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)
The Most Misunderstood Attribute
When you think about God, what comes to mind first?
Most Christians would say: Love. Maybe grace. Or mercy.
But if you asked the seraphim in Isaiah's vision, they wouldn't say any of those.
They'd say: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" (Isaiah 6:3)
Not "loving, loving, loving." Not "merciful, merciful, merciful."
Holy.
Three times. Infinitely emphasized. The one attribute so central to God's nature that even sinless angels can't look directly at Him.
Yet most Christians have no idea what holiness actually means.
Ask someone: "What does it mean that God is holy?"
You'll usually get: "Um… He's really, really good?"
That's not what holiness means.
And if you don't understand God's holiness, you can't understand:
Why the cross was necessary
Why sin is so serious
Why we worship with reverence (not casualness)
Why sanctification matters
Let me show you what Scripture says about God's holiness—and why it changes everything.
What Holiness Actually Means
The Hebrew Word: Qadosh (קָדוֹשׁ)
The Old Testament word for "holy" is qadosh (קָדוֹשׁ).
It appears 830 times in the Old Testament—more than any other attribute of God.
Primary meaning: Separation. Set apart. Other. Different.
When God is called "holy," Scripture is declaring: God is in a category by Himself—no comparison, no analogy, no human reference point.
"To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?" (Isaiah 40:18)
God isn't just "better" than us. He's categorically different.
We are finite; He is infinite
We are created; He is eternal
We are dependent; He is self-sufficient
We are sinful; He is morally perfect
Holiness = absolute separation from creation + absolute moral purity.
The Greek Word: Hagios (ἅγιος)
The New Testament uses hagios (ἅγιος) for "holy."
It appears 233 times in the New Testament.
Same meaning: Set apart, consecrated, sacred.
The New Testament carries forward the Old Testament concept: God is separate (transcendent) and pure (morally perfect).
"God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5)
No mixture. No compromise. Pure light. Zero darkness.
Isaiah 6: What Holiness Looks Like
The clearest picture of God's holiness is Isaiah 6.
The Vision
"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)
Notice what happens:
The seraphim cover their faces (verse 2)
Even sinless angels cannot look directly at God's holiness
The seraphim cover their feet (verse 2)
Even their "lowest" parts are unworthy in God's presence
They cry out "Holy, holy, holy" (verse 3)
Hebrew doesn't have superlatives ("very holy")
Repetition = emphasis
Triple repetition = infinite emphasis
They're declaring: God's holiness is beyond measure
Isaiah's response: "Woe is me! For I am undone!" (verse 5)
Not impressed. Not excited. Undone.
He sees God's holiness and realizes: I'm a sinner in the presence of infinite purity
This is what holiness does: It exposes our sin and inspires reverent fear.
Why Holiness Necessitates the Cross
Here's where most Christians miss the connection:
God's holiness makes the cross necessary.
Not optional. Necessary.
The Logic of Holiness
Premise 1: God is infinitely holy (set apart, morally pure, unable to tolerate sin)
"You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong..." (Habakkuk 1:13)
Premise 2: Humans are sinful
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)
Premise 3: Sin cannot coexist with holiness
"Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one." (James 1:13)
Premise 4: Justice requires payment for sin
"The soul who sins shall die." (Ezekiel 18:20) "For the wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23)
Conclusion: Therefore, atonement requires a sinless mediator who can satisfy God's holy justice on behalf of sinners.
"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
What Breaks If You Remove Holiness?
If God isn't holy:
❌ The cross becomes optional (God could just forgive without payment)
❌ Sin becomes trivial (if God tolerates sin, it's not really that bad)
❌ Salvation becomes works-based (if God isn't perfectly just, maybe we can earn it)
❌ Worship becomes casual (if God isn't set apart, we can approach Him carelessly)
But God IS holy. Which means:
✅ The cross was necessary (justice had to be satisfied)
✅ Sin is deadly serious (it separates us from God)
✅ Salvation is by grace alone (we can't earn what Christ already paid for)
✅ Worship requires reverence (we approach a holy God)
Holiness isn't one attribute among many. It's the foundation for everything else.
How Holiness Transforms Everything
Understanding God's holiness changes how you:
1. Worship
Without holiness: Worship becomes casual, entertainment-focused, man-centered.
With holiness: Worship becomes reverent, God-centered, trembling with awe.
"Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:28-29)
Application:
You don't show up to church distracted
You don't sing hymns while thinking about your to-do list
You approach God knowing: I'm a sinner before the infinitely pure
2. Sanctification (Personal Holiness)
Without holiness: Sanctification is optional ("God loves me as I am").
With holiness: Sanctification is imperative ("Be holy, for I am holy").
"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)
Application:
You pursue purity because God is pure
You flee sin because God hates sin
You don't excuse compromise because "nobody's perfect"
3. Justice (Defending the Oppressed)
Without holiness: Justice is subjective, culturally defined, and negotiable.
With holiness: Justice is objective, rooted in God's character, non-negotiable.
"Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause." (Isaiah 1:17)
Application:
You defend the oppressed because God is holy (hates sin, including injustice)
You care for the vulnerable because God's holiness demands righteousness
You don't tolerate abuse because God's character is pure
4. Love (Sacrificial, Not Sentimental)
Without holiness: Love is sentimentality, feelings, and tolerance of sin.
With holiness: Love is sacrificial, costly, rooted in God's character.
"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10)
Application:
You love sacrificially because God's holiness demanded the cross
You don't confuse love with tolerance (love speaks truth)
You pursue others' holiness, not just their happiness
Common Misunderstandings About Holiness
Misunderstanding #1: "Holiness means God is really, really good"
Correction: Holiness means God is categorically different from creation—infinite, eternal, self-sufficient, morally perfect.
"Really, really good" still puts God on a spectrum with us (just further along). That's not holiness. That's moralism.
Holiness means: God is in a category by Himself.
Misunderstanding #2: "Holiness makes God distant and unapproachable"
Correction: Holiness makes us unworthy, but the cross makes us acceptable.
"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
We don't approach God based on our holiness. We approach God based on Christ's holiness.
Misunderstanding #3: "Holiness = a list of rules to follow"
Correction: Holiness is God's nature, not a moral checklist.
Yes, God calls us to pursue holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16). But holiness isn't legalism. It's conformity to Christ.
"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son." (Romans 8:29)
Misunderstanding #4: "God's holiness means He can't fellowship with sinners"
Correction: God's holiness requires mediation for fellowship, which Christ provides.
Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners (Luke 5:30). He touched lepers (Matthew 8:3). He forgave prostitutes (Luke 7:48).
How? Because His holiness wasn't compromised by contact with sinners. His purity remained intact. And through Him, we become holy (positionally, through justification).
Where to Go from Here
If you want to go deeper on God's holiness, here's what we've prepared for you:
Free Resource: "The Holiness of God" (25,000-Word Comprehensive Study)
What's inside:
✅ 50+ Scripture passages (Genesis → Revelation)
✅ Hebrew/Greek word studies (qadosh, hagios, kabod)
✅ Historical Reformed theology (Calvin, Edwards, Owen, Sproul)
✅ Logical argument demonstrating why holiness necessitates the cross
✅ Practical application for worship, sanctification, justice, and love
✅ Full bibliography for further study
Total reading time: 90 minutes Total research time invested: 40 hours
[Download: "The Holiness of God" Study (Free PDF)]
If holiness interests you, you'll also want to explore:
"Is God Really Sovereign Over Everything? (Even Evil?)" → How holiness and sovereignty work together
"What Is God's Justice?" → How holiness demands retribution and enables restoration
"Why Did Jesus Have to Die?" → The logic of the atonement rooted in holiness
Final Thought
The seraphim cry: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts."
Not "loving." Not "merciful." Holy.
Because holiness is the foundation. Everything else flows from it.
God's love is holy love (sacrificial, costly, rooted in His character)
God's mercy is holy mercy (doesn't compromise justice)
God's grace is holy grace (freely given, but purchased at infinite cost)
If you don't understand holiness, you can't understand the gospel.
But once you see it—once you grasp that God is infinitely set apart, morally pure, unable to tolerate sin—everything changes.
You understand why the cross was necessary. You understand why sin is deadly. You understand why worship demands reverence. You understand why sanctification matters.
Holiness changes everything.
[Download the Full Study: "The Holiness of God" (Free)]
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