Growing As Theologians: God is Holy, Holy, Holy
October 1, 2015
“Theology: God is Holy, Holy, Holy”
“The difference between God’s being and ours is more than the difference between the sun and a candle, more than the difference between the ocean and a raindrop, more than the difference between the arctic ice cap and a snow flake, more than the difference between the universe and the room we are sitting in: God’s being is qualitatively different. No limitation or imperfection in creation should be projected on to our thought of God. He is the creator; all else is creaturely. All else can pass away in an instant; he necessarily exists forever.” (Wayne Grudem)
I. God is Holy, Holy, Holy
“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.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. “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.” Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”” (Isaiah 6:1–7)
A. Holy As King
“I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted …” (Isaiah 6:1)
B. Holy In Greatness
“ … and the train of his robe filled the temple.” (Isaiah 6:1)
C. Angels Declare His Holiness
“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.”” (Isaiah 6:2–3)
“Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and
is to come.”” (Revelation 4:8)
II. Isaiah Comes Undone In the midst of 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)
“For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle”(1 Cor 15:9)
“I am less than the least of all God’s people …”(Ephesians 3:8)
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” (1 Timothy 1:15)
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only
thing it cannot be is moderately important.” (C.S. Lewis)
III. God Is Gracious … My Guilt Was Taken Away
“Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the
altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”” (Isaiah 6:6–7)
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said,
“Here am I. Send me!”” (Isaiah 6:8)