(75) The Importance of Holiness

Holiness is of great significance to God. Why? Because it is the one attribute of His character that describes Him more than any other. It is the one attribute that receives the greatest attention in scripture, and in Heaven. Let’s take a journey into the future and look at vignette of a scene that will be played throughout eternity.

After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.

From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." (Revelation 4:1-11 NAU)

Glory! I can’t wait to be part of this glorious celebration and worship of the God of infinite majesty and glory! And what will be the focus of this worship for all eternity? The holiness of God. That’s right, holiness. Notice, the continual antiphonal worship of the angelic hosts of Heaven will keep the focus of all eternity on the holiness of God. Why? Because the holiness of God distinguishes Him as the one who is infinitely different, distinct, and unique. All that He is in His character He is in a way that is unlike any other.

"Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders? (Exodus 15:11 NAU)

"There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. (1 Samuel 2:2 NAU)

Your way, O God, is holy; What god is great like our God? (Psalm 77:13 NAU)

"To whom then will you liken Me That I should be his equal?" says the Holy One. (Isaiah 40:25 NAU)

O LORD my God, You have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all Your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them. (Psalms 40:5 NLT)

God is God. There is no other. There is no one who remotely begins to compare with His infinite, glorious greatness. He is in absolute truth, one-of-a-kind. He is indescribable, incomparable, great, awesome, infinite, unfathomable glory. There is no other. God is so infinitely unique man can only just begin to understand all that is involved in the depth of who He is.

This is what it means to say that God is holy. This is the importance of holiness. In all of the other attributes of God that we could name, He is holy, unique, different that all others. He is holy in His power, knowledge, righteousness, love, grace, mercy. Yes, in all His being, He is holy, He is infinitely different and unique.