“Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11)
The objective, stunning beauty of holiness (2 Chronicles 20:21) has profound ramifications for theology. Scripture identifies God as supremely holy (Leviticus 11:44-45; 1 Peter 1:16). Therefore, He is gloriously and overwhelmingly beautiful.
He
is holy and beautiful in His omniscience, since no one else knows all
things. His omnipresence and omnipotence are also utterly unique and,
therefore, holy and striking. In
His freedom, eternality, self-existence, self-sufficiency, justice,
mercy, grace, love, forgiveness—in all of His attributes—He is holy and
magnificent, since His attributes are set apart from everyone and
everything else! God’s holiness—and, therefore, His beauty—extend to every aspect of His being.
The
beauty of God’s holiness intensifies our condemnation as sinners. Our
sinfulness is seen first and foremost in our consistent disobedience to the greatest commandment in Scripture, loving God with our entire being (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37).
Many wake up in the morning without giving Him a second thought. The
wickedness of this act is magnified in light of the extraordinary and
dreadful beauty of God’s holiness. Refusing to love God is not just
wrong; it is also horrifically ugly.
In the human realm, we
recognize how beauty amplifies the evil of an act. What would we think
of people who gleefully throw mud at a pure white wedding dress,
vandalize classic and precious works of art, or burn copies of
Shakespeare’s plays? At best, we label them confused. At worst, we label them perverse.
Sing Praise To The Lord
Mark Chandler
