R. C. Sproul’s “Holiness of God”

Join R.C. Sproul as he presents the terrifying biblical picture of God’s awesome holiness and why it is so foundational to God-centered, God-honoring theology and Christian living.

Overview

When Isaiah encountered our most holy God, he became terrified and cried out, “Woe is me!” Isaiah’s experience of the holiness of God is not unlike our own. God’s holiness both fascinates and terrifies us. It reveals to us who we are, and that can either drive us away in fear or cause us to cry out for mercy. In The Holiness of God, Dr. R.C. Sproul illustrates the majesty of God’s holiness through a biblical and historical study of what people experience when they encounter the Holy One and find ultimate refuge in the righteousness of Christ.

There are 6 lessons, which will take you about an hour each. Here is a summary of each lesson.

1. The Importance of Holiness – Holiness is at the core of God’s being. When Isaiah saw a vision of God, the seraphim around the throne called out, “Holy, holy, holy,” proclaiming this all-important attribute of God’s character. In this lesson, Dr. Sproul explores the essential importance of holiness as a quality uniquely attributable to God.
2. The Trauma of Holiness – An encounter with the holiness of God is always a traumatic experience. Throughout Scripture, when people encounter God, they tremble before Him. In this lesson, Dr. Sproul describes what happened to Isaiah in response to his vision and demonstrates how it fits within the biblical pattern of human reactions to the presence of God.
3. Holiness and Justice – The concept of cruel and unusual punishment should be familiar to Americans because of the Constitution of the United States. Man is not perfectly just, so we need protections against cruel and unusual punishment. This is not the case with God. He alone is perfectly just. In this lecture, Dr. Sproul helps us appreciate God’s holiness through His judgments, showing us how God is just but also merciful.
4. The Insanity of Luther – Martin Luther wrestled with God’s holiness and man’s sinfulness to the extent that it drove him to despair. This struggle caused him to even cry out: “Love God? Sometimes I hate him.” In this lecture, Dr. Sproul recounts Luther’s struggle and explains how sinful people can stand in the presence of a holy God—only through a righteousness that He provides in Jesus Christ.
5. The Meaning of Holiness – Up until this point in the series, the word “holy” has yet to be defined. We understand what people have experienced in the presence of a holy God, but we may not be able to define the term “holy” or the concept of holiness as it is used in Scripture. In this lecture, Dr. Sproul defines the word “holy” in order that we might see the necessity of holiness in our own lives, especially as it relates to how we use God’s name.
6. The Holiness of Christ – During His earthly ministry, even those who followed Jesus reacted in fear in His presence. This is graphically displayed in the disciples’ reaction to His calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee as they marveled, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” In this lecture, Dr. Sproul explains why it is that Jesus’ closest companions could fear Him and yet could do nothing else but follow Him, knowing that they could not be holy apart from Him.