Rediscovering God's Holiness: A Call to Transformation

 

Summary

Reflecting on the 40th anniversary of the publication of "The Holiness of God" by R.C. Sproul, this discussion delves into the profound impact and enduring relevance of the book. The conversation highlights how the book has captivated Christians for decades by addressing the foundational issue of understanding God's holiness. In a time when the church often becomes man-centered, focusing on human needs and desires, Sproul's work redirects attention to the nature and character of God. This redirection is crucial, as it challenges believers to consider what they truly understand about God, rather than what they want from Him.

The book is described as a "tract for the times," addressing both the permanent need for understanding God's holiness and the specific cultural context of the 1980s, which remains relevant today. The discussion emphasizes that God's holiness is not merely about separation from sin but about His distinct and exalted nature. This understanding of holiness is crucial for a deeper appreciation of God's attributes, such as love, justice, and mercy, which are all informed by His holiness.

The conversation also touches on the transformative power of encountering God's holiness, as illustrated by biblical figures like Isaiah and Peter, who were profoundly changed by their experiences. This encounter with holiness is essential for a true understanding of sin and grace, leading to a deeper appreciation of the gospel. The discussion further explores the role of the church in promoting holiness, emphasizing the importance of public preaching and the communal aspect of worship in the believer's sanctification process.

Key Takeaways:

- Understanding God's Holiness: God's holiness is not just about separation from sin but about His distinct and exalted nature. This understanding challenges believers to focus on who God is, rather than what they want from Him, leading to a deeper appreciation of His attributes. [03:29]

- Transformative Encounters: Encounters with God's holiness, as seen in the lives of biblical figures like Isaiah and Peter, lead to profound personal transformation. These experiences highlight the importance of recognizing our sinfulness and the need for God's grace. [22:44]

- Holiness and the Gospel: The holiness of God is integral to understanding the gospel. It reveals our sinfulness and the need for a savior, making grace truly amazing. This understanding is crucial for a genuine Christian faith. [24:59]

- Role of the Church: The church plays a vital role in promoting holiness through public preaching and communal worship. This communal aspect is essential for the believer's sanctification and growth in holiness. [49:59]

- Justification and Sanctification: Justification is a once-and-for-all declaration of righteousness through faith in Christ, while sanctification is a progressive process of becoming holy. Understanding this distinction is crucial for a balanced Christian life. [36:54]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:09] - Introduction to the Discussion
- [01:02] - The Holiness of God: A Foundational Issue
- [02:18] - R.C. Sproul's Insight into the Church's Needs
- [03:29] - The Doctrine of God and Its Importance
- [04:40] - A Tract for the Times
- [06:01] - The Impact of R.C. Sproul's Book
- [07:46] - Understanding God's Holiness
- [09:49] - Holiness Beyond Separation from Sin
- [12:56] - The Attractiveness of God's Holiness
- [14:28] - Holiness and God's Attributes
- [16:55] - The Eternal Nature of God's Holiness
- [19:03] - The Trinity and Holiness
- [22:44] - Transformative Encounters with Holiness
- [24:59] - Holiness and the Gospel
- [27:58] - The Church's Role in Promoting Holiness
- [33:27] - Justification vs. Sanctification
- [36:54] - The Process of Sanctification
- [49:59] - The Importance of the Church in Sanctification
- [51:42] - Conclusion and Invitation to Explore Further

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Understanding God's Holiness

Bible Reading:
1. Isaiah 6:1-5
2. Luke 5:8
3. Psalm 99:8

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Observation Questions:

1. In Isaiah 6:1-5, what was Isaiah's reaction to his vision of God's holiness, and how did it affect his understanding of himself? [10:29]

2. How did Peter respond to the miraculous catch of fish in Luke 5:8, and what does this reveal about his perception of Jesus? [22:44]

3. According to Psalm 99:8, how does God balance being a forgiving God with being an avenger of wrongdoings? [30:59]

4. What does the sermon suggest about the role of the church in promoting holiness among believers? [49:59]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does Isaiah's encounter with God's holiness in Isaiah 6:1-5 illustrate the transformative power of recognizing one's own sinfulness? [10:29]

2. In what ways does Peter's reaction in Luke 5:8 demonstrate the impact of encountering the divine, and how does this relate to the concept of holiness? [22:44]

3. How does Psalm 99:8 reflect the tension between God's mercy and justice, and why is this significant for understanding the need for a savior? [30:59]

4. What does the sermon imply about the importance of public preaching and communal worship in the believer's sanctification process? [49:59]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you felt a deep awareness of God's holiness. How did it change your perspective on your own life and actions? [22:44]

2. How can you cultivate a deeper understanding of God's holiness in your daily life, and what practical steps can you take to focus more on who God is rather than what you want from Him? [03:29]

3. In what ways can your local church better promote holiness through its preaching and communal activities? How can you contribute to this effort? [49:59]

4. Consider the balance between God's mercy and justice as described in Psalm 99:8. How does this understanding affect your view of grace and forgiveness in your own life? [30:59]

5. How can you ensure that your faith journey includes a genuine recognition of your sinfulness and a deep appreciation for God's grace? What changes might you need to make in your spiritual practices? [24:59]

6. Identify one area in your life where you feel God is calling you to grow in holiness. What specific actions can you take this week to respond to that call? [36:54]

7. How can you support others in your church community in their pursuit of holiness, and what role can you play in fostering a culture of sanctification within your congregation? [49:59]

Devotional

Day 1: The Exalted Nature of God's Holiness
Understanding God's holiness goes beyond the idea of separation from sin; it encompasses His distinct and exalted nature. This understanding challenges believers to shift their focus from what they desire from God to who God truly is. By contemplating His holiness, believers gain a deeper appreciation of His attributes, such as love, justice, and mercy, which are all informed by His holiness. This redirection is crucial in a world where the church often becomes man-centered, focusing on human needs and desires. [03:29]

Isaiah 6:3-5 (ESV): "And one called to another and said: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!' And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: 'Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!'"

Reflection: In what ways can you shift your focus from your desires to understanding the true nature of God today?


Day 2: Transformative Power of Encountering Holiness
Encounters with God's holiness, as seen in the lives of biblical figures like Isaiah and Peter, lead to profound personal transformation. These experiences highlight the importance of recognizing our sinfulness and the need for God's grace. When individuals truly encounter God's holiness, they are confronted with their own inadequacies and the overwhelming need for divine grace. This transformative encounter is essential for a true understanding of sin and grace, leading to a deeper appreciation of the gospel. [22:44]

Luke 5:8-10 (ESV): "But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.' For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, 'Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.'"

Reflection: Reflect on a moment when you felt the weight of your sinfulness. How did that experience change your understanding of God's grace?


Day 3: Holiness as the Foundation of the Gospel
The holiness of God is integral to understanding the gospel. It reveals our sinfulness and the need for a savior, making grace truly amazing. This understanding is crucial for a genuine Christian faith, as it underscores the necessity of Christ's sacrifice and the profound nature of God's love and mercy. By grasping the holiness of God, believers can more fully appreciate the depth of the gospel message and the transformative power of grace in their lives. [24:59]

Habakkuk 1:13 (ESV): "You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?"

Reflection: How does understanding God's holiness change your perspective on the gospel and your need for a savior today?


Day 4: The Church's Role in Promoting Holiness
The church plays a vital role in promoting holiness through public preaching and communal worship. This communal aspect is essential for the believer's sanctification and growth in holiness. By participating in the life of the church, believers are encouraged and challenged to pursue holiness in their daily lives. The church serves as a community where individuals can encounter God's holiness and be transformed by it, fostering a deeper commitment to living out their faith. [49:59]

Ephesians 4:11-13 (ESV): "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

Reflection: How can you actively participate in your church community to promote holiness and encourage others in their faith journey?


Day 5: Distinction Between Justification and Sanctification
Justification is a once-and-for-all declaration of righteousness through faith in Christ, while sanctification is a progressive process of becoming holy. Understanding this distinction is crucial for a balanced Christian life. Justification assures believers of their standing before God, while sanctification involves the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in transforming them into the likeness of Christ. This process requires active participation and a commitment to spiritual growth, as believers seek to live out their faith in practical ways. [36:54]

Philippians 2:12-13 (ESV): "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."

Reflection: In what specific ways can you cooperate with the Holy Spirit in your sanctification process today?

Quotes


I think the Holiness of God spoke into the 1980s and continues to speak you know 40 years later um because it I think it met uh something I think the Lord himself was doing in many parts of the English speaking World certainly and that was making people realize that so much of what they were being offered um as Bob said was actually profoundly man centered and had almost nothing to do with God. [00:04:26]

I think what is so striking about the biblical idea of Holiness as our developed it and as I've come to understand it better over the years is that um it's it's a testimony to how much God is different from um what we think he is how much he has set apart uh how um he he exists on a entirely different plane and way from the rest of us. [00:08:25]

When I was a young Christian whenever people said what is Holiness they almost always said uh that the beginning and end of it was separation from sin um and of course that's true but I I think the the point that Bob is making um is that it's it's it it is so helpful because more than just that God is separated from sin it is that he is separate um he is he is God and we are not. [00:09:38]

Peter realized that he was in the presence of the Holy incarnate he was desperately uncomfortable his initial response was one of worship he fell to his knees before Christ instead of saying something like Lord I adore Thee I magnify thee he said please go away please leave I can't stand it. [00:22:44]

When we encounter the Holiness of God we are never the same and we see that in the Isaiah passage that you referenced Dr Ferguson in Isaiah 6 Isaiah has to confront something uh that is very real and very sobering about who he is um so help us to understand why the this is such a driving passion for us to help people to understand the Holiness of God. [00:23:36]

I think it's become increasingly evident in our times um that that many people have come to a kind of Christian faith without going through any any real sense of the consciousness of their own sin and it seems to me there is an integral relationship between the Holiness of God and our consciousness of sin as well as the grace of God and our consciousness of sin. [00:24:21]

Justification is a once and for all reality whereas sanctification is a progressive reality it begins in our regeneration and eventually it will be consummated in our glorification but that difference between a once and for all reality and a progressive reality is really important for us to understand. [00:36:54]

The importance of thinking about justification as a once and for all reality a declared reality about us they are being constituted in a new status or status in relationship to God I think is so important for us to grasp because I think the masters of the spiritual life have often said that we have a we have a tendency then to fall back into thinking that our some or another our our justification depends on our progress in sanctification. [00:37:56]

The church is at the very heart of our sanctification and therefore the church has to be um representing God as he is in its uh order of worship in its songs that it sings and um in the word that it preaches so uh we have a great calling to find out to to search out good churches and uh to encourage faithful pastors and to um work as hard as we can to see churches be what the scriptures call them to be. [00:50:53]

The Gathering of the church on the Sabbath day is the most important expression of that new Humanity that Christ is gathering and creating and sanctifying and um it's why the church is so important and uh part of the tragedy of an awful lot of Christian experience today is that the the church is treated as if it's a an optional extra um uh that my spiritual life is primarily to be self-cultivated. [00:49:59]

The church is foundational the church is essential the life of of gathering and worshiping and fellowshipping uh is at the very heart of what Christ is doing in our time and that's why the character of the church is so important and and part of the Great reason Christians don't see the church as important is because too often the church has trivialized itself and so one goes to church and doesn't experience it as a uh profound place of meeting with God. [00:50:51]

We need as the reformers did to return to the word of God and ask what kind of worship does God want what pleases God in his worship because when we're pleasing God in his worship he'll be uh at work by his holy spirit to be sanctifying us and drawing us closer to Christ and to one another. [00:51:42]

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Transcript
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