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♦ Bible Writers' Theology Chapter Four
• "For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son,..." to save the world through the incarnation" (John 3:16; John 1:14; I Timothy 1:15-17; I Timothy 2:3-7; I Timothy 3:16).
All of these attributes belong uniquely to God, for only He is self- exis tent, eternal, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent and immutable.
II Moral Attributes
A Holiness
God is separate from and exalted above all His creatures, and He is equal ly separate from all evil and sin. God is holy. His holiness governs His love, power, and will. In the Old Testament, it is very evident that God wanted to be known by His holiness.
• When God came down on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:12-25)
• In the division of rooms in the tabernacle and the temple (Exodus 26:33; I Kings 6:16,19)
• Theprescribedofferings(Leviticus1-7)
• The special priesthood to mediate between God and the people (Leviticus 8-10)
• Themanylawsaboutimpurity (Leviticus11-15)
• ThefeastsofIsrael (Leviticus23)
• The separation between Israel and Palestine (Numbers 23:9;
Deuteronomy 33:28)
His throne s foundation is His Holiness (Isaiah 6:1-3; Revelation 15:4- 5; Habakkuk 2:20)
• (See also Leviticus 11:44; Joshua 24:19; I Samuel 6:20; Psalm 22:3; Isaiah 40:25; Ezekiel 39:7; Habakkuk 1:12.)
Three important things should be learned from the fact that God is holy:
• There is a gap between God and a sinner (Isaiah 59:1-5, Habakkuk 1:13). Isaiah speaks about, "the face of the covering cast over all peo ple, and the vail that is spread over all nations" (Isaiah 25:7). The fel lowship between God and man was broken after the fall.
• Sincemanisnotablebyhimselftoapproach God, only God could make such access possible by making the Word to become flesh. The reason for the atonement lies in God's holiness (Romans 5:2; E p h e s i a n s 2:18; Hebrews 10:19; 11 Corinthians 5:19). What His holiness demand
ed, His love provided (Romans 5:6-8; Ephesians 2:1-9; I P e t e r 3:18).