HOLINESS

`Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts.` (Isa. 6: 3)

Holiness - Heb. `qadosh,` meaning sacred, morally pure,

The thrice proclaimed `Holy, Holy, Holy, `by the angels over the throne of God reveal that Holiness is the over arching attribute of God`s character.

Worship in response to Holiness.

`Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool, For He is Holy.` (Ps. 99: 5)

And the only appropriate response is to worship and honour this Holy God. Any lesser response means that one`s heart is elsewhere on an idol. Man was made to worship God, who is Holy. The heart rejoices to know and appreciate such beauty and sacredness.

The Psalmist had a revelation of God`s beautiful holiness.

`Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him...` (Ps. 96: 9)

And the writer, to the Hebrews encourages the believers in their service to do so with a reverent attitude.  

`Let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptable with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.` (Heb. 12: 28 & 29)

Our Need of being made Holy.

Nothing can stand in the `fire` of His Holy Presence. The prophet Isaiah cried out when he saw the vision of God`s holy throne, with the seraphims crying, Holy, Holy, Holy.`

`Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.` (Isa. 6: 5)

It is man`s sin that separates us from a holy God. And it is only by the blood of Christ that a sinner can be washed and sanctified to come near to God`s Holy throne.

`For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.` (Heb. 9: 24)

It is Christ Himself who will present us holy.

`Christ....now He has reconciled (you) in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.` (Col. 1: 21 & 22)