What Does It Mean That God Is Holy?

God is Holy

What comes to mind when you hear the word “holy”? Words like holy and holiness generate different ideas in different contexts. People hold many different definitions. Sometimes people believe that holiness means the same thing as righteousness, or perfection, or separation, etc.

So, what does it mean that God is holy? God's holiness means that He is separated from sin and devoted to seeking His own honor. Holiness is challenging to describe because it means: other, different, separate, transcendent above His creation. God is holy because He is eternal. He was never created but is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. There is nothing on this earth—or in all of creation—that is comparable to Him. We must rely upon God's revelation of Himself in the Bible to understand who He is because He is holy.

God's holiness is essential for all people to understand. This is a foundational truth. It must be firm, or else we will err as the Israelites did in thinking that God is like us (Psalm 50:21). Let's dig deeper into Scripture so we do not make the same grave error they did.

For more content on the holiness of God, see our article: Worship God The Eternal Creator. For more on all of the attributes of God, we encourage you to read our article linked here.

Holy, Holy, Holy

God's holiness is unique as an attribute because it is the only attribute of God that is especially emphasized. The Scriptures declare twice that God is “holy, holy, holy.” This three-fold repetition is meant to emphasize to the reader that God is Holy. Don't miss this. If you could only understand one thing about God understand this: God is holy. His other attributes are all important. Even so, they are all best understood in the context of God’s holiness.

As we will see, this attribute is vitally important for every human being to understand. God's holiness means that He is separate. Different. Not common. Other. This means that no one can understand who God is apart from understanding His holiness. God's holiness should produce in us great fear. Since God is not like man, God will not deal with us in the same way we deal with one another. (For a related example, don’t miss our article on The Problem of God’s Goodness.)

The fear of God's holiness should result in honor, trembling, awe, and hunger for His word. God's word, the Holy Bible, tells us about who God is, what He has done, and what He is doing in the world He created. God's holiness teaches us that we cannot understand who God is apart from His written word. (We strongly encourage you to read God’s Word for yourself — our resource, Every Word, can help you do it!)

His holiness is a warning to us. Do not form and fashion a god after our own preferred image or likeness. His holiness tells us not to fashion a god out of created things. Things like animals, wood, stone, people, or even heavenly bodies like the sun, moon, and stars. Rather, in response to God's holiness, we are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice which is our spiritual worship (Romans 12:1). We worship Him in truth because of who He is and what He has done.

“It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy.
And He shall be your fear,
And He shall be your dread.” (Isaiah 8:13)

We’ve got a coffee mug we designed which should help remind us to not follow after idols. Here is a link to it in our store: No Golden Calves.

No idols! Don’t worship a golden calf “Jesus”!

Isaiah 6

In response to this warning and encouragement, let’s turn to Scripture to understand God’s holiness more clearly.

In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said,
“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts,
The whole earth is full of His glory.”
And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said,
“Woe is me, for I am ruined!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I live among a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.” (Isaiah 6:1-7)

Isaiah saw a vision of the Lord. In this description, the Hebrew name Adonai is used at first which points to God as the Master. In the verses that follow, twice the Hebrew personal name for God, YHWH, is used along with a modifier “of hosts” which points to the Lord’s sovereign rule over the armies of heaven. The Names of God in Scripture tell us much about His character — we encourage you to check out our article about His names & His attributes as revealed in Scripture.

Within this vision in Isaiah 6, we see a small glimpse of the seraphim. These are heavenly creatures of great power and majesty. The seraphim can’t stop shouting praise to the holy, holy, holy Lord of all. Even as we look at this glorious vision, it must be noted that this vision is not the fullness of God. Isaiah only saw what God revealed to him. The Scripture is clear that no one, in our mortal bodies, can look upon God in His fullness and live (Exodus 33:20).

Even still, what Isaiah saw of the Lord was enough glory for him to pronounce curses upon himself (Isaiah 6:5). Isaiah responded to the holiness of God with fear and trembling. Let us seek to understand more of why. So that we, too, may respond with fear and trembling.

The chapter begins with King Uzziah. Isaiah could have started with, “I saw the Lord.” But he didn't. He brought King Uzziah up for a reason. King Uzziah, for the most part, did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. He was one of the few godly kings. He reigned for 52 years in Judah. Under his reign, the kingdom prospered very much and his fame spread far (2 Chronicles 26:15).

(We have a helpful chart we made to help people understand the chronology of the kings of Israel and Judah. Check it out here.)

It is fair to say Uzziah was a mighty and majestic king. Yet, in comparison to the revealed vision of the Lord, Uzziah is nothing. The throne of the Lord was “high and lifted up.” Meaning there is none other that even comes close to the Lord and His glory. Even the mightiest of kings cannot compare to the King who sits exalted on His throne!

The exalted imagery of the Lord is further demonstrated by the description of the train of His robe filling the temple. Typically the “train of the robe” is linked to the majesty and power of the king. In this case, the exalted Lord's train fills the entirety of the temple. There is no end to His kingdom. He reigns over everything, all of creation, perfectly, and with all power.

As if this imagery was not enough, then there are the seraphim. These are created beings. The seraphim are some of the most powerful and majestic creatures in all of God's creation. If they showed up before us in all of their splendor, we would most certainly fall down and be tempted to worship them.

Yet, before the Lord they worship Him. Declaring that He is holy, holy, holy.

“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts,
The whole earth is full of His glory.” (Isaiah 6:3)

The Lord is the exalted, all-powerful, ruler of creation. Everything in creation is a display of His beauty and power. For the Scriptures declare,

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made. (Romans 1:20)

The beauty and power of everything created is only a mere fraction of a glimpse of the glory of the thrice-holy Lord. God is holy. He is different than all else. Nothing that can be seen is like the Lord. It all displays the glory, majesty, and power of the Lord. But it is not like Him. For He is holy. Separate. Above. Other.

The seraphim were praising the King of kings so loudly that the foundations of the thresholds shook and the house was filled with smoke. Every created thing in all of creation ought to worship the Lord with such fervor. There is no end to His kingdom, nor end to the power of His might. Everything is subjected to Him, for He created it, and He subdues it all. The on-going rebellion from sinful humans is only evidence of His patience, not of His inability to end it. God is not willing that any should perish but is long-suffering toward His rebellious creatures with the purpose of giving them time to repent and believe upon the Messiah. None should presume upon His grace since none are guaranteed another breath. Call upon Him today!

There is nothing and no one like the King, the Lord of hosts. He is different, other, separate from all of His creation. He is eternal, all-powerful, full of majesty and splendor, and has dominion over everything. He is God and there is no other. As God, He will always act for the praise and glory of His great name.

Revelation 4

Another revelation of God’s holiness is given in Revelation 4. I suggest you read all of Revelation. If time is limited, then particularly focus on chapters 4-7. For this article, I will restrict us to Revelation 4:6-11,

And before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”
And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

In Revelation 4, it is stated that God's holiness is tied to His uniqueness as the Creator. This passage is full of indescribable imagery. John can describe the scene by saying that the objects are in the “appearance of” this or that. In this passage, the emphasis seems to be on the created things.

That is, until verse 8,

And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”

These marvelous created beings never cease to declare the eternal holiness of God. He is eternal. The Lord God Almighty, the one who is Master over everything, the one who has created everything, the one who has all power. He is God. He was, is, and always will be God.

This scene is incredible. But it doesn't end with this!

Every time the creatures declare this beautiful and terrific truth, the elders who are seated around the throne worship Him. Casting their crowns before His feet, declaring,

“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)

God is clearly above all of His creation. There is nothing that is above Him. Nor is there anything in His creation that is outside of His providential control. God is entirely different than absolutely everything we see and observe.

God is holy. His holiness is directly linked to Him being the eternal Creator. God is holy because He is eternal. This makes Him different, other, not like us. God's holiness should cause, and in most cases, does cause all of creation to worship Him.

Worship

The only correct response to the holiness of God is worship. All of creation, including the stars, mountains, oceans, angels, and all beasts, worship the Lord. They bow down and worship their Creator. They are always living according to His rules and commands, not living according to their various lusts and desires. They exist to please the thrice-holy God who created them.

Man, who was created in the image of God, who bears His image and was commanded to rule over and subdue God’s creation, exercising dominion over it, is wicked and rebellious. Human beings deny the glory of the Lord and live for the glory of self. Living as lawless creatures, according to the various lusts and impulses of the flesh. Doing what is right in their own eyes. God lovingly commands in His law for His creation to not follow after their own sinful hearts, but to follow Him instead.

God, who is not like man, will bring swift justice upon mankind for this rebellion. Because God is different, other, holy. He has not left us alone to perish under His justice forever. He did something that no man would do, nor could do. He provided a spotless Lamb to be sacrificed so that all who call upon Jesus the Christ would be saved.

God made a way, through Christ, for sinners to enter into His presence once again and worship. Promising that all who would abide in Christ would be with the thrice-holy God for all of eternity. God is judging the world in His Son, Christ Jesus, who He has made both Lord and Savior. All of mankind will bow their knees and worship Him eventually.

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)

In love, I urge you to turn to Him now. Worship Him through Christ before it is too late. Repent of your old way of thinking in honoring and glorying in the created thing. Believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Present your body as a living sacrifice, for this is your spiritual worship (Romans 12:1).

For more on the holiness of God, see our podcast: Fear God For He Is Holy.

Next Steps

God is exalted in truth. Is He exalted in your heart and mind? Don’t miss our article on How To Exalt God for four practical tips on how to be sure we are growing in our own personal lives to exalt God every moment of every day!

Don’t know why God should be exalted in your own heart and mind? Start here with this article.