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God’s HolinessDo you ever use phrases like “Holy cow!” or “Holy smoke!”?

Why do we use holy in that way?

Why don’t we choose one of God’s other attributes or qualities as an adjective in these phrases: “Omnipresent cow!” or “Omnipotent smoke!”?

What is it about holy that is so distinctive?

Lev 10:3 And Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke, saying: 'By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.' " So Aaron held his peace.

• Why does God say, “By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified”?

• How does a person “regard” God as holy?The word holy occurs more times in Leviticus, where God spells

out His Law and expecttions for us, more than in any other book of the Bible.

But, the holiness of God is not limited to Leviticus or the law, God’s holiness (and ours) is a dominant theme throughout all Scripture.

Holiness is the fundamental attribute of God. It stands above and encompasses all others.

“…No other attribute is truly lovely without this.” Jonathon Edwards

God is called ‘holy’ more than He is called anything else …

His arm of power tells us of His strength.

His eye of omniscience tells of His knowledge.

His heart of duration tells of His eternity.

But it is the beauty of His holiness that captures us when we really see Him as He is.

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The holiness of God, according to the Scripture, is His beauty.”

We repeatedly see the heavenly host shouting, “Holy, Holy, Holy, before God but never omnipotent, omnipotent, omnipotent, or omnipresent, omnipresent, omnipresent or any or God’s other unique, special characteristics.

It is always, “holy, Holy, Holy”…

WE CANNOT FULLY UNDERSTAND HOLINESS Why is it hard for us to understand holiness?

You can talk about any other attribute of God and not feel like a worm.

Talk about the holiness of God, you have the problem of grasping it intellectually, but also a sense of personal vileness, which is almost too much to bear.

Each one of us is born into a tainted world. We are fallen beings—spiritually, morally, mentally and physically.

We are fallen in all the ways that man can fall.

We learn to excuse and to overlook and not to expect too much. We don’t expect all truth from our teachers, We don’t expect faithfulness from our politicians.We don’t expect honesty from our merchants. We don’t expect complete trustworthiness from anybody.

This kind of world burrows into us until we have lost the ability to conceive of the holy.

There’s a dual difficulty in understanding God’s holiness.

We cannot comprehend holiness or a holy God and we certainly cannot define or describe Him.

But, that does not mean we cannot or should not try…

The Scriptures use suggestion and association to describe God’s holiness,

Look for manifestations of God that suggest or are associated with His holiness in Exodus 19

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Exo 19:1-25 NKJV In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. 2 For they had departed from Rephidim, had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Israel camped there before the mountain. 3 And Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4 'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel." 7 So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the LORD commanded him. 8 Then all the people answered together and said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do." So Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD. 9 And the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever." So Moses told the words of the people to the LORD. 10 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. 11 And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, 'Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. 13 Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.' When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain." 14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. 15 And he said to the people, "Be ready for the third day; do not come near your wives." 16 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was

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very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. 19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. 20 Then the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 21 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the LORD, and many of them perish. 22 Also let the priests who come near the LORD consecrate themselves, lest the LORD break out against them." 23 But Moses said to the LORD, "The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, 'Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.' " 24 Then the LORD said to him, "Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the LORD, lest He break out against them." 25 So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

God cannot tell us by language, so He uses association and suggestion and shows how holiness affects the unholy.

Moses’ Experience With the HolyGod shows Moses at the burning bush before the holy, fiery Presence, kneeling down to take his shoes from his feet, hiding his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

(Exodus 19:9-14) And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, and be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the

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sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount. And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.

Moses did the best he could. He went down and tried to clean up their dingy gray.

(Exodus 19:16-21) And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.

All the trumpeting and the voice and the fire and smoke and shaking of the mount—this was God saying by suggestion and association what we couldn’t understand in words.

Exo 3:4-6 NKJV So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." 5 Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground." 6 Moreover He

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said, "I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.ead Exodus 3:4-6.

Why do you think God told Moses to take off his sandals? What are some practical, modern ways in which we might

“take off our sandals” when coming before God in prayer, Bible study, or worship?

Job’s Experience With the HolyJob 38:1-7 NKJV Then the LORD answered Job out of the

whirlwind, and said: 2 "Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge? 3 Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. 4 "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, 7 When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

What is the most powerful or dramatic natural event you can remember personally witnessing? A storm, an earthquake, a hurricane, or some other

natural phenomenon? How did you feel? Have you ever had a special time gazing at the starry sky or getting a fascinating glimpse into the animal kingdom?

What does the power of the natural creation tell us about the holiness of God, especially in light of our everyday problems?

How can we gain reassurance of that, as Job did?

Isaiah’s Experience With the HolyIsa 6:1-8 NKJV In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord

sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe

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filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!" 4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 So I said: "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." 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged." 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me.".

In your mind’s eye, what element of this account stands out most sharply to you? If you were painting this scene, what aspect of it would

be the focus of your canvas?How did this experience change Isaiah’s life?In what way should it change ours?

Paul’s Experience With the HolyAct 9:3-6 NKJV As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and

suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" 5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads." 6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.".

What do you think Saul of Tarsus saw? The passage in verse 3 says, “a light shone around him

from heaven.” Who or what was that light?

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If we had a telescope that could peer into heaven and see Jesus Christ as He is right now, what do you think He would look like?

The brilliant light of God’s glory? Acts 9:5Or as John’s Experience With the Holy, the Lamb as it had been slain?

Rev 5:6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

Or the conquering King of Glory?

Rev 1:10-18 NKJV I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last," and, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea." 12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

If we kept that vision before us, how would it change our behavior today?

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Along with the intellectual challenge of understanding an infinite God, we also must wrestle with our own sense of vileness as we contemplate an infinitely holy God.

As we review these stories, we feel more than ever that we are a profane people, unaware and unaffected by the holiness of God — until we see Him as we should, in all His glory.

TWO WORDS FOR HOLINESS There are two main words for “holy” in the Old Testament

— one that usually stands for God and is often translated “the Holy One,” and

— one that is usually used to describe created things (including humans) and means “holy by contact or association (with God).”

These two words seem to suggest that God can impart His holiness onto His people.

In the New Testament, the word for holiness literally means “an awful [awe-full] thing.”

“Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16) cf Lev 11:44The definition of that Greek word is “Awe full [full of awe] Thing”

The English word Awful is generally used negatively to describe something so great, so out of the ordinary, so unusual it inspires jaw dropping awe.

The Awe full Thing — that’s one meaning of the word holy — the Holy One!

Emphasizing God and the holiness of God and the awful, unapproachable quality that can be called “that Awful Thing,” we have nearly lost the sense of the Holy One almost altogether.

And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen: Blessing, and

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glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. (Revelation 7:11-15)

Anybody can flip open a Greek lexicon and show you that you are technically a saint.

But, if I haven’t felt the sense of vileness by contrast with that sense of unapproachable and indescribable holiness, if I have never been hit hard enough to really repent, I wonder if I can believe in and recognize God for who and what He is.

Our forefathers knew God in a different manner than that.

Under the influence of humanistic teaching, we are too “familiar” with God; we have lost a sense of His majestic holiness, His “awful, unapproachable quality.

Yet we are called to approach God in intimacy, as a little child.

In Worship this apparent paradox is settled.

Communion with God is one thing; familiarity with God is quite another thing.

Worship rises or falls with our concept of God;

Do not fall into the trap of the half-converted cowboys who call God “the Man Upstairs.”

They do not worship at all because their concept of God is unworthy of God and unworthy of them.

If there is one terrible disease in the Church of Christ, it is that we do not see God as great as He is.

We’re too familiar with ho and what we think God is.

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The divine attribute called “holy” has a two-fold significance.

The first aspect of God’s holiness is separateness.

God is separated and unique from; is exalted above all other things

There are two particular words for holy in the Hebrew Bible.

One word is used almost exclusively of God the Holy One and rarely used of anything or person except God the Holy One. In Proverbs 9:10 it says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy [lit: Holy One] is understanding

Proverbs 30:3 also uses this phrase: “I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy [lit: Holy one].”

The Jewish translators encountered exactly the same word more than forty times and translated it “the Holy One.”

The second is “purity”

God is morally excellent - without fault - pure.

God can't be compared to anyone or anything because he is so different from what we know and experience.

This word for “holy” that is not used of God very often.

It is not as “high” a word; it is used often of created things.

It is something that is “holy by contact or association” with something holy.

We hear of holy ground or holy Sabbath or holy city or holy people or holy works.

It’s not the same awesome, awe-filled word that He uses when He says “the holy” or “the Holy One.”

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• The word holy comes from a root word that means "to separate."

It refers to God as separated from or exalted above other things.

Isa 6:1-3 NKJV In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!"

Num 23:19 "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Job 9:32 "For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together.

Hos 11:9 I will not execute the fierceness of My anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim. For I am God, and not man, The Holy One in your midst; And I will not come with terror.

• He is the only being in the universe outside of creation. • He is separate and above His creation because • He is uncreated; • He is eternally self-existent. • He is transcendent.

For those of us who know Him through Jesus Christ, how should this make us feel? What emotions should flood us when we think of the “otherness” of God?

• The second aspect of God’s holiness is purity.

1Jn 1:5 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.

Why should this be important to us?

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in what ways should we be thankful for the blinding and absolute sinlessness of God?

Holiness means purity, but “purity” doesn’t describe it well enough.

Purity merely means that it is unmixed, with nothing else in it.

But that isn’t enough. We talk of moral excellency, but that isn’t adequate.

To be morally excellent is to exceed someone else in moral character.

But when we say that God is morally excellent, who is it that He exceeds?

The angels, the seraphim? Surely He does— but that still isn’t enough.

We mean rectitude - morally correct behavior or thinking; righteousness; we mean honor; we mean truth and righteousness; we mean all of these — uncreated and eternal.

God is not now any holier than He ever was.

Being unchanging and unchangeable,

He can never become holier than He is.

He never was holier than He is, and He’ll never be any holier than now.

His moral excellence implies self-existence, for He did not get His holiness from anyone nor from anywhere.

He is Himself the Holiness. He is the All-Holy, the Holy One;

He is holiness itself, beyond the power of thought to grasp or of word to express, beyond the power of all praise.

God resorts to association and suggestion.

Our language cannot express God’s the holiness.

He cannot say it outright because He would have to use words for which we know no meaning.

He would have to translate it down into our unholiness.

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God's character, His essential nature is Holiness — absolute purity of His existence, His nature

Who is like unto thee, 0 LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness? (Exodus 15:11)

But thou art holy, 0 thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. (Psalm 22:3)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10) And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. (Isaiah 6:3)

1Pe 1:16 because it is written, "BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

God’s holiness is not simply a better version of the best we know.

God is utterly and supremely untainted. His holiness stands apart — unique and incomprehensible.

Rev 4:8-11 NKJV The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" 9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11 "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created."

God is free from evil, in fact He hates and abhors sin

Lev 19:2 "Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

He is "glorious in holiness" (Exodus 15:11)

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Exo 15:11 "Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Since God Is all-holy, He must consequently dominate the universe, opposing and condemning and punishing sin.

Wherever sin exists, there must be His uncompromising attitude toward same. He must remain forever the absolute and eternal enemy of sin.

As His power makes Him mighty, so His holiness makes Him glorious.

From such holiness, there comes justice and righteousness, which as they are administered, moral order is maintained among His intelligent creatures

Deu 32:3-4 NKJV For I proclaim the name of the LORD: Ascribe greatness to our God. 4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.

Psa 36:6 Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O LORD, You preserve man and beast.

Psa 115:3 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.

Psa 119:142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth.

Paul provides the link in the phrase, "Righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).

Eph 4:21-24 NKJV if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

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God's holiness forms the basis of moral significance within the universe.

Holiness is the glory His of creation and the grand ascription of worship.

• Holy! Holy! Holy! will yet become the anthem of a redeemed universe.

• The awful lake of fire, the coming wrath of the Almighty, the solemn destruction meted out upon all satanic forces present no difficulties whatever to the heart dominated by the fact of God's absolute holiness.

God is morally excellent - without fault - pure.

God can't be compared to anyone or anything because he is so different from what we know and experience.

God is separated and unique from; is exalted above all other things

THE FIERY HOLINESS OF GOD “Above [the throne] stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly” (Isaiah 6:2).

There wasn’t any of the flippancy that we see now.

There wasn’t any tendency to try to be funnier than a clown.

There was a sense of Presence, and the holy creatures covered their feet in modesty, and they covered their face in worship, and they used their other wings to fly.

These were the seraphim; they’re called “fiery burners.”

Eze 1:4-5 NKJV Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. 5 Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.

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The creatures come out of a fire and let down their wings to worship.

Eze_1:24 When they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army; and when they stood still, they let down their wings. 25 A voice came from above the firmament that was over their heads; whenever they stood, they let down their wings.

God speaks of and shows Himself often as fire.

Heb 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.

Isa 33:14-17 NKJV The sinners in Zion are afraid; Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: "Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" 15 He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, He who despises the gain of oppressions, Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from seeing evil: 16 He will dwell on high; His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, His water will be sure. 17 Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will see the land that is very far off.

Exo 3:2 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.

(Exodus 13:21-22) And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

God was dwelling there in that awesome fire.

When the tabernacle was made and the cherubim of gold overshadowed the mercy seat, what was it that came down between the cherubim wings?

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What was it that only one man could see, and he only once a year with blood?

How many high priests ever looked at the Shekinah, with all of the protection of the atoning blood and the commandment of God went trembling into the Presence of God through the great, heavy veil that took four men to part.

He was not told he couldn’t gaze at the Shekinah fire.

The very seraphim covered their faces.

Moses “hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God” (Exodus 3:6).

John fell down when he saw the Savior and had to be raised up again almost from the dead (Revelation 1:17).

Rev 1:17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.

Daniel fell unconscious before God

Dan 10:7-9 NKJV And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. 9 Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.

Paul went blind on the Damascus road seeing the light that was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God that dwelt in the bush, the God that dwelt in the Shekinah between the wings of the seraphim.

Act 9:3-8 NKJV As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" 5 And he said, "Who are

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You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads." 6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." 7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. 8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

When they were all together in one place and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as the rushing of a mighty wind and fire appeared and sat as a tongue of flame upon each one of them (see Acts 2:1-3)

God was branding them on their foreheads with His fiery holiness to say, “You’re mine now”?

The Church was born out of fire, just as the creatures in Ezekiel 1 came out of fire. We have gray ashes today, but we are to be men and women of fire, for that is our origin.

But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment. [T]he heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.... [Tjhe heavens being on fire shall be dissolved.... (2 Peter 3:7, 10, 12)

Is it to be the atomic fire of a hydrogen bomb?

Don’t allow yourself to be fooled by the scientists.

Don’t let your spiritual concepts and perceptions be dragged down to a research laboratory.

That awesome fire out of which the seraphim moved, that fire that dwelt between the cherubim and that blazing light that knocked Paul flat — that’s the same fire that shall dissolve the heaven and the earth: the awful presence of that Holy One,

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There is something about Him that is awesome and awful.

Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: "Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?"

The concept of the presence of God as a “devouring fire” and “everlasting burnings” can be an overwhelming thought.

It is intended to be.

We need to see beyond the flippant attitude that so many have toward God today.

We lack an awesome, awe-full respect for His holy majesty.

The Lord chided the people of Israel,

Psa 50:21 These things you have done, and I kept silent; You thought that I was altogether like you; But I will rebuke you, And set them in order before your eyes.

Some people talk as if meeting the gaze of absolute goodness would be fun.

They need to think again. They are only playing with religion.

…God is the only comfort, He is also the supreme terror.... C.S. Lewis

How can we see God as a “devouring fire” and still draw near? How can we see Him as “the supreme terror,” as C.S. Lewis puts it, and still desire Him? How can we who wish to draw nearer to God approach the unapproachable flame? Let God’s holiness purify and empower us as we come repenting and in awe of God.

If you put a piece of iron in a fire, “the iron can learn to live with the fire by absorbing the fire and beginning to glow.

This is a common illustration is another suggestion that God can impart His holiness unto His people.

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The idea of “the fiery holiness of God” and His unapproachable majesty can be easily misunderstood.

We may think that God is too “dangerous” to approach, so we shouldn’t try.

The real truth is that God wants us to approach Him — but we can’t expect to come out of the encounter unscathed and unchanged!

Jacob came away from it with a chronic limp?

Gen 32:24-31 NKJV Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" 27 So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." 28 And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed." 29 Then Jacob asked, saying, "Tell me Your name, I pray." And He said, "Why is it that you ask about My name?" And He blessed him there. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved." 31 Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip.

The good news is that the only thing that really dies is our sin and selfishness.

THE HOLY ONE AND THE SINNER The presumptuous sinner, thinks he can decide when he will turn to God, or who turns to God only to get something from Him.

We need to realize just Whom we are dealing with when we approach God.

If we had a better picture of His awesome holiness, we would not neglect to repent of those “hanging-on” sins.

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We would not insult His majesty by coming to Him in prayer with a “shopping list.”

The Holy One confronts the sinner, who thinks he is going to decide when he’ll serve Christ.

He is going to push God around.

He is going to decide whether to accept Jesus or not, receive Him or not, obey Him or not.

He is going to go proudly down the aisle with his chest out.

He is going to follow the God he claims to believe in when he himself is good and ready and not before.

The sinner tells himself, “I’ll decide this question. I’m a man of free will. God isn’t forcing my will”.

No, He won’t—but I have words for the sinner.

God is “of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity” (Habakkuk 1:13), and “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed” (Lamentations 3:22).

Hab 1:12-13 NKJV Are You not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, You have appointed them for judgment; O Rock, You have marked them for correction. 13 You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he?

It is only by the infinite patience of God that you are not consumed

Lam 3:22 Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.

“Our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29).

Heb 12:14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

The modern believers tend to not take this verse seriously,

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We try to reinterpret it to mean something else. We also excuse ourselves by saying that God “knows we are but dust.”

We worship a God who is too pure to look on sin, the awesome Holy One.

He has told us to be holy as He is holy (Leviticus 11:45; 1 Peter 1:16).

Lev 11:44-45 NKJV For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. 45 For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

1Pe 1:13-16 NKJV Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, "BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

Habakkuk 1:13; Lamentations 3:22; Hebrews 12:14; First Peter 1:15-16.

How do these verses relate to our daily Christian walk? What do they say about our daily priorities?

A true vision of His holiness should cause us to live lives of repentance that we may never have anything between us and the Holy One of Israel.

Don’t even try to rationalize or explain away what God clearly says,

Pro 9:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

We don’t see the weeping and trembling before God now because the God we preach is not the everlasting, awful God, “mine Holy

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One,” who is “of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity.”

We’ve used the technical interpretation of justification by faith and the imputed righteousness of Christ until we’ve watered down the wine of our spirituality.

We come into the presence of God with tainted souls.

We come with our own concept of morality, having learned it from books and from school, the media and popular politically correct ethics.

We come to God dirty—our whitest white is dirty, our churches are dirty and our thoughts are dirty—and do nothing about it!

If we came to God dirty, but trembling and shocked and awestruck in His presence, if we knelt at His feet and cried with Isaiah,

“I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5),

Then He, in the fire of His presence, would cleanse and purify us.

Isa_64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

Conversion used to be a revolutionary, radical, wondrous, terrible, glorious thing. But there’s not much of it left. We’ve forgotten that God is the Holy One of Israel.

Being holy, God demands holiness -We were made to be holy like our Creator, but “we are fallen beings—spiritually, morally, mentally and physically.

We are fallen in all the ways that man can fall and every aspect of society is fallen along with us.

What He demands, He supplies.

Holiness is God's gift that we receive by faith through His Son, Jesus Christ

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God possesses intrinsic holiness.

• He is holy in His nature. - "God is absolutely distinct from all His creatures, and above them in infinite majesty"

Exo 15:11 "Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Isa 57:15 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.

• He is holy in all His ways.

• He cannot act contrary to His nature. God cannot act unrighteously. - "He is the Holy One"

Job 6:10 Then I would still have comfort; Though in anguish I would exult, He will not spare; For I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.

• Holiness is His inward character - not merely a trait of His Being, but His very essence - not one of a list of virtues but the sum of all excellencies

rather than an excellence.

God possesses original holiness,

• He is primarily holy.

He can present Himself as the pattern of holiness because He is the origin and source of it.

From the dateless past, He has been free from all moral impurity and is therefore morally perfect

1Sa 2:2 "No one is holy like the LORD, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.

Psa 99:9 Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His holy hill; For the LORD our God is holy.

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Psa 111:9 He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever: Holy and awesome is His name.

Rev 15:3-4 NKJV They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! 4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested."

God possesses transcendent holiness.

• The holiest angel above, or the holiest man on earth cannot measure the just dimensions of God's holiness.

'There is none so holy as the Lord" (I Samuel 2:2).

• With the angels, holiness is a quality that can be lost

Many of them "left their first estate."

But because God's holiness is His essence, He can never forfeit it.

• His is an infinite and unchangeable moral excellence, which He eternally wills and maintains

Isa 6:3 And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!"

Mar 10:18 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.

Rev 4:8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!"

God possesses efficient holiness

• He is the cause of all that is holy in others.

He is both the Pattern and Principle of holiness.

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• God's holiness is the standard of our life and conduct.

"Be ye holy, for I am holy" (I Peter 1:16).

Lev 11:44 For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

• How conscious man is of his sin when in the presence of thrice Holy One! (Job 34:10; Habakkuk 1:13).

Job 34:10 "Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: Far be it from God to do wickedness, And from the Almighty to commit iniquity.

Hab 1:13 You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he?

• As holiness is the principle ruling God's actions toward His creatures, He demands obedience to, and uniformity with such a standard.

God cannot have one standard for Himself, and another for His creatures. - "As He is, so are we in this world."

2Co_10:7 Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ's, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ's, even so we are Christ's.

1Jn_4:17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

Since God Is all-holy, He must consequently dominate the universe, opposing and condemning and punishing sin.

Wherever sin exists, there must be His uncompromising attitude toward same. He must remain forever the absolute and eternal enemy of sin.

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Mat 16:27 NKJV For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

Act 17:31 NKJV because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."

Rom 2:12 NKJV For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law 13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; 14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

Rom 14:10 NKJV But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

2Co 5:10 NKJV For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Rev 20:11 NKJV Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not

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found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

God's holiness forms the basis of moral significance within the universe.

Holiness is the glory His of creation and the grand ascription of worship.

• Holy! Holy! Holy! will yet become the anthem of a redeemed universe.

• The awful lake of fire, the coming wrath of the Almighty, the solemn destruction meted out upon all satanic forces present no difficulties whatever to the heart dominated by the fact of God's absolute holiness.

There are at least five ways we should be changed by our knowledge of God’s holiness.

1] God’s holiness enables us to see ourselves more fully.

If we don’t understand the holiness of God, we might think of ourselves as reasonably good people.

But if we glimpse the holiness of God, we will never argue that point again.

The standard of all morality is God’s absolute, perfect, unsullied holiness.

Anything that falls short of that can never measure up for fellowship with a holy God.

As you studied the subject of the holiness of God, what passage most helped you see yourself in the light of God’s purity?

2] When we grasp God’s holiness, we better understand the Cross.

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In a single sentence, try to state the relationship between the holiness of God and the Cross of Christ:

3] The holiness of God compels us to worship Him.

Can you think of a hymn or worship song that focuses on the holiness of God?

How do the truths in this lesson affect the way you sing that song?

When you attend church this weekend, how can you bring these truths with you into the worship experience? How will next Sunday be different for you than last Sunday?

4] God’s holiness motivates us to separate ourselves from sinful habits.

If you were to suddenly stand before the manifestation of God’s holiness as Moses or Job did, what habit would you immediately be embarrassed of and confess?

Can’t think of one? Ask God to show you yourself in light of His Holiness.

5] When we see God’s holiness, it creates an anticipation for the coming day when we will more perfectly reflect His holiness.

Rewrite 1 John 3:1-3 into a prayer

1Jn 3:1-3 NKJV Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

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Father, what great love you have give to me, that I should…

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God is holy - General references Exo 3:5 Jos 5:15 Exo 15:11 Lev 19:2 Lev 11:44 Lev 20:26 Lev 21:8 Deu 32:4 Jos 24:19 1Sa 2:2 1Sa 6:20 1Ch 16:10 Job 4:17-19 Job 6:10 Job 15:15 Job 25:5 Job 34:10 Job 36:23 Psa 11:7 Psa 18:30 Psa 22:3 Psa 30:4 Psa 33:4-5 Psa 36:6 Psa 47:8 Psa 48:1 Psa 48:10 Psa 60:6 Psa 89:35 Psa 92:15 Psa 98:1 Psa 99:3 Psa 99:5 Psa 99:9 Psa 108:7 Psa 111:9 Psa 119:142 Psa 145:17

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Pro 9:10 Isa 5:16 Isa 6:3Isa 12:6 Isa 29:19 Isa 29:23 Isa 41:14 Isa 43:14-15 Isa 45:19 Isa 47:4 Isa 49:7 Isa 52:10 Isa 57:15 Jer 2:5 Lam 3:38 Eze 39:7 Eze 39:25 Eze 36:21-22 Dan 4:8 Hos 11:9 Hab 1:12-13 Mat 5:48 Mat 19:17 Mar 10:18 Luk 18:19 Luk 1:49 Joh 7:28 Joh 17:11 Rom 1:23 Heb 1:8 Jam 1:13 1Pe 1:15-16 1Jo 1:5 1Jo 2:20 Rev 4:8 Rev 6:10 Rev 15:4

Exo 3:5 Then he said, "Do not come near; take your sandals off

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your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."

Jos 5:15 And the commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, "Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.

Exo 15:11 "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

Lev 19:2 "Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

Lev 11:44 For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground.

Lev 20:26 You shall be holy to me, for I the LORD am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.

Lev 21:8 You shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I, the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy.

Deu 32:4 "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

Jos 24:19 But Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.

1Sa 2:2 "There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.

1Sa 6:20 Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, "Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?"

1Ch 16:10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!

Job 4:17 'Can mortal man be in the right before God? Can a man

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be pure before his Maker? 18 Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error; 19 how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like the moth.

Job 6:10 This would be my comfort; I would even exult in pain unsparing, for I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

Job 15:15 Behold, God puts no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight;

Job 25:5 Behold, even the moon is not bright, and the stars are not pure in his eyes;

Job 34:10 "Therefore, hear me, you men of understanding: far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.

Job 36:23 Who has prescribed for him his way, or who can say, 'You have done wrong'?

Psa 11:7 For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.

Psa 18:30 This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

Psa 22:3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.

Psa 30:4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.

Psa 33:4 For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

Psa 36:6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD.

Psa 47:8 God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.

Psa 48:1 A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain,

Psa 48:10 As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the

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ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness.

Psa 60:6 God has spoken in his holiness: "With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Vale of Succoth.

Psa 89:35 Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David.

Psa 92:15 to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Psa 98:1 A Psalm. Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

Psa 99:3 Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he!

Psa 99:5 Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!

Psa 99:9 Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy!

Psa 108:7 God has promised in his holiness: "With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Valley of Succoth.

Psa 111:9 He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name!

Psa 119:142 Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true.

Psa 145:17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.

Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Isa 5:16 But the LORD of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.

Isa 6:3 And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"

Isa 12:6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel."

Isa 29:19 The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the

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poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.

Isa 29:23 For when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in his midst, they will sanctify my name; they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

Isa 41:14 Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Isa 43:14 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "For your sake I send to Babylon and bring them all down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice. 15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King."

Isa 45:19 I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, 'Seek me in vain.' I the LORD speak the truth; I declare what is right.

Isa 47:4 Our Redeemer—the LORD of hosts is his name— is the Holy One of Israel.

Isa 49:7 Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: "Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."

Isa 52:10 The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

Isa 57:15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Jer 2:5 Thus says the LORD: "What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?

Lam 3:38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?

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Eze 39:7 "And my holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.

Eze 39:25 "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my holy name.

Eze 36:21 But I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they came. 22 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came.

Dan 4:8 At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods—and I told him the dream, saying,

Hos 11:9 I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.

Hab 1:12 Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof. 13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?

Mat 5:48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Mat 19:17 And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments."

Mar 10:18 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 And Jesus said to him,

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"Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

Luk 1:49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

Joh 7:28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, "You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know.

Joh 17:11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

Rom 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Heb 1:8 But of the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

Jas 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.

1Pe 1:15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

1Jn 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

1Jn 2:20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.

Rev 4:8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"

Rev 6:10 They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"

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Rev 15:4 Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."

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The Holy SpiritThe Holy SpiritGen 1:2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness

was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters

Jn16:7 I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away.

What ??? WHY ???Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go,

I will send him to you.

When Jesus walked the earth, he was one man,

dwelling in one place,

Close to only one small group of people at any given time.

Rom 8:11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit,

who lives in you. The Holy Spirit is God not only with us but God IN us,

each of us, all of us, all at the same moment,

empowering, teaching, leading and guiding every single one of us.

Spiritual PowerGal 4:1-7

1 Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father.

3 So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.

4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

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6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"

7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

“Be filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:18).

We are to be “led by the Spirit of God.” (Rom 8:14)

“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal 5:25).

Do not quench the Spirit. (1 Ths 5:19)

The Holy Spirit is not an added ingredient, an additional component in our lives.

He is to fill us, to be our leader, to be the power by which we live.

Jesus asked the Father to send the Holy Spirit of God to indwell His people and to empower us in our walk and in our work for Christ.

It’s the Holy Spirit who lives the life of Christ through us

It’s the Holy Spirit who achieves the work of Christ through us.

Ask God daily to fill you with Himself through His Spirit, to have mastery over your actions and reactions, and to control and

empower you in your life of service.

The self same person of God – the Holy Spirit – who energized creation at the beginning of time, the same person of God who raised Jesus from the dead, is dwelling in us !!!

Romans 8

Ro 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not

the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

 Ro 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

 Ro 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our Spirit, that we are the children of God:

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Romans 826 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities:

for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: • but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us

with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit,

• because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

John 1423 Jesus answered and said unto him,

If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings:

and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,

• he shall teach you all things, and • bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I

have said unto you. 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

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John 167 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away:

for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

8 And when he is come, he will • reprove the world of sin, and • of righteousness, and • of judgment:

9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will

• guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and

• he will shew you things to come. • 14 He shall glorify me:

for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

1 Corinthians 127 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for

the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of

wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,

9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,

10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different

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kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.

13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Eph 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

Jn 15:26 When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, ... he shall testify of me.

1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Eph 5:18 Be filled with the Spirit.

The self same person of God – the Holy Spirit – who energized creation at the beginning of time, the same

person of God who raised Jesus from the dead, is dwelling in us !!!

Gen 1:2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters

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Jas 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Proverbs 81 Does not wisdom call, And understanding lift up her voice? 2 On top of the heights beside the way, Where the paths meet,

she takes her stand; 3 Beside the gates, at the opening to the city, At the entrance of

the doors, she cries out: 4 To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men. 5 O naive ones, understand prudence; And, O fools, understand

wisdom. 6 Listen, for I will speak noble things; And the opening of my lips

will reveal right things. 7 For my mouth will utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination

to my lips. 8 All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; There is

nothing crooked or perverted in them.

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9 They are all straightforward to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge.

10 Take my instruction and not silver, And knowledge rather than choicest gold.

11 For wisdom is better than jewels; And all desirable things cannot compare with her.

12 I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And I find knowledge and discretion.

13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.

14 Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine.

15 By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice. 16 By me princes rule, and nobles, All who judge rightly. 17 I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will

find me. 18 Riches and honor are with me, Enduring wealth and

righteousness. 19 My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, And my yield better

than choicest silver. 20 I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of

justice, 21 To endow those who love me with wealth, That I may fill their

treasuries. 22 The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way,

Before His works of old. 23 From everlasting I was established, From the beginning,

from the earliest times of the earth. Day 1: Genesis 1:1-5

24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no springs abounding with water. 2nd Day Genesis 1:6-8

25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was brought forth; 3rd Day Genesis1:9-13

26 While He had not yet made the earth and the fields, Day 1: Genesis 1:1-5Nor the first dust of the world.

27 When He established the heavens, I was there,

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When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep, 2nd Day Genesis 1:6-8

28 When He made firm the skies above, When the springs of the deep became fixed29 When He set for the sea its boundary So that the water

would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth; 3rd Day Genesis1:9-13

30 Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him,

31 Rejoicing in the world, His earth, And having my delight in the sons of men.

32 Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways.

33 Heed instruction and be wise, And do not neglect it. 34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my

gates, Waiting at my doorposts. 35 For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the

LORD. 36 But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate

me love death."

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Gen 1:2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over

the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

Gen 1:3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. Gen 1:4 God saw that the light was good; and God separated the

light from the darkness. Gen 1:5 God called the light day, and the darkness He called

night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

Gen 1:6 Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters."

Gen 1:7 God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.

Gen 1:8 God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

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Gen 1:9 Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.

Gen 1:10 God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good.

Gen 1:11 Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so.

Gen 1:12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.

Gen 1:13 There was evening and there was morning, a third day.

Gen 1:14 Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;

Gen 1:15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so.

Gen 1:16 God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.

Gen 1:17 God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,

Gen 1:18 and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.

Gen 1:19 There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

Gen 1:20 Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens."

Gen 1:21 God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

Gen 1:22 God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."

Gen 1:23 There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

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Gen 1:24 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so.

Gen 1:25 God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

Gen 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." Gen 1:27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Gen 1:28 God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Gen 1:29 Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;

Gen 1:30 and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so.

Gen 1:31 God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Gen 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts.

Gen 2:2 By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.

Gen 2:3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Gen 2:4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven.

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Who’s In Control of Your Soul? By June Hunt

Just mention the word control and people dart for the door! For many, the concept of control is negative. A marriage is damaged if a mate exerts heavy-handed control. Cults are rampant with “mind control”—even to the point of mass suicide. Mind-altering drugs and alcohol can cause people to think they are in control when they are not—the substance is. Many people spend their lives in a quest for control, while others have an unhealthy fear of losing control. There is an answer for this human dilemma. God wants you to give Him control! By choosing to submit your will to the leading of God’s Holy Spirit, you will have His supernatural peace. Rom 8:6

DEFINITIONS

In the Old Testament, God’s presence was revealed to the nation Israel in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Upon completion of the tabernacle, and later the temple, God’s presence resided in the Holy of Holies. However, in the New Testament God fulfilled His promise of the New Covenant that He made long beforehand to His people. Instead of manifesting Himself to the masses, He took up residence inside each believer—and today He is at home in each Christian’s heart. He accomplishes this by means of His Holy Spirit. 1 Cor 6:19

A. Who Is the Holy Spirit?

· The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity—the triune God. God the Spirit is coequal in power and glory with God the Father and God the Son. In several books of the Bible all three members of the Trinity are mentioned together.1 2 Cor 13:14

· The Holy Spirit is the active presence and power of God in a person’s life. Eph 3:16

· The word holy in Greek is hagios, which means “to set apart or separate.”2 The words holy, hallow, saint and sanctify are all derived from this same root word.

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— The Holy Spirit is set apart from all other spirits . . . which means He is like no human spirit or demonic spirit. 1 Cor 2:12

— The heavenly Father is referred to as hallowed, set apart . . . which means like no other father. Matt 6:9

— All authentic Christians are called saints in the Bible . . . which means they are set apart from sin and set apart for God. Especially in times of weakness, the Holy Spirit intercedes on behalf of believers to help them do the will of God. Rom 8:26-27

— All authentic Christians are in the process of sanctification . . . which means that the Spirit of God provides the power for believers to be set apart for His primary purpose and conforms Christians to the character of Christ. Sanctification is not a onetime act but is a process of change over time. 2 Thess 2:13

· The word spirit in Greek is pneuma, which means “wind or breath.”3

— The wind is invisible, but you can see the effects of the wind.

— The wind is powerful because it causes movement and change.

— The Spirit of God, with invisible power, moves a sinner to be like the Savior. John 3:8

“What is the difference between the Holy Spirit and the Holy Ghost?”

There is no difference. Both words, Spirit and Ghost, come from the same Greek word, pneuma.4

Today the term Holy Ghost can be confusing. The English word ghost carries the connotation of being a spook, goblin or disembodied spirit of a deceased person wandering the earth . . . something to be feared. However, when the King James Version of the Bible was translated in 1611, the word ghost simply meant the invisible part of a person. For example, when facing death, Jesus cried, Luke 23:46, KJV

To avoid confusion, most modern translations choose to translate pneuma as “spirit” instead of “ghost.” Another disadvantage of translating the Greek word as “ghost” is that in order for the meaning of the text to be understood, the word ghost needs to be

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preceded with holy, whereas using the word spirit would require only an uppercase “S” to clearly refer to the Holy Spirit.

B. How Does the Bible Describe the Holy Spirit?

Are you confused or unsure about who or what the Holy Spirit is? New Testament word pictures reveal Him to be gentle as a dove and mighty as the wind, but the Holy Spirit is not merely a supernatural power or an invisible force. He is a person, whose name is presented over thirty-five different ways in Scripture. These names serve to define His position, His character and His work.5

· His Position

— He is the Spirit of God the Father. Matt 10:20

— He is the Spirit of Jesus the Son. Rom 8:9

— He is the Third Person of the Trinity. Acts 2:32-33

· His Character

— He is the Spirit of Holiness. Rom 1:3-4

— He is the Spirit of Grace. Heb 10:29

— He is the Spirit of Truth. John 14:17

· His Work6

— He adopts you into God’s family. Rom 8:15

— He teaches you all things. John 14:26

— He guides you into all truth. John 16:13

“Does the Holy Spirit have the same authority as Jesus?”

Yes. The Holy Spirit is a coequal member of the Trinity; however, they each have different roles. In the Garden of Gethsemane, for example, when Jesus obeyed the will of the Father concerning His crucifixion, God the Son placed Himself under God the Father. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). In like manner, the Holy Spirit’s role, in part, is to exalt Jesus Christ . . . to bring glory to the Son.

Jesus said to His disciples, (John 16:14).

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(See “Self-Centered or Spirit-Controlled?” at the end of the lesson for details of the coequal persons of the Holy Trinity.)

C. What Was the Holy Spirit’s Role before Pentecost?

Pentecost, from a Greek word which means “fifty,” was an event that occurred fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus.7 When the Holy Spirit came upon and “filled” 3,000 believers as described in Acts 2, “the church” was born. Many people erroneously think the Holy Spirit’s ministry began at Pentecost, but the Bible presents Him as an active member of the Trinity, beginning with the Creation. Gen 1:1-2

· Old Testament Activity8

The Holy Spirit came upon certain people for certain tasks and for certain periods of time to impart supernatural wisdom and strength. He was even said to be “in” certain people.

— He imparted wisdom to Joseph to interpret Pharaoh’s dream and to present a plan for the coming famine. Gen 41:38-39

— He anointed Joshua with strength to be the successor to Moses. The Holy Spirit was also said to have been “in” Joshua. Num 27:18

— He left King Saul because of his deliberate disobedience. 1 Sam 16:14

— He spoke of future events through the prophets. 2 Sam 23:2

— He was the inspiration behind the writers of Scripture. 2 Peter 1:21

· New Testament Activity Before Pentecost9

In the Gospels, as well as in the Old Testament, the Spirit of God supernaturally empowered people.

— He miraculously brought about the conception of Jesus in the virgin Mary’s womb. Luke 1:35

— He indwelt and empowered John the Baptist. Luke 1:15

— He gave Simeon knowledge of a future encounter with Jesus. Luke 2:26

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— He anointed Jesus with supernatural power for public ministry. Luke 4:18-19

— He was promised to the disciples as the coming Counselor who would be with them forever. John 14:16

D. What Is the Holy Spirit’s Role in the Believer Today?

The Holy Spirit abides within your human spirit to bring about God’s purposes in your life. Envision the battery of a flashlight and the power and light it produces. In a similar way, imagine the power, light and direction that come from God through His Holy Spirit!10

· He convinces us that we are sinners.—the act of convicting John 16:8

· He converts us from sinners to saints.—the act of regenerating Titus 3:5

· He cleanses us, bringing us into the body of Christ.—the act of baptizing11 1 Cor 12:13

· He comes into us, living inside us.—the act of indwelling 1 Cor 6:19

· He counsels us in the way we should go.—the act of teaching John 14:26

· He causes us to obey God’s will.—the act of empowering Ezek 36:27

· He changes our behavior.—the act of filling Acts 13:52

· He communicates our unspoken prayers.—the act of interceding Rom 8:26

· He confirms our destiny in heaven.—the act of sealing 2 Cor 1:22

“Are the spirit and the soul of a person the same thing?”

In certain passages, the Bible refers to the “spirit, soul and body” to indicate the whole person, while in other places the terms body and spirit are used. However, in 1 Thess 5:23, all three terms spirit, soul and body are used together, indicating a clear distinction between soul and spirit. The writer of the Book of Hebrews also states this division of soul and spirit. Because the

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words soul and spirit are presented in different ways, the context determines the way to interpret the makeup of a person. Heb 4:12

The Makeup of a Person

· The Body (soma in Greek) is the material part of a person that constitutes the physical anatomy (flesh, bones and blood).12

· The Soul (psuche in Greek) is the immaterial, rational part of a person that produces behavior through the mind, will and emotions.13

— mind (thinking)—Acts 15:24

— will (desires)—Eph 6:6

— emotions (feelings, affections)—1 Peter 1:22

· The Spirit (pneuma in Greek) refers to the immaterial, innermost part of a person.14 The human spirit . . .

— needs salvation—1 Cor 5:5

— communes with God—John 4:23-24

— unites with Christ at death—Acts 7:59

CHARACTERISTICS

A. Fruit of the Spirit

Jesus paints a word picture from nature emphasizing the believer’s responsibility to abide in Him (John 15:5).

Catch the imagery. The sap inside the vine carries life-giving nutrients to the branches, enabling them to bear grapes. In a similar way, the Holy Spirit inside a Christian is a life-giving source that enables a believer to bear spiritual fruit . . . qualities that are evidenced both inwardly and outwardly.15 Gal 5:22-23

Evidence of Being Filled with the Spirit

· Am I seeking the highest and best for others or seeking to serve my own needs? — Love

· Am I living with gladness over what I have or fretting over what I don’t have? — Joy

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· Am I resting in the strength and security of God or worrying about my circumstances? — Peace

· Am I enduring difficult trials calmly or complaining and becoming bitter? — Patience

· Am I exhibiting a benevolent heart by helping others or resenting having to meet the needs of others? — Kindness

· Am I displaying godly character with purity of heart or adopting the world’s standards of morality? — Goodness

· Am I trusting God in the midst of suffering and sorrow or doubting His perfect and persistent love? — Faithfulness

· Am I treating others with tenderness and respect or being harsh and short-tempered? — Gentleness

· Am I rising to God’s call to do what is right in His sight or giving in to my feelings and selfish desires? — Self-Control James 3:17

B. Gifts of the Spirit

An apple tree grows apples for the benefit of others. In the same way, when you grow in Christ, you will bring blessings to those around you. Understanding your spiritual gifts and using them to benefit the body of Christ are vital for spiritual growth and maturity.16

“What are spiritual gifts?”

Spiritual gifts are . . .

· Supernatural abilities that the Holy Spirit bestows upon each believer at the time of salvation for the purpose of strengthening the church (the “body of Christ”)

· Unearned, undeserved empowerment from the Spirit of God

· An opportunity for the Lord to accomplish His personalized plan and purpose for your life

· A means through which you express God’s love to others 1 Cor 12:4-6

“What if I don’t have a spiritual gift?”

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A spiritual gift is given to every believer. If you are an authentic Christian, you have been given at least one spiritual gift, even if you don’t know what that gift is. 1 Cor 12:7

“Does everyone have the same gift?”

God doesn’t give everyone the same gift. 1 Cor 12:8-10

“What are the different spiritual gifts?”

There are different ways to categorize the gifts of the Spirit. The following are two of the passages that list spiritual gifts and how to use them.

Spiritual Gifts

Rom 12:6-8

· Prophecy—a supernatural ability to proclaim or reveal God’s truth

· Serving (ministry)—a supernatural ability to recognize and meet the needs of others

· Teaching—a supernatural ability to communicate and clarify truth

· Encouragement (exhorting)—a supernatural ability to inspire and stimulate the faith of others

· Giving—a supernatural ability to entrust assets where they are most needed

· Leadership—a supernatural ability to administrate, organize and coordinate efforts

· Mercy—a supernatural ability to reach out with active compassion to comfort others

1 Cor 12:7-11

· Wisdom—a supernatural application of knowledge

· Knowledge—a supernatural revelation

· Faith—a supernatural ability to believe God will provide

· Healing—a supernatural ability to believe God will cure human illness

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· Miraculous powers—a supernatural ability to perform feats outside the laws of nature

· Prophecy—a supernatural ability to proclaim or reveal what is hidden

· Discernment—a supernatural ability to distinguish between truth and error, as well as good and evil spirits

· Tongues—a supernatural ability to speak in a language that the speaker has never learned

· Interpretation of tongues—a supernatural ability to understand and interpret messages in tongues

“Can I choose a spiritual gift?”

No. The gift is chosen by the Spirit of God. 1 Cor 12:11

“Can my spiritual gift change?”

No. God is the One who put you in a specific place of service in the body of Christ. God uses the analogy of the physical body to explain how spiritual gifts function, and He makes it clear that if He made you a “hand” in the body of Christ, you should not try to be a “foot.” In the same way that a hand remains a hand in the physical body, so spiritual gifts do not change. 1 Cor 12:18

“Can I become ineffective in the exercise of my spiritual gifts?”

Yes. Gifts mean nothing if they are not administered with a heart of love. 1 Cor 13:1-3

“Is one gift more important than another?”

No. Each plays a vital role in the body of Christ. Gifts that seem less honorable are indispensable. 1 Cor 12:21-23

“Why should I try to know my spiritual gifts?”

· To establish God-given priorities in your life. The place where you serve must be in line with your spiritual gifts and God’s truth. 1 Peter 4:10

· To experience the joy of being used by God: Acts 13:52

· To build up the church: Eph 4:12

Discerning Your Spiritual Gifts17 Prov 18:15

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· Make sure you have come into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

· Pray for the Holy Spirit to lead you to the truth about your personal spiritual gift(s).

· With a humble heart, desire only the gift(s) that the Spirit has given you to serve others. Don’t covet the gift of another.

· Make a list of all the gifts and mark off those that you do not enjoy.

· Think about the times when you as a Christian knew God successfully used you to help others. Evaluate those successes in light of spiritual gifts.

· Be aware of God’s confirmation through your own joy and fulfillment when helping others.

· Ask one or more mature Christians who know you well for their observations regarding your spiritual strengths and giftedness. Prov 19:20

CAUSES FOR HINDERING THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

One of the symbols used in the Bible to represent the unseen power of the Holy Spirit is the wind. No one is more aware of the force of the wind than those who pilot aircraft. Everyone grieves the tragedy of an airplane crash. What needless loss of life! While conscientious pilots check the wind condition to determine the feasibility of flying, a careless pilot resists better judgment, rejects flight reports and holds to his own plans regardless of danger. In the same way, some people ignore the Spirit’s call and conviction. Though “the Wind” speaks, they resist Him and refuse to obey.18 John 3:8

A. Rejecting God’s Flight Reports

Are You . . . Resisting the Holy Spirit?

· Unbelievers demonstrate their resistance to the Holy Spirit . . .

— by ignoring their God-given conscience Rom 1:20

— by rejecting the claims of the Lord Jesus Christ John 14:6

— by holding to a form of religion without having a relationship with Christ 2 Tim 3:5 Acts 7:51

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Are You . . .Quenching the Holy Spirit?

· In Scripture, another symbol for the Holy Spirit is fire . . . representing His judgment and purifying presence. Believers hinder the work of the Spirit in their lives . . .

— by refusing to act or speak as the Holy Spirit leads

— by resenting circumstances that God allows to come into their lives 1 Thess 5:19

Are You . . .Grieving the Holy Spirit?

· Another symbol in Scripture for the Holy Spirit is a seal . . . indicating ownership, security and a completed action. Believers bring sorrow to the heart of the Holy Spirit . . .

— by doubting and distrusting God’s love and promises

— by refusing to submit completely to God

— by neglecting personal time with God through His Word Eph 4:30

B. Refusing God’s Provision

When you enter into a personal relationship with Christ, God places His Holy Spirit with- in your human spirit. Through the presence of His Spirit in you, God will meet your inner needs. By refusing to rely on God’s provision of the Holy Spirit to meet your needs, you are choosing to rely on your own resources to meet your God-given needs for . . .

· Unconditional love Rom 5:5

· Significance Rom 8:16

· Security 2 Cor 1:21-22

C. Remaining in Control (Root Cause of Not Being Spirit-filled)

Wrong Belief: “It is only natural for me to be in control of my life and depend on my own efforts to achieve all I can.”

· The Unbeliever: 1 Cor 2:14

· The Believer: Gal 3:3

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Right Belief: Life is not to be lived in my own strength but in submission to the Holy Spirit, giving Him complete control. Zech 4:6

STEPS TO SOLUTION

From the nursery to the nursing home, we try to control our own world. We think that freedom to indulge our natural desires will bring ultimate fulfillment. Yet God’s ways are not our ways. . . . He has designed us differently. When we indulge selfish desires, we close the door on freedom and come under bondage to sin. Instead, you can choose to . . .

· Live by the Spirit

· Turn loose of control

· Conquer the conflict

· Let Christ rule your soul! Gal 5:16

A. Key Verse to Memorize Rom 8:6

B. Key Passage to Read and Reread Gal 5:13-25

Self-Centered People and Spirit-Controlled People

Self-Centered People

· misuse their freedom

· are self-indulgent

· destroy one another

· live by sinful desires

· desire what is sinful

· display the acts of sin

— sexual immorality

— impurity

— debauchery

— idolatry and witchcraft

— hatred

— discord

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— jealousy

— fits of rage

— selfish ambition

— dissensions

— factions

— envy

— drunkenness, orgies and similar sins

Spirit-Controlled People

· are called to freedom

· are self-sacrificing

· love one another

· live by the Spirit

· desire what is spiritual

· display the fruit of the Spirit

— love

— joy

— peace

— patience

— kindness

— goodness

— faithfulness

— gentleness

— self-control

Gal 5:24-25

C. Common Questions Regarding the Holy Spirit

“When does a person receive the Holy Spirit?”

At the moment of salvation, every true believer receives the Holy Spirit. Eph 1:13

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“If I sin after receiving the Holy Spirit, will I lose my salvation?”

No, the Bible says that upon salvation every authentic Christian is sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is a guarantee, a promise from God that we will be physically redeemed in heaven. 2 Cor 1:21-22

“Can I be an authentic Christian and not have the Holy Spirit?”

No, you cannot have Christ without having the Spirit of Christ. Rom 8:9

“When I placed my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone, did I receive Christ or the Holy Spirit to live in me?”

The Scripture explains that those who are Christians have all three persons of the Trinity living within them. Rom 8:9-11

“Does the phrase ‘baptism of the Holy Spirit’ apply only to those who speak in tongues?”

No. At the moment of salvation you receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.19

The Greek word baptisma was used to mean immersing a person or thing into a new environment or into a union with something in order to alter its condition. For example, if you dye a white cloth red you “baptize” the cloth, resulting in a changed identity. When you are saved, you are baptized into a life-changing union with the Lord Jesus Christ . . . taken out of your old condition and placed into a new condition. Your identity is changed from being a lost sinner with a sin nature to being a justified saint with a divine nature. Every believer is spiritually baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. He buries your former life, washes your sins away and raises you to walk in a new life. (Later, water baptism follows as a symbolic picture and testimony to others that your sins are washed away.) Speaking in tongues is only one of the many gifts given by the Holy Spirit. Not all Christians receive the gift of tongues (read

1 Cor 12:8-11), but all Christians receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor 12:13

“What does the filling of the Holy Spirit mean?”

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The apostle Paul uses the word filling to mean “under the influence of” (in a positive sense) much as you would speak about someone who is intoxicated as being “under the influence of” alcohol. If you were under the influence of wine, your walk . . . your talk . . . your thoughts would be affected. In the same way, to be “filled with the Spirit” is to yield every part of your life to the leading of the Holy Spirit. The term be filled is a continuous action verb, literally meaning being filled.20 Eph 5:18

“Can I have the Holy Spirit living in me without being ‘filled’ with the Holy Spirit?”

Yes. Upon salvation you are sealed with the Holy Spirit as seen in Eph 1:13. When you deliberately sin, the state of being “filled” is lost, however the Holy Spirit is not lost. Consider a flower in full bloom during the daylight. The darkness causes the flower to fold. Although the flower is not gone, its full blossom is temporarily gone. Similarly, upon salvation, you receive the filling of the Holy Spirit. When you choose the darkness of sin, you lose the “filling” because you are not giving the Spirit room to work in your life. As an authentic Christian you do not lose the Holy Spirit, who lives in you forever. John 14:16

“What is blaspheming the Holy Spirit?”

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit—the only unpardonable sin—is a complete and total hardening of the heart, resulting in an unwillingness to yield to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. One of the major roles of the Holy Spirit is to convict unbelievers of their sins and their need for the Savior. A picture of such hardened hearts is found in Mark 3, where the teachers of the law refused to believe that the miracles of Jesus were from God and instead attributed them to Satan. God certainly has the power to forgive this sin, but these unbelievers completely and repeatedly rejected their need for forgiveness and reconciliation to God.21 Mark 3:29

D. Filled with the Spirit

Who hasn’t stumbled for a flashlight when the lights go out only to find the batteries are dead? How useless—a flashlight that doesn’t function. Just as useless is a person who stumbles through life trying to function without power . . . supernatural power from God.

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God originally designed His Spirit to live in our human spirits, but once Adam and Eve declared their independence from God, sin came in and the Spirit went out. Adam and Eve became like flashlights with no batteries: there was no power on the inside to produce light on the outside. Although each of us is born into spiritual darkness, God’s desire is for us to come into a relationship with Him and to be filled with His Spirit. His filling provides the power to light your way through life.22 Eph 5:8-10,17-18

How Can I Be Spirit-filled?

Submit to the authority of Jesus Christ.

· Recognize God’s claim on your life.

· Realize God’s plan is to conform you to the image of Christ.

· Relinquish your right to be in control of your life. Matt 16:24

Pray for conviction of sin.

· Acknowledge your natural inclination to sin.

· Ask the Holy Spirit to make you aware of your specific sins.

· Agree with God about your need to change. Ps 139:23-24

Identify with Christ’s death on the cross.

· See Jesus as living His life in you.

· See yourself as dead to the power of sin.

· See the Holy Spirit as your power to overcome sin. Rom 6:11

Recognize the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to teach you and to guide you.

· Listen with your heart.

· Listen to the gentle promptings of the Holy Spirit.

· Listen to His words of truth. John 14:26

Initiate immediate obedience to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

· Choose to acknowledge the Holy Spirit’s presence.

· Choose to submit your will to His will. (Don’t mentally argue.)

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· Choose to act on His promptings. Gal 5:16

Trust in the Holy Spirit to be your supernatural power for living a holy life.

· You have been called to be holy.

· You cannot be holy by your own efforts.

· You must rely on the Holy Spirit to enable you. 2 Peter 1:3

Fellowship with other believers.

· Belong to a Bible-based church.

· Become active in your church.

· Be supportive of others. Heb 10:25

Implant God’s Word in your heart.

· Line up your thinking with God’s thinking.

· Learn one verse a day from the Book of Proverbs.

· Listen to teaching tapes on God’s Word. Ps 119:11

Learn to have a thankful heart.

· Thank God for His unconditional love.

· Thank God for His faithfulness to orchestrate events in your life.

· Thank God for all circumstances, both good and bad. 1 Thess 5:18

Live with an attitude of prayer.

· Keep your mind focused on Christ.

· Keep your heart alert to the Holy Spirit.

· Keep praying through all circumstances. Eph 6:18

Expect victory!

· Know your strength is in Christ.

· Know your own efforts will fail.

· Know that victory is the Lord’s. Zech 4:6

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Depend on the Holy Spirit to develop the character of Christ in your life.

· To the extent you submit to the Holy Spirit, you will grow in Christ.

· To reflect Christ is God’s purpose for your life.

· To reflect Christ is to draw others to Him. 2 Cor 3:18

Heavenly Father, thank You for being my Father, and for giving me Your unconditional love. Jesus, thank You for your amazing gift of grace given on my behalf when You died for me. Thank You that Your sacrificial love made it possible for me to be totally forgiven of my sins and to be reconciled to the Father. Holy Spirit, thank You for coming into my life and giving me Your peace that passes all understanding and Your power to overcome all temptation.

I sincerely thank You, Father, Son and Spirit, and I give You all glory, honor and praise. Amen 2 Cor 13:14

SELF-CENTERED OR SPIRIT-CONTROLLED?

“I’ll run and run as fast as I can. You can’t catch me. I’m the Gingerbread Man!”

Simple nursery stories can speak profound messages. Since the Garden of Eden, our natural desire for freedom entices us to “run and run as fast as we can” from the One who fashioned us. Yet God is the answer for each yearning heart. He designed your human spirit to be the home for His Holy Spirit. Adam and Eve were privileged to have this perfect oneness with God. They had spiritual life because their human spirits were alive to God. Warned by God that eating from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” would bring death, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and something indeed died . . . they lost spiritual oneness with God. Like the Gingerbread Man, Adam and Eve ran and tried to hide from God’s holy presence. You and I are born in the likeness of Adam . . . dead to God’s Spirit until we stop running from His presence, from His gift of a new life in Christ Jesus.23 Rom 6:11

The Three Parts of a Person 1 Thess 5:23

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As illustrated by these two gingerbread men, every person is created with a body, a soul and a spirit—a tri-part person or trichotomy. The body is your physical makeup (flesh, bones and blood). Your soul is your behavioral makeup or personality (mind, will and emotions). The human spirit is your innermost being (that which needs salvation, craves gratification of deep inner needs and, in the believer, houses the Holy Spirit).

Self in Control of Your Soul Rom 12:2

Our natural instinct for responding to life’s problems is with self in control of the soul. People often say, “I can’t help feeling this way!” Yet, emotions are merely responders to what the mind thinks. Negative thoughts produce negative emotions, which in turn produce negative actions.

Unjust Circumstance: Someone mistreats you.

Human Response of the Soul:

— Your mind records the injustice and thinks angry thoughts.

— Your emotions respond with angry feelings.

— Your will reacts with angry behavior.

Physical Response:

— Your body experiences physical tightness, release of negative chemicals and other physiological problems.

The Holy Spirit in Control of Your Soul Rom 12:2

God’s perfect will for responding to your problems is for His Spirit to control your soul. Instead of responding in a sinful way, you allow the Spirit to change your thought patterns. As you begin to see life from God’s perspective and as you stand on His promises, the Holy Spirit transforms your life.

Unjust Circumstance: Someone mistreats you.

Spiritual Response of the Soul:

— The Spirit teaches your mind how to think about the offense. (John 14:26) As your Counselor, He reminds you to pray for those who persecute you. (Matt 5:44)

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— The Spirit directs your will toward the right choice. (John 16:13) As your Conscience, He convicts you to pray whether you feel like it or not.

— The Spirit controls your emotions. (Rom 5:5) As your Comforter, He draws out loving compassion toward the unjust person who is spiritually needy.

Physical Response:

— Your body is at peace, relaxed and free of many debilitating physiological side effects of mental stress. Rom 8:5-6

TRUTHABOUT THE THIRD PERSON OF THE TRINITY

Misconceptions abound about the Holy Spirit. Christian Scientists call Him “Divine Science,” Jehovah’s Witnesses say He is “an influence or power exercised by the one God,” and Mormons speak of Him as an “ethereal substance diffused through space.”24

None of these major cults teach that He is the third person of the Trinity, the Triune God. Likewise, many non-cult members make the same assumption that the Holy Spirit is merely a force or an influence. Yet, when you know the truth about the person of the Holy Spirit, the Lord can use this truth to set you and others free. 1 Peter 3:15

Argument: “The word Trinity does not appear in the Bible. And the Holy Spirit is not a person because in the Bible no personal name is ascribed to the Spirit.”

Answer: Although the word Trinity is not used in the Bible, the three persons of the Trinity, each with equal authority, are clearly identified in the Great Commission.

Jesus related the Holy Spirit to the “name” of the persons of the Trinity when He said, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19). The Father is a person and the Son is a person. The Spirit is also a person, related by the same name.

Argument: “The teaching of the Trinity promotes the worship of three gods—it is really polytheism.”

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Answer: No, the Bible clearly teaches there is only one God. Deut 6:4

Note that the Hebrew word for God is Elohim.

· “El” meaning strong and mighty God.25

· “Im” is the plural ending.

Therefore, the God of the Bible is one God consisting of a complex unity seen in . . .

· Gen 1:26

· Gen 3:22

· Gen 11:7

This complex unity is seen in the Hebrew word echad, which means “one.”26

· two persons becoming one (echad) flesh Gen 2:24

· one (echad) cluster of grapes Num 13:23

How can the complex unity of the Trinity be explained? The Trinity can be illustrated in an elementary way with ordinary light or daylight. Scientifically, light is comprised of the primary colors: red, yellow and blue. Each color is separate, but when blended together, they make “white light” and function as one. In a similar way, each person of the Trinity is a separate and distinct person, but together they constitute the Trinity and function as one.

Argument: “The Holy Spirit is not a person, but a powerful force that is only figuratively called ‘he.’”

Answer: The Holy Spirit is positively a person. Every person has a personality or soul with a mind, will and emotions. A force like gravity or electricity does not possess these attributes. However, the Bible presents many proofs of personhood.27

· The Holy Spirit has a mind. 1 Cor 2:11—He knows the thoughts of God. Romans 8:27—He has a mind. (Electricity cannot think. People think.)

· The Holy Spirit has a will. 1 Cor 12:11—He gives spiritual gifts. 1 Cor 2:13—He teaches spiritual truth. (Gravity cannot give gifts or teach truth.)

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· The Holy Spirit has emotions. Rom 15:30—He loves. Eph 4:30—He grieves. (Electricity cannot love. Gravity cannot grieve. People love and grieve.)

Argument: “The Holy Spirit is an ‘it,’ not a person. In the Greek Bible, neuter pronouns (like it) are used in reference to the word spirit, clearly implying that the Holy Spirit is not a person.”

Answer: Neuter pronouns are appropriate because the Greek word pneuma (spirit) is neuter in gender. However, instead of being a negative, this rule of grammar further supports the personhood of the Holy Spirit because:28

· Contrary to what is expected, many other passages describe the Holy Spirit with the masculine as “His” and “Himself.” Therefore, the Holy Spirit is a “he,” not an “it.” (Rom 8:26)

· At times the Spirit speaks with the personal pronouns “I” and “Me.” (Acts 13:2)

· The Bible refers to the Spirit as “who” (a person), rather than “which” (a thing). (Eph 1:13-14)

Argument: “‘The Holy Spirit’ is just another name for God the Father. For example, a man may be a father, a husband and a friend, but he is still the same person.”

Answer: This type of reasoning called modalism is heretical teaching because it implies that only one person of the Trinity exists in three roles or modes. Three distinct persons are seen in the baptism of Jesus. Each member of the Trinity is seen as distinctly different.

· Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.

· The Holy Spirit descended like a dove.

· The heavenly Father spoke from above the clouds. Matt 3:16-17

Argument: “The Holy Spirit is an instrument of God, but not literally God.”

Answer:The Holy Spirit is definitely divine as demonstrated in both Testaments of the Bible.29

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· The Old Testament presents the Holy Spirit as God. In the Psalms, David ascribes to the Holy Spirit divine attributes such as all-knowing, all-powerful and all-present, totally unique to God. Ps 139:7-10

· The New Testament presents the Holy Spirit as God. The apostle Peter said, (Acts 5:3-4).

NOTES

1. For this section see Charles Caldwell Ryrie, The Holy Spirit (Chicago: Moody, 1965), 17-20; David Hocking, The Dynamic Difference (Eugene, OR: Harvest House), 14-18.

2. W. E. Vine, Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996).

3. Vine, Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary.

4. James Strong, Strong’s Greek Lexicon (electronic edition; Online Bible Millennium Edition v. 1.13) (Timnathserah Inc., July 6, 2002).

5. For this section see Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, 17-18; Ray Pritchard, Names of the Holy Spirit (Chicago: Moody, 1995).

6. For this section see Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, 104-5.

7. Vine, Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary.

8. For this section see Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, 41-44; Hocking, The Dynamic Difference, 36-40.

9. For this section see Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, 45-48; Hocking, The Dynamic Difference. 40.

10. For this section see Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, 58, 64-82, 93-103.

11. See W. A. Criswell, The Holy Spirit in Today’s World (Grand Rapids: Zondervan), 93-102; Hocking, The Dynamic Difference, 55-73; Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, 74-79; John R. W. Stott, Baptism & Fullness: The Work of the Holy Spirit Today, 2 nd ed. (Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1975), 19-46.

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12. Vine, Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary.

13. Vine, Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary.

14. Vine, Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary.

15. For this section see Bill Bright, The Holy Spirit: The Key to Supernatural Living (San Bernardino, Calif.: Here’s Life, 1980), 131-79; Criswell, The Holy Spirit in Today’s World, 188-93; Hocking, The Dynamic Difference, 181-86; Stott, Baptism & Fullness, 76-85.

16. For this section see Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, 83-92; Bright, The Holy Spirit, 180-93, 211-7; Criswell, The Holy Spirit in Today’s World, 119-81; Hocking, The Dynamic Difference, 75-93; Charles R. Swindoll and Bryce Klabunde, He Gave Gifts: Bible Study Guide, rev. ed. (Anaheim, CA: Insight for Living, 1998).

17. For this section see Swindoll and Klabunde, He Gave Gifts, 82-89.

18. For this section see Bright, The Holy Spirit, 48-56; Lewis Sperry Chafer, He That Is Spiritual: A Classic Study of the Biblical Doctrine of Spirituality, rev. ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1967), 70-95; Hocking, The Dynamic Difference, 143-56.

19. Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, 77.

20. See Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, 93-94.

21. See Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, 52-54.

22. For this section see Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, 93-103; Bright, The Holy Spirit, 57-70; Chafer, He That Is Spiritual, 40-69; Criswell, The Holy Spirit in Today’s World, 108-11.

23. For the following material, see Discipleship Counseling Services, Discipleship Counseling Training Student Manual (Dallas: Discipleship Counseling Services, n.d.).

24. David Hocking, The Holy Spirit: Study Guide (LaMirada, Calif.: Biola University, 1988), 5-6.

25. James Strong, Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon (electronic edition; Online Bible Millennium Edition v. 1.13) (Timnathserah Inc., July 6, 2002).

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26. See Jack Deere, “Deuteronomy,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty: Old Testament: Based on the New International Version, ed. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (Wheaton, IL: Victor, 1985), 274.

27. For this section see Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, 11-16; Hocking, The Dynamic Difference, 18-22.

28. For this section see Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, 14-15.

29. Ryrie, The Holy Spirit 17-21.

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Jesus, the Christ

I think you need to get behind and under the quotes you use. Discuss what and why the speakers/authors made/wrote statements in the first place. It's not their quotes that make them important or right - it's the thought and reasons behind them.

I have rambled a bit below and put down some of my thoughts. Have a read at them. Ignore them if you don't fully agree or rephrase them in your own words but state them so that you can defend and explain them to others. Put those thoughts and defenses on paper and I think you'll pretty well have Saturday's answers.

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I agree with the first part of Lodahl quote - “The Church has reasoned well that Jesus had to be fully human in order that we humans might be fully redeemed, …

The second part of Lodahl statement needs a bit of qualification - "...but that He equally had to have been fully God in order truly to be our Redeemer at all” (Lodahl 144).

If a sinless man could have been found, who would willingly pay the price of sin for the rest of mankind, then God would not have had to be the one to pay the price. No such man was available and never would be. Romans 3:23 As a result, God had to become fully a man to redeem fallen mankind – who He loved. God had to do it Himself because there was no man qualified or capable of paying mankind's debt to God over sin. He who is fully God became fully man.

From our perspective God had a problem. His holiness and His justice could not ignore mankind’s fall into sin – the sin debt had to be paid and paid in full. The payment for sin was and is death. Man had to die for his sin. Rom 6:23a Each and every man dying would have died for his own sin. God neither wanted to be separated from man nor did He want man to die in sin which would mean eternal separation. A sinless man willing to die in payment for the sin of others had to be found - and none was available.

Here was God’s dilemma:

God loved man. Man had sinned. Man had to die for his sin. Man couldn’t pay the sin debt for another since he himself

was sinful.

Therefore, God – or that part of the Godhead scripture calls the 'Word' – that part we know as Jesus of Nazareth:

1] He became flesh, became a man, like all other men except without man's sin John 1:1-14

2] He had to live a fully human life as a man – growing, learning, dealing with trouble and temptations like all other men Luke 2:52

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3] He had to live it without repeating the 1st Adam’s fall Heb 4:15

4] He had to die – wrongly from a personal standpoint – willingly offering himself as THE sacrifice for all other men and women’s sins. 1 John 2:1-2

The child and man we know as Jesus, was conceived and developed in a human woman’s womb by an action of God, was born as we were, and who grew as any other child grew, who learned, who worked, who felt the full range of emotions, who faced temptation, who suffered, who experienced joy, who grew tired, who became irritated and was angry, who bleed, and was fully flesh, blood and bone – just as every man was and has been and has done since Adam; He paid a price no other man or woman could pay. It was a price only a fully human - flesh, blood, and bone man could pay.

Since His purpose was to redeem mankind – and he was successful – it provided the way for we who could not pay the price without dying, to have our debt marked paid in full through faith - placing our confidence in Him – believing who He was and what He did. Col 1:9-23; 2:10-14

We either trust Him, obey Him and follow His leading, availing for ourselves His payment for sin or we reject Him and His actions on our behalf with the result that our debt for our sins remains upon ourselves - due and payable on demand. Either the Lord Jesus Christ, God become man, pays our sin debt or we pay it ourselves

So, are we the same? Is Jesus really like me? Yes, physically, emotionally, spiritually, yes. He had to be in order for his death to be the adequate payment for my sin. If He was not fully like me in the sense of his human nature, He would have been just another type of lamb, scapegoat or temporary ‘stand-in’ sin offering.

Am I like Jesus? No! He was and is God. But, now God in flesh. His great love caused Him to leave His exalted position and take on flesh, blood and bone. He succeeded where I and all before me and all who come after me failed. There is no way that the 'created' can fully understand his 'creator', we cannot understand or describe God's eternal nature. We are 'created' human - from

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human fathers. He was 'manifest' - from His position as God. The Creator - or at least that part of Him we call Jesus 'put on' flesh and became one of us. Do not underestimate what this must have meant for Him - it is very nearly incomprehensible.

Is Jesus really like me? - Yes Am I like Jesus? - No But because of what He did on my behalf, someday I will be like Him !!

God’s great love for us caused the that part of Himself that spoke and expressed His love – the ‘Word’ - to become fully man. As a result, mankind can again enjoy unhindered relationship with God knowing the debt to sin has been paid in full by God who became man – the Lord Jesus Christ. Once a person realizes the great action taken by God to redeem him and pay his personal debt, it will show in his life by a new and unquenchable love for God AND a bitter hate of sin. The love of God in the redeemed will cause them want to live in a way that pleases and brings God joy. This will create a hate for sin.

Now that sin is no longer our problem – having been paid in full – we will ‘want to’ live to obey. Our ‘want to's’ will change. We will not ‘want to’ sin or give it any place in our lives. We will ‘want to’ please God in all we do. Obedience to God, the Holy Spirit’s leading and teaching, because we are in Christ, who is the God-man, our propitiation and intercessor will permit a personal and intimate relationship with God the Father, which is why the God, the Word became flesh in the first place.

There are many, many scripture references and passages and parables and examples in the Bible that demonstrate these facts.

Only Begotten Son of God We use the term so often, but I think most Church members and most Christians think of the Only Begotten Son of God as His birth at Bethlehem.

That is not where Christ became the Only Begotten Son of God. Not at all.

In Acts 13 Paul has come all the way through Christ's earthly ministry, His Crucifixion and then in verse 30:

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Acts 13:30-32 "But God raised him from the dead: And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem who are his witnesses unto the people. And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers."

That takes us back to Abraham in Genesis 12.

Those promises were repeated to Isaac, and Jacob and the Twelve sons of Jacob.

And then the prophets beginning with Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, all spoke of His first coming.

Acts 13:33 "God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that (now watch this) he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, `Thou are my Son, this day have I begotten thee.'"

This chapter foretold His rejection, and his death by Jew and Gentile together.

Psalms 2:1-7 "WHY do the heathen (Gentiles) rage, and the people (Jews) imagine a vain thing?

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers (of Israel) take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying `Let us break their bands (the Godhead) asunder and cast their cords from us (we won't have You rule over us).'

He (God) that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them (the Jew and Gentile Nations) in derision.

Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure (tribulation).

Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion (thousand-year Kingdom rule still future).

I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, `Thou art my Son (Christ): this day have I begotten thee.'"

He's not talking about Bethlehem, He's talking about something far different.

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Acts 13:34 "And as concerning that (Concerning what?: That thou art my Son: this day have I begotten thee) he raised him up from the dead (do you see that?), now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David."

There's no doubt the Scriptural account of the only begotten Son of God is the Resurrection!

When He arose from the dead He became the only begotten Son of God in power.

Romans 1:1-4 "PAUL, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures), Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh (Mary was of the seed of David, as was Joseph); And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead."

It was the power of God that raised Him from the dead, that declares Him to be the only begotten Son of God.

This is why the Resurrection stands at the heart of the Gospel.

If you haven't got the power of the Resurrection as the basis of your Salvation, then you have none. It all rests on that! That God raised Jesus from the dead!

It's not enough to believe that Jesus was a good man. It's not enough to believe that He died by Crucifixion.

We must take it to the whole fruition of the Gospel and that is: "He was raised from the dead."

Victorious over sin, hell, death, and everything.

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

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Not only did Christ die in payment for the sins of the whole world, but He arose victorious over our enemy, and was able to break the bonds and shackles of sin and death.

Believe that Christ has done it all. Just simply believe that when Christ finished the work of the Cross, and rose victorious over the grave and death, there is nothing more we can do.

"Is it still necessary to beg the Lord for forgiveness?" No!

"Do I have to pray the sinner's prayer to be saved?" "God be merciful to me a sinner." No!

"All the mercy of God was poured out on that Cross." God has already forgiven all human beings of all sin.

It was paid for in full, and He doesn't expect someone to beg to be forgiven. He says you are forgiven - Believe It!

1Jn 2:1-61 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

The other word He uses in 2 Corinthians 5 is Reconciled.

The world has already been reconciled to God.

Now after we become believers and when we recognize that we have sin, we need to confess it to Him.

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Never think that you have a license to sin just because you are forgiven.

God demands a separated walk of the believer.

The work of the Cross was enough for every human being from Adam to the end of time.

Every sin has been already paid for, and now the only thing that God asks is to believe it.

Hebrews 2:9 "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."

The world today is they are walking it underfoot.

That's what lost mankind is doing when they reject Salvation.

They are rejecting a pardon.

A pardon is a decree that sets you right back as if you had never broken the Law in the first place.

It's completely wiping the slate clean. And that is what God has done for us.

2Co 5:17-2117 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

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Jesus the Christ God’s Living Word

No man has seen God (the Father) and lived.

Jesus – incarnate revealed to us the image of God

Holy Spirit is the muscle and breath of God

Jesus only spoke the words His Father gave Him to speak as He was empowered [motivated] by the Holy Spirit

God the Father – the mind (invisible) , the brain (visible)

Jesus – God the Son, the Word of God – the voice box, mouth of God the Father (visible - audible)

Holy Spirit – the breath, the wind (invisible)

As the Holy Spirit moves (vibrates, flows to and through the) voice box the words of God are formed and spoken as the God the Father determines.

We – the church - are the Body of Christ. (the functioning part – hands, feet, muscle, etc,)

(Mat 4:3 ESV) And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread."

(Mat 4:6 ESV) and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "'He will command his angels concerning you,' and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"

(Mat 8:29 ESV) And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?"

(Mat 14:33 ESV) And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

(Mat 26:63 ESV) But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, "I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." (64) Jesus said to him, "You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son

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of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven."

(Mat 27:40 ESV) and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross."

(Mat 27:43 ESV) He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"

(Mat 27:54 ESV) When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!"

(Mar 1:1 ESV) The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

(Mar 3:11 ESV) And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God."

(Mar 15:39 ESV) And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"

(Luk 1:35 ESV) And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.

(Luk 3:38 ESV) the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

(Luk 4:3 ESV) The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."

(Luk 4:9 ESV) And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,

(Luk 4:41 ESV) And demons also came out of many, crying, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

(Luk 22:70 ESV) So they all said, "Are you the Son of God, then?" And he said to them, "You say that I am."

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(Joh 1:34 ESV) And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."

(Joh 1:49 ESV) Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"

(Joh 3:18 ESV) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

(Joh 5:25 ESV) "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

(Joh 10:36 ESV) do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?

(Joh 10:25-38 ESV) Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, (26) but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. (27) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (28) I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. (29) My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. (30) I and the Father are one." (31) The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. (32) Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?" (33) The Jews answered him, "It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God." (34) Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I said, you are gods'? (35) If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— (36) do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? (37) If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; (38) but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."

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(Joh 11:4 ESV) But when Jesus heard it he said, "This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

(Joh 11:27 ESV) She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world."

(Joh 17:20-23 ESV) "I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, (21) that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (22) The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, (23) I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

(Joh 19:7 ESV) The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God."

(Joh 20:31 ESV) but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

(Act 9:20 ESV) And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."

(Rom 1:4 ESV) and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

(2Co 1:19 ESV) For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes.

(Gal 2:20 ESV) I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

(Eph 4:13 ESV) until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

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(Heb 4:14 ESV) Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

(Heb 6:6 ESV) and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

(Heb 7:3 ESV) He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.

(Heb 10:29 ESV) How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

(1Jn 3:8 ESV) Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

(1Jn 4:15 ESV) Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

(1Jn 5:5 ESV) Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

(1Jn 5:10 ESV) Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son.

(1Jn 5:12 ESV) Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

(1Jn 5:13 ESV) I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

(1Jn 5:20 ESV) And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

(Rev 2:18 ESV) "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

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'The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

02 Holiness of God

God is HolyThe second group of attributes is called moral attributes. These refer to God's character, His essential nature.

Holiness—absolute purity of nature (Exo_15:11; Isa_6:3; 1Pe_1:16).

God’s holiness is not simply a better version of the best we know. God is utterly and supremely untainted. His holiness stands apart — unique and incomprehensible. — Revelation 4:8-11

The word holy comes from a root word that means "to separate."

• Thus, it refers to God as separated from or exalted above other things <Is. 6:1-3>.

God is free from evil and hates and abhors sin (Levitcus 19:2).

He is "glorious in holiness" (Exodus 15:11)

As His power makes Him mighty, so His holiness makes Him glorious.

From such holiness, there comes justice and righteousness, which as they are administered, moral order is maintained among His intelligent creatures (Deuteronomy 32:3,4; Psalms 36:6; 115:3; 119:142).

Paul provides the link in the phrase, "Righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).

God's holiness forms the basis of moral significance within the universe.

Holiness is the glory His of creation and the grand ascription of worship.

• Holy! Holy! Holy! will yet become the anthem of a redeemed universe.

• The awful lake of fire, the coming wrath of the Almighty, the solemn destruction meted out upon all satanic forces present no difficulties whatever to the heart dominated by the fact of God's absolute holiness.

God is morally excellent - without fault - pure.

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God can't be compared to anyone or anything because he is so different from what we know and experience.

God is separated and unique from; is exalted above all other things

Being holy, God demands holiness -

What He demands, He supplies.

Holiness is God's gift that we receive by faith through His Son, Jesus Christ

God possesses intrinsic holiness.

• He is holy in His nature. - "God is absolutely distinct from all His creatures, and above them in infinite majesty" (Exodus 15:11; Isaiah 57:15).

• He is holy in all His ways.

• He cannot act contrary to His nature. God cannot act unrighteously. - "He is the Holy One" (Job 6:10).

• Holiness is His inward character - not merely a trait of His Being, but His very essence - not one of a list of virtues but the sum of all excellencies rather than an excellence.

God possesses original holiness,

• He is primarily holy. He can present Himself as the pattern of holiness because He is the origin and source of it. From the dateless past, He has been free from all moral impurity and is therefore morally perfect (I Samuel 2:2; Psalms 99:9; 111:9; Revelation 15:4).

God possesses transcendent holiness.

• The holiest angel above, or the holiest man on earth cannot measure the just dimensions of God's holiness. - 'There is none so holy as the Lord" (I Samuel 2:2).

• With the angels, holiness is a quality that can be lost for many of them "left their first estate." But because God's holiness is His essence, He can never forfeit it.

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• His is an infinite and unchangeable moral excellence, which He eternally wills and maintains (Isaiah 6:3; Mark 10:18; II Corinthians 1:1; Revelation 4:8).

God possesses efficient holiness

• He is the cause of all that is holy in others. He is both the Pattern and Principle of holiness.

• God's holiness is the standard of our life and conduct. - "Be ye holy, for I am holy" (I Peter 1:16).

• How conscious man is of his sin when in the presence of thrice Holy One! (Job 34:10; Habakkuk 1:13).

• As holiness is the principle ruling God's actions toward His creatures, He demands obedience to, and uniformity with such a standard.

• God cannot have one standard for Himself, and another for His creatures. - "As He is, so are we in this world."

Since God Is all-holy, He must consequently dominate the universe, opposing and condemning and punishing sin. Wherever sin exists, there must be His uncompromising attitude toward same. He must remain forever the absolute and eternal enemy of sin.

Hos_11:9 I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.

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God is holy - General references Exo 3:5

Jos 5:15

Exo 15:11

Lev 19:2

Lev 11:44

Lev 20:26

Lev 21:8

Deu 32:4

Jos 24:19

1Sa 2:2

1Sa 6:20

1Ch 16:10

Job 4:17-19

Job 6:10

Job 15:15

Job 25:5

Job 34:10

Job 36:23

Psa 11:7

Psa 18:30

Psa 22:3

Psa 30:4

Psa 33:4-5

Psa 36:6

Psa 47:8

Psa 48:1

Psa 48:10

Psa 60:6

Psa 89:35

Psa 92:15

Psa 98:1

Psa 99:3

Psa 99:5

Psa 99:9

Psa 108:7

Psa 111:9

Psa 119:142

Psa 145:17

Pro 9:10

Isa 5:16

Isa 6:3

Isa 12:6

Isa 29:19

Isa 29:23

Isa 41:14

Isa 43:14-15

Isa 45:19

Isa 47:4

Isa 49:7

Isa 52:10

Isa 57:15

Jer 2:5

Lam 3:38

Eze 39:7

Eze 39:25

Eze 36:21-22

Dan 4:8

Hos 11:9

Hab 1:12-13

Mat 5:48

Mat 19:17

Mar 10:18

Luk 18:19

Luk 1:49

Joh 7:28

Joh 17:11

Rom 1:23

Heb 1:8

Jam 1:13

1Pe 1:15-16

1Jo 1:5

1Jo 2:20

Rev 4:8

Rev 6:10

Rev 15:4

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Exo 3:5 Then he said, "Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."

Jos 5:15 And the commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, "Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.

Exo 15:11 "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

Lev 19:2 "Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

Lev 11:44 For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground.

Lev 20:26 You shall be holy to me, for I the LORD am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.

Lev 21:8 You shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I, the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy.

Deu 32:4 "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

Jos 24:19 But Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.

1Sa 2:2 "There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.

1Sa 6:20 Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, "Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?"

1Ch 16:10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who

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seek the LORD rejoice!

Job 4:17 'Can mortal man be in the right before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker? 18 Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error; 19 how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like the moth.

Job 6:10 This would be my comfort; I would even exult in pain unsparing, for I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

Job 15:15 Behold, God puts no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight;

Job 25:5 Behold, even the moon is not bright, and the stars are not pure in his eyes;

Job 34:10 "Therefore, hear me, you men of understanding: far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.

Job 36:23 Who has prescribed for him his way, or who can say, 'You have done wrong'?

Psa 11:7 For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.

Psa 18:30 This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

Psa 22:3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.

Psa 30:4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.

Psa 33:4 For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

Psa 36:6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD.

Psa 47:8 God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.

Psa 48:1 A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy

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mountain,

Psa 48:10 As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness.

Psa 60:6 God has spoken in his holiness: "With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Vale of Succoth.

Psa 89:35 Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David.

Psa 92:15 to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Psa 98:1 A Psalm. Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

Psa 99:3 Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he!

Psa 99:5 Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!

Psa 99:9 Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy!

Psa 108:7 God has promised in his holiness: "With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Valley of Succoth.

Psa 111:9 He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name!

Psa 119:142 Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true.

Psa 145:17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.

Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Isa 5:16 But the LORD of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.

Isa 6:3 And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"

Isa 12:6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in

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your midst is the Holy One of Israel."

Isa 29:19 The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.

Isa 29:23 For when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in his midst, they will sanctify my name; they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

Isa 41:14 Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Isa 43:14 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "For your sake I send to Babylon and bring them all down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice. 15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King."

Isa 45:19 I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, 'Seek me in vain.' I the LORD speak the truth; I declare what is right.

Isa 47:4 Our Redeemer—the LORD of hosts is his name— is the Holy One of Israel.

Isa 49:7 Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: "Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."

Isa 52:10 The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

Isa 57:15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Jer 2:5 Thus says the LORD: "What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?

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Lam 3:38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?

Eze 39:7 "And my holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.

Eze 39:25 "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my holy name.

Eze 36:21 But I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they came. 22 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came.

Dan 4:8 At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods—and I told him the dream, saying,

Hos 11:9 I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.

Hab 1:12 Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof. 13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?

Mat 5:48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Mat 19:17 And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments."

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Mar 10:18 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

Luk 1:49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

Joh 7:28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, "You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know.

Joh 17:11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

Rom 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Heb 1:8 But of the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

Jas 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.

1Pe 1:15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

1Jn 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

1Jn 2:20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.

Rev 4:8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"

Rev 6:10 They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord,

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holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"

Rev 15:4 Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."

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The Knowledge of the Holy , by A.W. Tozer; Names of God , by Nathan Stone; and God of Glory , by Kenneth Landon.

Hebrew for Christians John J. Parsons www.hebrew4christians.com.

Through the Bible with Les Feldick Book 07:03:04

Hope For The Heart Biblical Counseling Keys © 2005 by Hope For The Heart. All rights reserved.)

Bright, Bill. The Holy Spirit: The Key to Supernatural Living. San Bernardino, CA: Here’s Life, 1980.

Chafer, Lewis Sperry. He That Is Spiritual: A Classic Study of the Biblical Doctrine of Spirituality. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1967.

Criswell, W. A. The Holy Spirit in Today’s World. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1966.

Deere, Jack. “Deuteronomy.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty: Old Testament: Based on the New International Version, edited by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck. Wheaton, IL: Victor, 1985.

Discipleship Counseling Services. Discipleship Counseling Training Student Manual. Dallas: Discipleship Counseling Services, n.d.

Hocking, David. The Dynamic Difference. Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1985.

Hocking, David. The Holy Spirit: Study Guide. La Mirada, CA: Biola University, 1988.

McGrath, Alister E. Understanding the Trinity. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988.

Moody, D. L. The Secret of Success in the Christian Life. Life Essentials. Chicago: Moody, 2001.

Packer, J. I. Keep in Step with the Spirit. Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell, 1984.

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Pritchard, Ray. Names of the Holy Spirit. Chicago: Moody, 1995.

Ryrie, Charles Caldwell. The Holy Spirit. Chicago: Moody, 1965.

Stott, John R. W. Baptism & Fullness: The Work of the Holy Spirit Today. 2 nd ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1975.

Swindoll, Charles R., and Bryce Klabunde. He Gave Gifts. Rev. ed. Anaheim, CA: Insight for Living, 1998.

Thomas, W. Ian. The Mystery of Godliness. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1964.

Thomas, W. Ian. The Saving Life of Christ. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1961.

Jim Carpenter founded and serves as pastor of Rancho Baptist Church. He recently earned a doctor of ministry degree from Fuller Seminary . The Navigators

Robert Lightner, The God of the Bible, An Introduction to the Doctrine of God (Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1973)

Integrity & Hosanna Music (ASCAP). from “God With Us.”

Nevin, Alfred, Ed., et al. “Names, Titles and Characteristics of the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord,” The Parallel Bible,

Blue Letter Bible, 1 Aug 2002, 30 Apr 2012.

Lockyer, Herbert, “The Names of Jesus,” http://www.tentmaker.org/Iists/names.html/ accessed May 23, 2012.

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David Jeremiah GYMNK

CHAPTER 2 / KNOWING A HOLY GODIf you live in the Atlantic Ctrv area, perhaps you saw this headline in the local paper: “Solomon Leads St, Augustine to Dominant Win Over Holy Spirit.” When I saw that, I thought, “Wow, how did King Solomon and St, Augustine team up to quench the Spirit?” But the story was about Charles Solomon, a basketball player for St, Augustine Preparatory School; who had a good night on the court against Holy Spirit High School, a Roman Catholic preparatory school in Absecon,

If you look up the word holy in the news, many of the references are to sports teams for schools like Holy Trinity, Holy Cross, or Holy Redeemer, Mixed into the headlines are a few references about conflict in the Holy Land or pilgrimages to holy sites, But it’s remarkable how many references represent careless uses of the word in expressions like “Holy cow!’ or “Holy smoke!” or “Holy moly!”

Some of these phrases have an interesting background, Maybe you’ve heard someone say, “Holy mackerel!” Linguists suggest this phrase comes from the seventeenth century when mackerel was sold in the fish markets on Sunday because it deteriorated so quickly,

Others have tried to track down the meaning of “holy Toledo!” I was born in Toledo, but, believe mc, that phrase has nothing to do with me! Where did it come from? Some believe it’s a reference to Toledo, Spain, which has been called, “The Holy City of Toledo.” But a former police officer in my hometown of Toledo, Ohio, has another explanation, Apparently, there was an alleged agreement between police officials and the underworld in the early 1900s during Prohibition, The police promised to give safecrackers safe haven in Toledo so long as they didn’t ply their trade inside the city limits, The thieves would commit burglaries in Detroit or Chicago or some other Midwestern city, then flee back to the “Holy Land” of Toledo for safety and sanctuary,

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Even in the church world, we use the word carelessly, When people become a bit overzealous in worship, they’re called “holy rollers.” If someone tends to be judgmental or critical, we say they’re “holier than thou.” If a child in the nursery loses his temper, we might call him a “holy terror.’

Our culture takes sacred truths and, to devalue or disparage them, turns the words into profanities or minced oaths, But the truth behind the words cannot be drained away, Regardless of how society may try to trivialize the concept of holiness, it is at the heart and core of the attributes of God, It’s one of the towering truths of Scripture and preeminent among the attributes of God, We need to reclaim “holy” and “holiness” as powerful terms conveying our highest biblical realities,

“Holy” is a term that primarily describes God Himself, Evangelist Billy Graham said, “As I read the Bible, I seem to find holiness to be His supreme attribute.” 1

Theologian Louis Berkhof wrote, “It does not seem proper to speak of one attribute of God as being more central and fundamental than another; but if this were permissible, the Scriptural emphasis on the holiness of God would seem to justify its selection.” 2

Philadelphia pastor James Montgomery Boice once spoke to a group about the attributes of God, He began by asking the group to list God’s qualities in order of importance, The group put love first, followed by wisdom, power, mercy, omniscience, and truth, At the end of the list they put holiness, “That did surprise me,” Boice later wrote, ‘because the Bible refers to God’s holiness more than any other attribute.”

Think of it this way, God is alI-loving, but the angels around the throne aren’t recorded as singing, “Loving! Loving! Loving” He is all-knowing, but there is no record of the heavenly hosts singing, “Onniscient! Omniscient! Omniscient” His power and might have no limit, but the songs recorded in the book of Revelation don’t say, “Powerful! Powerful! Powerful!”

The cry of the heavenly host is, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy!”

We cannot understand God or experience spiritual revival without coming to grips with the truth of God’s holiness, Every great

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awakening in biblical or Christian history has been triggered by a rediscovery of the concept of the holiness of God, The Puritans who gave us their great theological insights were men and women committed to holiness, The great Methodist revivals that swept England and penetrated the American frontier were sparked by a hunger for holiness, The Methodist Mission Statement described the purpose of their ministry this way: To reform the continent and spread scriptural Holiness over these Lands.”

And yes, they spelled Holiness with a capital “H”,

They knew that holiness is the fundamental attribute of God, It stands first in the list For numerous reasons, God is called “holy” more than He is called anything else, in the Scripture He is repeatedly referred to as the “Holy One of Israel,” as “the Holy God.” Someone said that His arm of power tells us of His strength, His eye of omniscience tells of His knowledge, His heart of duration tells of His eternity, But it is the beauty of His holiness that captures us when we really see Him as He is, The holiness of God, according to the Scripture, is His beauty, 5

Have you ever considered the fact that God’s beauty is bound up in His holiness? Consider these verses:

“Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him, Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!’-- 1 Chronicles 16:29

‘And when he [King Jehoshaphat] had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness.”— 2 Chronicles 20:21

“Give unto the Lord the glory du to His flame; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” — Psalm 29:2

“Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.”— Psalm 96:9

When you read through the Bible beginning to end, you’re constantly reminded — it, seems like in every other chapter — that we are dealing with a holy God, and that His holiness is stunningly beautiful, In the first recorded hymn in biblical history, Moses sang: “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is

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like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11)

Leviticus 19:2 says, “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am ‘holy.’”

Hannah, the mother of Samuel, prayed, “No one is holy like the Lord, for there is none besides’ You” (1 Samuel 2:2),

The psalmist prayed, “But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:3).

What Is Holiness? What, then, does it mean when the Bible tells us God is holy? The Greek and Hebrew terms used in the Bible convey the idea of separateness and being set apart, of brightness, or purity, and of devoutness and sacredness, If this is the foundational attribute of God, and if we could literally drill down into it, we would find several strata of meaning,

First and foremost is the idea of separateness, of being set apart, Theologians talk about the “otherness” of God, Hosea 11:9 says, “For I am God, and not man, the Holy One in your midst.” He is the only Being in the universe outside of creation, lie is separate and above His creation because He is uncreated; He is eternally self-existent, He is transcendent, One scholar said, “As holy, He is thus unique and incomparable .., God’s holiness marks Him off from angels, .., from heathen gods ., and from men Hence unapproachability is an element that .., ‘is never absent from the notion’ of holiness ..., Holiness is an aspect of Cod’s sovereignty, lie is set apart from and above all other beings.” 6

The reason God the Son took upon Himself the nature of flesh was to live an utterly holy life, to die for our sins, to rise in power, and, by His shed blood, to provide access for us into the presence of a holy God, Romans 5:2 says, “Through (Christ] also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand”

Second, the holiness of God conveys the idea of absolute purity, The Bible says, 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” (1 John 1:5), God is absolutely good to the fullest extent there is in goodness, Holiness means the total

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absence of any taint of evil in His nature, No shadow of sin comes close to His person, He is pure and sinless— holy in all his being, in all His words, in all His ways

In the early 1900s, a German scholar named Rudolf Otto decided to study what it meant to be holy, but he didn’t conduct his studies exclusively among Christians He traveled the world, and whenever he found people who had experienced anything they considered to be holy, he took notes and made a careful study of their experiences,

He noticed one peculiar thing, People had a hard time describing this concept and their experience with holiness, They struggled with their vocabulary, They couldn’t find the words to explain it, Probing further, Otto realized that when people sensed they had been in the presence of the Holy, their one immediate impression was of their own “creatureliness,” They felt they were simply transient creatures in the presence of an absolute and eternal being, Otto coined the word numinous to describe the feeling of mystery, awe, and religious emotion that people connected with the concept of holiness, His book, The Idea of the Holy, is still one of the best known German theological works of the last century—not that I necessarily endorse it, The best place to study the idea of holiness is in the Bible itself, and one of the best ways of pursuing this study is to notice the impact of God’s holiness on some of the heroes of the faith.

Moses’ Experience of the Holy Moses, for example, had several extraordinary encounters with the holiness of God, moments that changed him forever, While tending the flock of Jethro, Moses spotted a flaming bush on the mountain, He went to investigate, and the Lord spoke to him there: “Moses, Moses!” And [Moses] said, “Here I am.” Then [Godi said, “Do not draw near this place, Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground” (Exodus 3:4-5),

Later in that same region of Sinai, Moses had another encounter with God’s holiness, This time, Moses wasn’t herding sheep but people, who were much harder to manage, He was in charge of a multitude of newly liberated Israelites, As Moses met God on Mount Sinai, getting instructions and receiving the Law, he felt the

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full weight of his burdens and longed for a deeper experience with the Lord to fortify him for his tasks,

He prayed, “Please, show me Your glory” (Exodus 33:18), Moses saw some pretty tremendous things, He witnessed the plagues of Egypt, He watched the Red Sea split apart before his eyes, lie saw the Egyptians swallowed up by the waves arid destroyed, He saw miracles in the desert and storms on the mountains, But this wasn’t enough for Moses, He wanted to see God’s holiness, his glory, His face, It’s impossible to sec a full manifestation of God’s holiness and survive the experience, but the Lord gave Moses an approximate experience in Exodus 33:17-23.

So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name ..., I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you, I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live:” And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock, So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by, Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My Face shall not be seen.”

In some mysterious way, Moses was unable to see the front of God or the face of God, He only glimpsed the backside of God’s glory, But when Moses descended from Mount Sinai, “the skin of his face shown” (Exodus 34:30), His face was so illuminated with holy light that he had to wear a veil when speaking to others, His face was aglow with the reflected glory of the holiness of God, When you experience the Holy, it’s the most awesome experience in Life, It should make our laces glow too, because Psalm 34:5 says, They looked to Him and were radiant.”

Job’s Experience of the Holy In the book of Job, we read of another man who had an experience with God, As you may know, Job was a righteous man and the wealthiest man of his era, Almost overnight he lost his wealth, his health, and his children in a series of devastating

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satanic attacks, Much of lob’s book records his conversations with friends as they tried unsuccessfully to make sense of his suffering, But in Job 38, God broke into the conversation and revealed Himself to Job out of a whirlwind, God demanded, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” (Job 38:4) Job was jolted by the awesome majesty of the power and presence of God, And while the Lord never explained the satanic source of Job’s problems, He did direct Job’s attention to His own holiness,

He took Job on a tour of the sciences, pointing out the wonders of geology, meteorology, oceanography, astronomy, and zoology, In light of the supreme grandeur of God’s holiness, Job was shaken, ‘Behold, I am vile,” he said, “‘What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth ..., I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You ..., I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see You, Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes’ (Job 40:4; Job 42:2-6), When we live in the presence of the truth about the holiness of God, that’s what we want to do every moment— put our hands over our mouths—because we realize how unholy we really are in light of the holiness of God, Yet in the process, we’re overwhelmed by the greatness of His Glorious Being and life begins to make sense.

Isaiah’s Experience of the Holy Perhaps the most vivid description of someone who came into the presence of the holy God is the testimony of the prophet Isaiah, In chapter 6 of his book, Isaiah describes the most incredible ordination service anyone in ministry ever experienced,

According to Isaiah 6:1, it took place in the year that King Uzziah died, Uzziah was one of the greatest kings in the Old Testament, He rose to the throne at age sixteen and reigned for 52 years, He was the only ruler most people in Israel had ever known, including Isaiah, Uzziah did what was right in the eyes of God and served God wonderfully until later in his life, when he grew arrogant by thinking of his great wealth and power,

One day Uzziah went to the temple and when the priests weren’t available to minister to him, he grew irritated and decided he didn’t

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need a priest, He usurped the functions of the priest, which was an abomination to God, Uzziah broke out in leprosy, and from that moment he lived in a separate house under quarantine, never being able to be around others, When he died, the nation mourned,

I was in Dallas when President John F, Kennedy was slain, and I remember how the entire nation mourned, Everything and everyone came to a screeching halt, I remember the details like it happened yesterday, It must have felt like that when Uzziah passed away, Though he made a mistake at the end of his reign, everybody still loved him and mourned his death, That’s when Isaiah went to the temple to pray and to ask for God’s direction concerning this difficult time in the life of his nation, When he arrived at the temple that day he wasn’t prepared for what he saw Isaiah 6:1-8 says:

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple, Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew, And one cried to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!’ And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke, So I said: “Woe is me, for I am 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” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which be had taken with the tongs from the altar, And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.” Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Whom shall send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

Isaiah went to the temple mourn the loss of the earthly king and he got a vision of the Heavenly King, surrounded by seraphim with three sets of wings, flying and chanting, “Holy, holy, holy!”

The ancient Hebrew language had no way of emphasizing words like we do, They didn’t italicize or underline, use Caps or type in bold print, When they wanted to highlight something, they doubled it, Remember how Jesus would often say, “Truly, truly, I

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say to you” (John 12:24, ESV), Very seldom do we see triplicates, and never of any other attribute of God, But when Isaiah was in the temple beholding the Lord high and lifted up, the angels were crying, Holy; holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!’ (Isaiah 6:3) Perhaps the triple use of the word “holy” also points to the Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — who is thrice holy,

Isaiah, stunned, cried out, “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” (Isaiah 6:5), But the Lord atoned for his sins and, fueled by his vision of God’s holiness, Isaiah launched into a stellar ministry of eloquence and power, His book is so filled with predictions of the coming Messiah that we sometimes call it the “Fifth Gospel.”

Paul’s Experience of the Holy ‘[he apostle Paul had a similar experience in Acts 9, Remember the story? As he trekked toward Damascus to persecute the Christians there, a light from heaven suddenly burst on him, blinding him, It was brighter than the noonday sun, It knocked him to the ground and when he experienced the holiness of God, he was blinded as though his eyes had been burned out by the infinite brilliance of the Savior on His throne, Saul’s spiritual and physical eyes were opened, and his life was changed, Through that experience, Saul of Tarsus became Paul the apostle

Steven’s Experience of the Holy – Acts 9John’s Experience of the Holy Finally, we come to the first chapter of Revelation when the apostle John looked into heaven and saw the enthroned Lord, whose hair was like blinding snow, His eyes were flames of fire, His voice was like the sound of many waters, and His countenance was like the sun shining in all its strength, Out of His mouth came two-edged sword, John said, “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead” (Revelation 1:17),

Rudolf Otto was right about one thing, When you experience the Holy, it’s an awesome experience, Just review what we’ve learned about experiencing the holiness of God,

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• Moses experienced God’s holiness and the reflection of it made his face shine like the sun,

• Job experienced God’s holiness and abhorred himself in dust and ashes, but his life began in make sense,

• Isaiah experienced God’s holiness and fell to the ground as an unclean man, but as one willing to say, “Here am I! Send me.”

• Saul of Tarsus experienccd God’s holiness, fell to the ground, and rose to walk in newness of life,

• John experienced God’s holiness, fell at His feet as dead, and rose to give us the greatest glimpse of the future the world has ever known—the book of Revelation,

I’ve got to tell you something As I reviewed these stories, I felt more than ever that we are a profane people, unaware and unaffected by the holiness of God—until we see Him as we should, in all Kis glory, Then our lives are changed forever, Oh, that we could better understand the wonderful majesty that is wrapped up in the Holy One!

Our Experience of the Holy What, then, should our own experience be? From my study of these and other passages, I’m convinced our lives will be profoundly changed when we better understand God’s attribute of holiness, Let me suggest five great effects it will have on us,

First, when we begin to grasp the holiness of God, we’ll come to see ourselves as we really are, In his book How to Be Born Again, Billy Graham tells of a rime when he was to be interviewed at his home, Knowing the show would appear on nationwide television, his wife, Ruth, took pains to see that everything looked nice, She vacuumed and dusted and tidied up the whole house and had gone over the living room with a fine-tooth comb, When the film crew arrived with all the lights and cameras, she felt that everything in that living room was spic and span.

Billy said, We were in place along with the interviewer when suddenly the television lights were turned on and we saw cobwebs and dust where we had never seen them before, In the

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words of my wife: ‘I mean, that room was festooned with dust and cobwebs which simply did not show up under ordinary light.”

The point is, of course, that no matter how well we clean up our lives and think we have them all in order, when we see ourselves in the light of God’s holiness, all the cobwebs and all the dust show up.”

In his book The Knowledge of (he Holy, A, W Tozer said, “Neither the writer nor the reader of these words is qualified to appreciate the holiness of God, Quite literally a new channel must be cut through the desert of our minds to allow the sweet waters of truth that will heal our great sickness to flow in, We cannot grasp the true meaning of the divine holiness by thinking of someone or something very pure and then raising the concept to the highest degree we are capable of, God’s holiness is not simply the best we know infinitely bettered, We know nothing like the divine holiness, It stands apart, unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible and unattainable, The natural man is blind to it, He may fear God’s power and admire His wisdom, but His holiness he cannot even imagine.’

If we see God as He really is, then we will see ourselves as we really are, That’s the consistent message in all the experiences I’ve chronicled for you from the Bible, If we don’t understand the holiness of God, we might think of ourselves as reasonably good people, But if we get a glimpse of the holiness of God, we will never argue that point again, The standard of all morality is God’s absolute, perfect, unsullied holiness, Anything that falls short of that can never measure up for fellowship with a holy God, And that includes me I’m in that group and so are you, All have sinned and come short of the glory of God,

There’s good news coming, but this is where we must start, When I was growing up in the church years ago, my father who was a preacher, used to say, “Before you can get people saved, you have to get them unsaved.”

I remember asking him, “What do you mean by that?”

He said, “A lot of people come into church thinking they are okay, They measure themselves by one another, They look at each other and say, ‘I’m better than she is,’ or ‘I’m better than he is, so I

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must be airtight with God.” But the standard is not each other, The standard is the holy God,

Second, when we grasp the holiness of God we will better understand the cross, While we may never fully understand the cross, we will better appreciate it when we understand God is a holy, righteous God, Christ came into this world as God’s sinless, only begotten Son who lived a sinless, perfect life, His life reflected the holiness of heaven, When He came to the cross He gathered upon Himself all the sin of the world, He went to the cross to pay the penalty of that Sin,

He was the only one who could do it because He was the only sinless person who ever lived, The bible tells us when God the Father looked down on His Son, hanging there between two thieves, He turned His back because lie could not bear to see the putrid iniquity of all mankind reflected on His Son, You hear the words of Christ on the cross crying out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46)

If God could have answered that, He would have said, “My holiness is so great and My standards so high that I cannot even look upon My Son knowing that, though He is not sinful, He bears the sin of the world, My righteousness and My holiness demand I look away.”

In that moment when Jesus paid the penalty for our sin, something wonderful happened, He came down from the cross, wok all His holiness, wove it into a suit of clothes, and gave it to me and you, We walk around today wearing the holiness of Jesus Christ, When God the Father looks at rue, though I’m sinful, He doesn’t see my sin, He sees the clothes I wear—the holiness of the blessed Savior who paid the penalty for my sin, The Bible says, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10), We will never understand the cross until we understand the holiness of God,

Third, when you see God as He really is, you will worship Him as He desires to be worshiped, The Bible draws a tight connection between holiness and worship,

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• Psalm 89:7 says, “God is greatly to he feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by al those around Him.”

• Psalm 99:5 says, Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool—_He is holy.”

• Psalm 30:4 says, “Sing praise w the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.”

Worship is more of a verb than a noun, We should never come to worship in a passive mode, Moses experienced God’s holiness and worshiped him on the mountain as God reissued the tablets of the Law, Job experienced God’s holiness and worshiped Him as his family was restored and he got a new start in life, Isaiah experienced God’s holiness and said, ‘Here am I, Send me.” Saul experienced God’s holiness and became Paul, the greatest apostle who ever lived, John experienced God’s holiness and God commissioned him to write the book of Revelation,

When you experience the holiness of God, you worship Him as He is intended to be worshiped, That includes singing His praises and honoring Him in public worship, but it’s far more than that, It’s your whole life, It’s everything you are, It’s everything you do, Our whole life is to be a doxology of praise and worship to God, When we see God in His holiness, our whole lives become a daily instrument of praise and worship to Him so that whatever we do, even when we cat and drink, we do it for the glory of God,

Fourth, when we worship our holy God and see Him as He is, it makes us want to cultivate the habit of holiness in our own lives, The Bible says that since God is holy, we’re to be holy (I Peter 1:16), We cannot be holy in exactly the same way God is holy, God in His holiness is set apart from everyone, But we’re to be reflections of His holiness.

When I was growing up, preachers often talked about “separation.” \We don’t talk about it much anymore, It has a negative connotation But we should talk about it, because the Bible says, “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord, Do not touch what is unclean” (2 Corinthians 6:17),

The key to holiness is separation—not isolation from our friends, but the willingness to be different, to be godly, to reflect the purity

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of God in this world, Paul told Timothy, “Exercise yourself toward godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7), As God’s people in a corrupt world, we must understand God wants us to exercise ourselves toward godliness in the practice of daily living, The word sanctification means putting into practice what we already are in terms of our position in Christ,

Finally, when we see Him as He really is, we will look forward to the day when we will be just like Him, As I said, God is absolutely pure, with no taint or tinge of sin, The Bible says those who have put their trust in Christ will one day see Him and be like Him, for we shall see I urn as He is, In 1 John 3:1-3, we read these incredible words:

Behold what manner of Jove the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God, Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him, Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when lie is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is, And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

That means we’re going to be beautiful, doesn’t it? Remember—the Bible talks about the beauty of holiness, Everything touched by sin becomes ugly, When the sin nature begins to work on us, we become undone, Sin corrupts, If there were no sin in the world, you would have a perfect body and be the picture of beauty, Without sin, all creation would be unblemished and beautiful, But whatever sin touches begins to decay,

One day soon, God is going to touch you, All sin will be gone, you will be made holy like Him, and the Bible says you will be made beautiful, Throughout eternity, we’ll be worshiping God in His holiness alongside Moses, Job, Isaiah, Paul, and John, We’ll better understand the depths from which lie saved us, the power of the Cross of Christ, the exuberance of worship, the joy of living with unbroken personal holiness, and the everlasting thrill of singing:

“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,

Who was and is and is to come!”

(REVELATION 4:8)

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Holiness of God