February 12, 2023
“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.” Isaiah 6:1-3 (NASB)
For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16 (NLT)
“You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5 (NASB)
The perfect character of God never changes and everything He does is always right and just. His standards of holiness and righteousness never change. God understands our inability to achieve the righteousness He requires. In love and mercy, God provided a way for us as sinners to be right with Him through faith in Jesus Christ.
Our lesson this week at Bible Study Fellowship was from the book of Isaiah. What a great study! God commissioned Isaiah to deliver a challenging
message to the rebellious people of Judah. Isaiah chapter 6 is a description of Isaiah’s vision of the Lord! He says “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, 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.” The threefold repetition of the word holy is indicative of supreme or complete holiness.
What is your favorite attribute of God? It would be difficult to single out just one, however, in reviewing chapter 6 and the moving description of what God allowed Isaiah to see in the vision, the holiness of God is paramount. When we understand God’s holiness, we recognize how short we fall before Him.
The word Holy has two key descriptions. First, holiness refers to absolute moral purity and integrity. It is an uncompromised, unparalleled standard of righteousness. God is Holy and Pure in all His ways! Because He is Holy, He is incapable of error, untainted by sin, and unrestrained by the laws of nature. Second, holiness refers to the state of being set apart from the common for God’s purpose. God is Holy, separated from all moral defilement and anything hostile toward it.
For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:16 (NLT)
God says we Believers in Christ must live holy lives because, as a part of Him, we must be holy. Living holy or holiness means to be wholly dedicated and devoted to God, distinct and separate from the world’s way of living, committed to right living and purity.
It is the absence of sin, evil, and wrongdoing. It is being absolutely free from blemish and the practice of sin.
Until We Get To Heaven, What Does Holiness and Living a Holy Life Look Like Here on Earth?
All who believe in Jesus Christ are made holy.
1 Corinthians 1:2. “I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
1 Corinthians 6:11. “Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
We are brought into a state of holiness not by what we do, but by what Jesus did for us, cleansing us from sin through His forgiveness.
Ephesians 1:4. “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.”
1 Corinthians 1:30. “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.”
To be holy means that God looks at us as though we had never sinned.
Ephesians 5:25-27. “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.”
We grow in holiness by constantly learning the truths of the Bible and living by them.
John 17:17. Make them pure and holy by teaching them your words of truth.
We grow in holiness by working hard to keep sin out of our lives.
2 Corinthians 6:17-18. “Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
2 Corinthians 7:1. Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.
Sexual purity is a necessary prerequisite for holiness.
1 Thessalonians 4:3. “God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin.”
1 Thessalonians 4:7. “God has called us to be holy, not to live impure lives.”
How can we hope to live holy lives? On our own, it is not possible, for we are sinful people. But we can give our bodies to God as an offering, a living sacrifice to him. He will help us to become holy.
Romans 12:1-2. “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Holiness here on earth is not perfection; it is striving for purity. However, God promises that those who are believers will one day, in heaven, be perfect.
Hebrews 10:12-14. “But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.
Rx: A PURE 
HEART: Holiness is the presence of righteousness, purity, and godliness. When we become Christians, God makes us holy by forgiving our sins. He looks at us as though we had never sinned. But while He sees us as Holy, we have not perfected holiness. We must still strive each day to be more like Jesus, more holy, and more righteous. We will not achieve perfect and complete holiness until we get to heaven.
FATHER GOD, Thank You for Your word that saves us and teaches us how to live! Help us to be reminded that You Father is still on the throne today, and You still hear and answer prayer, in the Precious, Powerful, and Preeminent Name of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Today, how will you purposefully “see” God seated on His throne, ruling over your life?