What is Holiness? Imagine holiness as a bright shining light, completely pure and separate from any darkness. In the same way, God’s holiness means He is perfect, pure, and completely set apart from anything that is sinful. In the Bible, 1 Samuel 2:2 says, “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” God’s holiness makes Him special. God’s holiness sets Him apart from all His creation. In the book of Isaiah 6:3, it says, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” Notice that it repeats “holy” three times, emphasizing just how extraordinary and unique God’s holiness is!
You might wonder, “If God is so holy, can He still love us?” Absolutely! God’s holiness does not mean He is distant or uncaring. In fact, His holiness makes His love even more amazing. In 1 John 4:8, it says, “God is love.” His love is pure and perfect because it comes from His holy nature. However as a result of sin and disobedience to God’s law, we fall short of God’s holiness. Romans 3:23 tells us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It’s like trying to jump across the Grand Canyon – no matter how hard we try, we can’t reach the other side on our own. The problem with this is that we have to face a holy God who is just and must punish every wrong doing. But here’s the good news: God loves us so much that He provided a solution for our sin problem! He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to bridge the gap between His holiness and our imperfection. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
God calls us to live holy lives too, not because we can be as perfect as He is, but because He wants us to be more like Him. In 1 Peter 1:16, it says, “Be holy because I am holy.” It means we strive to make choices that honor God and reflect His character. The holiness of God is like nothing else in the world. It shows us how special and loving He is. Even though we can’t be perfectly holy, God provided a way through Jesus Christ to have a relationship with Him. To reflect on this, GKM Music has produced a cover song by Bethel Music entitled, “Holy Forever” – you can listen to this at the video link below. May it bless you and draw you closer to God’s goodness and holiness.