The Beauty of Holiness

Text: “God hath spoken in his holiness” — Psalm 107:8a

Jesus Christ is absolute holiness. This is, perhaps, His most beautiful attribute. Throughout the Scriptures we find we should “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (Psa. 29:2; 96:9; I Chr. 16:29). Notice that the phrase does not say “the beauty of His holiness.” But rather, it states, “the beauty of holiness.” Thus, beauty is attributed to holiness itself (cf. I Chr. 20:21; Psa. 110:3).

Holiness displays its own beauty. Holiness stands in direct opposition to the vileness and ugliness of sin. Although sin’s pleasure is attractive (Heb. 11:25), it possesses no beauty. Attractiveness may go no farther than the skin, but beauty radiates from within the heart and soul.

Therefore, we find the inherent beauty of God is found in His holiness. God is the consummation of divine holiness. There is not even the slightest hint of anything less than holiness to be found in the nature of God (James 1:17; I Jn. 1:5). Thus, the more we know of God, the less we desire to know of sin. The more consumed we are with God, the less contaminated we shall be with sin. And, the more intimate with God we are, the less influenced by sin we will be. If we, as sinful men, are distraught over the sinfulness of our age, then how much more must the Holy God be sickened by even the smallest of our sins.