This is the third in a series of articles on the subject—Do You Know God? The purpose of the discussion will be to consider the concept of Jehovah-M’Kaddesh; that is, Jehovah Who Sanctifies. In the paragraphs that follow, the Holiness of God will be emphasized with a view toward developing a deeper understanding that He can sanctify, or make holy, those who seek to know Him more completely. When we truly understand the biblical concept of God's holiness then our relationship with God will never be the same. Each day will be lived within the sphere of the awesome truth: “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3).
The terms sanctify and holy are basically synonymous. God is called kedoshim in the Old Testament which portrays Him as being the Holy One. The Hebrew word m'kaddesh is also used in reference to God and suggests the idea of sanctification, or separateness. Combining the meaning behind these two words, we therefore understand that God, as being the holy one, is able to sanctify, set apart, or make holy.
That God is holy is undeniable. This fact is restated on numerous occasions throughout the inspired pages of God's word. Certainly it is one of the most important lessons about God in the Old Testament. One of God's greatest desires for His covenant people was to recognize Him as the only true and living God. “To you it was shown that you might know that the Lord, He is God; there is no other besides Him” (Deuteronomy 4:35). As such, God was to be treated as separate, or holy, by His people. He was not to be worshipped as simply another god among many gods. “Thus says the Lord, King of Israel and his redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me” (Isaiah 44:6).
Given His holy nature, God is therefore able to make holy, or to sanctify. God set apart, sanctified, or made holy the Sabbath day (Genesis 2:3). It was to be a special day and considered as different from all others. In accordance with the Mosaic law, the special observance of the Sabbath as a holy day was to play a key role in the national religious life of the Jews: “ . . . You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. Therefore you are to observe the Sabbath, for it is holy to you” (Exodus 31:13-14). This passage illustrates the relationship between God sanctifying man and man sanctifying God. God would sanctify the Jews as His special people if they would always remember to sanctify the Sabbath and observe it as a holy day. Of course, God also set apart many other times to be observed by the Jews as holy festivals. As with the Sabbath, the Jews were to continuously regard these festivals as special occasions. In keeping God's commandments concerning these festivals, they thereby set apart God as the holy one and maintained their own separateness as God's holy people.
Understanding the Old Testament portrayal of God as the Holy One and He Who Sanctifies is basic to a proper conception of true spirituality. As children of God living under the new covenant, it is of vital importance that we have a correct view of God in terms of His holiness. How can this understanding enhance our own personal relationship with the God of our salvation?
First, a proper understanding of God's holiness should create within us a greater reverence for Him. Take some quite time to thoughtfully consider the holiness of your God. Meditate upon the fact that the God you serve is one who is absolutely righteous and free from sin. Can this be said of anyone else? The apostle Peter encouraged God's people: “ . . . conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth . . . “ While living here on earth, God's people should set apart, or sanctify, their Lord as Master of their lives. Peter further exhorted those to whom he wrote: “ . . . sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts . . . “ (1 Peter 3:15). Have you truly set Jesus apart in your heart? If so, has it significantly altered your disposition toward Him?
Second, a deeper appreciation of God's holiness will cause us to have a greater respect for His word. As discussed earlier, it is the fact that God is holy that gives Him the power to make holy. Just as God set apart the Sabbath for a special purpose and required the Jews to keep it holy as a means of their own sanctification, God will also set apart men and women today who obey His revealed will. Sanctification through Christ results from obedience to the truth. “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth . . . And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth” (John 17:17, 19). When sinners render obedience to the gospel invitation, they are sanctified through the shed blood of Jesus Christ: “ . . . we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all . . . Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate” (Hebrews 10:10; 13:12). Concerning the church, Paul wrote: “ . . . that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word . . . “ (Ephesians 5:26). Praise God for revealing His will to us and thus providing the means for our own sanctification!
Finally, as we grow in our comprehension of God's holiness we will be deeply impressed with the need for personal holiness in our own lives. When obedience is rendered to the gospel, God sets us apart as His special people. However, sanctification doesn't end with baptism. We are to continually seek personal Holiness through the development of a God-like disposition: “ . . . but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY’” (1 Peter 1:15-16). In what sense is God holy? He is set apart from all others and is therefore different. In the same sense, God's children are to be different from those in the world. “ . . . be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Ephesians 4:23-24). Christians should ask themselves, “Am I different from those who are not children of God? Do others see my manner of life as reflective of the holiness of God?”
In conclusion, perhaps we should all make a personal commitment to increase in our understanding of God's holiness. It is only through that understanding that we can emulate God while living here on this earth. And hopefully, we will someday be able to sing with the redeemed of all ages the song of Moses and the Lamb: “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou alone art holy” (Revelation 15:4).