"How can I preach on the Holiness of God?"
This thought came to me in the morning before I was to preach on Hebrews 12:18-29. I had prepared throughout the week with the understanding that there would be a portion devoted to God’s holiness. Yet, on Sunday morning I was overwhelmed with the thought that I, a sinful person, could even attempt to preach about God’s holiness. I fell on my face, confessing my sin and unholiness before Him. What transpired in those moments with God I can hardly explain, but I left that moment with a serenity and peace I had rarely experienced. Yet, it was a peace filled with awe before God, incredulous that He could work so powerfully in my heart in such a short span (as if God needs a long time to work!). Something changed within me.
Did I come out of that moment with some powerful insight or knowledge that would help me preach about His holiness? Not exactly, but I left with something greater. I left with the reality that if God is holy, I should seek Him with all of my heart. I should desire to know Him and His holiness in an intimate way. I realized in that moment—and afterward—that I had become so comfortable with my knowledge of God that I had come to believe I knew
all I needed to know. Sure, I knew that God was holy; every Christian knows that! But I’m not sure I really understood that in an experiential way. My knowledge was primarily theoretical and theological, but not as practical. If God is Holy, a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29), then everything in my life changes, especially the way that I approach Him. Sin in my life? It must be dealt with. Flippant attitudes in worship? Can’t happen. Feeling burdened to
read God’s Word? Impossible. Too busy to pray? Hardly!
I’m not sure that I can really explain it to you any better than I could before. What I can explain, though, is that when we seek a holy God, He will reveal Himself and He will show us how to live. An encounter with a holy God will never leave anyone unchanged. Far from being a static theological concept, God’s holiness is a life-changing reality.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016). Page 1. Exported from Logos Bible Study,