The Holiness of God - chapter 11: "Holy Space and Holy Time"

The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul“Holy Space and Holy Time” – Chapter ElevenHere and NowOur culture is fixated on the here and the now, with little awareness of the holy or transcendent. Still, even in our fallenness, there is a longing for the transcendent.Sacred SpaceGod is transcendent, the high and exalted One.But He also bridges the gap between heaven and earth and reveals Himself, becoming immanent.God sanctifies space with His presence.OT ExamplesGod’s appearing to Moses in the burning bush.Call and promises to Abraham.Visions to Jacob at Bethel.Theophanies are also hierophanies, because they are manifestations of the holy.Absolute RealityContact with the holy is an encounter with Absolute Reality.The Christian faith is theocentric, meeting with a holy God, who forms the center of our existence.God defines our entire life and worldview.The SanctuaryThe sanctuary is a holy place, but it is made holy only by the presence of God.The “church” is the people, but the people must gather. Where the church gathers is sacred space as we worship God together in his presence.Transcendent & ImmanentGod is omnipresent, dwelling everywhere in his universe.But the Bible also speaks of sacred places where God is immanent with his people.The consecration of sacred space does not end with the OT.Sacred TimeGod’s holiness touches not only space but also time.Sacred time occurs within the never ending flow of ordinary time.Some moments are set apart by God’s holy presence and activity.Redemptive HistoryThe Christian faith is rooted in sacred moments and events that take place within normal history.Events like Creation, Fall, Flood, Exodus, Captivity, Incarnation, Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension, & Pentecost.Redemptive moments in history.SabbathThe Sabbath was set apart by God as sacred time.Commemoration of creationCelebration of redemptionCelebration of future promise of the consummation of redemption when we enter our Sabbath rest in heaven.Corporate WorshipWe gather as the church at appointed times for worship.These times become sacred times, because we gather in God’s holy presence.The worship service is a marking of special liturgical time.PassoverThe celebration of Passover was sacred time for the Israelites.Jesus changed the liturgy of Passover at the Lord’s Supper by infusing it with New Covenant meaning.The Lord’s Supper is sacred time for the church.The Lord’s SupperPast: instructing believers to remember and to show forth Christ’s death in the observance.Present: Christ meets with his people to nurture and strengthen them in sanctification.Future: certain hope of reunion with Christ in heaven.Sacred Space & TimeWhere Christians find the presence of the holy.When we fail to seek sacred space and sacred time, “we exchange the holy for the profane and rob both God of His glory and ourselves of His grace.

The Holiness of God - chapter 10: "Looking Beyond Shadows"

The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul“Looking beyond Shadows” - Chapter TenSmall but SignificantIn comparison to the vastness of the expansive universe, human beings are a small part of God’s creation.Yet, human beings have been “crowned with glory and honor,” being made in His image.Unseen and yet SeenGod is a spirit and is invisible. His transcendent holiness and glory makes it impossible for human beings to see Him.Yet, God can be indirectly seen through the things that he has made in creation.God’s HandiworkCreation reveals the handiwork of God.Nature makes the invisible power and deity of God Himself known.Every person who has ever lived knows there is a God and is aware of His transcendent majesty and holiness. Hiding the TruthThough all people know there is a holy God, we do not naturally wish to acknowledge it; we seek to hide or suppress the truth. We distort the knowledge of the true God with idolatry, replacing the reality with a counterfeit. Moral DishonestyThe problem is not that we fail to know that God is and who God is; it is that we refuse to believe what we know to be true.Humanity’s problem is not an intellectual one; it is a moral one. The problem is dishonesty.Holiness and GloryNot only is God’s existence revealed through Creation, but so is His holiness and His glory.God’s holiness is on display for everyone to see.But in our sin we reject God’s holiness and refuse to honor God as God.Distorted RealityOnce we refuse to honor God as God, our whole view of life and the world becomes distorted.Unbelievers live in the shadows, walking through the theatre of God’s glory wearing blindfolds.Seeing GloryWith regeneration, the scales fall from our eyes so that we can truly perceive what we see.With the spectacles of faith we look beyond the surface of things to see the glory of God that is revealed everywhere around us.Good, True, & BeautifulGod is the highest good and the standard of all ethics and goodness.God is the ultimate truth and the author and standard of all truth.God is beautiful and is the most perfect being, without any flaw.

The Holiness of God - chapter 9: "God in the Hands of Angry Sinners"

The Holiness of God – By R. C. Sproul"God in the Hands of Angry Sinners" – Chapter NineOut of StyleThe concept of a holy God who judges in divine wrath is unthinkable to most in modern society.Our age is more in tune with the quest for happiness, self-improvement, and the power of positive thinking.Holy WrathHoliness demands righteousnessRighteousness demands justice.We violate his holiness; we insult his justice; we make light of his grace.How could a holy God be anything but angry with us?Edwards on God’s WrathGod’s wrath is divine.Perfect and infinite.God’s wrath is fierce.No moderation or mercy in hell.God’s wrath is everlasting.No end to the anger of God directed at those in hell.Ignorance Is BlissMost are content to ignore or rationalize away the Bible’s teaching on the wrath of God and divine punishment.We are too good to go there.God is too loving to send anyone there.God or god?What is our reaction to a holy God who exercises divine wrath?Most in our society are repelled by it; they would rather believe in a God of love who never shows wrath.But who gets to decide what God is like or what attributes he has?Hating GodIf we hate the wrath of God, it is because we hate God himself.The unconverted naturally hate God. We are God’s enemies.By nature, we oppose God’s government and refuse His rule over us. The love of God is not in us.For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! (Romans 5:10, NIV)The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. (Romans 8:7, NIV)Killing GodBecause of our desire to rule ourselves, God is our natural mortal enemy. When given the opportunity, people murdered God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, by crucifying him as a criminal.Vestiges of the Old MindBut what about us as believers? Don’t we love God because of his grace shown to us?Yes, but there remain vestiges of our fallen nature. We continue to struggle with delighting in God and loving him with all our heart.Who raises the dead?Many believe that sinners dead in trespasses and sins have the power to raise themselves by choosing to be born again.But only God has the power to raise dead sinners. New birth is a gift of the Spirit granted by grace.Amazing Grace“We may dislike giving our attention to God’s wrath and justice, but until we incline ourselves to these aspects of God’s nature, we will never appreciate what has been wrought for us by grace.”

The Holiness of God - chapter 8: "Be Holy Because I Am Holy"

The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul“Be Holy, Because I Am Holy” – Chapter EightSaintsA “saint” is not just a super-Christian or someone who has done remarkable acts of Christian service.In the Bible, every Christian is called a “saint,” meaning “a holy one.”Holy, as God Is HolyWe are called to be “holy.”We are not transcendent, above all creation, as God is.But we are “consecrated” and “set apart” from the rest of the world.We are called to “purity.”Holy Sinners?How can we be called “holy” when we still sin?We have been “consecrated” by God. We are his special possession out of the world.We are called to a life of non-conformity with the world.TransformedWe live non-conformed with the world by being transformed in our thinking and behavior.Not just external conduct, but true inward transformation.We are living sacrifices – “thank offerings” to God for his grace.Called to PurityWe are not only “consecrated,” set apart from the world; we are also called to a life of purity.In standing, we are justified by the grace of God on the merits of Christ.But our standing must also become experience through sanctification.Fruit of the SpiritTrue justifying faith is a “living faith,” a faith that works.The Holy Spirit produces his fruit in our lives:Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.Pursuit of RighteousnessWe are called to seek after God’s kingdom and his righteousness.Though it is the Spirit’s fruit, the pursuit of righteousness involves our full, diligent effort in learning, prayer, discipline, and active obedience.

The Holiness of God - chapter 7: "War and Peace with a Holy God"

The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul“War & Peace with a Holy God” – Chapter SevenWrestling with GodGod is the transcendent, exalted one; and yet the Bible contains stories of people wrestling with God.Wrestling with God does not end in victory, because God always wins – but it does result in peace.Jacob’s StruggleJacob wrestled with the Angel of the Lord, a manifestation of God.God was the ultimate victor. Jacob surrendered his name to God, which He changed to Israel.Jacob survived with a limp, but he was transformed by God.…for the transforming power of God to change our lives we must wrestle with Him. We must know what it means to fight with God all night if we are also to know what it means to experience the sweetness of the soul’s surrender.Job’s ChallengeSuffering in agony and accused by his friends, Job demanded answers for his suffering, and he challenged God.Job’s challenge questioned the divine justice of God.“Will you condemn me to justify yourself?”Instead of responding to Job’s challenge with answers, God responded with his own interrogation.God’s questions brought Job to the end of himself in humility.“I repent in dust and ashes.”God answered Job’s questions not with words but with himself.As soon as Job saw who God is, Job was satisfied.Once God Himself was no longer shrouded in mystery, Job was able to live comfortably with a few unanswered questions.Habakkuk’s ComplaintHabakkuk questioned the justice of God because wickedness in Israel was not punished, and then again because God was planning to punish his own people with an even more wicked enemy—Babylon.When God spoke and revealed himself to Habakkuk, he was brought to fear and humility.But he walked away with peace, trust, and joy in his God no matter what the circumstances.He understood the sovereign majesty of his God.Saul’s ArrestSaul of Tarsus thought he was doing God’s work, but he was actually wrestling against God.Christ revealed himself to Saul, and the wrestling match was over. Christ had won and Saul was “arrested” for Christ’s service. But in defeat, he found peace.Our Struggle with GodWe struggle with a Holy God because he is righteous and we are unrighteous.This tension creates fear, hostility, and anger within us toward God.The unjust person does not desire the presence of the judge.Our Peace with GodWe find peace with God by being justified by grace through faith.Christ is our mediator and peacemaker. His life, death, and resurrection reconciled us to God through faith.Only the justified person can be comfortable in the presence of a holy God.With the cleansing from sin and the declaration of divine forgiveness we enter into an eternal peace treaty with God.When we sin, our peace with God is maintained by our mediator.Our sins are now dealt with by a Father not a military commander.Inner PeaceWe have peace with God, the cessation of hostility, because of Christ’s work on our behalf.We also have inner peace that satisfies the longings of our souls.We no longer have to fear condemnation; we have peace.Our Access to GodJustification grants us peace with God; it also grants us access to the very presence of God.Christ provided the means of access for us to God’s presence.We can feel welcome in the presence of God.Questions:Have you ever struggled with God or questioned God? Have you come away with peace, even if you didn’t have all the answers?What does it mean to you to have peace with God? Or, access to God?

The Holiness of God - chapter 6: "Holy Justice"

The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul“Holy Justice” ­– Chapter SixStrange FireNadab and Abihu, Aaron’s sons, offered unauthorized incense on the altar, in rebellion to God’s instructions.In defense of his own holiness and justice, God struck down Nadab and Abihu for their sin.Uzzah and the ArkWhile the Ark of the Covenant was being transported and it was about to fall, Uzzah stretched out his hand to steady it.God killed Uzzah for touching the Holy Ark in with unholy hands.He was guilty and was punished.Holy Justice and MercyIt is impossible for God to be unjust, because his justice is holy.Punishing sin with death is an example of God’s holy justice.We can never comprehend God’s mercy until we understand his justice.Righteous JusticeGod’s justice is always in conformity with his righteous character and actions.God condemns the guilty and acquits the innocent. God’s justice is perfect justice.He may show mercy, but he is never unjust.Sin & the Death PenaltyThe OT laws for the death penalty are actually gracious compared to what we deserve.We all deserve death, because every sin is cosmic treason against a holy God.Every sin insults God’s holiness.Divine PatienceWhen we question the justice of God, we are asking the wrong question. The real question is why God patiently allows sinners to continue to live.God’s patience is designed to lead us to repentance.What about Canaan?What about the conquest of Canaan? Was God just in telling the Israelites to completely wipe them out?God’s justice is perfect. He was not ordering the murder of innocents, but the condemnation of the guilty.Deuteronomy 9:4After the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, "The LORD has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness." No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is going to drive them out before you. Deuteronomy 9:5It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.Deuteronomy 9:6Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people. The OT vs. the NT?Is the God of the NT the same God of the OT?God’s justice hasn’t changed.The most violent display of God’s justice is in the NT, not the OT – the cross of Christ.God is able to show mercy to sinners because of the justice satisfied at the cross.

The Holiness of God - Chapter 5: "The Insanity of Luther"

The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul“The Insanity of Luther” – Chapter FiveTroubled by the HolyDid Martin Luther have an oversensitive conscience or an overactive guilt complex?Or, was he perhaps more keenly aware of the holy justice of God?Do we have an accurate awareness of the holy justice of God?What do you think of Luther’s “Great Transgression,” that to fail to love God with all of our hearts is the ultimate Transgression, because it is the failure to do the Greatest Commandment?Without Christ and the grace of God, are we as sinful as Luther described?Does God grade on a curve?What about the good things that people do, even without grace?Was Luther’s overwhelming fear of the wrath of God good?From Fear to CourageLuther’s constant fear of the justice of God drove him to the Scriptures to find God’s grace.Luther’s discovery of the doctrine of justification by faith alone launched the Reformation and moved him from terrifying fear to confidence in God’s grace.Holiness and MercyLuther’s life and doctrine teaches us that the more we comprehend the holy justice of God, the greater the grace of God becomes to us.In Christ, God satisfied his holy justice and showed mercy to the guilty.

The Holiness of God - chapter 4: "The Trauma of Holiness"

The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul“The Trauma of Holiness” – Chapter FourJesus, the Holy OneAs God incarnate, Jesus Christ is fully holy as God is holy. In becoming man, Jesus made the transcendent holiness of God become immanent.Sinful people were then in the presence of the holy.Fear and HatredBeing in the presence of the truly holy can bring two responses due to our sin:Awareness of our sin in the presence of the holy causes fear.Our hypocritical holiness in the presence of the truly holy causes hatred.“Go away…”Disciples’ response to Jesus’ calming the storm (Mk. 4:41): “What kind of man is this?”Peter’s response to the miraculous catch of fish: “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man.” (Lk. 5:8)People’s response to Jesus’ casting demons out of a man and sending them into a herd of pigs: “all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear.” (Lk. 8:37)Hypocrites’ HatredHatred is the natural response when hypocritical righteousness is exposed by the truly holy.The Pharisees and Sadducees hated Jesus, because he exposed their hypocrisy.Darkness Hates LightLight has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. (John 3:19-20, NIV).Christ has called us to be light in the midst of this dark world (Matt 5:14–16).As we seek to live holy lives in obedience to Christ, the world will likely hate us as it hated the holy Christ.If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. (John 15:18-19, NIV)QuestionsIs your view of God’s holiness like Peter’s? Do you want to run from it?What is our natural response when our sin is exposed?What is our response when our sin or hypocrisy is rebuked?What is our response to the holiness of Christ as revealed in Scripture? Fear or Hatred?What should our response be to the hatred of the world as we seek to live holy lives as representatives of Christ?

The Holiness of God - chapter 3: "The Fearful Mystery"

The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul"The Fearful Mystery" Chapter ThreeWhat is Holy?Difficult concept to defineMore than just ethical or moral puritySet apart from that which is commonConsecrated as special or dedicated for special useTranscendent, exaltedHoly=‘wholly other’Holy God – the One who has no superior or equalHoly ThingsGod is absolutely and independently holy.Other people or things derive their holiness from God’s consecrating them or it for his service.Things made holy by God are not for common use.The Defining AttributeHoliness equivalent to the deity or essence of GodHoliness not just another attribute on the list of God’s qualitiesHoliness governs God’s other attributes, e.g. “holy love”IdolatryWorshiping that which is created instead of worshiping the Creator is the essence of idolatry.When we consecrate what God has never consecrated, it is desecration and an act of idolatry.The Fearful MysteryHoliness as mysterious and indescribableHoliness as terrifyingHoliness as attractingHoliness as realization of our own creatureliness QuestionsWhat does it mean to fear God?How can we fear God and yet be drawn to worship and love Him?How should God’s holiness change the way that we worship?How should it change the way we live?

The Holiness of God - chapter 2: "Holy, Holy, Holy"

The Holiness of God by R. C. SproulHoly, Holy, Holy: Chapter Two          1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.  2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.  3 And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."  4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.  5 "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."            6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.  7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."  8 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 6:1-8, NIV)The Lone ProphetThe OT prophet was a God-called emissary, sent to represent God to the people and call them to personal and corporate holiness.For most of Israel’s history, the prophet was despised, rejected, persecuted, and often killed.Isaiah the ManIsaiah, unlike most prophets, was of the nobility. He had access to the royal courts.Isaiah’s ministry spanned the reigns of four kings: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.Isaiah’s CallIsaiah was called to be a prophet in the year of King Uzziah’s death.Uzziah had been a good king, but his success and wealth led him to pride and presumption in his later years.Isaiah went to the temple to grieve the death of the king, but instead encountered the King of Kings.A Vision of the LordIsaiah was granted a vision, in which he saw the glory of the Lord in the temple.The Lord is envisioned as a great, exalted King-Priest, with the edges of his priestly robe filling the whole temple.SeraphimThe Seraphim, a type of angelic being, were attending the high exalted Lord.Their mission is to worship and serve the King and Creator of the universe.They cover their faces and feet in honor of their holy Creator.Holy, Holy, HolyThe Seraphim cry in unison: “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”The three-fold repetition is for superlative emphasis.The only time that an attribute of God is given this emphasis.Trembling before a Holy GodThe inanimate materials of the temple respond in awe and fear before the presence of their Maker.God’s presence in theophany often results in similar accompanying signs and wonders in Scripture.“Woe to Me!”A “woe” is a pronouncement of doom, a curse on the enemies of God.Here, Isaiah the prophet pronounces a curse of judgment on himself.God’s holiness revealed to him the full measure of his sinfulness.Cleansed with FireGod is holy and gracious.In grace, he cleanses his soon-to-be prophet with a “burnt offering,” an atonement for his sin.God cleanses his lips, which represents Isaiah’s whole self, and thus purifies him.“Here am I. Send me!”God brings Isaiah to ruins by the awesome presence of his holiness.His grace atones for Isaiah’s sins and cleanses him.God makes him fit for service and mission and calls him as his prophet to his people.Questions:What do Uzziah’s final years in leprosy teach us about the holiness of God?What do the actions of the Seraphim reveal about God’s holiness?How is God’s holiness revealed to us?How does God’s holiness cause us to better see our own sinfulness?

The Holiness of God - chapter 1: "The Holy Grail"

The Holiness of God by R. C. SproulThe Holy Grail: Chapter OneEncountering the Holy⦁    Perceiving the presence of the Holy God in us and around us should move us to awe, reverence, and fear; but also peace and love.⦁    Encountering the Holy God changes us forever; it is impossible to encounter the holy and not be transformed.⦁    Examples from Scripture: Call of Samuel in 1 Samuel 3; call of Isaiah in Isaiah 6.Questions:⦁    When you think of God as holy, what comes to your mind?⦁    How important is the attribute of holiness to God’s nature?⦁    Have you ever experienced a time when you were overcome by the holiness of God?“In the Beginning”⦁    God is eternally existent and possesses fully independent life.⦁    Everything else that exists in this universe is here because of the divine fiat of God.⦁    All things are ultimately dependent on God for their being.Questions:⦁    Why is the Bible’s teaching on the creation of the world important for understanding God’s holiness?⦁    Are you attracted to the holiness of God?⦁    Is God’s holiness a fearful thing?“Hallowed Be Your Name”⦁    God IS Holy. Nothing can ever change or take away from this fundamental aspect of his being.⦁    We are called to pray for God’s name to be honored as holy.⦁    We are called to live holy lives that reflect the character of God.Questions:⦁    How can we shape our prayers and requests to honor God’s name as holy?⦁    What does it mean for you to be holy in the coming week?