I have been doing a lot of thinking about the HOLINESS of God lately.  J.I. Packer points out that when the Bible refers to God as being "Holy" it signifies everything about God that sets Him apart from us and makes Him the object of awe, adoration, and even dread to us.  It covers all aspects of His transcendent greatness and moral perfection and thus is an attribute of all His attributes, pointing to the "Godness" of God at every point.  Every facet of God's nature and every aspect of His character may properly be spoken of as holy, just because it is His.  The core of the concept, however, is God's purity, which cannot tolerate any form of sin (Hab. 1:13) and thus calls sinners to constant self-abasement in His presence (Isa. 6:5).  In thinking about God's unfathomably infinite holiness I have concluded that even the "BEST" of people, on their "BEST" days come nowhere near satisfying the holy, righteous, and perfect standards of God (Matt. 5:48).  Or, another way of putting it, God's gracious mercy and forgiveness found in Christ and Christ alone MUST apply not merely to our "bad days" and our "bad deeds", but even to our "best of days" and our "best of deeds", for there is NOTHING we do (in and of ourselves) that is not in a variety of ways deeply steeped in sin and depravity.  We deceive ourselves into thinking that our depravity "certainly cannot be all that severe" - but that is only because we go about comparing ourselves to other finite and fallen human beings, as opposed to the unimaginably holy, only true and living, God.

If you look in Philippians chapter 3 Paul says that we should put no confidence in the flesh, but rather - whatever we may be tempted to deem worthy and honorable in the sight of God - we should count as loss for the sake of Christ.  Paul says, Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith — that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.  In other words, Paul is saying - you cannot EARN your way into the presence of God ...no matter how "good" you are, no matter how "impressive" your resume is, no matter what kind of "sacrifices" you've made - unless it is founded upon faith in Christ (and Christ alone) it will not only fail to meet the standards of God, but it will in fact be counted against you - amongst your countless transgressions which are a stench in the nostrils of a holy God.  Isaiah 64:6 says that all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment ...notice, it is NOT only our "evil deeds", but our "righteous deeds" that offend a holy God.  This is why Paul calls his once considered "righteous resume" to be RUBBISH! (Phil. 3:8).  To make the point - let us consider Mother Teresa (arguably the BEST person who has ever lived minus Jesus).  Realize - EVEN Mother Teresa ...EVEN Mother Teresa on a "GOOD DAY" ...does not merit the favor of God by what she accomplishes, her "accomplishments" are not helpful but actually harmful to her standing before God, because like all of us her "best" deeds/"righteous" deeds are polluted garments in the presence of a holy God.  Her ONLY hope is found in what Christ has accomplished!  And if Mother Teresa's deeds be GOOD (i.e. truly good) it is ONLY because they emerge from a new life wherein she has been crucified with Christ, and she no longer lives, but the life she now lives in the flesh she lives by faith in the Son of God, who loved her and gave Himself for her (Gal. 2:20).


*Here are some verses to look up and contemplate - - - > Lev. 11:44-45; Josh. 24:19; Isa. 2:2; Ps. 99:9; Isa. 1:4; 6:3; 41:14, 16, 20; 57:15; Ezek. 39:7; Amos 4:2; John 17:11; Acts 5:3-4, 32; Rev. 15:4.