The Privileged Life: Standing Before a Holy God

“The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’” (Revelation 4:8)

I was an angel once…sort of….

During our church’s Vacation Bible School one year, my task was to dress up as an angelic messenger and tell the story of the announcement to Mary about her miraculous motherhood. I dutifully donned a white robe, perched a gold tinsel halo on my head, and strode boldly into a classroom of preschoolers.

To get their attention right off the bat, I shouted: “Holy! Holy! Holy is the Lord God of Hosts!” My booming voice worked. Those stunned kids sat mesmerized while I quickly explained the Christmas message from Gabriel. Then I scampered back out, smugly proud of myself.

Later that afternoon, one of the moms told me about her preschooler’s impressions from my lesson. Her daughter had declared in amazement, “Mommy, today I saw a REAL angel!” 

Uh oh. What a humbling moment…I was scheduled to return the next day as Mary. Those kids would quickly figure out that my whole persona as an angel was make-believe, or worse, a fraud. 

Fortunately, we all survived the next morning, and they seemed to accept my new appearance as “Mary”—even if they were still skeptical about my real identity.

Have you ever thought about the angels and their never-ceasing praise of God’s holiness?

It occurred to me recently that the word “holy,” spoken in threes, is a trinitarian proclamation by angels in the biblical accounts of heaven—God is the Holy Father, Holy Son, and Holy Spirit. (See Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8.) These declarations affirm the complete holiness of our triune God. He is perfect, set apart, flawless, faultless, sinless. 

Holiness is something out of reach for our comprehension. Even if we sang the hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy” every Sunday in church, would we really grasp what it means to worship a holy God? Do we meditate on what it will mean someday to stand before our perfect Creator?

In the presence of blinding purity, I imagine we’re going to feel dirty…much like a filthy pair of shoes that have slopped through mud and muck.

Moses found out pretty fast about God’s holiness when he went to check out the mysteriously burning bush.  The phenomenon represented the presence of God—and Moses was instantly ordered to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. His soiled shoes were a contrast to the utter spotlessness of his Lord.

John the Baptist experienced the same humility. When his very own cousin Jesus Christ came to be baptized, John resisted performing the sacrament—he recognized he was not worthy enough to carry Jesus’ soiled sandals (Matthew 3:11). John knew he was the one who needed baptizing and cleansing, not Jesus. But he was obedient to his Master’s purposes for baptism in the Jordan River. 

I imagine Jesus’ disciples had a tough time comprehending His holiness…until Peter, James, and John saw Him transfigured on the mountain with His face and clothing aglow with His true light. They could no longer see Him as just another guy, one of their band of friends. Jesus’ holy glory as the Son of God was unmistakable.

Our God is indeed holy. He is not a god with flaws or limitations. He is distinct, sacred, hallowed. Like the C.S. Lewis character Aslan, He is not safe…but He is good.

When we enter the presence of such purity, we should be trembling in our filthy shoes.

So, as you and I approach Him in prayer today, we need to recognize we are on “holy ground” and see Him as He is. We should remember that His mercy is unimaginable…how a sinless, spotless God would continually forgive us in His overwhelming mercy. We need to bless His name for pardoning all of our sins through His sacrifice on a cross, overcoming death itself by His holiness and power. 

We should also be challenged by His commandments. While we will never ever be perfect here on earth, our desire should be to live out His holiness in our daily behavior.* We, too, are set apart to work for His kingdom and to seek purity in our thoughts, words, and deeds.

Let’s go to Him today in complete submission, asking Him to help us live in holiness for Him. Let’s bow in wonder before our beloved, perfect, and spotless Lamb, radiant in all of His holiness. Let’s shout “Holy! Holy! Holy!” to His magnificent name! Amen!

Beloved Father, Son, and Spirit—may I come before You in complete and utter awe of You. You are the Holy God, and I worship You now in praise and wonder at Your perfect love for me. May I never tire of praising Your name or seeking your will for my life. Help me to live every day in gratitude for Your gift of eternal life, blessed with the assurance that one day I will see You for who really are. To the honor and glory of Your name, Jesus, Amen.

*For more thoughts on personal spiritual growth, I recommend “The Pursuit of Holiness” by Jerry Bridges–a thoughtful treatise on the importance of actively seeking holiness in our own lives.

Nancy C. Williams is a Christian wife/mom with a writing career spanning more than 40 years in business and journalism. Williams is the author of the novel To Love a Falcon and the devotional book A Crocus in the Desert: Devotions, Stories, and Prayers for Women Experiencing Infertility. Her weekly blogs are featured on Crossmap.com. To follow Nancy’s posts and news, go to her home page at http://lightbournecreative.com and subscribe at the bottom. 

© Copyright 2024 Nancy C. Williams, Lightbourne Creative (text and photography)

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture verses are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. #holyholyholy #gabriel #angels #triuneGod #holytrinity #Christmasangel