HOLINESS: An Encounter, Not a Concept
Immediately after Israel’s dramatic deliverance through the Red Sea and after God had shattered Pharaoh’s army and demonstrated His unmatched power, scripture records a profound response from the people of God: “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)
This question is not seeking information. It is a declaration. It is the cry of a people who had just encountered God. Not a theory. Not a tradition. Not a second-hand story. A living and overwhelming revelation of the holiness of the Lord.
God’s holiness was not merely declared; it was demonstrated. Israel had seen something “other.” Something transcendent. Something beyond human explanation. They did not walk out of the Red Sea unchanged. When holiness truly meets humanity, neutrality disappears.
God Is Holy By Nature
The Bible is unambiguous about one central truth: God is holy.
Not occasionally holy. Not situationally holy.
Holiness is not something God does, it is who God is.
We are human. God is holy. God is not simply a larger or improved version of us. He is not familiar, manageable, or negotiable. He is completely other. Separate. Weighty. Transcendent.
If we are honest, many of us have unintentionally shrunk God down to something more comfortable. We talk about Him casually. We negotiate with Him. We approach His presence lightly. And if we are not careful, we can lose our awe.
Whatever picture of God you are carrying in your mind right now, it isn’t big enough.
This is why Scripture tells us that angels cry out day and night, “Holy, holy, holy.” Not because they are bored, but because they are overwhelmed. They are responding to an endless revelation of the holiness of God.
Holiness Reveals Reality
Most people believe they are good. But one true encounter with the holiness of God destroys that illusion instantly. When Isaiah saw the Lord “high and lifted up,” his response was not pride or confidence—it was collapse: “Woe is me! For I am undone.”
Holiness exposes reality. It strips away self-deception. It reveals who God is and who we are not. Yet holiness does not destroy us. It transforms us.
Isaiah’s encounter did not end in shame; it ended in cleansing and commission. A coal from the altar touched his lips. Then came the call: “Whom shall I send?” And Isaiah answered, “Here am I, send me.”
Encounter precedes calling and commission!
Holiness Is Not a Doctrine to Learn, It Is a Reality to Encounter
One of the great misunderstandings of modern Christianity is the belief that holiness is primarily about rules. But holiness does not begin with behaviour, it begins with God.
Peter writes: “But as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:15–16)
Notice the order. As He is holy. Holiness flows from relationship, not regulation.
This brings us to a vital truth: the principle of origin. The origin of something determines its nature and its outcome. Two bottles may look identical. Same size, same label, same shape. But one contains fresh spring water, and the other contains salt water from the ocean.
At first glance, the difference is invisible. But over time, the source reveals itself. One sustains life. The other dehydrates and harms.
You can dress them up. Chill them. Pour them into nicer containers. But no amount of external change can override the source.
Holiness begins with God. If the origin is wrong, the outcome will be wrong.
You Cannot Produce a Spiritual Outcome from a Natural Origin
Jesus said it plainly: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6). Flesh produces flesh. Spirit produces spirit. You cannot generate spiritual life through human effort alone.
This is why holiness must begin with encounter, with being filled with the Holy Spirit. Transformation into Christlikeness is not achieved by discipline alone; it flows from proximity to God.
Rules without encounter become burdens and druggery. But when holiness begins with God, it becomes beautiful. That is why the scripture says, “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness”.
Encounter Changes Everything
Every true encounter with a holy God leaves people changed, inside and out. Encounters do not end at the altar. They walk out the door with us. Homes change. Marriages strengthen. Hope is restored. Addictions break. Faith is reignited. Deliverance happens. Captives are set free. As we draw near to God, He draws near to us.
Throughout Scripture, ordinary lives are interrupted by divine encounters. Encounters change people!
Moses meets God at a burning bush. A hesitant shepherd becomes a deliverer.
Jacob wrestles through the night and emerges transformed, walking into a new day with a new name.
Samuel hears God’s voice and moves from servant boy to prophet.
David is anointed, and the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him—shepherd to king, sinner to a man after God’s own heart.
Job moves from hearsay theology to revelation: “My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You.”
Distance Breeds Compromise. Nearness Breeds Consecration
Jesus’ cleansing of the temple offers a powerful picture. The outer court was still “God’s house,” but it was farthest from the Holy of Holies—and compromise had room to breathe.
The farther we drift from God’s holy presence, the more we tolerate in ourselves. Distance becomes permission. Nearness brings purification.
This is one of the great dangers of familiarity. Long-time believers can become comfortable with holy things. Worship becomes routine. Scripture becomes language rather than life. Wonder is quietly replaced by habit. Jesus’ warning in Revelation still echoes: “You have left your first love.”
Holiness Was Never Meant to Be a List
One of the great tragedies of modern Christianity is that holiness has been reduced to a checklist. “Tell me what I can and can’t do.”
There is a place for spiritual leadership to teach practical applications of biblical principles. But holiness does not begin with man, it begins with God.
When the holiness of God descended on Mount Sinai in fire, smoke, and thunder, the people pulled back and said, “Let Moses speak to us, not God.” They wanted distance. They wanted mediation. They wanted rules instead of relationship. And from that moment on, disobedience followed.
Many Christians chase feelings but avoid the fire that purifies. We are often big on emotion but small on encounter. Emotion is not the enemy, but it must lead us deeper. Backsliding is rarely about rebellion first. It is usually about distance. It has been too long since an encounter.
An Encounter That Changed the World
The early church did not grow because of strategy or education. Pentecost was birthed in an upper room encounter. Fearful disciples became bold witnesses. Ordinary believers carried holy presence.
What changed? Encounter.
Heaven’s order invaded earth’s disorder.
Jesus Himself was the ultimate intrusion of holiness into humanity. He was the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Wherever He went, sickness was challenged, demons fled, and broken lives were restored. The bible says Jesus was preaching the “gospel of the Kingdom”, not merely information about salvation, but transformation through encounter.
Becoming Partakers of His Holiness
Hebrews tells us that God disciplines us “for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.” Not observers. Not admirers.
Holiness is not meant to be distant or theoretical. God intends His holiness to be known, felt, and revealed in us.
When God’s holiness touches humanity, everything shifts. Desires, direction, priorities, and identity. Sin meets mercy. Fear meets peace. Brokenness meets restoration. Death meets life.
This is not a church experience. It is a collision.
No one leaves the same.
If it has been years since you encountered God…
If faith has become routine…
If holiness feels like a burden instead of beauty…
The invitation still stands.
You do not need more information. You need an encounter.
Holiness begins with God. And when God reveals Himself, lives are not merely reformed… they are transformed.