What is Holy? | FAQ Series | Week Four
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and His robe filled the temple. Seraphim were standing above Him; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; His glory fills the whole earth. The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke. Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts. Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said: Now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed and your sin is atoned for.”
Isaiah 6:1-7 HCSB
What Is Holy?
Hebrew: Qadosh (Pronounced: Kadōsh)
1. Literally means: to be set apart for a special purpose.
2. Morally pure, all the time and in every way possible.
Greek: Hágios (Pronounced: Hageeos)
1. Different, unlike any other
2. Different from the world
• Marriage is not sacred
• Religion is not sacred
• Morality is not sacred
• Not even life is sacred
“You must distinguish between the holy and the common, and the clean and the unclean,”
Leviticus 10:10 HCSB
1. God Is Holy
Lord, who is like You among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders?”
Exodus 15:11 HCSB
“There is no one holy like the Lord. There is no one besides You! And there is no rock like our God.”
1 Samuel 2:2 HCSB
““Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy.”
Matthew 6:9 HCSB
“When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses, Moses! ” “Here I am,” he answered. “Do not come closer,” He said. “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.””
Exodus 3:4-5 HCSB
“The Lord said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he may not come whenever he wants into the holy place behind the veil in front of the mercy seat on the ark or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.”
Leviticus 16:2 HCSB
God is Holy, and He is so Holy that any sin or impurity cannot exist in His presence.
2. Places, Things, and Times Can Be Holy
“By the seventh day God completed His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done. God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it He rested from His work of creation.”
Genesis 2:2-3 HCSB
“For six days work is to be done, but on the seventh day you are to have a holy day, a Sabbath of complete rest to the Lord...”
Exodus 35:2 HCSB
“For the High and Exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy says this: “I live in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the oppressed.”
Isaiah 57:15 HCSB
“Then the man said to me, “The northern and southern chambers that face the temple yard are the holy chambers where the priests who approach the Lord will eat the most holy offerings. There they will deposit the most holy offerings — the grain offerings, sin offerings, and restitution offerings — for the place is holy.
Ezekiel 42:13-14 HCSB
We don’t seek those moments, we see the Maker.
3. Jesus Makes Things Holy
“Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts. Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said: Now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed and your sin is atoned for.”
Isaiah 6:5-7 HCSB
“Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked and the rocks were split.”
Matthew 27:50-51 HCSB
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. He made the One (Jesus) who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
2 Corinthians 5:17, 21 HCSB
“When He came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. Right away a man with a serious skin disease came up and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Reaching out His hand He touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean.” Immediately his disease was healed.”
Matthew 8:1-3 HCSB
4. We are Called to be Holy
“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of [this world]. But as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:14-16 HCSB
Do people notice you are different?