THE LOST DOCTRINE--Part IV The Holiness of Holiness in Four Forgotten But Important Places

THE UNIQUE HOLINESS OF GOD.
The first three installments of this series reintroduced us to the biblical centrality of holiness, without which we cannot understand just Who God really is. Holiness is the very essence of God. Unlike all the universe, He is outside space-time. He is uncreated. He is non-contingent, needing nothing to be, to continue to be, and to be happy. He is so unlike all the rest of reality that it has to be expressed by a special adjective He gave us to describe Him--Holy, Holy, Holy. Holiness is that characteristic of God that names His vast difference from everything else, this enormous apartness, this gigantic otherness.

There is no way to describe Him. We can only describe created things like Him.

Then I discussed the place of holiness among the other characteristics of God. God is righteous, loving, holy, all powerful, all knowing, prescient, present everywhere at once, eternal, wrathful, merciful, etc. There are two common views of the place of holiness among the attributes. First, is the idea that holiness is one among a number of attributes. God is this, God is that, God is the next thing, and one of those things is holy. This is the older of the two, but it is wrong. The second common view of holiness among the attributes of God is the newer and even worse idea that love is the highest attribute of God. All other attributes are subservient too love. Love conquers all, including all the other attributes of God, it seems. As a result of this view, God orders all things in His program for mankind to achieve the goal of love and attributes like righteousness, holiness, and wrath are downplayed or omitted completely in the minds of many church--goers and preachers.

Still older than the two views mentioned is the biblical view that holiness is the chief attribute of God. All other attributes are governed by holiness, can only be properly understood in light of holiness, and are originated in God's uniqueness--His holiness. There is none like Him.

THE UNIQUE HOLINESS OF HOLINESS AMONG THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD.
Still reviewing, I discussed, also, the fact that holiness, even as an attribute all in its own right, apart from its status as an attribute of God is holy. Yes, holiness is unique--holy among the other attributes. Every other attribute can be balanced by it's opposite without being changed in its essence. Righteousness can be balanced by mercy. That is what the atonement was about. The Righteous One became merciful without being one iota unrighteous. Even the Lamb remained righteous in essence, when my unrighteousness was imputed to Him so that He could experience the wrath of the Father. Power can be balanced by self-control, without weakening the power at all. Love can be balanced by wrath and remain loving.

Some may ask, "Can't holiness by countered by mercy, since the holiness of God demands justice?" This is a mistake that is rooted in the fact that holiness is often mistaken as another word for righteousness. Holiness is often mistaken this way simply because we live in such an unrighteous world that the righteousness of God is in stark contrast to the unrighteousness of the world around us. God's holiness includes righteousness, but it also includes His power, His love, His knowledge, and so forth. All these attributes are holy unto God because no one has power, knowledge, and love like His. Holiness is much more than righteousness. It is all that God is. All that God is is different, set apart, unique, separated--in a word holy. God's Godness is His holiness.



Holiness, on the other hand, isn't like the other attributes. Apartness disappears when it joins. Purity is ruined by mixing and dilution. There is no counter to the attribute of holiness that doesn't destroy it. It is, thus, unique among the attributes. Indeed, holiness is the only attribute by which God will swear and expects people to do the same. He swears by His Name and by His holiness. Recall that the personal name of God, Yahweh, indicates His holiness strongly, as laid out in Part III. Also, read these passages:

"Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David."--Psalm 89:35

"Nevertheless hear the word of the LORD, all Judah who are living in the land of Egypt, 'Behold, I have sworn by My great name,' says the LORD, 'never shall My name be invoked again by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, "As the Lord God lives."--Jeremiah 44:26

"Then it will come about that if they will really learn the ways of My people, to swear by My name, 'As the LORD lives,' even as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then they will be built up in the midst of My people."--Jeremiah 12:16

THE HOLINESS OF CHRISTIANITY AMONG RELIGIONS.
The concept of the holiness of God is unique to the religion of Scripture. While all religions, to my knowledge, have a concept of holiness, only the religion of Scripture has a holiness like the holiness of the God of Scripture. True, this is still a review, but I want to go further here. I have written already in passing of the God of Scripture being outside space-time. That may sound pseudo-hip and modern, like a clever adaptation of modern scientific language retrofitted onto a religion of the past--a cute lie to disguise the obsolescence of an old religion.

It isn't. As early as Augustine the idea of Yahweh being outside space and time was discussed. Augustine lived from 354 to 430. He said that before creation there was no time. God created both space and time. Sound a bit like Einstein? Well yes, it does, doesn't it? One more proof that the Scripture is reliable, predicting something so counter intuitive that it's truth wouldn't be discovered by the brightest human minds until thousands of years later. No other religion speaks of the beginning of time and space. (1) In fact, no other religion speaks about a god who is outside space-time.

THE HOLINESS OF THE SCRIPTURAL GOD'S PEOPLE.
"Be holy because I am holy." God's people are called to be holy for a specific reason. It isn't to gain favor or to gain heaven or to set a good example for the kids. They are to be holy because God is.

This brings with it a question. Just what kind of holiness should we have? Is it to be the holiness of other religions--kind of different, but not qualitatively? Gods of other religions aren't different from creation qualitatively, but quantitatively. That is the gods of other people are made of stone, metal, wood, or flesh, but much bigger or more powerful. If none of this is true of a particular god, that god is never considered outside space-time, but operates within space-time just like we do. Their gods are just like them or quiet similar, but bigger, wiser, more powerful, invisible, or some such thing as that. Only the God of Scripture is wholly different, outside time and space. He is qualitatively different and more so than any god conceived by men.

This being so, isn't our holiness to be radical? We aren't to be like the Catholics, Buddhists, or Mormons, but more fervent. We are to be entirely different. As the God of Scripture is hated and was even killed when He became flesh, are we to be different from Him or different from those around us? We are to be so different that it is hard for us to live in peace, according to Scripture. If we aren't hounded and hated, we aren't His. But more on that in later installments.

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.

(1) D'Souza, Dinesh; What's So Great About Christianity; Tyndale House Publishers; Carol Stream Illinois; 2007; p. 125.

NEXT TIME: Holiness and the problem of evil--Bad things happen. Are we concerned or just whining?

AND: If a radical holiness is the foremost quality of your God, what should yours be?

JUST THE BIBLE ACADEMY MISSION STATEMENT

This fall will be the beginning of something new I'm doing. God willing, I'm starting something I call Just the Bible Academy. It will be unaccredited and unofficial. It will be an alternative to going to seminary or Bible college. It will give the student a better understanding of the original languages of Scripture than most seminaries. It will give the student a MUCH better understanding of Scripture than most Bible colleges and seminaries. It won't leave the student in debt. It will be done live and interactively over the internet, available to individuals and churches. It will be centered on two things: The Bible and how to study it for yourself.

Here is the mission statement in embryonic form. I will publish it again with a fuller explanation of the twelve things I've listed here.

FOUR OBJECTIVES.
1. To replace of the education of pastors by faceless, unaccountable institutions with the discipleship by pastors and godly men in the churches, as the New Testament example demands.
2. To return the education of pastors to biblicity of content.
3. To educate Christians in the languages of Scripture.
4. To offer in-depth, systematic Bible study and the training to study the Bible in the original languages to the entire church.

EIGHT BENEFITS OF THE FOUR OBJECTIVES.
1. Pastors will have more knowledge of Scripture.
2. Pastors will be more accountable, because other men in the congregation will be more informed in Scripture.
3. Trainers of pastors will be more accountable, because they will be in the local church, not financed by the local church, and working in a distant city.
4. The resources of the local church will be saved to reach their own city or support missionaries, rather than supporting teachers and campuses unnecessarily.
5. Money won't be the motivation to train pastors. Love for God and the disciple will be the motivation.
6. Pastors will be more free to be biblical because they can be free from financial obligations.
7. More men will be able to train for the pastorate because they won't need money, opening the pastorate to men of God's choosing, whether rich or poor.
8. More Christians will be able to evaluate modern translations, many of which aren't honestly done.

THE LOST DOCTRINE--Part III The Names of God and the Great Lie of Modern Evangelicalism

I AM. Yahweh of Armies. The Holy Spirit. Son. Holy, Holy, Holy. Love. The Truth. The Way. The Life. Father. Holy Father. Creator. Lion. Eagle. Bridegroom. Husband. Judge. King. Lawgiver. Warrior. Physician. Builder. Maker. Shepherd. Lamb. Hen. The Sun. Shield. Light. Salvation. Defense of My Life. Fountain of Life. Hiding Place. Root and Offspring of David. Bright Morning Star. Lamp. Temple. Rock. God of Faithfulness. Strong Tower. The Most High. The Almighty.

GOD'S NAMES SPELL HOLINESS.
Not love. Not power. Not mercy. Not knowledge. Not righteousness. God's names almost all breath holiness. I believe all do when understood in context.

Above are a few of God's names, starting with His actual personal name. In Part II, I discussed the fact that holiness was part of God's personal name. I AM is a name that no one can claim but Him.

In addition, God has a number of other names or titles that describe Him in one way or another. All the titles highlight a specific thing about God, such as His power, mercy, omniscience, etc. "God is Yahweh of Armies." Most translations say "Lord of Hosts". That means something specific about God. It is a mention of God's power and status as a warrior leading other warriors, a conqueror. But George Bush can say that. He lead a nation in a war and conquered another nation.

So are George and God warriors in the same sense? No. George had to tax millions of people for money for the war. He had to recruit thousands of young men as soldiers, sailors, and airmen. He had to get thousands of others to train these young men. He did nothing much with his own power.

God's power is nothing like that. All the power of God's army is from God Himself. George has no power against another nation. He borrowed power.

In addition, George fought vicariously through young men, borrowing their power, to defeat a nation of men who were made of flesh and blood just like his flesh and blood. Not so God. He fights no one like Him, because there is no one like Him. He is a Spirit who can speak all flesh out of existence. No flesh now lives without His powerful arm supporting it and His omniscient mind ordering each vibration of each sub-atomic particle in each molecule of every cell. Anyone in His army exists just because God makes him exist and his power is borrowed from God.

In short, God is the leader like no other of armies like no other.

The same sort of thing can be said about all the other names. "God is love" doesn't mean the same thing that "Phil is love" means. It means that God is a loving being. Well, so am I. I love my wife. I love my dogs. I love reading the Bible. I love my family. Each of these things and people I love are things that cause me to love them. I fell in love with my wife because she was and looked a certain way. I love my dogs for certain reasons, too. I love God because He first loved me. My love is selfish and caused. His love is unselfish and uncaused.

The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness."--Jeremiah 31:3.

And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion."--Exodus 33:19.

In other words, God loves just because He has decreed it so. His love is uncaused and free. It is like no other love. Even His love is holy.

All of God's attributes are one of a kind and separate from the some sort of attribute possessed by any other being. Everything in reality is created, except God. Remember, holiness is differentness, called-outness, unmixedness, outsideness, uniqueness, purity. Only God is uncreated. All else is created and derived. My love is some capacity God created within me. His love is outside created reality and cannot be compared to mine in any way whatsoever, except that both are love, but of very different kinds. My power is created, derived, and limited. His is uncaused, unlimited.

All power, all love, all righteousness, all compassion, all mercy, all wrath, all justice, all intelligence is created, limited, and derived. Except God's. His love, power, justice, mercy, knowledge, is unlimited, uncaused, uncreated, underived, and unknown to us except by His gracious revelation. He doesn't know like we know. He doesn't love like we love. He doesn't exercise power like we do.

ALL GOD'S OTHER ATTRIBUTES ARE GOVERNED BY THE HIGHEST ATTRIBUTE--HOLINESS.
When I was young, I was taught that there was a great God and He had a number of attributes. They were all His attributes and there wasn't a real order of importance given. They were all equally His, none higher than the other, unless by the emphasis given by a particular preacher. It looked a lot like this:

MEism (Modern Evangelicalism) typically sees it another way. "God is love" seems to be the ruling principle that governs all other things about God. His wrath is governed by His love, so it is often said God doesn't send anyone to hell. (So how do they get there, I wonder?) It looks like this:

While this scheme isn't often formally articulated, it seems, by the teaching, the preaching, and the beliefs of folks in the pew, God's love is His foremost attribute. Love governs all else. He wants everyone saved and happy. Love limits His power, His wrath, and His sovereignty.

This isn't biblical. Holiness (uniqueness, differentness, apartness) isn't just one of the attributes. It governs all the others. God's love, being underived and uncreated, is unique from the love of all others. Their loves are derived from the creative hand of God. On the other hand, God's uniqueness (holiness) isn't anymore loving than it is powerful or wrathful or merciful or sovereign. But His sovereignty is indeed holy, different and unique from all others. All His attributes are uncaused, underived, uncontingent, independent in their very essense. So, the biblical scheme looks like this:

HOLINESS IS THE VERY EXCELLENCY OF THE DIVINE NATURE--A. W. Pink.(1)
Isaiah 6 tells us that the Lord of hosts is holy, holy, holy. Why is this sort of statement stressed less that "God is love" from I John? Never is God called love, love, love. In Psalm 89:35, we see that God swears by His holiness. He never swears by His love, does He? Mr. Pink called the holiness of God "an excellency about all His other perfections" and "the glory of every perfection in the Godhead". (2)

The highest attribute of God is holiness. God's holiness is powerful, but it is also meek. His holiness is loving, but it is also wrathful. His holiness is sovereign, but humble. However, the opposite isn't true. His love is holy, but not impure. His power is holy, but not unholy. His sovereignty is holy, but not mixed with the common. All other attributes of God are balanced. Love and anger. Power and control. Mercy and justice. Righteousness and compassion. Knowledge and the determination to impute righteousness and forget sin in His beloved. Even His sovereignty humbles Itself to use the will of man to carry out the decree God made in whatever was before the foundation of the world. Not so holiness. Purity isn't balanced with impurity. If it is, it's ruined. It's no longer pure, but impure. Uniquensess isn't complemented by conformity. It is sullied. It's no longer unique. God is just holy, holy, holy.

YAHWEH IS THE ONLY HOLY GOD.
All other religions have a concept of the holy. That seems to be implanted in us. However, Yahweh is the only holy God. Other gods may be called holy by their followers, but they really aren't. They are very like the creation. First, they're created. Usually by man. We make them up or we follow created demons and call them gods. Second, their attributes are just human attributes exaggerated. They aren't seen as outside of space-time. They live space-time. Yahweh is eternal and omnipresent. That means He is outside space-time. Apollo looked like a man and did things with his arms and legs just like you might do them if you were a cartoon. That's why idols are often statues. We take what little we know and rearrange it just so-so and call it Fred, God of Gerbals, Kangaroos, and Giraffes. And our neighbor makes Nora, Goddess of Bathwater and Navels. Another man takes a half horse and half man and creates something else in his imagination. Worse, a person goes to church and imagines a god who only loves people, never hates them for their sin, gets a job preaching and tells folks that he found this god in the Bible somewhere.

Our God is holy, holy, holy. Nobody is like Him.

Be holy,
Phil Perkins.

(1)Pink, A. W.; The Attributes of God; Sovereign Grace Publishers; Lafayette, Indiana; copyright 2002 by Jay P. Greene Sr.; ISBN 1-58960-320-6; p. 43.
(2) ibid. p. 44.