GLORIOUS IN HOLINESS

“And one cried to another and said: “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is FULL OF HIS GLORY!” – Isaiah 6:3

However else we may describe Him, God is GLORIOUS in HOLINESS: “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, GLORIOUS in HOLINESS, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exo.15:11). The Glory of God is the manifestation of His Holiness: “And one cried to another and said: “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is FULL OF HIS GLORY!” (Isa.6:3). The thrice Holy God is Glorious! Glory is a difficult word to define. We simply know it exists, and can talk about its reality. However, linking the Glory of God with His Holiness may help us to better grasp what God’s Glory truly is. We know that God is holy: ““For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isa.57:15).

The idea behind holiness is “separation.” It comes from a word meaning “to separate or cut off.” God is separate, or cut off, from everything that is sinful and evil. He cannot tolerate sin. John wrote this truth in figurative language: “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1Jh.1:5). To say that God is holy means there is no trace of evil in His character. Essentially, God's character of holiness has both restrictive and positive aspects. On the restrictive side, holiness consists of what God does and does not do. For example, He does not look upon or participate in any sin. On the positive side, He always does that which is right.

Moreover, only God is holy: “Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy…” (Rev.15:4a). Because only God is holy, any people or objects that are said to be holy are described in this manner because God has made them holy, or set them apart. Therefore the term holy is applied to persons or objects that have some type of relationship with the Lord – they are set apart for His service. God, being holy, is separate from humanity spatially – He is in heaven, while humans live upon the earth. He is also separate in His nature and character – He is perfect, humans are imperfect. Holiness is therefore an attribute of God that distinguishes Himself and His creation.

That God is holy means that He is in an incomparable class of perfection, greatness, and worth by Himself. His holiness is His utterly unique and perfect divine essence. God’s Holiness determines all that He is and does and is determined by nothing and no one outside Himself. His holiness is what He is as God, which no one else is or ever will be, and it signifies His intrinsic, infinite worth. The Glory of God is the infinite beauty and greatness of His manifold perfections! His Holiness is the incomparable perfection and unique greatness of His divine nature; His glory is the display of that holiness. His glory is the open revelation of the secret of His holiness. God says, “By those who come near Me I must be regarded as HOLY; and before all the people I MUST BE GLORIFIED” (Lev.10:3).

When God shows Himself to be holy, what we see is His GLORY – the beauty of holiness. God’s Holiness is His concealed Glory. God’s Glory is His revealed Holiness. God is Glorious in Holiness! How does this truth affect us? The same way it did Isaiah: touching his tongue and transforming his entire life for greater and more glorious Kingdom service (Isa.6:5-8). We can be holy, because our God is: “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy” (1Pet.1:15-16). Living in holiness is a vital dimension of operating in Realms of Glory!