Genesis 1:27 and Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:1-2; and 20:7-8
Introduction
We are studying the attributes of God. Last time, we learned that God is spirit. This refutes the false teaching of the Mormons, who say that God was once a man. Numbers 23:19 says that “God is not a man that He should lie.” We learned the absolute attributes of God:
A. God is Infinite and Omnipresent
B. God is Sovereign and Omnipotent
C. God is Eternal and Omniscient
D. God is Immutable (He does not change)
Thesis: God’s morals are superior to man’s.
Interrogative: What does it mean to be holy?
The Bible reveals God’s holiness and what we must do to be holy.
God Is Holy because He Is Truthful
A. God is Truth and without Iniquity/Sin: Numbers 23:19 and Deuteronomy 32:4 and John 14:6.
B. Illustration
Billy Graham said, “On the cover of your Bible and my Bible appear the words ‘Holy Bible.’ Do you know why the Bible is holy? Why should it be called holy when so much lust and hate and greed and war are found in it? I can tell you why. It is because the Bible tells the truth. It tells the truth about God, about man, and about the devil. The Bible teaches that we exchanged the truth of God for the devil’s lie about sex, drugs, alcohol, and religious hypocrisy. Jesus Christ is the ultimate truth. Furthermore, He told the truth. Jesus said that He was the truth, and the truth would make us free.'”
C. Application
- We must cherish the truth of God’s Word, Psalm 119:160.
- We must speak the truth, Ephesians 4:15.
- We must testify to the truth, John 18:37.
God Is Holy because He Is Just
A. Exegesis, Deuteronomy 32:4
God is just and all His ways are just. He is fair, not a respecter of persons. He dispenses justice equally: the wicked are condemned and suffer His wrath; the righteous are released and enjoy God’s favor.
B. Application: We must be fair in our relationships with people.
God Is Holy because He Is Righteous
A. Exegesis
- Psalm 11:7, the Lord is righteous and He loves righteousness.
- Psalm 111:3, the Lord’s righteousness endures forever.
B. Illustration: God created us to be righteous. Playing golf right is enjoyable. Playing golf wrong is not.
C. Application
- We must get right with God or suffer His wrath.
- We become holy when we cherish truth, are fair, and live right according to God’s rules.
God is holy. He commands us to be holy. How can we be holy? Leviticus 20:7-8 says, “Consecrate yourselves and he holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord who makes you holy.”