So for the past two weeks I have been exploring the characteristics one would expect a Christian to exhibit. This is different than defining a Christian and is more intended to examine the Christian walk. Last week I pondered potential starting points in the Christian walk and noted that an important place to start is to examine how the Christian responds to the holiness of God. A primary reason for starting with God and His holiness is that I think that sometimes we are so fixated on ourselves or our relationship with God, that we lose focus of the holiness of God and what that should mean for our Christian walk.
For now, I want to start with the assumption of God’s holiness and to explore the reaction of those who experience the holiness of God. A good place to start is in the sixth chapter of Isaiah, where the prophet Isaiah describes such an encounter: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory (NIV).” Within this passage, we note that in the presence of the glory of the Lord, the seraphim covered their faces. R.C. Sproul pointed out “these angelic beings minister daily in the immediate, unveiled presence of Almighty God whose glory is so refulgent, so piercing that even the angels have to shield themselves from looking directly at His face” (Sproul, The Holiness of God). And how did Isaiah respond to experiencing God’s holiness? “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty (Isaiah 6:5, NIV).”
And how did others respond when experiencing the holiness of God? Habakkuk stated that “I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled” (Habakkuk 3:16a, NIV). Job also had a strong reaction; “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5-6). And what happened to Moses during his interaction with the Lord? God stated “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live. Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen” (Exodus 33:20-23). The holiness and glory of God caused a radiance on the face of Moses and created fear in Aaron and the other Israelites (Exodus 34:30). My purpose here is not to articulate the relevance or significance of these encounters with God, but to note that seeing and experiencing the holiness of God should evoke a sense of fear and worship in the believer (for more information see R.C. Sproul’s series on The Holiness of God).
As I am writing I think about how many people respond with excitement and almost reverence to seeing and interacting with people who are famous, whether it be a movie star, a musician, or other celebrity. It is sometimes as if we think that just being in their presence has imparted some level of greatness to us. For the most part these interactions have limited meaning and importance in the life of a Christian, and oftentimes they may even be a distraction to our true purpose.
But then contrast that with encountering the holiness of God. The reality is that for the Christian, seeking and experiencing the holiness of God should evoke a response that is real and transforming, and should involve fear, worship and seeking holiness. For how can I respond any less to the holiness of God than the prophet Isaiah, or than Job, who was seen as blameless and upright (Job 1:1)? For they responded in fear and worship, having such a reverence for Him that they submitted themselves in humble service to Him, and worshipped Him only. And because we serve a holy God, our response should also be to seek to live a holy life (2 Timothy 1:9, NIV “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time”.
Deuteronomy 10:12, NIV: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul”.