The Holiness of God: The Truth That Transforms Your Life

“Who among the gods is like you, LORD?
Who is like you—majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory, working wonders?”
(Exodus 15:11, NIV)

When Scripture begins to describe God, one attribute rises again and again to the surface: holiness. God is holy in His power, His purity, His love, and His judgments. Holiness is not one attribute among many; it is the radiant perfection of all that He is.

To say “God is holy” is to say that He is infinitely and beautifully set apart—not like us, not like this world, not like our idols, fears, or sins. And yet, this holy God draws near to cleanse, restore, and send.

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1. A Vision of the Holy God

Isaiah 6 gives perhaps the most famous glimpse of God’s holiness:

“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
Above him stood the seraphim… And one called to another and said:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!’”
(Isaiah 6:1–3, ESV)

In one moment, Isaiah’s world is reoriented:

• Earthly thrones come and go; God’s throne is unshaken.
• The holiest beings in heaven (the seraphim) cover their faces before Him.
• God’s holiness is not small or private; His glory fills the earth.

R.C. Sproul once observed:

“The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy, the Bible says, and the whole earth is full of His glory.”
— R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God

God’s holiness is the blazing center of reality. Everything else must adjust to Him—not the other way around.

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2. Holy God, Honest Sinner

Isaiah’s first response is not admiration, but collapse:

“And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for 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!’”
(Isaiah 6:5, ESV)

Confronted with the holy God, Isaiah sees himself clearly:

• God’s holiness exposes our sin, not to shame us needlessly, but to tell the truth.
• True spiritual awakening always includes this moment of honest, humbled confession.

A.W. Tozer wrote:

“The nearer we draw to God, the more we are aware of our sin. Yet it is in that awareness that His grace becomes all the more precious.”
— A.W. Tozer (paraphrased)

If we have never been unsettled by God’s holiness, it may be that we have never truly seen Him. But the story doesn’t end with “Woe is me.”

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3. Holy Yet Merciful: Cleansed by Fire

Immediately, God acts:

“Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said:
‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.’”
(Isaiah 6:6–7, ESV)

From the place of sacrifice (the altar) comes cleansing:

• The holy God does not look at Isaiah, say, “You’re right—you’re ruined,” and walk away.
• He provides atonement. Guilt removed. Sin covered.

This scene points forward to Christ, the true sacrifice. At the cross, we see the terrifying holiness and tender mercy of God meeting in one place.

“It is at the cross that God’s hatred of sin and His love for sinners are both most clearly revealed.”
— John Stott (paraphrased from The Cross of Christ)

Holiness, for the Christian, is not a door slammed in our faces. It is the burning purity of a God who will not compromise with sin—and who has Himself provided the cleansing we could never earn.

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4. Holy God, Holy People

Holiness is not only something we admire in God; it is something we are called into:

“But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”
(1 Peter 1:15–16, ESV)

Holiness in our lives is:

• Separation from sin: taking God’s view of sin seriously.
• Devotion to God: belonging wholly to Him in heart, mind, and body.
• Christlikeness: holiness with a human face, patterned after Jesus.

J.I. Packer helps us see that holiness is not cold moralism:

“Holiness is not a passionless purity but the blossom of God’s love in the soul.”
— J.I. Packer (paraphrased)

In Christ, holiness is no longer a crushing demand but a Spirit-empowered destiny. The God who says, “Be holy,” also says, “I will sprinkle clean water on you… And I will give you a new heart” (Ezekiel 36:25–26).

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5. How Do We Respond to a Holy God?

A right view of God’s holiness shapes our daily Christian life.

a) In Worship: Awe, Not Casualness

Holiness moves us from casual familiarity to reverent joy.

“Let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”
(Hebrews 12:28–29, ESV)

We come boldly through Christ (Hebrews 4:16), but never cheaply. Our songs, prayers, and gathered worship are a meeting with the living, holy God.

b) In Repentance: Quick, Honest, Hopeful

Knowing God is holy means we:

• Stop excusing or minimizing sin.
• Confess specifically and promptly.
• Run to Christ, whose blood truly cleanses.

“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light… the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
(1 John 1:7, ESV)

Martin Luther’s first thesis famously stated:

“When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent,’ He willed that the entire life of believers be one of repentance.”
— Martin Luther, 95 Theses

Lifelong repentance before a holy God is not misery; it is the ongoing freedom of walking in the light.

c) In Mission: “Here Am I! Send Me”

Isaiah’s story ends not in dread, but commission:

“And 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.’”
(Isaiah 6:8, ESV)

Holiness that humbles us also sends us:

• We carry a message from the Holy God who saves.
• Our lives are meant to be living signposts to His purity, love, and truth in a dark world.

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Recommended Books on the Holiness of God

If you’d like to go deeper, these are rich, time-tested resources:

1. R.C. Sproul – The Holiness of God
   A classic, accessible, and piercing look at what Scripture means by God’s holiness and why it matters.
2. A.W. Tozer – The Knowledge of the Holy
   Short, devotionally rich chapters on the attributes of God, including holiness, written to stir worship.
3. J.I. Packer – Knowing God
   A thoughtful exploration of God’s character; chapters on God’s majesty, holiness, and love are especially helpful.
4. John Stott – The Cross of Christ
   Not only on holiness, but shows how God’s holiness and love meet at the cross.
5. Kevin DeYoung – The Hole in Our Holiness
   A modern, pastoral look at why personal holiness matters and how grace produces it.

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A Hymn of Holy Praise

Let these words become your prayer today:

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name in earth and sky and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!