Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher Jim Rickard Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011 Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. John 17 The Great High Priestly Prayer of our Lord! John 17:6-19 Christ Prays for His Disciples. John 17:11 The Holiness of God. Part 2 Holy Father. HAGIOS PATER Doctrine of the Essence of God, His Holiness. I. Introduction: Father SonHoly Spirit Co-Equal Co-Infinite Co-Eternal Sovereignty Righteous Justice Love Eternal Life Omniscience Omnipotent Omnipresence Immutable Veracity Essence of God II. The Personality of God: Personality has component parts: intellect, sensibility, and will. Gods divine, moral sensibility includes the attributes of: a. Holiness b. Justice c. Love d. Goodness e. Truth Sensibility means the higher forms of feeling. God is not just pure thought, but He is also absolute intuition and absolute sensibility. III. The Holiness of God: Ex 15:11, Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders? Isa 6:3, And one called out to another and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory. 1. Definition: Holiness means separation from all that is common or unclean, the absence of evil and the presence of positive right. 2. Scriptures: 3. Application: The absolute, innate holiness of God means that sinners have to be separated from Him unless a way can be found to make them holy. A proper view of the holiness of God should make the believer sensitive to his own sin, Isa 6:3, 5; Luke 5:8. The holiness of God becomes the standard for the believers life and conduct, 1 John 1:7. Proper conduct can be tested by the simple question, is it holy? Gods holiness should be our standard and though we dont always measure up to it, we must never compromise it. 4. Amplification: The holiness of God is intrinsic, uncreated, and untarnishable; it is observable in every divine attitude and action. It embraces not only His devotion to that which is good, but is also the very basis and force of His hatred of that which is evil. Thus there is in Divine holiness the capacity for reaction toward others which is both positive and negative. The following Scriptures declare the holiness of God: Ex 3:5; Lev 19:2; 1 Sam 2:2; Job 15:15; Psa 22:3; 47:8; 111:9; Isa 6:3; 57:15; Rev 6:10; 15:4 IV. Other attributes of God that inter-work with His holiness include: 1. Love: 1 John 4:8b-9 God is Holy; therefore, the love of God possesses perfect integrity, which includes incorruptible justice and immutable righteousness. Love is the perfection of holiness that seeks the highest good and glory of His perfect attributes. Gods love does not operate apart from His other attributes including holiness and justice. Because He is holy and unchangeable, divine love cannot be compromised by sins, human good, evil, etc. This means that Divine love cannot be corrupted by any creature failure, nor can Divine holiness. God is not tainted by our sins. Holiness condemns sin, while the love of God seeks to save the sinner. Yet, love cannot overpower holiness and save those who reject Christ and die in their sins. Grace Fellowship Church Thursday, November 17, 2011 Tape # Jesus Prays for His Disciples The Holiness of God Great High Priestly Prayer, Part 37 John 17:11; 1 John 1:5-7; 4:8-9, 16-21; Rom 3:23-24, 26; 5:8-9 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2011