The Holiness of God

Discussion Questions:

Have you ever been let down by someone you looked up to or had trust in? What happened? How were you impacted? Why do you think that human beings are so prone to look for other people to believe in and rely on rather than the Holy God who created them? 

A.W. Tozer once wrote, “We cannot grasp the true meaning of the divine holiness by thinking of someone or something very pure and then raising the concept to the highest degree we are capable of.  God’s holiness is not simply the best we know, infinitely better. We know nothing like the divine holiness. It stands apart, unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible and unattainable.  Only the Spirit of the Holy One can impart to the human spirit the knowledge of the holy.” What important idea is Tozer trying to get across in this quote? Why do you think having this understanding is important?

Isaiah would have been considered by many people a very righteous man and yet his response to being in the presence of God was, “Woe is me.” Why did he say that? 

Each of us faces the certainty of entering into the presence of God as our lives on earth come to an end. As you think about this, do you do so with a sense of fear or anticipation? Why? How does your understanding of God’s holiness impact your posture? What about your faith in Christ?

What was God’s response to Isaiah’s recognition of his own sin? How does God respond to us as we acknowledge our sin? Isaiah’s mouth was cleansed with a burning coal, how are we cleansed from our sin?

In Hebrews 10:19-22 we read, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” How can believers enter the holy places with confidence without falling into the sin of irreverence?

Read Isaiah 6:8. We didn’t go here in the sermon, but what was God calling Isaiah to after his mouth was cleansed? Does God have a call for us once we have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ? If you have time, read Ephesians 2:1-10. 

How does Isaiah respond to the call of God is verse 8? What has been your response to the salvation you know in Jesus Christ and the subsequent call God has for your life (Eph. 2:10, 1 Peter 2:9)?