Sovereign Grace Chapel, located at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to today's broadcast. I wanna read a prayer from the scripture. It's recorded in Matthew chapter six, verses nine through 13. Matthew chapter six, verses nine through 13, where our Lord Jesus Christ, the master himself, said these words. After this manner, after this manner, therefore, pray ye. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, amen.

That's my text for today's broadcast. Now, if I were to call this the Lord's Prayer, that would be error. It wouldn't be right. It's not correct. The Lord's Prayer, if you want to know, the Lord's Prayer is found in John chapter 17, and I would strongly encourage you to go to John chapter 17 sometime and read that.

That's the Lord's Prayer. That's the prayer that our Lord Jesus Christ the master, the God manifest in the flesh, that's the prayer that he prayed to God the Father. That's the Lord's prayer. Some call this, that is Matthew 6, 9 through 13, the model prayer.

That is far more appropriate as my understanding goes. As Luke points out, the disciples were asking, he said, well, John taught his disciples to pray, well, why don't you teach us to pray? And Christ said, when you pray, you say this. And then, of course, we read what Luke says in Luke chapter 11, verses one and two, and we read, I've read what Matthew recorded in Matthew chapter six, verses nine through 13. You see, Christ simply said, simply stated, Christ was teaching his disciples to pray.

There's so much here. These are just, as translated in the King James Version, these are just 66 words. But I certainly don't have time to try to cover all those words this morning in this TV broadcast. But there's 66 words here, but what I want to do, what I want to concentrate on today is the first sentence of a true God-honoring prayer.

And that's what is given. Christ is teaching us how to pray and what to say, but he's not meaning just simply repeat these words as many of us were taught to do, no doubt. But this is the sum and substance of our prayer toward God the Father. This is what it's supposed to be. But what I want to try to concentrate on is this first sentence of a true God-honoring prayer.

It's just 10 words, and notice what it says. After this manner, therefore, pray ye. Now, here are those 10 words. Our Father, which art in heaven, And then here it really is, hallowed be thy name. Do you hear that? Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Now, here's the title for this message. And I hope as I go through this, this will become more apparent to you why I give this title.

My title is this, from that one verse, that one phrase, hallowed be thy name. My title for this morning, my subject is God's chief attribute. God's chief attribute. Now, this first sentence reveals to us God the Father's chief attribute. The word here is translated halad. That means holy. Holy, that's what it says. Holy be your name. Now, why do I say, why do I say this is God's chief attribute? Well, I'll give you one reason why I say it's his chief attribute, and then I'll give you some examples from scripture. Here's number one. Here's the reason why I say that.

All other attributes, and let me stop just a moment. All other attributes, what do I mean by that? Attributes, I mean his perfections. I mean his majesties, his greatnesses, okay? That's what I'm meaning when I say attributes. Now, some in theological circles have tried to make distinctions between God's attributes and God's characteristics, but as the old saying goes, I will say it this way, that's kind of above my pay grade. I'm not trying to deal with that. All other attributes, there's all other perfections of God, all the other majesties of God, all the other greatnesses of God, They are all clothed in God's holiness. And I'll try to, I pray God that he will enable me to try to make this clear as I go through this. All other attributes are clothed in this one attribute, holiness. In other words, they are all equally holy attributes. They're all equally holy. God is holiness. Now, let me give you some examples of that.

In Isaiah chapter six, we read these words. In Isaiah chapter six. And let me get to the passage, and let me just read this amazing thing. Isaiah himself saw the Lord, and think about this. In the first few chapters of Isaiah, Isaiah is, woe is this one, woe is that one, woe is this one, woe is that one. But when you get to Isaiah chapter six, Isaiah all of a sudden cries out, woe is me. You ever think about that? Woe is me. I won't read that part. You can read that later. But listen to why Isaiah cried out, woe is me. Here it is, Isaiah chapter six, just the first three verses.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims. Each one had six wings. With twain, that is with two, he covered his face. With twain, or two, he covered his feet. And with twain, or two, he did fly. Listen, and one cried unto another and said, holy, Holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory.

Do you see that? Think about this. Here's these angels. These are unfallen angels. Remember, some of the angels fail. We now call them demons, but these are the holy angels. And here are three of these angels, and they have six wings. And with two of them, they even cover their faces. They're crying out before the throne of the Lord God. Holy, holy, holy. Listen to what Exodus says. Let me turn to that one. Exodus chapter 15, it says like this. It says it like this, Hebrews 15 verse 11.

Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? Notice that's a small g if you're reading along. Among the gods. Who is like thee, glorious? in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders. Do you see that? And also 2 Samuel, let me read that one. Listen to what 2 Samuel, in 2 Samuel 2, what this woman Hannah prayed in 2 Samuel 2, or 1 Samuel, excuse me, 1 Samuel 2, and Hannah prayed and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord. Lord, my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies because I rejoice in thy salvation.

Look at it, there is none holy. as the Lord. People talk about, well, that's holy or this is holy. There isn't, you see it? There is none holy as the Lord, for there is none beside thee. Neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more exceedingly proud. Let not arrogancy come out of your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

You see, this thing of holiness. Here's the first thing. that our Lord teaches us as believers to pray. Our Father which art in heaven, our Father which art in heaven, hallowed, hallowed be thy name. Now think of it, as I said, all other attributes of God, all his other perfections, all his other majesties, all of his other greatnesses, they're all clothed in his holiness. In other words, they are all equally holy attributes, as I said, because God is holy. But I want you to consider a few of his other attributes. Think about this.

God is father. We're even told to address him as, believers are told to address him as our father, which art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. God is father, the only holy father. There is no other holy father. Don't call anybody else Holy Father. He is the Holy, Holy Father. But God, now think about it, God is not the father of all men. Did you hear what I said? I said God is not the father of all men.

And our Lord Jesus Christ made this clear. John records it in John chapter eight. And listen to what the Lord Jesus Christ himself said. In John chapter eight, now think about it. Talk about his attributes. He is father. He is the holy father. But think, he's not the father of everyone. John chapter eight, verse 38.

Listen, I speak that which I have seen with my father, and you do that which you have seen with your father. You see the distinction Christ made there? They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, if ye were Abraham's children, ye'd do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man which has told you the truth, which I have heard of God. This did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Do you see what he just said? Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, we be not born of a fornication. We have one father, even God. Listen, Jesus saith unto them, if God were your father, you would love me.

For I proceeded forth and came from God, neither came I of myself, but God that sent me. Though God is not the holy father of everyone, he is the holy father over everyone. You see what I'm trying to point out? You see what I'm trying to say here? Yet, though God is not the father of all men, yet God is holy over all men, and that is clear. Isaiah makes it clear in Isaiah 52, verse 10. John made it clear in the revelation of Jesus Christ. In Revelation chapter six, verse 10, that God is over all men. He is the sovereign over all men, but he is not all men's father. Now, here's the second thing. God's attributes, God's attributes are holy. All of God's attributes are holy, but they are not all that equal. In other words, let me try to point this out, give you, illustrate this. According to John, in 1 John 4, verse 16, God is love. That's good, you could go back. 1 John 4, verse 16, God is love.

But according to scripture, according to scripture, God does not love everyone. As a matter of fact, it's more pertinent than that. God does not, not only does God not love everyone, God hates some. Now, that's what it says. Now, what's more different than love and hate? What's more different?

And yet, this is true, God is love, but listen to what Paul made clear in Romans chapter nine, verse 13. As it is written, and this is something Paul come up with, This is not something new the Apostle Paul kind of deciphered. This is from the Old Testament. He's quoting from the Old Testament itself. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

Now don't you, you hear somebody else say, well that doesn't mean what it says. It means exactly what it says. It's exactly what it says in the English. It's exactly what it says in the Greek. Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. It's exactly what it says in the old Hebrew. Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. So you see what I'm trying to say?

God's chief attribute is holiness. Holiness. Now, his love is holy, but so is God's hate holy. But his love and his hate are not equal. They're not the same thing. When it says God loved Jacob, it means He loved Jacob. When it says He hated Esau, it means He hated Esau, but He did so in holiness, something that you and I find impossible to do. Now, you know there are many things, and there are people that we love.

And sad to say, we have to say it of ourselves, because we're not God. There are many people we love, but there are other people we hate. Now, of course, God's law tells us to love our neighbor as ourself, but we don't. We do not love our neighbor as ourself.

But you see this, God can and does love, and moreover, he is love. Now, that doesn't mean that we define God by what love is. God defines what love is, but God also hates. He also, Scripture's clear, God hates all workers of iniquity. That's the Old Testament. You see, again, I say all God's attributes are holy, but they are not all the equal. In other words, as I said, God is love, but God also hates. His love is not hate, and his hate is not love, but both, in both, and of both, God is holy. It's holy love and it's holy hate. Do you see what I'm saying? Holiness is his chief attribute because in all his other attributes, he is holy. Although some of these other attributes are not all equal. Here's a second thought.

God is merciful and compassionate. We read that clearly in Romans 9, verse 15. This is what it says. Romans 9, 15, for he, that is God, that's who it's talking about, for he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. Do you hear it? That's what it says. That's one of his attributes, his mercy and compassion. but God also hardens.

Look at verse 18. Verse 18, just down a few verses from verse 15. Therefore hath he mercy on whom we have mercy, and whom he will, he hardeneth. Now those things are at two points. opposite ends of the pole, that is, mercy and compassion, as opposed to hardening, not hardness in God, but hardening from God. Whom he will, he hardens. That's what thus saith the Lord is. God is merciful and compassionate, but God also hardens.

These two are not equal, but in God they both are holy. They are holy, God does it in righteousness and justice, so much so that it puts it, Paul kinds of summed it up this way in verse 22, what if God? willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he hath aforeprepared unto glory, even us whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles. Do you hear that? This is what the scripture says. His chief attribute is holiness.

It's no wonder that when Isaiah, who was, woe this one, and woe that one, and woe this one, then when he sees these angels, and they got six wings, and with a pair of those wings, they're covering their eyes, but they're crying out, holy, holy, holy, and then Isaiah says, woe is me. Woe is me. It's no wonder that. It's no wonder that our Lord Jesus, when he taught his disciples how to pray, he began with our Father which art in heaven, hallowed, holy be thy name.

And remember, God is love, but God also hates. God is merciful and compassionate, but God also hardens. Those things are at what we, how we would kind of define as totally opposite ends of the pole, but in God, they're all holy. They're all holy. Here's a third thought. God manifests goodness.

You hear what I'm saying? God manifests goodness to believers. This is why I want to read it to you here in just a moment. Listen to it. If you really care about who the book says God is. Listen to what I'm saying here, and listen to what I'm gonna read from this book. God manifests goodness to believers, but he is severe. Do you hear what I said? He is severe to unbelievers. This is what the book says. Now, what could be at opposite ends of the pole in these two things? Goodness and severity, huh? Two totally opposite things, yet in both, God is holy. Why? Because holy is his chief attribute.

God manifests goodness to believers, and he's severe to unbelievers, and this is exactly what the book says in Romans chapter 11. The apostle Paul put it this way, speaking of Jews in his day who had not believed, listen to what he says. Verse 15 of Romans 11. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, go back and look at the context. He's talking about these unbelieving Jews. What shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead?

For as the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy. And if the root is holy, so also are the branches. Do you see it? And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou being a wild olive tree," now he's talking to these believing Gentiles, excuse me, and if some of the branches were broken off, And thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in amongst them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree. Boast not against the branches, but if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Now, let me sum that up this way. This thing's all of God. All the blessings come from God.

We don't add to God anything. We don't add to God love by our love. We certainly don't add to God hate by our hate. We don't add to God righteousness by our righteousness. We don't add to God holiness by our holiness, because none of those things truly exist in us. anything, any of those things, any of those attributes that might happen to be found at any time, God Almighty put them there, but let's go on.

Thou will say then the branches were broken off. Now Paul just said there were some of them were broken off. Thou will say then the branches were broken off that I might be grafted in. Do you see it? That I might be grafted in. Well, Because of unbelief, they were broken off. And thou standest by faith, be not high-minded, but fear. For if God spared not the natural branches, take he, lest he also spare not thee.

Now listen, here it is. Behold, therefore, the goodness and severity of God. Do you see that? Two totally opposite things, yet both found in one God. but they are both equally holy in that one God. Behold, therefore, the goodness and the severity of God on them which fail, those who did not believe, broken off, Severity, but toward thee goodness, if thou continue in his goodness, otherwise they also shall be cut off. Do you see it? And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

So you see what I'm... What I'm trying to point out to you about this grand and glorious, perfect majesty of God Almighty and all of His greatness, it's all summed up in His holiness. And there are very many of these perfections, these attributes, or these characteristics that we see as to who God is. And many of them seem to be at totally opposite odds, but we can rest assured of this, in all of them, God is holy. God is doing right. God is being just. So all the attributes of God are holy, although they are not all equal. As a matter of fact, goodness and severity are not the same. But in both, God is equally holy. And that's just the way it is.

As Paul speaks of the Almighty and goes on to say in verse 28 of this same chapter, Romans 11, as concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes. But as touching the election, they are beloved for the Father's sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance or without change. For as ye in time past have not believed God, yet now have obtained mercy through their unbelief. Amazing language. Notice these different things here. Totally different things. Even so have these also now not believed that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

For God hath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all. Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counselor, or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again. In other words, like I said, we don't ever add anything to God.

He's complete in holiness in all of his attributes, though many of those attributes seem to be totally opposite and different. He's still unique and holy. Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again. For of him, and through him, and to him are all things to whom be glory forever.

Amen. And that's about all I can say to that. Amen. You see, God's holiness, I want you to listen to me now. And I don't say this to try to be funny. I mean this from the bottom of my heart, as we say. God's holiness is not that God doesn't smoke. There are some people that think that's what holiness is about. God's holiness is not that God doesn't smoke. God's holiness is not that God doesn't drink liquor. God's holiness is that God's holy because he doesn't cuss and shoot dice. God's holiness is God's having the right, now you listen to me, God's holiness is God having the right and the might to do as he wills, as he wills, among the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.

And God Almighty can love one and hate another, but he does both in holiness. God Almighty can be merciful, compassionate to one, and he can be, he can be what? He can be severe and harden another. God can be good to one and severe on another. God does as he pleases. And whatever he does, even though it seems to be totally and is totally different, in our view, it's all done in what? Holiness. Holiness. So again, I tell you, God's holiness is not in the fact that God don't smoke, God don't drink liquor, and God don't cuss and shoot dice. God's holiness is God being absolutely sovereign.

God does as he wills, and even old Nebuchadnezzar, that old heathen king from hundreds of years ago, walking in pride. As we used to kind of have them thumbs in them suspenders looking over great Babylon and them towering gardens of Babylon. It's not this great Babylon which I built.

You know what God did? God struck him down. emotionally and mentally and made him go out and eat grass like an ox for years. And then what did God do? God just restored it to him. He restored his understanding, what wisdom that God had given him. He gave it back to him. And you know what he said?

God rules in the armies of heaven and earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? that even that old heathen king confessed that those that walk in pride, God is able to abase. So what's that mean if I'm still walking in pride?

It ain't because God can't, it's because he purposed not to, just to let me go. Oh, but if he's purposed to bring you low, to bring me low, he will do it, he will do it. That's God's chief attribute, what, holy, holiness. distinctness, separateness, over and above, and unique from all things and all beings and all people. God's chief attribute is what? Holiness. Now it's no wonder that it says this.

After this manner, therefore, pray ye, our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed. Do you see that? hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen.