Attribute: Moral Purity

I covered a few of God's attributes already: eternality, immutability, and independence. I'd like to put a focus on His moral qualities as well. These are communicable attributes (those which He communicates to us). I am using Introducing Christian Doctrine by Millard J. Erickson for this information. I recommend it for an easier read than Grudem's Systematic Theology.

Within the communicable attributes, there is one that is awesome and one we should seek to understand, and that is God's moral purity. An understanding of the moral purity of God will help us in our own walk as we (through the Spirit) pattern our life after God. Erickson defines moral purity in stating that it is "God's absolute freedom from anything wicked or evil. His moral purity includes the dimensions of 1)holiness, 2)righteousness, and 3)justice."

Let's take this time to focus on the first one: holiness. Holiness means that God is unique, and totally separate from all of creation. He is totally other than us. One wonderful Scripture that helps to expand on holiness is found in Isaiah 6:1-4. Once the prophet Isaiah saw the Lord in His infinite holiness, he was totally devastated about himself. He cried out, "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips." Isaiah, when confronted with the 100% moral purity of God, was utterly convicted. (For a deeper study of Isaiah's confrontation w/holiness, look at The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul.)

This poses many questions for my walk when I think about Isaiah's experience. 1)Have I encountered the holiness of God in such a way that I am utterly devastated by my own sinfulness? 2)Do I seek to pattern my life after God, and specifically after Jesus and the Bible? 3)Am I more interested in the ungodly, unholy things of the world or the things that push me to pursue holiness in my personal life?

The Lord gave us a command that I think many times, we read over, but don't follow through with, and that is, "Be holy as I am holy." Well believer - are you?