it has been said in the Writings, You are to be holy, for I am holy” (Bible in Basic English). God fulfills this command in His people by gifting us with His holiness, dwelling within us as the Holy Spirit, and progressively changing us to love those things He loves and hate those things He hates. As part of God’s beneficence, He honors and preserves

individual moral freewill.

I. God Is DistinctThus, we can choose to cooperate with the sanctifying work of the Spirit, or we can resist the work of the Spirit. (See Acts 7:51; Ephesians 4:30.)

God bases His acceptance of us not on our works, but on His work. However, we can demonstrate our rejection of Him through evil works, bad attitudes, and lack of good works. “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in

the fear of God” (II Corinthians 7:1).

I. God Is DistinctWe cannot expect God to cleanse us when we fail to take due diligence in guarding our lives from evil. Filthiness of the flesh occurs when we fail to yield control of our animalistic impulses or need for physical gratification. “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Romans 13:14).

I. God Is DistinctFilthiness of the spirit occurs when

we fail to yield control of our inward life, motives, attitudes, and need for emotional and intellectual gratification. God made all of these needs and desires part of His design for humanity, but our sin nature has perverted them. Cleansing ourselves from the foulness that has infested our humanity requires active surrender to the holiness of God.

Romans 6:13

“Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness

unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as

instruments of righteousness unto God” (Romans 6:13).

I John 2:15-17 “Love not the world, neither the

things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father,

but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust

thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever”

(I John 2:15-17).

IV. God Rewards HolinessGod Rewards Holiness

God has prepared a great reward for His chosen people. He has set us apart to be recipients of unimaginable glory. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (I Corinthians 2:9). But God does not hold in reserve the rewards of living a holy, sanctified life until we reach Heaven. He created humans to live unto God and each

other (Matthew 22:37-40).

Transparency 3

I. God Is DistinctWhile sin is a disease that kills right

relationships with God, others, and creation, holiness in living is a healing balm that helps to repair the damage of sin and restore us to a meaningful life.

The Scriptures demonstrate that the major determiner God uses to judge something as good or evil is its ability to bless or damage human beings. God called the creation good because it was precisely designed to provide a perfect home for humans (Genesis

1:31).

I. God Is DistinctLikewise, He desires for humanity an ideal environment filled with perfect fellowship with Him and one another. That is both the essence and the blessing of holy living.

Many people see holy living through the lens of a parent-child relationship. God lays down the rules to keep order and protect His children from harm. God, however, sees the holiness of His people through a husband-wife relationship.

I. God Is Distinct“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-27).

A perfect marital relationship is only a shadow of the relationship God

desires and will ultimately have with the church.

I. God Is DistinctAs a loving husband, God seeks to maximize the potential of His bride. He rejoices to see her grow personally, spiritually, socially, and emotionally as she becomes more confident in His love and yielding to His Spirit. This is holiness.

D. G. Peterson wrote, “Love and holiness are two related aspects of the Christian life. Holiness will be pre-eminently expressed in love and love will be the essential means by which holiness is maintained.

I. God Is DistinctIn effect, holiness abounds when love abounds.” God rewards holiness, but holiness is also its own reward. “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (II Peter 1:4).

V. Practical HolinessPractical Holiness

“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (I John 1:7). Only the application of Christ’s blood can make us holy (Hebrews 13:12). God separates us from the common or ordinary and sets us apart for worship and service to Himself. Although holiness is a work of God’s grace, the believer is not just a

passive receptor.

I. God Is DistinctRomans 6:19 tells us “as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.” By His grace God teaches us to live holy.

Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live

soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the

great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people,

zealous of good works” (Titus 2:11-14).

I. God Is DistinctWhile the believer remains on earth,

he never will come to a dead end in the quest for personal holiness. Likewise, only when the Lord catches away His church will believers hear the trumpet that signals the end of striving for holiness.

Holiness is not only a solitary pursuit. The disciplines that lead to practical holiness are intimately personal, but we work through these disciplines as part of the community of believers, not in isolation.

I. God Is DistinctIn his book Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster identifies twelve Christian disciplines historically practiced by Christians who desire to live holy. He identified the inward disciplines as meditation, prayer, fasting, and study, and the outward disciplines as simplicity, solitude, submission, and service. Equally as important, he cited confession, worship, guidance, and celebration as corporate disciplines.

I. God Is DistinctPractical holiness includes full

involvement in and cooperation with the local assembly. Even the inner disciplines of meditation and study are influenced by and enhanced through the preaching and teaching ministries of the church. Prayer and fasting are frequently intensified when accomplished as part of the body. The outward disciplines serve to bring unity to the body, provide a silent witness to the world, and help solidify identity as members of Christ’s bride.

I. God Is DistinctOne cannot live a holy life in isolation from the body of Christ. One cannot remain merely a spectator, withholding active participation in the ministry of the church and to the church. “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Hebrews 10:24).

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

I. God Is DistinctInternalizing the Message

The primary meaning of holy (qodesh) is “separate or apart.” Its antonym is “common or ordinary” (qol). As related to people or objects, holiness must be understood primarily in terms of position in or relationship with God. Anything or anyone set apart for use by or worship of God is holy. The essence of the holiness of God is absolute uniqueness, otherness, or transcendence.

I. God Is DistinctHowever, an essential part of God’s otherness is His absolute, incorruptible virtue and infinite goodness.

God calls New Testament believers to “put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). Thus, those whom God makes holy by the intimate pouring of His holiness into their lives are called upon to progressively express this positional holiness with practical holiness.

I. God Is DistinctThey work out practical holiness personally and also in community, which has both a personal and a corporate dimension. Those who hold themselves aloof from the church or think themselves better than the worst of sinners have no understanding of holiness.

I. God Is DistinctGod’s act of redeeming power sets

believers apart unto God, apart from this sinful world, and apart for service to God. This is the grace of God that teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. We must give all diligence to express the holiness of God in every detail of our lives.

Psalm 97:10

“Ye that love the LORD, hate evil” (Psalm 97:10).

Amos 5:15

“Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the

gate” (Amos 5:15).