Holiness Is God's Chief Attribute

"And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory." — Isaiah 6:3

    In this age of "Smile, God loves you," it is imperative that the Biblical view of God's love be boldly declared. The most tragic theological error of our day is the belief that love is the chief attribute of God. "God is love" of I John 4:8 and 16 connected with prejudice and Biblical ignorance have led to the error of "love is God." The uninformed may think such statements minimize God's love; whereas, the fact is, men have enthroned a deified love where holiness should reign.

   God is light (I John 1:5). God is righteous (I John 3:7). God is love (I John 4:8). Light and righteousness are the leading thoughts in the first part of I John, and love is the ruling thought in the last section. Love, therefore, is the end to which the others are the means.

   God's chief attribute is His holiness. Holiness gives beauty to all of God's attributes. Nowhere in Scripture is God addressed in praise, worship, or petition as the "loving Father." He is called "righteous Father," "righteous God," "holy God," "merciful God," but never "loving Father" or "loving God." Jesus Christ Himself never addressed God the Father as "loving God" or "loving Father." Throughout His high priestly prayer, He called Him "Father," "O Father," "Holy Father," and "righteous Father" (John 17:1, 5, 11, 21, 24, 25). Although perfect love exists between the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ did not address Him as "loving Father."

   The greatest proof that God's holiness is His chief attribute is the cross of Christ. Did the Father turn His back on Christ during the time He was being made an offering for sin because He loved Him or because He is holy? The love of God is manifested by the Father sending His Son (I John 4:9, 10), but love must be understood as God's nature rather than as one of His attributes. The one word that best describes the essence of God's being is "Holy" (John 17:11; I Pet. 1:15, 16; Rev. 4:8; 15:4).