Holiness.

What is holiness? I’ve heard the word often, used in church, at home, in conversations, but what does it actually mean? That is the question I have been faced with this past week while working through a paper for our theology class. Isaiah 6:1-8 is a very interesting passage of scripture, one that raised this question.

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3b)

What does it mean that God is holy? Here are some insights I encountered:
- The Hebrew root word for holiness means set apart, separateness, apartness, sacred and of God.
- God’s separateness encompasses His uniqueness. There is no other creation like Him. He is completely separate from everything else in heaven and on earth. Exodus 15:11 presents this truth, “Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you-majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonder?”
- His separateness also incorporates His perfect freedom from sin. As 1 John 1:5 reiterates, “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.” Sin is the very opposite of the moral goodness which is the essence of God’s character, the governing purpose in his creation. Therefore, He is bound to be against it. The self-consistency of his character demands it.
- Absolute holiness belongs only to God. No other creature can attain God’s level of holiness.
- The moment we catch a glimpse of the Holy God, the instant we measured ourselves by the ultimate perfect standard of God, we are exposed beneath God’s holiness.
- Our personal holiness is dependent upon our relationship with the holy God. Only through knowing God can we truly understand holiness. God’s holiness is His nature, His very selfhood by which all people identify Him as God.

As Joseph Caryl articulates, “Perfect holiness is the aim of the saints on earth, and it is the reward of the saints in Heaven.” Our goal on earth is to seek after God’s holiness and our reward in heaven, is seeing the face of God in all His glory.


In addition to the many papers and days of class throughout the week, this Friday night we had a youth sleepover. To be honest, going into the night I was dreading the thought of spending a whole night with kids, barely getting any sleep and then waking up early the next morning to again, write papers. Nevertheless, God is good and faithful, opening my eyes to see the opportunities and fun right before me. I had so much fun! We caught up on each other’s weeks, played a running game in the dark (always the best!), had a snack, participated in a great devotion where Jake, Ryan and I all shared our testimonies for the group, had an amazingly huge pillow fight, played cranium and watched a movie. All in all, even with the tiredness experienced on Saturday morning, it was a night to remember.

This coming week we have our Gospels class and then after church on Sunday, we leave on our mission trips! Wow, they have crept up on me so quickly. I do not think my heart is ready for what is going to take place in the weeks to come. Could you please pray for me and the rest of my group as we continue to prepare for this trip. Pray that God would prepare us for what lies ahead. That we would be willing and open to learn and to give. Thanks again for all the prayers. They mean a lot, especially in the weeks to come as we are preparing and heading out.

Much love,
Kylie