The Scripture says that our God is a Holy God and what this means is that He is different, distinct and unique from everyone else, that He is the incomparable and incorruptible God of this universe.

1. It is the perfection of God that He delights in the most. It is this characteristic of divine perfection that he calls special attention to, which is most valued by Him, and His constant reference to it indicates it is the attribute of His preference.

Names are important and in the Scripture the names that God chooses to reveal Himself to us communicate what He is like.

He is called Jehovah which is His personal name and reveals God as a person.

Adonai means: - Master, Sovereign, Lord

Elohim stress the oneness of God is demonstrated. He is called Creator, Provider, Redeemer, Preserver, Sustainer, and many others. In fact, Dr. Marion Lowe list 400 names for Christ alone in the Scripture.

One name that permeates both Old and New Testament is that God wants to be known as a Holy God. 41 times in the Old Testament God is referred to as "The Holy One of Israel"; We find "The Holy One" as in Ps. 16:10; the "Holy Lord God" as in I Samuel 6:20; "Holy is his name" as in Is. 57:15. "My Holy name" or "His Holy name" is found 22 times in the Old Testament. The New Testament continues to describe God as Holy, 1 Peter 1:15.

If there is any aspect of the nature of the true and living God that He desires people to understand the most is that He is a Holy God. I say this because of the sheer number of its uses.

He doesn't say do not profane my loving name, or my eternal name, or my gracious name, or my merciful name, or my powerful name, no. It is His Holy name. The adjective used to describe the name of God is Holy. Not eternal, not love, not immutable, not wise. These are true of His name, but not the qualities of His preference. The most important thing that God wants us to see is His Holiness.

2. When the heavenly hosts sing, they sing of God's Holiness. Isaiah 6:2 "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Host." You do not hear them sing eternal, eternal, eternal or love, love, love, or immutable, immutable, immutable, or powerful, powerful, powerful. These are all true of God's nature but not the quality of God's preference.

Principle #2. Holiness is the guardian of the essence of God. Here is the idea that God is incorruptible, incapable of error, or free of any sin or defect. Holiness is the quality of God being perfect.

So we find:

Psalm 98:1 "O sing unto the Lord a new song for He has done marvelous things: His right hand and his holy arm has given him the victory. "

 I want you to see that when the power of God is spoken about, it is a Holy Arm, indicating that God holiness guards the exercise of His omnipotence.

 So we find:

 Psalm 105:42 "For He (God) remembered his Holy promise and Abraham his servant."

 God gave His Word. He made a promise, but it was a holy promise. God's holiness was involved. His truth does not stand alone. The Bible is called "the Holy Scriptures" 2 Timothy 3:15. and the "Holy Word" in Jeremiah 23:9. The Christian's faith is called "Holy faith" in Jude 20.

Amos 4:2 "God has sworn by His Holiness."

 You can depend on this not because I always speak the truth, which is true, but depend on something greater, even than my veracity, that is my holiness.

 Psalm 89:42 "Once I have sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David."

In court we are to swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But God confirms His truth by His holiness. God said to David, My holiness is your pledge for the assurance of this promise. I bind myself to my holiness and if I lie to David let me not be counted HOLY.

Let me further amplify this:

If God were not Holy, His long-suffering might become indulgent to sin. His love might become emotional sentimentalism. His justice might become partial and prejudiced. His truth might become distorted, unclear, contradictory. His wisdom might become unscrupulous. His righteousness might become pliable and moving. His immutability might become immobility or failure to act. His Sovereignty might become tyranny.

Holiness guards the essence of God from being perverted. God is free is sin, defect, or error because He is holy. I have purposely corrupted these attributes in order to show that Holiness means that God is incorruptible, that is He is perfect.

There is another way in which holiness is used and that has to do with holy people, places and things. Whatever our God sets apart as unto Himself that becomes holy, that is, it is different, distinct and unique from the common or ordinary.

Ezekiel 22:26

Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

Here "holy" is contrasted with "profane". God rebuked Israel's priests for having profaned His Holy things. Certain things God separated from the common or ordinary and He wanted them to be different and distinct. There error was that they made no distinction between the holy and the commonplace.

Principle: to be Holy is to be different, distinct or unique from the common or ordinary.

"and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

The Sabbath is special for it is holy. What make the Sabbath holy? What makes it different from Monday or Wednesday? The Sabbath is different because God separated the seventh day, under the law, from the other days of the week. The seventh day was set apart by God. It was to be different from the other six days. The six days were to be days of work. The seventh was to be a day of rest or worshiping God.

The seventh day is holy because it is distinct and uniquely different from every other day.

God said the seventh day was to be devoted to Him. It was no longer to be counted common or ordinary. It is set apart. It is marked out. It is dedicated and consecrated to the worship of the Lord. It is to be unlike any other day. It is holy.

Romans 1:2

which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures

Here again the Bible is unlike all other books. It is distinct and different from all other writings produced in the course of human history. It is God's book, inspired of God. So the Bible is unique and therefore in a class by its own. The Bible is called Holy Scripture. It is different, distinct and unique among books. The Bible is inspired of God. It is unique and in a class by its own.

Principle #3: When God is present at certain places, those places become Holy places.

1. Throne

Psalm 47:8 God reigns over the nations,God sits on His holy throne.

Because God is present in a unique sense at each of these places they are different, distinct or unique from other places. Other places are common or ordinary in contrast to them.

2. Heaven is called God's Holy Habitation. Is 63:15; Deuteronomy 26:15

'Look down from Thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Thy people Israel, and the ground which Thou hast given us, a land flowing with milk and honey, as Thou didst swear to our fathers.'

3. Mount Zion is called the Holy Mount

Psalm 48:1-3

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion in the far north, The city of the great King. God, in her palaces, Has made Himself known as a stronghold.

4. Jerusalem is called the Holy City. Neh 11:1; Rev 11:2

Nehemiah 11:1 Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem, but the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while nine-tenths remained in the other cities.

What make Jerusalem a holy city. Why is it different? The answer is because God is present in Jerusalem in a unique sense. It is where the ark of the covenant, the tabernacle and the temple of God exist. Jerusalem is different from other cities.

5. Israel is called the Holy Land.

Zechariah 2:12 And the Lord will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.

principle #4: The persons that belong to God are called holy.

Because God owns these persons and things they are different, distinct and unique from other persons and things. Other persons and things are common and ordinary in contrast to them.

Israel belongs to God.

Deuteronomy 7:6 For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

Church belongs to God

1 Peter 2:9,10 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Applications

1. This is the quality of God that is most denied His.

Some because of difficult circumstances cry out God is not fair. They have not seen the beauty of His Holiness. It is impossible for God to be anything but fair and just. He is incorriptible.

Sometimes when we want to do something that we know God forbids we turn aside and fulfill our own pleasure. The law of God is Holy and we have not seen the beauty of it.

The unsaved as well deny God of his holiness. Men make God in their own image and they strip God in this excellence for their own security and peace of mind. They dress God up in their own clothes for only that kind of God will encourage their sinful desires, only that kind of God will approve of their fleshly appetites. But Scripture says, Thou art not a God that takes pleasure in wickedness. God cannot punish sin if he is consenting to it. The world does not desire to know God as Holy. I will believe that God exists, but I will not believe in a Holy.

We hear so often people claim that the Bible is full of contradictions. This cannot be. This is a Holy Word, Holy Scripture and God is a Holy God. He swears by His Holiness. He is holy in all of His works, it is the rule of all that He does, it represents all that He is.

2. Since we belong to the Lord we are called holy.

We are called saints, that is holy ones.

When the Bible declares that you are holy it means that you have been given a different, distinct or unique design and destiny by God. You have been divided out from among other persons

The Christian is to be different, distinct and unique in their value system, character, lifestyles and practices. We have a holy position, we are to become holy .

1 Peter 1:14-16 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

For example, the Christian is to be different from the perverted stances of the unsaved world on such issues as abortion, capital punishment, and marriage.