"Day and night they never stop saying: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is, and is to come. Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 'You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created an have their being'" (Revelation 4:8-11).

The holiness of God is an absolutely awesome topic. The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders in the throne room of heaven were able to see God in His holiness, and they fell down to worship Him, laying their crowns at His feet. We need to see God in His holiness. A glimpse of a holy God should cause us immediately to bow to our knees and cry out as the prophet Isaiah did, "Woe is me, for I am undone!" We must be brought to the point where I say, "O God, You are so great, so holy and I am so undone and in need of You. Help me, cleanse me and bring me into Your holiness." As believers, it is so important to seek to know God's holiness in our personal life. God answers the prayers of those who have clean hands and a pure heart, those who have learned to walk in holiness. God wants us to set ourselves apart for His purposes and not mix with the evil in the world. Purity and holiness are essential for standing in His holy place and receiving blessings from Him.

"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior" (Psalm 24:3-6).

God wants to be known by His holiness. It is the attribute that He uses to describe Himself. It is also the crowning attribute in which all the other attributes are contained - His love, purity, goodness, kindness, beauty, etc. If we want to know God, we have to know His holiness. In our evangelistic efforts, we often tell about the works of God but not about God Himself. Jesus calls us to testify about Him. We must realize that the people around us lack knowledge of a holy God. We are the ones who can point them to His holiness. We are the ones who can reflect God's holiness in our own personal lives.

In Isaiah 6:1-6, we will look at two acts that reveal God's holiness. There is the appearance of holiness and the provision for holiness.

The Appearance of Holiness

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.' At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke" (Isaiah 6:1-4).

What does a holy God look like? Holiness is the signature of the divine. It is the attribute by which all others are related. Even the sum of all the attributes of "the holy" is insufficient to exhaust its meaning, for to one who has experienced its presence there is always a plus, a something more, which resists formulation or definition. Wherever God's presence is felt, there men encounter the wonder and mystery of holiness. Holiness does not fit human description - It is not rational, it is super-rational (above the limits of the mind). We have no language to describe it.

Ways to know holiness - There are many ways you can learn and experience God's holiness. You can know holiness through the written Word of God, through creation, fellowship with others, worship, prayer and personal discipleship.

God's holiness is viewed through Isaiah 6:1-4 - This shows us His power, greatness and loftiness. Glory and majesty exhibit His uniqueness and separateness, His being set apart. At the sound of His voice, the temple was filled with smoke! "'To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?' says the Holy One" (Isaiah 40:25).

"Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you - majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?" (Exodus 15:11)

The Provision for Holiness

"Then said I, 'Woe is me! For I am undone and ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips, and dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!' Then flew one of the seraphim (heavenly beings) to me, having a live coal in his hand which he had taken with tongs from off the altar; And with it he touched my mouth and said, 'Lo, this has touched your lips; your iniquity and guilt are taken away, and your sin is completely atoned for and forgiven'" (Isaiah 6:5-7, Amplified).

Is there a provision in light of our unworthiness and unholiness? As we see how holy God is and sense our own undone-ness, yes, there is a provision for us! It is Christ's righteousness. Our sin is atoned for through the death of Jesus Christ. Jesus takes away our guilt and gives us a new way to live - it is the way of holiness. He shows us his Fatherly discipline. It doesn't always feel good and might be quite painful, but through His discipline we can share in His holiness.

Christ's righteousness - Christ's righteousness is our provision for holiness. God's holiness constitutes a need for atonement. "In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering" (Hebrews 2:10).

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (II Corinthians 5:21).

Fatherly discipline - God requires holiness because He provided it in Christ. Because God is holy, He will discipline us to holiness. Without holiness our message will lack credibility. When God's people fail to show His holiness, then God displays His holiness through discipline.

"Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:10-11).

I recommend the music CD called "The Throne of God" by Mike Brumback. You can purchase it at www.ihop.org/Shop/. This is an excellent music CD to bring you right into the throne room and into the holy atmosphere of God. Put on some beautiful worship music, take your shoes off in holy reverence and kneel before your Almighty God. Let Him touch you until you are undone in His presence, let Him wash you clean and remold you, let Him break through into your heart where you feel His heart and sense His incomparably great holiness. Let His throne room captivate you. Those who have truly seen His throne will never be overly impressed by any king or president on this earth. Do not resist any discipline He may be bringing into your life, because it is through this discipline that you can share in His holiness. It is through His discipline that a harvest of righteousness is produced. Say "yes" to all His personal ways with you. Let Him change your heart today through the splendor and majesty of His holiness.