Holy, Holy, Holy!

That which sets apart God in a class by Himself is His holiness! Our God is a holy God, perfect in every way. He is absolutely pure, and as such He sets the standards of what is right and wrong in this world. And He calls us to live on the same level plain for we are to be 'holy as He is holy.' But how do we respond to the truth that our God is holy? Throughout history man has responded in one of two ways to the holiness of God. Like Uzziah in 2 Chronicles 26, many respond by profaning God's holiness which ultimately results in God's judgment. Many today profane God's holiness by taking His name in vain, by making a mockery of everything sacred, by placing God's Word on the same level as any other book, by calling 'evil, good' and 'good, evil', by giving allegiance to other gods, by simply ignoring God, or by disobeying His commands. This, by far, is the prevalent way men respond to God's holiness. But there are a few, like Isaiah, who respond by recognizing their own sinfulness, repenting of their sins, and then offering their bodies to God as living sacrifices. As Isaiah caught a glimpse of God's holiness he was CONVICTED of his own sinfulness. Based on his CONFESSION God graciously provided CLEANSING for Isaiah, which resulted in Isaiah CONSECRATING himself for service. 'Here am I! Send me!' Isaiah faithfully served God even though his message might fall on deaf ears, assured that God had prepared a remnant of grace, of godly, holy people whose hearts will be totally given to the Lord! And God calls upon us who have been saved by His grace to offer to Him our bodies as living sacrifices, to serve Him faithfully even in spiritually unresponsive times.