God is Holy

God is Holy

and cannot tolerate sin

God's Purity

God is:

of purer eyes than to behold evil and cannot look on sin.
Habakkuk 1:13a
of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity.
Habakkuk 1:13a

It's not that God just doesn't like sin; but because He is holy, He cannot tolerate sin.

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GOD
is completely
HOLY
He tolerates
NO SIN

God's Reflection

God's law is a reflection of His nature, and the essence of sin is offending His holy nature. The Ten Commandments are not just rules to live by. Each commandment protects us from offending Him. When we break God's law, we distance ourselves from Him.

Sin is lawlessness.
I John 3:4
Sin is the transgression of the law.
I John 3:4
God's
Law
God's Character
Have no gods beside me
He alone is God
Do not break marriage vows
He is faithful and loyal
Do not lie
He is truthful in everything
Do not steal
He provides all things
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His command not to have any other gods before Him is a reflection of His love for us—a deep love that demands loyalty from us. An idol is anything that is more important to us than God. Have you ever valued anything as more important to you than God? I have. Not only have we broken God's law, we have offended His holy nature.

God's command not to commit adultery is a reflection of His faithfulness. Breaking our marriage vows not only hurts our spouse, it offends our God. His command not to lie reflects His truthful nature. God is Truth and cannot lie. Have you ever told a lie or stretched the truth? I have. When we break God's law, we offend Him.

Man's Dilemma

This leaves us with a dilemma because the Bible teaches:

All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God [His holy perfection].
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God [His holy perfection].
Romans 3:23

Most of us are willing to admit that we have sinned, but many do not know that because of God's holy nature, sin disqualifies us from having a relationship with Him.

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ALL HAVE SINNED
AND FALLEN SHORT
OF GOD'S GLORY

Imagine you and a friend having a contest to see which of you can jump across a wide canyon. One of you might be able to jump farther than the other, but neither of you could jump across. You would both fall short of the other side. The same thing is true of our relationship with God. While some people might be better than others, no one is perfect. All of us fall short of His holy perfection.

We will look at three more of God's character traits, but if this were all we knew about Him, who could have a relationship with our holy God? — No one!

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TRANSLATION

Read these descriptions of God’s holiness.

Isaiah 6:1–3

I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"

Revelation 4:2–8

A throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. ... From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder ... and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. ... And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

Romans 3:10–23

As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. … for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Ecclesiastes 7:20

Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.


Sin not only alienates us from God, it is destructive and enslaving. Jesus said,

John 8:34

“Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin."


There are probably things you do that you know are wrong and would like to quit doing, but you can’t. Things like habitual lying, outbursts of anger, bitterness, immoral behavior or relationships, stealing, envy...

You might be thinking, “I don’t sin that much.” The Bible says,

James 2:10

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.

Read these descriptions of God’s holiness.

Isaiah 6:1–3

I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Revelation 4:2–8

A throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. … And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. … And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind…. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

Romans 3:10–23

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. … For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

Ecclesiastes 7:20

For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.


Sin not only alienates us from God, it is destructive and enslaving. Jesus said,

John 8:34

Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.


There are probably things you do that you know are wrong and would like to quit doing, but you can’t. Things like habitual lying, outbursts of anger, bitterness, immoral behavior or relationships, stealing, envy...

You might be thinking, “I don’t sin that much.” The Bible says,

James 2:10

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.