Turn, if you would, to Isaiah
57. Isaiah 57. And the aim of the message is, what
is important to God? And today we're looking at His
holiness. His holiness. Isaiah 57, 15, Scripture declares
this. What a marvelous verse of Scripture
this is, too. For thus saith the High and Lofty
One. What a statement right there,
Isaiah 57, 15. For thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth
eternity. God's habitation is eternity.
Eternity. Whose name is Holy. I dwell in
the High and Holy Place with Him also that is of a contrite
and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble, and to
revive the heart of the contrite ones." So this week we'll continue
our study on what is important to God, and we'll be looking
at His holiness. And note in our text for this
morning's study, the Scriptures declare God's name is holy. God's name is holy, whose name
is holy. So let us think on this, Consider
this, beloved of God, that our God is a holy God. He's a holy
God. The Father is called in Scripture
the Holy Father. The Son is called the Holy One
of God. And the Spirit of God is called
the Holy Spirit. Our God is holy. And that's what
our text declares. Whose name is holy. God's holiness is important to
Him. Think of this. The Bible itself, it's not just
called the Bible. It's the Holy Bible, isn't it?
It's the Holy Bible. Angels which are in His presence
are holy angels. The saints who are now in His
presence, who've been glorified, are made holy. They're sinless. The Lord Jesus Christ himself
is called the Holy One and the Holy One of God. Remember, the
demons even called him that they knew he was. They knew who he
was. Man doesn't have a clue unless
he reveals himself, but they know who he is. He made them. They. They know who he is. Thus saith the high and lofty
one that inhabited eternity, whose name is holy. I dwell in
the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite
and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive
the heart of the contrite ones. The word holy can be attributed
to all the persons of the Godhead. Distinctly and separately. And
to the three in one. As one. The Lord confirms, turn
if you would to Psalm 89.35. The Lord confirms His promises
to David and to His people in Christ by pledging His holiness
as the fullest assurance of the truth. Look at this, what He says to
David. Psalm 89.35. This is magnificent. Psalm 89.35. Once have I sworn by my holiness
that I will not lie unto David. He confirms his promises by pledging
his holiness. Once have I sworn by my holiness
that I will not lie unto David. The Son of God, the Lord Jesus
Christ, is spoken of as holy in himself. He was perfect, spotless,
sinless, absolutely holy, God and man at the same time, and
perfect, perfect, holy. And we know that He's the Word,
right? 1 John 1,1 tells us He's the
Word from eternity. He's the Word. Turn if you would
to Romans 9, verse 5. Romans 9, verse 5. We know that God is holy. Scripture
declares it. It just declared it in our verse
that we're looking at whose name is holy. Look at what Romans
9 5 says. What a what a declaration of
the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 9 5. Whose are
the fathers and of whom is concern in the flesh? Christ came who
is overall God blessed forever. Christ is over all, and He's
God, blessed forever. He's God. He's God incarnated
in the flesh. This verse just declares the
deity of Christ. Who He is. It's so plain, isn't
it? Whose are the fathers, and of
whom is concern in the flesh? Christ came, who is over all,
there is His absolute sovereignty. Our Savior is absolutely sovereign
over all our circumstances, over all the things we go through
in life. He's absolutely sovereign. That brings me great comfort.
And I know it does to God's people. Because we're weak and frail
and needy. And He is God over all. And then it says, God bless
forever. He's God. He's God. So let us take note that Paul
is proclaiming the divinity of the Son in that verse in Romans
9, 5, showing us the person of Christ and showing him to be
one with the Godhead as he is God-blessed forever. God, the
Holy Spirit, is also considered under this almightiness of character,
this holiness. His is the same divine perfection
declared in the Godhead, and we can see why the holiness of
God is important to God. The holiness belongs to all the
persons of the Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When the
holiness of Jehovah is spoken of in Scripture, it is speaking
of the Godhead, the three in one. And turn, if you would,
to 1 John 5, 7. Now, the New Bibles don't have this, because
they say it didn't appear in enough manuscripts. But the Scriptures
plainly declare it. This is, to me, one of the great
proof texts of the Trinity. It doesn't say the Word Trinity,
but it's such a great proof text of God the Three in One. 1 John
5-7. Look at this. For there are three
that bear record in heaven. Three. The Father, the Word,
and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one. So when it says, whose name is
Holy, it's speaking of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God's holiness is important to
him. He is so holy, beloved. We can't even fathom how holy
he is. How holy he is. So let's take a closer look again
at our text with this in mind. Our text declares in Isaiah 57,
15. For thus saith the high and lofty
one, the one that inhabits the eternity. I love that whose name
is holy. I dwell in the high and holy
place with him. Also that is of a contrite and
humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the
heart of the contrite ones. Here we have a God declaring
who He is. In this verse we have God declaring
who He is. Not what we think He is. Not
what man thinks He is. Not what man craft out of the
imaginations of their mind, right? A God, a weak God who can't do
nothing. A God who wants to but can't do anything. No, not that
kind of God. No. Here before us in the Scriptures
we have a verse which declares who God really is. And He's not
what most people think He is. He says, For thus saith the high
and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity. Here we have before
us God declaring again who He is and that He is the One who
inhabits eternity. The high and lofty One. He's
so far above us. His ways are not our ways. That's
why Scripture says that. His ways are not our ways and
His thoughts are not our thoughts. He is so far above us. We are just little pieces of
animated dust. Yet He has mercy on us. He has
mercy on us. There's no one like Him. No created
being is like Him. He is absolutely alone in His
supremacy. He's absolutely alone in His
supremacy. He's absolutely alone in His
greatness. He's the High and Lofty One.
Think of the greatest person you think of in the world. Don't
even come close to who God is. Think of Nebuchadnezzar, right? He had all that power, right? But yet he bowed down to the
Lord, didn't he? He's the high and lofty one.
He's the one who's all-knowing. He's the one who has all power. He's the one who rules as a sovereign
king over all things. And I mean over everything. Over
everything. Everything is under His dominion.
This is our God. This is the God of the elect. This is the Savior of the elect.
the Savior of His people. He came to save His people from
their sins. And He accomplished what He set
out to do. This is the One who keeps us. Oh, it's wonderful. He is everlastingly
holy and He is unchangeable. He is holy in all His words.
He is holy in all His ways. Therefore, He alone can and will
deliver His people as he's promised to do. And God's people say,
praise his mighty name. We give him all the glory. We
trust our eternal souls to him, don't we? This is the one who
God's people trust their souls to, the high and lofty one, the
one who inhabits eternity. He's high and lofty, exalted
above all the angels, exalted above all the praises of his
people. is exalted above all things, both visible and invisible.
He is God who takes to himself the title and rightly so. The holy. The whole. And he does not forget his people.
He does not forget his people turn, if you would, the Psalm
138. He does not forget his people who who are afflicted and who
are broken and humble heart. He doesn't forget his people.
Not at all. His eye is always ever upon us,
watching over us, caring for us, as a shepherd does his sheep. Look at Psalm 38, starting in
verse 5, and we'll read the verse 8. Yea, they shall sing in the
ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. Though
the Lord be high, and we read He's the high and lofty One who
inhabits eternity, Though the Lord be high, yet he hath respect
unto the lowly. Who are the lowly? Those who
are about to know their sin. Those who are taught by the Holy
Spirit what we are. But the proud he knoweth afar
off. He knows them, but he keeps them
at a distance. He just lets them run in their ways. What does a God have to do for
a man to go to hell? Just leave him alone. What does
He have to do to save us? Everything. Though I walk in the midst of
trouble, Thou wilt revive me. Thou shalt stretch forth Thine
hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand shall
save me. That's Christ. That's Christ, beloved. He's
the right hand. The Lord will perfect that which
concerneth me. Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever. Why does his mercy endure forever?
Because he's the one who dwells in eternity. There's no time
with the Lord. There's no time. Forsake not
the works of thine own hands. Oh Lord, don't forget me. And
he never will. He never will. We see this proclaimed
in the latter part of our text. Look at the latter part of our
text in Isaiah 57, 15. as the Lord is with those who
are of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of
the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. And
this is only wrought in us by the power of the Holy Spirit
when we're born again. Showing us our need for Christ,
and then we run to Christ. And our text continues and proclaims
that God, the holy one. The high and lofty one is the
one who inhabits eternity. Look at this. He is the one that
inhabited eternity. He is from everlasting to everlasting. He always has been. And he always
will be. He has no beginning. No. He's the first and the last,
and only in him is immortality. in and of himself. And this is
our God. This is our God. He is from eternity. Or rather, as one commentator
said, inhabits one undivided, uninterrupted eternity. We have not such steadfastness
as to exercise constant care about those who need our assistance. He dwells in eternity, he inhabits
eternity, therefore he has the ability to assist whomever he
pleases, whenever he pleases. We don't have that ability. We
can't assist people 200 years ago, or if the Lord tarries,
200 years in the future. We can't do that. But he has
the ability to care and watch over his sheep no matter what
time they're in. Isn't that amazing? We're the
ones stuck in time. He's not. He knows the end from
the beginning. One undivided, uninterrupted
eternity is where he dwells. Calvin says this about this point.
He distinguishes between God and men, for on him no shadow
of change falls. But we have not such steadfastness
to exercise constant care about those who need our assistance.
He's unchanging. He's unchanging. Scripture declares
this, for I am the Lord. And now remember, when we read
the scripture, this applied to the saints who were looking to
Christ in the Old Testament. And this applies to the saints
who during Christ's time were on this earth and this and all
the way up to us. Now, this verse applies to all
of us. Look at this. Malachi three,
six says this, for I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore, you
sons of Jacob are not consumed. God's wrath won't fall upon his
people because of Christ, because God never changes, because God's
satisfied with the sacrifice of Christ in our place. And he
is satisfied for all the elect of all the ages. Isn't that wonderful? It's absolutely wonderful. For
I am the Lord, I change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are
not consumed. In Hebrews, it says this about
our Lord, the same yesterday, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday,
today, and forever. So that does away with that false
teaching that people say, well, the Old Testament was for the
Jews and the New Testament is for the Christians. Well, not
according to Scripture. It says He's the same yesterday,
today, and forever. Same Savior in the Old Testament,
same Savior in the New Testament. Old Testament pictured Christ
in sacrifices and the New Testament reveals who he is. All those
pictures find their substance. Remember we saw that in our Colossians
studies? They were shadows. He's the substance. Just like
I have a shadow. If I walk over here, there's
my shadow. Here's the substance. They were shadows pointing to
Christ. Pointing to Christ and him alone. He's the same yesterday,
today, and forever. The Old Testament saints are
saved the same way we are, looking to Christ. Welcome to Christ. Our text continues declaring
this, whose name is holy. I dwell in the high and holy
place. His name is holy, holy. His nature is holy, originally
and essentially holy. He's holy. That's why we have. That's why we must have the righteousness
of Christ. You see, because he's absolute
holiness, sin cannot be in his presence. We're all we are. When
we're clothed in the righteousness of Christ, we're made whole. We're made to be able to be in
His presence. And every believer, remember
the wedding garment? That's the righteousness of Christ. Every believer is clothed in
that perfect, spotless righteousness. And He dwells, though, He dwells
in a high and lofty place, his name is holy. And think of this,
is not his holiness displayed in all his works? And they manifest
his glory, don't they? God couldn't, we couldn't be
in God's presence, so he sends his son, the word of God, the
Lord Jesus Christ, God incarnate in the flesh, to die in the place
of sinners that we might be qualified or made meet, remember, and that's
in the Colossians, that's to be qualified for heaven. It's
wonderful, and Christ did it willingly. He left the glories
of heaven to make us meet or qualified or fit for heaven.
My, so that we could be in the presence of he whose name is
holy. So holy and reverend is his name,
and he dwells in a high and holy place, the scripture declares
here. The tabernacle in the temple pictures the true sanctuary,
which is heaven, where Jehovah dwells. That tabernacle pictured
that, where Jehovah dwells, the high and holy place. And why
is it holy? Because he dwells there. I was
thinking on that. The only reason it's holy is
because he dwells there. The only reason heaven is holy,
a place of high and holy places, is because God dwells there.
Think of this. All where He dwells is holy,
and all things that dwell where He is are made holy by Him. How
are the holy angels holy? Because He made them that way.
How are we who believe able to be in His presence when we die?
Because we're made holy. It's wonderful. It's absolutely
wonderful. All things are holy in his presence. His people and all things in
heaven are made holy by him. God himself dwells in heaven,
the high and holy place. And note the difference between
God and us. Note the difference in this verse
whose name is holy. I dwell in a high and holy place. Now, note the difference here
between God and us. He's holy. Scripture declares
it right here. What are we by nature and birth unholy? He dwells in a high and holy
place. We dealt with. We dwell in a sin cursed world. He inhabits eternity. in our
life is but a vapor in time. How unlike us is he in his nature
and in all things, yet man carves out and produces from their imagination
a God who is no God at all that they can control and mold into
their liking. But their God is not the God
in the Bible. This is the God of the Bible. For thus saith the High and Lofty
One, that Inhabitant of the Eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in
a high and holy place. Here before us is the great majestic
God of the universe, who declares what He is, holy, holy. He's not at all what man thinks
Him to be, is He? He's not. And if you don't believe
me, just start talking to some of the people out there in the
religious world and you'll find out real fast that they don't
believe in the God that the scripture declares. No. It's incredible. But this is
what the Bible says in God's people, we bow our knee to this
and say, amen. Because we've been taught a God.
Because we've been taught a God. He's our Lord. He's our savior.
He's our redeemer. And we are commanded to worship
the Lord indeed in the beauty of His holiness. Turn, if you
would, to Psalm 96, verse 9. Psalm 96, verse 9. The Lord is
to be worshipped not only by angels and men, but by all things. God is to be worshipped in spirit
and truth. And how do we worship God in
spirit and truth? When we're born again by the Holy Spirit
of God. Look at this, it says in Psalm
96 9. Oh, worship the Lord and the beauty of his holiness. Fear
before him all the earth. Worship the Lord to command for
us. We're commanded to worship the
Lord. And the beauty of his holiness. Holiness is the beauty of God
himself. It is the beauty of angels, it
makes them glorious, it is the beauty of saints. And it is in
and all through the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone. The only
reason, as I said, the angels are holy is because God made
them so. The only reason God's saints
are holy is because God made them so. That's it. That's it. Turn, if you would, the first
Samuel. I found this when I was studying. This is just wonderful.
Here's the prayer of Hannah. And remember, she's been. Given
a child, but here's a Here's her prayer afterwards, and look
at how she proclaims who God is. She's been taught this of
God, though, just as all of the Lord's people have been taught.
Look at this in 1 Samuel 2. 1 Samuel 2. This is absolutely
wonderful. I'm going to read from verses
1 to 10. But verse two is what I really want to pull out just
temporarily for a little bit. But look at this in 1 Samuel
2, verses one to 10. And Hannah prayed and said, my
heart rejoices in the Lord. Mine horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies because I rejoice in
thy salvation. She rejoices in the salvation
of the Lord. There is none holy as the Lord. She's been taught something,
hasn't she? God's revealed himself to her. For there is none beside
thee, neither is there any rock like our God. There is no one
like Christ. There's no one like our God.
He's the high and lofty one, as our text says. Talk no more
so exceedingly proudly. Let not arrogance come out of
your mouth. For the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are
broken. And they that stumbled are girded
with strength. They that were full have hired
out themselves for bread, and they that were hungry ceased,
so that the barren hath borne seven, and she that hath many
children is wax feeble. The Lord killeth and maketh alive.
Now there's a verse people don't like very much. He bringeth down
to the grave and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor and maketh
rich. He bringeth low and lifteth up. He riseth up the poor out
of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill to set
them among princes and to make them inherit the throne of glory.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's. He's absolutely
sovereign. He's in full control. And this
is my Savior. And if you're saved, this is
your Savior. Oh, my. And He has set the world upon
them. Everything is ordered by His
command. He will keep the feet of the
saints, as the preservation of the saints, and the wicked shall
be silent in darkness, for by strength shall no man prevail.
The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces, broken to
pieces. Out of the heaven shall He thunder
upon them. The Lord shall judge the ends
of the earth, and He shall give strength unto His King, and exalt
the horn of His anointed. This prayer screams of the sovereignty
of God, doesn't it? Absolutely. Look at verse two,
though. There is none holy as the Lord. What a statement. She's being
taught of God, who he is. Who he is, for there is none
beside thee. There's no other. She says there's
no other gods. Now, remember, she lives in an
age when there's all kinds of gods that are being worshipped
by people. And she says, no, there's only one God. There's
only one true God. Neither is there any rock like
our God. She is giving praise and thanks
for what the Lord has done for her. And this has filled her
heart and mouth with joy and praise. But she she proclaims
she is led to celebrate the perfections of God and begins with his holiness. First to there is none holy as
the Lord. She celebrates the perfections
of God and begins with His holiness in which He is gracious, in which
He appears in all His ways and works. He is essentially, originally,
independently, perfectly, immutably holy as others are not. That's
our God. And that's the God of the Bible.
He is holy. Angels again are holy not of
themselves. They're made holy by God Their
holiness is from the Lord and even they turn if you would to
Isaiah 6 even they the holy angels even they Have to cover their
faces beloved when they're in the presence of the Lord and
seeing him in his perfect holiness They have to cover their faces
beloved the holy angels He's so holy. And this is Christ upon
the throne in Isaiah 6. This is the Lord Jesus Christ
before He comes to this earth. Look at this in Isaiah 6, verses
1 to 3. In the year that King Uzziah
died, I also saw the Lord sitting upon the throne, high and lifted
up. Well, our text says He's the
high and lofty one, and that He dwells in a place high and
holy, and that His name is holy. Look at this. In the year that
King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon the throne
high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood
the seraphims. Each one had six wings. With
twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet,
and with twain he did fly. These are holy angels in the
presence of the Lord, in the presence of the Holy One, and
they cover themselves. They cover themselves. And then
they cry this. One cried unto another and said,
Holy, holy, holy, their Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of His
glory. There is our Savior. You remember in the garden He
prayed for the Father to give Him the glory that He had with
the Father in John 17? There He is. This Beloved is the One who is
our Savior. This is the One who is our Lord.
This is the One who is our Redeemer. The Holy One of God. The Lord
Jesus Christ. The Sinless One. The Spotless
Sacrifice. Our Passover Lamb. Sitting in the ponds. He dwells in eternity. Because
remember, John one says he's the word from eternity. And the
word was with God and the word was God. Rejoice, beloved of God. This
is the one who says. In foolish men, Say that God's not able to save
you unless He loves you, unless you love Him. The God we just looked at, the
one true God, the Holy One, can save whomever He wills, whenever
He wills. And even the holy angels have
to cover themselves in His presence. Do you see how foolish it is
when man says that this God is at their beck and call? Man better
tremble and beg for mercy. And this is the God, beloved,
who we will see one day face to face. Let's go back to our
text, it says here, For thus saith the high and lofty One
that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the
high and holy place with Him, also that is of a contrite and
humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive
the heart of the contrite ones. Note in closing, those who are
of a contrite and humble spirit will dwell with Him. And those
who Christ came to redeem by the shedding of His own precious
blood are made to see their unholiness in God's holiness. And we are
given a contrite and humble spirit to know what God has done for
us. My, the one spoken of here, who
is of a humble and contrite spirit, were once proud, rebellious rebels, who have been shown their sinfulness,
and have been shown their desperate need for Christ. And He is the
one who revives the spirit of the humble. He is the one who
revives the spirit, the heart of the contrite one. He's given
us peace with God and forgiveness of all our sins in and through
the Lord Jesus Christ in Him alone. Salvation is of the Lord
and salvation is only in Christ. Nowhere else. Nowhere else. So we've seen in our studies
today that our God, our God is a holy God. And His holiness is important
to Him. May God be glorified through the preaching of his
word. Gracious Heavenly Father, we come before thy throne. We
who have been taught of you, acknowledging that you are the
holy one. That we are unholy in our nature
and in ourselves. But you are the great and the
holy one who inhabits eternity. Inhabits the high and holy place. And we marvel, Lord Jesus, we
who have been redeemed, we marvel that you had mercy upon us. We
pray that if it's your will. That you may gather in your lost
sheep. With the preaching of your word. And that you'd be
glorified and magnified in Jesus name. Amen.