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The Holiness of God
Central to God’s character is the quality of holiness. Yet, even so, most people are hard-pressed to define what God’s holiness precisely is. Many preachers today avoid the topic altogether because people today don’t quite know what to do with words like “awe” or “fear.” R. C. Sproul, in this classic work, puts the holiness of God in its proper and central place in the Christian life. He paints an awe-inspiring vision of God that encourages Christian to become holy just as God is holy. Once you encounter the holiness of God, your life will never be the same.
207 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 1984
1566 people are currently reading
22373 people want to read
About the author
R.C. Sproul
596 books1,932 followersDr. R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was founder of Ligonier Ministries, an international Christian discipleship organization located near Orlando, Fla. He was founding pastor of Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Fla., first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine.
Ligonier Ministries began in 1971 as the Ligonier Valley Study Center in Ligonier, Pa. In an effort to respond more effectively to the growing demand for Dr. Sproul’s teachings and the ministry’s other educational resources, the general offices were moved to Orlando in 1984, and the ministry was renamed.
Dr. Sproul’s radio program, Renewing Your Mind, is still broadcast daily on hundreds of radio stations around the world and can also be heard online. Dr. Sproul produced hundreds of lecture series and recorded numerous video series on subjects such as the history of philosophy, theology, Bible study, apologetics, and Christian living.
He contributed dozens of articles to national evangelical publications, spoke at conferences, churches, and academic institutions around the world, and wrote more than one hundred books, including The Holiness of God, Chosen by God, and Everyone’s a Theologian. He signed the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy and wrote a commentary on that document. He also served as general editor of the Reformation Study Bible, previously known as the New Geneva Study Bible.
Dr. Sproul had a distinguished academic teaching career at various colleges and seminaries, including Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando and Jackson, Miss. He was ordained as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,135 reviews
July 19, 2019
According to Francis Bacon, "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested." This book is in the third category: it is so rich and full in its insight into the holiness of God that I can't possibly get everything out of it in one reading, or even multiple readings. Sproul is not afraid to confront the challenging passages in Scripture, and he does it with a clear logic and excellent writing. He's also a pastor - you can tell he genuinely cares for the message he's preaching and the people he's preaching to. This is spiritual meat of the highest quality, and I could tell I was hungry for it because I devoured it and am looking forward to reading it again.
February 1, 2019
Wow. I can honestly say this has been one of the most impactful books I have read to date. Sproul has a true gift of storytelling with purpose and beauty. He incorporates history and psychology along with biblical narratives to reveal different aspects of God’s holiness. I am walking away with a much more comprehensive understanding of the perfection of God’s character, the depths of my sin, and how that makes His grace an unfathomable gift.
February 15, 2023
This book is considered one of Sproul's best. I appreciated Sproul's employment of literary knowledge to the subject of God's holiness.
April 1, 2012
Learned what it means to live before a Holy, Holy, Holy God.
"It is one thing to fall victim to the flood or to fall prey to cancer; it is another thing to fall into the hands of the Living God..."
"It is one thing to fall victim to the flood or to fall prey to cancer; it is another thing to fall into the hands of the Living God..."
March 11, 2023
One of the best books of the 20th century!
February 4, 2022
I wish so much for every Christian to read this book.
February 18, 2018
This is a must-read for any Christian. I remember how formative it was for me, and I'm glad to have re-read it.
December 23, 2023
,,Sfințenia lui Dumnezeu este mai mult decât separare, este transcendență. [...] A transcende înseamnă a te ridica deasupra a ceva, a depăși o anumită limită. Când vorbim de transcendența lui Dumnezeu, folosim sensul acesta, potrivit căruia Dumnezeu este mai presus și dincolo de noi. Transcendența descrie măreția Lui supremă și absolută.”
,,Transformarea adevărată se produce prin dobândirea unei noi înțelegeri referitoare la Dumnezeu, la noi înșine și la întreaga lume. În ultimă instanță, scopul nostru este să ne conformăm chipului lui Cristos. [...] Pentru a ne conforma lui Isus trebuie în primul rând să gândim așa cum a gândit Isus. Trebuie să avem ,,gândirea lui Cristos”. Trebuie să apreciem lucrurile pe care le apreciază El și să disprețuim lucrurile pe care le disprețuiește El. Trebuie să avem aceleași priorități ca ale Lui. Să considerăm importante lucrurile pe care El le-a considerat importante.”
,,Transformarea adevărată se produce prin dobândirea unei noi înțelegeri referitoare la Dumnezeu, la noi înșine și la întreaga lume. În ultimă instanță, scopul nostru este să ne conformăm chipului lui Cristos. [...] Pentru a ne conforma lui Isus trebuie în primul rând să gândim așa cum a gândit Isus. Trebuie să avem ,,gândirea lui Cristos”. Trebuie să apreciem lucrurile pe care le apreciază El și să disprețuim lucrurile pe care le disprețuiește El. Trebuie să avem aceleași priorități ca ale Lui. Să considerăm importante lucrurile pe care El le-a considerat importante.”
December 24, 2022
"The most violent expression of God's wrath and justice is seen in the Cross. If ever a person had room to complain for injustice, it was Jesus. He was the only innocent man ever to be punished by God. If we stagger at the wrath of God, let us stagger at the Cross. Here is where our astonishment should be focused."-R.C. Sproul
March 6, 2025
If I could only pass on 10 books to my kids to help them understand God and the gospel, this would be one of them.
April 27, 2017
Holiness, as Sproul writes, is a difficult concept for humans to understand and define. It is best understood by experience or by story. Sproul does attempt to define it, but it is best truly understood by stories, anecdotes, and analogy.
To this end, most of the book is Sproul examining personal stories that demonstrate holiness, but more importantly, and more extensively, he looks at the Bible to show what Scripture has to say about holiness.
Early on he looks at the Lord's Prayer, and notes that when we say it we "...often confuse the words "hallowed be your name" with part of the address, as if the words were "hallowed is your name." In that case the words would merely be an ascription of praise to God. But that is not how Jesus said it. He uttered it as a petition, as the first petition. We should be praying that God's name be hallowed, that God be regarded as holy."
Yes, the Lord's name is holy, but the prayer is primarily a petition that God's name be treated as holy. This emphasis is significant in that it sets the whole tone of the book. The holiness of God is not something to be taken lightly or irreverently. As Sproul later shows, God is holy and his holiness is a consuming fire. Even Moses was too unholy to see more than the back of God through the crack of a rock. This is a shocking thing, when one ponders it.
Some of the most helpful parts of the book are Sproul's examination of the deaths of Nahab, Abihu, and Uzza. They all died because they broke the law of God in rebellious, public ways. God struck Nahab and Abihu dead for offering "strange fire." Sproul shows the true rebellious nature of their sin. He also shows the casual nature the ark of God was treated by Uzza and his throng as they transported it. Uzza's touching it was the culmination of a heinous sin, not a simple slip of his hand.
It is one thing to be shocked by these stories, but another to stands as God's judge because of them. These are shocking things because God is holy and we are not. We rarely understand the meaning of this. We must bow the knee and worship, not place ourselves as the judge of God's actions or character.
Another very helpful passage was Sproul's treatment of the Rich Young Ruler who claims to have kept all the laws of God. Jesus tells him to "go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
As Sproul notes, this is a frequently misunderstood passage. Many use it as an example to show that we should "get rid of all private property." Many others show rather, that the Rich Young Ruler is unwilling to give up an idol--his riches. This is true, but Sproul helpfully frames this in the context of the Ten Commandments. He writes:
"If we speculate and try to get into the secret recesses of Jesus' mind, we can imagine a thought process that went something like this: Oh, you have kept all the commandments since you were a child. Well, let's see. What is the first commandment? Oh, yes, "You shall have no other gods before me. " Let's see how you do with that one. Jesus put him to the test. If anything in the rich man's life came before God, it was his money. Jesus set the challenge precisely at this point, at the point of the man's obedience to commandment number one: "Go, sell all that you have...." What did the man do? How did he handle his only blemish? He walked away sorrowfully, for he had great possessions. The man was put to the test of the Ten Commandments, and he flunked out after the first question. The point of this narrative is not to lay down a law that a Christian must get rid of all private property. The point is for us to understand what obedience is and what goodness actually requires. Jesus called the man's bluff, and the man folded."
I suppose this is not a radical insight, but it is one that I'd missed in my reading. This is the kind of thing found throughout the book. I highly recommend it--particularly to young readers, as it is not a difficult to understand book, but it is often difficult to read as it puts man in his place.
To this end, most of the book is Sproul examining personal stories that demonstrate holiness, but more importantly, and more extensively, he looks at the Bible to show what Scripture has to say about holiness.
Early on he looks at the Lord's Prayer, and notes that when we say it we "...often confuse the words "hallowed be your name" with part of the address, as if the words were "hallowed is your name." In that case the words would merely be an ascription of praise to God. But that is not how Jesus said it. He uttered it as a petition, as the first petition. We should be praying that God's name be hallowed, that God be regarded as holy."
Yes, the Lord's name is holy, but the prayer is primarily a petition that God's name be treated as holy. This emphasis is significant in that it sets the whole tone of the book. The holiness of God is not something to be taken lightly or irreverently. As Sproul later shows, God is holy and his holiness is a consuming fire. Even Moses was too unholy to see more than the back of God through the crack of a rock. This is a shocking thing, when one ponders it.
Some of the most helpful parts of the book are Sproul's examination of the deaths of Nahab, Abihu, and Uzza. They all died because they broke the law of God in rebellious, public ways. God struck Nahab and Abihu dead for offering "strange fire." Sproul shows the true rebellious nature of their sin. He also shows the casual nature the ark of God was treated by Uzza and his throng as they transported it. Uzza's touching it was the culmination of a heinous sin, not a simple slip of his hand.
It is one thing to be shocked by these stories, but another to stands as God's judge because of them. These are shocking things because God is holy and we are not. We rarely understand the meaning of this. We must bow the knee and worship, not place ourselves as the judge of God's actions or character.
Another very helpful passage was Sproul's treatment of the Rich Young Ruler who claims to have kept all the laws of God. Jesus tells him to "go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
As Sproul notes, this is a frequently misunderstood passage. Many use it as an example to show that we should "get rid of all private property." Many others show rather, that the Rich Young Ruler is unwilling to give up an idol--his riches. This is true, but Sproul helpfully frames this in the context of the Ten Commandments. He writes:
"If we speculate and try to get into the secret recesses of Jesus' mind, we can imagine a thought process that went something like this: Oh, you have kept all the commandments since you were a child. Well, let's see. What is the first commandment? Oh, yes, "You shall have no other gods before me. " Let's see how you do with that one. Jesus put him to the test. If anything in the rich man's life came before God, it was his money. Jesus set the challenge precisely at this point, at the point of the man's obedience to commandment number one: "Go, sell all that you have...." What did the man do? How did he handle his only blemish? He walked away sorrowfully, for he had great possessions. The man was put to the test of the Ten Commandments, and he flunked out after the first question. The point of this narrative is not to lay down a law that a Christian must get rid of all private property. The point is for us to understand what obedience is and what goodness actually requires. Jesus called the man's bluff, and the man folded."
I suppose this is not a radical insight, but it is one that I'd missed in my reading. This is the kind of thing found throughout the book. I highly recommend it--particularly to young readers, as it is not a difficult to understand book, but it is often difficult to read as it puts man in his place.
November 9, 2021
This has to be one of my favourites so far. Even though I know I’ll never fully wrap my head around the holiness of God, this book definitely gave me a better understanding of it and it was very easy to read. I liked that R.C Sproul gave multiple biblical examples of where we see God’s holiness, rather than just writing a book based on his own knowledge. This book answered a lot of questions I didn’t even know I had, about the seemingly “angry” or “unjust” actions of God in the bible, especially in the OT(I know he isn’t nor has ever been an angry or unjust God, just to put that out there). Would definitely recommend this book to anyone. Go read it.
February 25, 2022
This was a fantastic read. Sproul breaks down huge concepts so well and does a great job of helping us to begin to wrap our head around aspects of the holiness of God. The chapters ‘The Insanity of Luther’ and ‘Holy Justice’ I particularly enjoyed. I know I’ll remember things this book taught for years to come.
October 17, 2011
After the Bible, this book should be the first read by any new Christian.
January 18, 2018
R. C. Sproul is becoming on of my favorite authors. This book is filled with wisdom. If you haven't read it you should.
December 16, 2019
This is a very eye-opening, thought-provoking, and convicting read. Definitely high on my list of Christian nonfiction recommendations.
June 26, 2020
Excellent. À lire plusieurs fois dans sa vie.
December 8, 2021
Eminently readable, highly insightful--this was an important read for me. I loved doing an extended study on God's Holiness this fall--between Jackie Hill Perry's "Holier Than Thou" and this book, I feel like I have newfound perspective on just how unable I am to comprehend how overwhelming God is. Sproul's insights on the Rich Young Ruler and Uzzah touching the Ark stuck out to me. How amazing is it that the God who struck down Uzzah for touching the Ark with seemingly-well-intentioned-yet-still-unholy hands entered (and exited) Mary's womb. Reading this book helped emphasize the utter beauty and significance of Christ's humiliation for me, which is enough on it's own to earn 5 stars, as far as I'm concerned.
June 23, 2021
O livro faz jus à fama que tem. Que livro especial. Embora não exaustivo, Sproul aborda vários aspectos da santidade de Deus, intercalando-a com a nossa própria vida e chamado à santidade que temos. Sem dúvida, um must read para todos os amantes de teologia e piedade.
June 10, 2023
Ein zeitloser Klassiker, den jeder Christ lesen sollte. Heiligkeit ist die einzige Eigenschaft Gottes, die in der Heiligen Schrift dreifach betont wird. Umso wichtiger ist es, zu lernen und zu verstehen, was Gottes Heiligkeit bedeutet und welche Auswirkungen seine Heiligkeit auf mein Leben hat. Dieses Buch ist keine trockene theologische Lektüre. Es liest sich sehr interessant und abwechslungsreich. Zu Beginn schreibt Sproul über seine Begegnung mit dem heiligen Gott und welche Auswirkungen diese Begegnung auf sein Leben hatte. Es gelingt ihm zu zeigen, wie dramatisch die Heiligkeit Gottes ist. Sproul geht auf die schwierigen Bibelstellen im Alten Testament ein, in denen Gott Gericht übt und dadurch seine Heiligkeit offenbart. Seine Ausführungen helfen, Gottes Gerichte biblisch richtig einzuordnen und zu verstehen. Gott ist dabei keineswegs ein unbarmherziger, eiskalter, rachsüchtiger Gott. Um das Gericht Gottes richtig zu verstehen, erklärt Sproul auch die biblischen Grundbegriffe Heiligkeit, Gerechtigkeit, Sünde und Gnade. Außerdem gibt er einen Einblick in das Leben Martin Luthers, wie dieser mit der Gerechtigkeit Gottes rang, bis er den Durchbruch hatte und erkannte, dass der Gerechte allein aus Glauben lebt. Im Verlauf des Buches macht Sproul sehr deutlich, dass jeder Mensch vor Gott schuldig ist und eine sofortige Bestrafung verdient. Die Frage ist also nicht, warum Sünde bestraft wird, sondern warum Gott die ständige Rebellion der Menschen duldet. Dieses Buch hat mein Bild von Gott geschärft. Es enthält viele tolle Stellen, die einen bewegen und Gott groß machen. Dabei spielt es keine Rolle, ob du schon lange gläubig bist oder Gott gerade erst kennen gelernt hast. Nimm dieses Buch zur Hand und wachse in der Erkenntnis Gottes.
February 27, 2023
I read this one chapter at a time with a group of guys and loved the conversations it inspired. This served as a great, balancing complement to “Gentle and Lowly.” I walk away with such a clear picture of God as big and holy and set apart. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on “Holy Justice.” Here are a couple of my favorite quotes from that chapter:
“We are not really surprised that God has redeemed us. Somewhere deep inside, in the secret chambers of our hearts, we harbor the notion that God owes us His mercy. Heaven would not be quite the same if we were excluded from it. We know that we are sinners, but we are surely not as bad as we could be. There are enough redeeming features to our personalities that if God is really just, He will include us in salvation. What amazes is justice, not grace.”
“It is impossible for anyone, anywhere, anytime to DESERVE grace. Grace by definition is undeserved. As soon as we talk about deserving something, we are no longer talking about grace; we are talking about justice. Only justice can be deserved. God is never obligated to be merciful. Mercy and grace must be voluntary or they are no longer mercy and grace. God never ‘owes’ grace. He reminds us more than once: ‘I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy’ (Exodus 33:19). This is the divine prerogative. God reserves for himself the supreme right of executive clemency.”
“We are not really surprised that God has redeemed us. Somewhere deep inside, in the secret chambers of our hearts, we harbor the notion that God owes us His mercy. Heaven would not be quite the same if we were excluded from it. We know that we are sinners, but we are surely not as bad as we could be. There are enough redeeming features to our personalities that if God is really just, He will include us in salvation. What amazes is justice, not grace.”
“It is impossible for anyone, anywhere, anytime to DESERVE grace. Grace by definition is undeserved. As soon as we talk about deserving something, we are no longer talking about grace; we are talking about justice. Only justice can be deserved. God is never obligated to be merciful. Mercy and grace must be voluntary or they are no longer mercy and grace. God never ‘owes’ grace. He reminds us more than once: ‘I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy’ (Exodus 33:19). This is the divine prerogative. God reserves for himself the supreme right of executive clemency.”
August 7, 2018
The beauty of God's holiness expounded by Sproul compels me to fear and draws me to worship. One of the most impacting books I've ever read.
Favorite quotes:
"The moment Jesus was slain, the instant the Just One died for the unjust, the veil in the temple was torn, The presence of God became accessible to us. For the Christian the "No Access" sign was removed from the gates of paradise. e ay now walk freely on holy ground. We have access to His grace, but even more, we have access to Him. Justified people need no longer say to the Holy One, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man."
"I am sure that the reason I have a deep hunger to learn of the holiness of God is precisely because I am not holy. I am a profane man-a man who spends more time out of the temple than in it. But I have had just enough of a taste of the majesty of God to want more. I know what it means to be a forgiven man and what it means to be sent on a mission. My soul cries for more. My soul needs more."
Favorite quotes:
"The moment Jesus was slain, the instant the Just One died for the unjust, the veil in the temple was torn, The presence of God became accessible to us. For the Christian the "No Access" sign was removed from the gates of paradise. e ay now walk freely on holy ground. We have access to His grace, but even more, we have access to Him. Justified people need no longer say to the Holy One, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man."
"I am sure that the reason I have a deep hunger to learn of the holiness of God is precisely because I am not holy. I am a profane man-a man who spends more time out of the temple than in it. But I have had just enough of a taste of the majesty of God to want more. I know what it means to be a forgiven man and what it means to be sent on a mission. My soul cries for more. My soul needs more."
March 5, 2018
Chapter 6, "Holy Justice," was superb. I'll definitely be re-reading that chapter when I can! God is never unjust in his dealings with men; He either shows mercy, or shows justice. But He so frequently shows mercy, that humans begin to demand His mercy, and scorn His justice. Chapter 6 is worth your time and attention.
August 5, 2022
Had to read this Sproul classic. Was surprised at the approachability of the man. Would serve as an alright primer for those wanting to dabble in reformed thinking.
“The cross was at once the most horrible and the most beautiful example of God’s wrath. It was the most just and the most gracious act in history.”
“The cross was at once the most horrible and the most beautiful example of God’s wrath. It was the most just and the most gracious act in history.”
November 29, 2022
I wish I had read this when I was in high school! I was inspired yet again to plead with God to help me sense the weight and wonder of his holiness each day. Get this for your children or cousins or students or friends! I think it will be especially helpful for those who haven’t grown up in contexts where they’ve been exposed to “big God theology.”
March 15, 2021
When I first began reading this book, I asked myself what “holy” meant. My answer was “untouchable” which is accurate to a certain extent I believe. Sproul teaches that holiness is pure & set apart. I truly enjoyed reading this. There were some words I needed to look up, but his writing style is pretty straight forward and easy to understand. The Old Testament encounters of God’s holiness was truly remarkable and had me convicted in areas I never thought possible. I enjoyed the chapter on Martin Luther. I feel so relatable to him in some ways in his pursuit of faith alone and what that truly means. I have a whole different perspective and reverence for God’s holiness after reading this book. I think it’s something that every Christian should definitely read.
May 14, 2021
Great thought provoking book. The chapters in God's grace and justice were especially interesting, it was eye opening to hear how our human perception can skew how we view those attributes. Didn't agree 100% with everything but definitely I book I'll revisit.
October 26, 2022
An absolutely wonderful book, and one that I will definitely be reading again.
January 23, 2023
Didn't know where Sproul was gonna go with this, but he explains God's holiness with great depth and breadth. Throughout the book, Sproul draws on examples from the Bible to vividly illustrate his points; he's a strong storyteller. As something that is easy to become indifferent or ignorant to, learning more about God's holiness in contrast to our sinfulness is a humbling experience I'd recommend to almost any believer.
July 25, 2025
”God is inescapable. There is no place we can hide from Him. […] Therefore we must seek to understand what the holy is. We dare not seek to avoid it. There can be no worship, no spiritual growth, no true obedience without it. It defines our goal as Christians. God has declared, ‘Be holy, because I am holy’ (Lev. 11:44). To reach that goal, we must understand what holiness is.”
The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul was fantastic. I’ve come to realize just how central an understanding of God’s holiness is to the Christian faith. Without it, we cannot hope to comprehend the character of God nor become holy as we are called to be.
Being holy, Sproul explains, is about being set apart - transcendently separate.
The human response when confronted by God’s perfect holiness, time and time again, from Moses, to Isaiah, Peter, Paul, and to Luther, has been the “mysterium tremendem” - a bottomless dread, an abject creatureliness.
In His holiness, there is no blemish, no injustice, no evil. With this, we can begin to understand even the most “brutal” examples of God’s wrath in the Old Testament. Sproul’s book was essential to my deepened understanding of God’s holiness, and helped me evaluate and appreciate my position in His grace.
Highlighted quotes:
”Today I am still absorbed with the question of the holiness of God. I am convinced that it is one of the most important ideas that a Christian can ever grapple with. It is basic to our whole understanding of God and of Christianity.”
“The idea of holiness is so central to biblical teaching that it is said of God, “Holy is his name” (Luke 1:49). His name is holy because He is holy. He is not always treated with holy reverence. His name is tramped through the dirt of this world. It functions as a curse word, a platform for the obscene. That the world has little respect for God is vividly seen by the way the world regards His name. No honor. No reverence. No awe before Him.”
“But something was missing in my early Christian life. I had abundant zeal, but it was marked by a shallowness, a kind of simplicity that was making me a one-dimensional person. I was a Unitarian of sorts, a Unitarian of the second person of the Trinity. I knew who Jesus was, but God the Father was shrouded in mystery. He was hidden, an enigma to my mind and a stranger to my soul. A dark veil covered His face.”
“My experience in the classroom, thinking about the creation of the world, was like being born again a second time. It was like being converted, not merely to God the Son, but to God the Father. Suddenly I had a passion to know God the Father. I wanted to know Him in His majesty, to know Him in His power, to know Him in His august holiness.”
“Though I was deeply impressed by the notion of a God who created a whole universe from nothing, I was troubled by the fact that the world we live in is a place filled with sorrows. It is a world riddled with evil. My next question was, How could a good and holy God create a world that is in such a mess? As I studied the Old Testament, I was also bothered by the stories about God’s ordering the slaughter of women and children, of God’s killing Uzzah instantly for touching the ark of the covenant, and by other narratives that seemed to reveal a brutal side to the character of God. How could I ever come to love such a God?”
“Only once in sacred Scripture is an attribute of God elevated to the third degree. Only once is a characteristic of God mentioned three times in succession. The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy, or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love; or mercy, mercy, mercy; or wrath, wrath, wrath; or justice, justice, justice. It does say that He is holy, holy, holy, that the whole earth is full of His glory.”
“We fear God because He is holy. Our fear is not the healthy fear that the Bible encourages us to have. Our fear is a servile fear, a fear born of dread. God is too great for us; He is too awesome. He makes difficult demands on us. He is the Mysterious Stranger who threatens our security. In His presence we quake and tremble. Meeting Him personally may be our greatest trauma.”
“In Otto’s study of the human experience of the holy, he discovered that the clearest sensation that human beings have when they experience the holy is an overpowering and overwhelming sense of creatureliness. That is, when we are aware of the presence of God, we become most aware of ourselves as creatures. When we meet the Absolute, we know immediately that we are not absolute. When we meet the Infinite, we become acutely conscious that we are finite. When we meet the Eternal, we know we are temporal. To meet God is a powerful study in contrasts.”
“Whoever reads the Old Testament must struggle with the apparent brutality of God’s judgment found there. For many people this is as far as they read. They stumble over the violent passages we call the “hard sayings.” Some people see these sayings as sufficient reason to reject Christianity out of hand. These hard sayings seem ample reason to hold the Old Testament God in contempt. Others try to soften the blow by turning the Old Testament into a religious parable or by applying a method of cut and paste, assigning the more brutal passages to the level of primitive myth. Some even go so far as to argue that the Old Testament God is a different God from the New Testament God—a shadowy God with a bad temper, a kind of demonic deity whose blazing wrath is beneath the dignity of the New Testament God of love.”
“There is a reason why we are offended, indeed angered, by the story of Uzzah and the story of Nadab and Abihu. We find these things difficult to stomach because we do not understand four vitally important biblical concepts: holiness, justice, sin, and grace. We do not understand what it means to be holy. We do not understand what justice is. We do not understand what sin is. We do not understand what grace is.”
“Was it evil for God to impose the death penalty for all sin? If you say yes, be careful. If you say yes, you are saying it as an expression of the very fallen, sinful nature that exposes you to the death penalty in the first place. If you say yes, you slander the character of God. If you say yes, you do violence to His holiness. If you say yes, you assail the righteous Judge of all the earth. If you say yes, you have never come to grips with what sin is. We must not say yes. We must say no and say it with conviction.”
“We must add that there is no real conflict between the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament. It was the Old Testament God whom Christ called “Father.” It was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son to redeem it.”
“The most violent expression of God’s wrath and justice is seen in the Cross. If ever a person had room to complain of injustice, it was Jesus. He was the only innocent man ever to be punished by God. If we stagger at the wrath of God, let us stagger at the Cross. Here is where our astonishment should be focused. If we have cause for moral outrage, let it be directed at Golgotha.”
“This is one of the most difficult of the “hard sayings” of Jesus. The question is raised, What about the people Pilate slaughtered, or the innocent people killed by the falling of the tower? Where was God in these events? The question under discussion was, How could God allow these things to happen? The question is actually a thinly veiled accusation. The issue was, as always, How can God allow innocent people to suffer?”
“In two decades of teaching theology, I have had countless students ask me why God doesn’t save everybody. Only once did a student come to me and say, “There is something I just can’t figure out. Why did God redeem me?”
“The normal activity of God involves far more mercy than I showed those students with their term papers. Old Testament history covers hundreds of years. In that time God was repeatedly merciful. When His divine judgment fell on Nadab or Uzzah, the response was shock and outrage. We have come to expect God to be merciful. From there the next step is easy: We demand it.”
“That I am drawing breath this morning is an act of divine mercy. God owes me nothing. I owe Him everything. If He allows a tower to fall on my head this afternoon, I cannot claim injustice.”
“No matter how much injustice I have suffered from the hands of other people, I have never suffered the slightest injustice from the hand of God.”
“The injustices we suffer are all of a horizontal sort. They happen between actors in this world. Yet standing over and above this world is the Great Judge of all. My relationship to Him is vertical. In terms of that vertical relationship I never suffer an injustice. Though people may mistreat me, God never does. That God allows a human being to treat me unjustly is just of God. While I may complain to God about the human, horizontal injustice I have suffered, I cannot rise up and accuse God of committing a vertical injustice by allowing the human injustice to befall me. God would be perfectly just to allow me to be thrown in prison for life for a crime I didn’t commit. I may be innocent before other people, but I am guilty before God.”
“It is impossible for anyone, anywhere, anytime to deserve grace. Grace by definition is undeserved. As soon as we talk about deserving something, we are no longer talking about grace; we are talking about justice. Only justice can be deserved. God is never obligated to be merciful. Mercy and grace must be voluntary or they are no longer mercy and grace. God never “owes” grace. He reminds us more than once: “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy”
“Suppose ten people sin and sin equally. Suppose God punishes five of them and is merciful to the other five. Is this injustice? No! In this situation five people get justice and five get mercy. No one gets injustice. What we tend to assume is this: If God is merciful to five, He must be equally merciful to the other five. Why? He is never obligated to be merciful. If He is merciful to nine of the ten, the tenth cannot claim to be a victim of injustice. God never owes mercy.”
“The key method Paul underscores as the means to the transformed life is by the “renewal of the mind.” This means nothing more and nothing less than education. Serious education. In-depth education. Disciplined education in the things of God. It calls for a mastery of the Word of God. We need to be people whose lives have changed because our minds have changed.”
“Gone are the Gothic arches; gone are the stained-glass windows; gone are the sermons that stir the soul to moral anguish. Ours is an upbeat generation with the accent on self-improvement and a broad-minded view of sin.”
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