Well, good morning. Hope everybody's doing well. Made it through another winter storm. Ice was pretty. Friday morning going to work. I mentioned to Brother Wade if we ever wondered what it felt like to be in a deep freeze, we could see then. But that ice sure was pretty. It's pretty dangerous now as it's falling off the roof. We're going to be looking in chapter 16 of our Sunday School book, The Knowledge of God, and we're going to be looking at how God is holy. And one of the things we're looking at about God being holy is Him being awesome. And we got to see some awesome beauty this week, beauty that cannot be described. Paul also starts off saying the meaning of holy. The word holy comes from the Hebrew word. I can't pronounce that, but you can read it and it means separated, marked off. Placed apart, withdrawn from common use. With regard to God, the word has two important meanings. God is transcendent above his creation and God's and above his creation's corruption. We must understand that last part. We know that we are living in a sin-cursed world. It is because of the fall of man, the world is in the shape it is in. It is dying. It's hurting. It's crying out for God. Everywhere we look, we see creation crying out to its creator. And if any of us who walk with God know that we cry out all the time, There's lots going on today. There's lots going on in our church today that we cry out to God. Why do we cry out to him? It's because he is holy. It's because he is holy. God is transcendent above his creation. Means he goes beyond, rise above and exceeds. As creator, God is above his creation and totally distinct from every created being. The distinction between God and the rest of his creation is not merely quantitative, which is the same but greater, but qualitative. God is a completely different being. There is none other like him. There is nothing we can compare him to. And we'll see as we get into our text, there's only one thing that he can compare himself to, and that is himself. God is transcended above creation's corruption. The holiness of God means that he transcends the moral corruption of his creation and is separated from all that is profane and sinful. God cannot sin, cannot take pleasure in sin, and cannot have fellowship with sin. It's impossible to overemphasize the importance of God's holiness. What we understand about this attribute will influence every aspect of our relationship with God. As the scriptures declare in Proverbs 9 10, says the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. When we look at the holiness of God, it's important to understand that God's holiness is intrinsic or inherited, the inward essential or belonging to his nature. Holiness is not merely something that God decides to be or do. It's essential to who he is because he is holy. God would have to cease to be God in order to be unholy. He would have to deny his own nature to do something that is unholy. And this is a wonderful truth that inspires such great confidence in our God. The first thing that Paul Washer is pointing out here is in the scriptures. A name has great significance. It communicates something about the person who bears it and what are the names given to God in the following scriptures and what do they communicate to us about his holiness? Once again, Paul Washer gives us Exodus 314. I am who I am. God is holy. He's separate. and distinct from all other beings and things. There is no adequate illustration or example to communicate who he truly is. If you want to know how holy God is, you don't listen to me teaching, don't listen to the preaching, you go to his word. If we ask another man to describe himself, Paul Washer goes on to tell us he can point to another human being and say I am like him or I am like her. And in contrast, God is incomparable. Again, he is the only thing that he can compare himself to. That's why he told Moses I am who I am. In Psalms 119 we read he has sent redemption to his people. He has ordained his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is His name. Holy and awesome is His name. The word awesome here comes from the Hebrew verb yer, which means to fear. In this context, it denotes that God inspires awe and reverence. A proper understanding of the holiness of God will always result in profound reverence before God. In Isaiah 57, 15, he tells us, for thus says the high and exalted one who lives forever, whose name is holy. I dwell on a high and holy place and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite, the high and exalted. That's his name, high and exalted. There is none higher. And the text goes on to say one who lives forever, whose name is what? Holy, holy and the preceding verses, words such as holy, awesome and exalted were used to describe God. What do these words communicate to you about the holiness of God? What do you think the word holy means? Separated. The word holy tells me that God is free from every fault. He is immaculate. He is harmless. He is undefiled. God is separate from sinners and higher than anything, even higher than the heavens, as we continue to study. The word awesome tells me that God is to be feared and respected. Awesome is another one of them words that seem to have lost their meaning, lost their luster in today's society. We use the word awesome to describe tragic events or near miss. Boy, that was awesome. There's no all in it. There's the all the fear of the Lord. There's no all when we think about all. Try to imagine how the Israelites felt when they walked across dry land where sea once was. That's all. Moses didn't do it. The staff didn't do it. Who did it? The Holy One God. The word exalted tells me that God is raised to the highest of heights. God should be the highest part of our lives. God should be exalted because he created us. And made a way for us to be reconciled to him. Through Christ. Can you imagine? How holy that must be? We get caught up in trying to thinking making ourselves holy. I know it's easily done. When you're raising two boys, you want them to think the world of you, right? We get caught up in trying to be holy and righteous, but compared to God, we're nothing. God is holy. He is exalted. He is awesome. The second thing Paul points out to us in the Scriptures, we find that the holiness of God is both preeminent and transcendent. It is preeminent in that no other divine attribute is so often declared and explained in the scriptures. It's transcendent in that there is simply no comparison between the holiness of God and that any other being or thing. He points out God's holiness is preeminent. It's impossible to understand the character of God apart from his holiness. Above all things, God is holy. And how is this truth demonstrated in Isaiah 6, 3 and Revelation 4, 8? And Isaiah 6, I'm gonna read one through three. It says, in the year of King Uzziah's death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of his robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above him, each having six wings. With two, he covered his face, and with two, he covered his feet, and with two, he flew. And one called out to another and said, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. So we see that in Isaiah, the prophet, the Old Testament. God is showing him who he is. There's none other like him. It's so holy that even the seraphim won't even touch the ground, and they constantly call out how holy he is. And then Revelations 4-8 we see where John, he sees this and in the four living creatures, each of them having six wings are full of eyes around and within and day and night they do not cease to say, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the almighty who has and who is and who is to come. Always has been, always will be and always is. These two verses show us that Isaiah and John give us a picture of our holy, awesome and exalted God. Who does not change, who will not change and has never changed. He's the same yesterday, today and forever. He is our creator. God's holiness is eternal. Just as he is eternal. Paul goes on to note here in Hebrews literature, repetition is used to give the emphasis of what is being said, that God's holiness is declared three times. It denotes that God is absolutely and infinitely holy. No other divine attribute is proclaimed with greater emphasis. We never read in scriptures that God is love, love, love or merciful, merciful, merciful, even though we know he is. But but we do read that he is holy, holy, holy. There is nothing holier than God. Holiness is the foundation of all that God is and does. And if there is one attribute of God that we simply cannot overemphasize, it is his holiness. We cannot understand it no matter how hard we try to read commentaries and look at other men's views. You cannot describe how holy God is. He's that holy. In Exodus 1511, we read who is like you among the gods, O Lord, who is like you majestic and holiness, awesome and praises working wonders. What happened in Exodus for them to say this? Y'all remember? There's 10 of them. There's 10 plagues to attack the Egyptians, 10 gods. How many other gods passed God's test? None. None. In this context, in the context, the authors looking back at the Egyptian gods were proven to be false. When God used the 10 plagues to test him, there is no other God than God himself. And he is holy. And second, first Samuel 22 verse two. There is no one holy like the Lord. Indeed, there is no one beside you, nor is there any rock like our God. Again, God is holy. There is no one holy like the Lord. God is majestic, all powerful, all knowing his presence is everywhere and there is nothing. Or no one. Like him. In Job 1515, behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones and the heavens are not pure in his sight. God is holy. He's so holy that even the heavens seem to be impure. This verse does not say that sin is there, that sin is, this verse does not say that sin is there in heaven. It's stating that God is so pure and so great that heaven is incomparable to him. Paul Walsh goes on to say, this does not mean there is sin or corruption in heaven, but communicates two great truths. The first thing is nothing, not even the heavens themselves or those dwell there, is holy like God. And second, God's holiness alone is intrinsic or inherent. Holiness is not merely something that God decides to be or do. It is essential to who he is. Who is he? He's holy. He's holy. In contrast, all other beings and things, even heaven and its holy angels derive their holiness from heaven. No. From God, they are not holy in themselves, but their holiness flows from God as a gift of grace to them. If God turned away from them and withdrew his grace, they would fall from their holy state to sin and corruption. In Isaiah 40, 25, we read, to whom then will you liken me that I would be his equal, says the Holy One. God's wanting to know who we would compare him to. Nobody. Nobody compares to God. No one is equal to God. The third thing that Paul points out in our lesson this morning. Is the holiness of God means not only that he is unique among his all his creation, but also that he is separated from all that is sinful. God cannot sin. He cannot take pleasure in sin. He cannot have fellowship with sin. There is no possibility that God could be tempted or that his nature could be defiled. He always remains as he is holy and incorruptible. You know us as men. We can try to push buttons and do whatever we want to do to get under someone's skin, right? We know that man has a breaking point. God does not have a breaking point. He's left it plain and clear. You obey me or you disobey me, period. And we know what the penalty is, right? He blesses us when we obey him, he punishes us when we disobey him. It's cut and dry. Psalms 5, 4 tells us, for you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness. No evil dwells with you. You know, God has nothing to do with evil because he is holy. God is pure and therefore cannot be wicked. He is holy. Paul tells us here the word dwells translated from the Hebrew word ger, which is literally means to sojourn. God has nothing to do with evil or wickedness. He will not walk with it. He will not sit with it. He will not fellowship with it. Job 3410 says, therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. Wise men, right? Listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wickedness and from the Almighty to do wrong. God did no wrong in allowing. Affliction to happen to Job. We must understand that he done no wrong. Get God cannot be wicked and he cannot do anything wrong because he is holy. God is sovereign over all, even when it seems bad to us as men of understanding. We try to put our own spin on things, right? But God is holy. He does not sin. He does not cause us to live in wickedness. We choose that. Isaiah 59, one and two says, Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save, nor is his ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. Again, God does not separate himself from us. We separate ourselves from him. But he is always there when we call out in repentance. He gave us His Son so that for all who believe, this is where people get confused. Well, I cry out to God and He never helps me. But do you believe that He sent Jesus to be your Lord and Savior? Do you believe that Jesus came and died for your sins? Are you covered in Christ's blood? Because that's the only way God can see us. Because without what Jesus done for us, God cannot see us. Because what is this flesh still? I'm a child saved son of God, but what is this flesh? It's still corrupt. God cannot see this flesh until I made new, right? He sees the blood of Christ on me. That's what it means to be a believer. That's what it means to trust Jesus as Lord. That's what it means to put him above all and everything. Exalted, high, awesome. Holy. We're not holy because of us. We're only holy because of the blood of Christ. If you believe and make him Lord of your life. God is holy. He does not. Sin. And about Habakkuk 113, the first part of verse 13 says your eyes are too pure to approve evil and you cannot look on wickedness with favor. Because God is holy, he cannot and will not approve that which is evil. We must understand that his will is his will. Many today say that because God let something happen that we deem as bad or evil, that God himself made it happen. No, no. We must remember that we live in a fallen world, and it is sin-cursed, and every bad thing that happens here on earth is due to that sin. Not God being evil. He cannot be evil because. He is holy. In James 113, it says, let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God for God cannot be tempted by evil. He himself does not tempt anyone. Again, God cannot sin. He is holy. He will not tempt us, but he can test us. You look at the life of Job. Paul goes on to say that God cannot be tempted does not mean merely that God has moral fortitude to resist all temptation to evil. It means that when evil presents itself to God, there is nothing to resist because he is inherently and absolutely holy. All evil is an abomination to him and does not appeal to him in any way. He is not drawn to it, nor does he have any need to resist it because he abhors it through and through. In James 117 we read every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above coming down from the father of lights with whom there is no variation of shifting shadow. God does not change. Look here. Emotions and simple thinking can trick us into turning away from God And at times it may seem the shadows will fall on us, such as doubt or illness or many other hardships, but God is always light. God is the only source of what is good in our lives. We must never forget that. No matter how long, Paul goes on to say, no matter how long one observes God's person, work or works, word or works, even under the strictest standard of holiness and righteousness, not even the minutest flaw will ever be found in God. He dwells in unapproachable light, which there is none even the slightest hint or shadow of evil. We get a picture of this light with Moses, right? How when he was in the presence of God, his face glowed. And John 1 5 said this is a message we have heard from him and announced to you that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. God can never be shadowed. There is nothing that will outshine the life of God because he is what? Holy. The fourth thing that Paul points out this morning is the holiness of God means not only that he is unique among all his creation and that he is separated from all that contradicts his nature. But also that he cannot take pleasure in sin. God is not neutral or apathetic about evil. It is an abomination. It's loathsome. It's a loathsome thing that invokes hatred or disgust to him. He hates all that is evil with a holy passion. And what do the following scriptures teach us about this truth? In Deuteronomy 25, 16 says, for everyone who does these things, everyone who acts unjust is an abomination to the Lord your God. Again, God cannot look at sin. He does not fellowship with it. It's an abomination to it. This word abomination in this passage is from the Hebrew word, that Hebrew word, if you got any text, toibah. That's why I don't need to pronounce these words. It's above my education. But it refers to something or someone who is repugnant. It's offensive, disgusting, revolting, or obscene. In Psalms 88, the word is translated object of loathing. What do you loathe this morning? He says in Psalms 5 verses 4 through 5, for you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness. Nor evil dwells with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes. You hate all who do iniquity. When we live in unrepentant sin, God cannot overlook the one who is living in sin. Many people say that they were washed in the blood of Christ, but still live like they never knew him. Leads us to doubt that they were saved in the first place, but we know that is up to God. But they hide behind a version of God that they have created to live out their own life as they see fit. That's not the case. We know the Bible tells us if we are a child of God, we will be changed. Should see the change in a safe person's life. In John 1415, Jesus says if you love me, keep my commandments. Do you not know? Do you know what the command? What commandments he's talking about? Some people get hung up, well, Jesus didn't specifically say this. God, the Father, God, the Son, God, the Holy Spirit. Yes, he did. Yes, he did. What commandments is he talking about? He's talking about his word, his word, the Holy Word, the Holy Bible, the instruction book to our lives, as Brother Harvey put it last night. God's Holy Word. It is our instruction manual to walk through this life. It's the only way that we are going to hear from God. As preachers, we're to come up and preach the Word of God, but we don't want you to hear our voice. We want you to hear God's voice through Scripture. It's our job to point you to Christ. God does the work. He draws you. When you hear His Word, He draws you. Read His Word. He'll draw you even more. Paul says, the pauper saying God loves the sinner but hates the sin must be interpreted in light of Psalms 5.5. God not only hates the sin, but his hatred is also so manifested against those who practice it. How can this truth be reconciled with other passages of scripture that speak of God's love for sinners? Though God's wrath is revealed against the center, you read that in John 336. He has demonstrated his love by sending his son to die for every people who deserve only judgment. There is a genuine love of God toward all men, and this love is manifested in a number in numberable innumerable ways. Can't count him. Nevertheless, God is holy in his wrath. and he will eventually be manifested toward all who reject salvation through Christ's atoning sacrifice. Proverbs 15, 8, 9 says, the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight. The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but he loves one who pursues righteousness. You know, there's nothing we can sacrifice to the Lord for our sins anymore. There's nothing. Unless one believes in the redemptive power of Christ and acknowledges that they are a sinner in need of a savior and calls upon Jesus as Lord, they are abomination to the holy, holy, holy God. I hope this helped us understand how holy God actually is. I'm so thankful for men like Paul Washington gives us a great outline to follow. The thing I love about his lessons is he gives us text and he wants us to get in. And learn it. And that's my desire too, to get in God's word and learn it. So I pray that was a good help this morning. It was to me. I know we got quite a few prayer requests this morning. Continue to pray for Larry Hobby and his family as his dad passed away yesterday morning. Don't forget to keep praying for DC as Miss Mary passed away. I think the announcements are gonna have her Her service will be Monday at Summit. Continue to pray for that family and also continue to pray for Miss... I forgot your name. Melinda. Melinda, I'm sorry. I'm terrible. But we're going to have a moral service for Larry Wednesday. Please come as we celebrate the life of our dear, beloved friend. Any other prayer requests? Yes, my daughter, my daughter in law Hannah. She has got the flu. So continue to pray for her and all those still fighting covid and don't forget correct. Yes, Doris Charles is in the hospital. Yes, sir. Monroe. Monroe. Yes. Anybody else? Yeah, it's been hard to watch. It's been hard to watch. Ukraine, you know. A lot of things that goes through one's mind when you look at that. We're looking how they're fighting back such a Ukraine is fighting back against giant Russia. I just pray that God has his hand of protection on. And I pray I even pray for Putin. You know, I pray that God will. Change his heart. Anybody else? Janice Is that Steve's sister? Janice Austin. She's in the hospital in the vent and she's got a special needs daughter and just continue to pray for Steve Austin as he's taking care of her and his mother. Anybody else? All right. Well, thank you again for being here this morning. Just continue to pray for our services as well. I'm ready to worship God, aren't y'all? Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you again for this morning, Father, and thank you for this lesson as we study about your holiness, Father. I know there's no words that I can say to describe how holy you are. Because there's no word that exists other than our word holy. And Father, we thank you for being the holy God that you are. Father, we thank you for loving us, even though we don't deserve it. We thank you for your son, Jesus Christ. Father, let's lift these prayer requests up to you, Father, that you touch each and every one of them in a special way. We love you, God. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.