Holiness conjures up several ideas to include perfection and some sort of stoic reverence.  It can carry the idea of judgement and bitter disdain as well.  But I am intrigued by Holiness.  Throughout the bible we are given many titles for God that describe His attributes.  But, there are very few things that God says that He IS.  I would submit, bearing in mind my vastly limited understanding of God, that His lesser, external attributes stem from the greater, internal self-descriptive adjectives.  He is the “I Am.”  He is “the Lord.”  He is “Love.”  He is “Holy.”

Holiness is found not just in His actions, though these too are holy.  It is a part of His character that He is untainted by sin.  Within Him and through every pore of His being there is nothing but purity and perfection.  But His holiness is a natural extension of His love, as is His love being a natural extension of His holiness.  We have tried to understand Jesus’ crucifixion in terms of God’s holiness being compensated for by God’s love , which is scriptural but a poor understanding of this will cause us to miss the mark.  His eternal nature, His love and holiness never saw His creation as being capable of coming close to Him.  I don’t believe for a second that the angels in heaven come close to God’s holiness, though they are perfect.  I am of the opinion that had we never fallen in the Garden, there would still be a need of some redemptive act by God to bring us closer to what He is.  But His holiness is just as relational as His love is.  His holiness sought the audience of those that could understand and appreciate at some level the cost and value of God’s holiness.

As we worship, as we sing our songs and dance before Him, we should see Him for who He is.  His holiness should bring us to silence and awe.  It should leave us breathless in His presence and lead us to a greater depth in our celebration.  The High and Lofty One has come to meet with us.  He is Lord!!