“主啊，谁敢不敬畏祢，不将荣耀归与祢的名呢？因为独有祢是圣的”(启15：4)。唯独神的圣洁无所依赖，无限无度，永不改变。在圣经中，神常被称作“圣者”，因为祂里面蕴含着一切美德。祂全然纯洁，无瑕无疵，甚至丝毫没有罪的痕迹。“神就是光，在祂毫无黑暗”(约一1：5)。圣洁是神本性的卓越所在：伟大之神“至圣至荣”(出15：11)，因此我们读到“祢眼目清洁，不看邪僻，不看奸恶”(哈1：13)。正如神的大能与受造物天生的软弱，神的智慧与人知识的局限和错谬形成鲜明对比一样，祂的圣洁也与一切道德污点和玷污完全对立。在古时，神就指定要以色列歌唱的人“颂赞祂圣洁的妆饰”(代下20：21)。“神以能力为双手与膀臂，以全知为眼睛，以怜悯为心肠，以永恒为年岁，而以圣洁为妆饰”(司提反.查洛克)。在那些从罪恶权势中释放出来的人看来，神因圣洁显得尤其可爱。
“圣经特别强调神的圣洁这个完美属性：圣经称神为全能者，但更经常称祂为‘圣者’，而且圣经在描写神的尊贵时，提到祂的圣洁远超过祂的其它任何属性，也最经常用圣洁来修饰祂的名。圣经从未出现‘祂全能的名’或‘祂智慧的名’，有时会出现祂“伟大的名”，但最经常出现的是祂的‘圣名’，这是神至高尊荣的称号；显示出其名字无比威严、令人敬畏”(司提反.查洛克)。
独有神圣洁的完美在天上的宝座前被庄严颂扬，撒拉弗叫道：“圣哉，圣哉，圣哉，万军之耶和华”(赛6：3)。神亲自挑选出这个完美属性，说“我一次指着自己的圣洁起誓”(诗89：35)。因为圣洁比其它一切都更能代表神自己，所以祂凭此起誓，诗人因此也勉励我们说：“耶和华的圣民哪，你们要歌颂祂，称赞祂可记念的圣名”(诗30：4)。“圣洁可谓是神极其卓越超凡的属性，它贯穿于其余的属性，并赋予其光泽荣美。它是神一切属性的基石”(约翰.何沃，1670)。因此我们读到“主的荣美”(诗27：4)，这荣美不是指别的，正是指神“圣洁的荣美”(诗110：3) 。
“因为神的圣洁超乎其他完美属性之上，所以它也是众属性的荣耀：正如它是神的荣耀，所以它也是神一切完美属性的荣耀。正如神的能力是祂所有属性的力量，所以神的圣洁也使这一切属性显出荣美；正如一切属性需要能力的扶持而不至软弱，所以它们也需要用圣洁来装扮而不至于失去美感。若圣洁被玷污了，其他属性则不再有尊荣。正如太阳在失去光亮的那一刻，也同时失去了热度、力量和滋生万物的能力。就如真诚是基督徒身上每个恩典的光彩一样，纯洁也是神每个属性的光辉。神的正义是圣洁的正义，祂的智慧是圣洁的智慧，祂大能的膀臂是‘圣臂’(诗98：1)，祂的真理和应许是‘圣言’(诗105：42)，包含并表明祂一切属性的名也被称作‘圣名’(诗103：1)。”(司提反.查洛克)。
神的圣洁体现在祂的作为中。“耶和华在祂一切所行的，无不公义。祂一切所做的，都是圣洁 ”(诗145：17)。祂所做的一切都卓越超群。圣洁是祂一切行为的准则。起初祂宣布所造的一切都“甚好”(创1：31)，倘若有丝毫欠完美欠圣洁之处，祂就无法如此宣称。祂所造的人原本是“正直的”(传7：29)，有造物主的形象和样式。堕落的天使在被造时是圣洁的，因为圣经告诉我们，他们“不守本位”(犹6)，圣经论到撒但说“你从受造之日所行的都完全，后来在你中间又察出不义”(结28:15)。
神的圣洁体现在祂的律法中。神的律法禁止罪及其一切的变化形式，包括最细微和最昭彰的罪，包括内心的动机和身体的污秽，也包括隐秘的欲望和公然的恶行。因此，我们读到：“律法是圣洁的，诫命也是圣洁、公义、良善的”(罗7：12)。的确，“耶和华的命令清洁，能明亮人的眼目。耶和华的道理洁净，存到永远。耶和华的典章真实，全然公义”(诗19：8-9)。
神的圣洁体现在十字架上。赎罪祭奇妙而又庄严地揭示神的无限圣洁和对罪的无比恨恶。神对罪必定是恨恶至极，因为祂给予罪一切应得的惩罚，甚至到了极处，将一切的罪都毫不留情地算在祂儿子身上。
“无论神对罪恶世界过往将来一切的审判，罪人良心的挣扎煎熬，对叛逆魔鬼永不改变的判决，还是被咒诅的受造物的呻吟叹息，都不如神宣泄在祂儿子身上的忿怒那样清楚地显明祂对罪的恨恶。神的圣洁在我们救主临死前那呻吟惨淡的面容里最美妙可爱地显明出来。基督自己也在诗篇22篇中承认这点。祂说当神向祂隐去笑容，将利刀扎入祂心中，迫使祂撕心裂肺地呼喊‘我的神，我的神，为什么离弃我’时，祂仍会赞美神圣洁的完美：‘祢是圣洁的’(诗22：3)。”(司提反.查洛克)。
因为神是圣洁的，所以祂痛恨一切的罪。祂喜爱一切符合祂律法之事，恨恶一切违背祂律法之事。圣经清楚地说：“乖僻人为耶和华所憎恶”(箴3：32)，又说：“恶谋为耶和华所憎恶”(箴15：26)。因此，神必要惩罚罪。有罪就有神的惩罚，就如神恨恶罪一样天经地义。神时常赦免罪人，但从不放过罪恶，神赦免罪人只是因为有救主为他承受了惩罚，因为“若不流血，罪就不得赦免”(来9：22)，因此我们读到“耶和华……向祂的敌人施报，向祂的仇敌怀怒”(鸿1：2)。只因一件罪，神将我们的始祖赶出伊甸园(创3)；只因一件罪，含的儿子迦南的所有后裔遭咒诅直至今日(创9：21)；只因一件罪，摩西不得进入迦南地(民20：10-13)；以利沙的仆人被神击打，染上大麻疯(王下5)；亚拿尼亚和撒非喇从活人之地被剪除(徒5：1-11)。
在这里我们也可以看见圣经出于神默示的证据。未重生的人并不真正相信神是圣洁的。他们对神的属性的理解极为片面，他们天真地希望神的怜悯比其它属性更为重要。“你想我恰和你一样”(诗50：21)是神对他们的谴责。他们从自己邪恶的内心臆想出一个“神”来，从而继续行在不可救药的愚昧之路上。圣经中神圣洁的本性和品质清楚说明其超自然的源头。真神是纯洁无瑕的，而古今中外各国众“神”的品性却恰恰相反。亚当堕落的后代绝不可能想象出这样一位对一切罪恶都深恶痛绝的神，其圣洁程度之高简直无法以言语表达！将无限圣洁和永不改变的圣洁之神摆在人面前，人的反应最能显明其内心的极度败坏和他对永生神的极度敌视。人对罪的观念事实上仅限于世人通常所说的“罪行”，若没有这么严重，人都会为之辩解，并称罪为“缺点”、“错误”、“软弱”等等。人即使承认有罪，也会找出种种借口或理由来为自己辩护。
绝大多数自称是基督徒的人所“喜爱”的“神”看上去很象一位纵容的老者，他自己虽不喜爱愚昧，但却宽容地向年轻人不检点的过失睁一只眼，闭一只眼，然而圣经说：“凡作孽的，都是祢所恨恶的”(诗5：5)，又说：“神是……天天向恶人发怒的神”(诗7：11)。但人们拒绝相信这样的神，当神对罪的恨恶如实地呈现在他们眼前时，他们便恨得咬牙切齿。不，罪人绝不可能设想出一位圣洁的神，就如他不可能创造出地狱的火湖让自己永永远远受折磨一样。
因为神是圣洁的，受造物绝不可能凭自己的行为蒙神悦纳。堕落的人要想凭行为让无限圣洁之神满意，其难度超过人自己来创造世界。黑暗岂能与光明同居呢？纯洁无瑕的神岂能喜悦“污秽的衣服”呢？(赛64：6)。罪人所能做的最好的事也是被罪玷污的，坏树不可能结出好果子。神若称不洁不义的为圣洁公义，那么祂就背乎了自己，玷污了自己的完美；至微至小的污点都与神至圣至洁的本性相背。但颂赞归于主名，神的圣洁所要求的，祂已赐下恩典，在我们的主基督耶稣里供应了。每个可怜的罪人只要逃向主耶稣那避难所，就可以在神面前站立，“在爱子里被接纳”(弗1：6)。哈利路亚！
因为神是圣洁的，所以我们当极为恭敬地亲近祂。“祂在圣者的会中，是大有威严的神，比一切在祂四围的更可畏惧”(诗89：7)，因此，“你们当尊崇耶和华我们的神，在祂脚凳前下拜。祂本为圣”(诗99：5)！是啊，“在祂脚凳前”，用最谦卑的姿势俯伏在祂面前。当摩西靠近燃烧的荆棘时，神吩咐说：“当把你脚上的鞋脱下来”(出3：5)。神要我们“存畏惧”之心事奉祂(诗2：11)。祂对以色列的要求是“我在亲近我的人中要显为圣，在众民面前，我要得荣耀”(利10：3)。我们越因祂的无瑕无疵的圣洁心存敬畏，我们亲近祂时就越蒙悦纳。
因为神是圣洁的，所以我们应当渴望象祂一样圣洁。神命令我们说“你们要圣洁，因为我是圣洁的”(彼前1：16)。祂并没有命令我们如祂一样全能全知，但要求我们“在一切所行的事上”都要圣洁(彼前1：15)。
“追求圣洁是荣耀神最主要的途径，我们用高声的颂赞，优美的词藻，雄辩的表达和华丽的敬拜仪式来荣耀神，都比不上渴慕以毫无玷污的生命与祂相交，用象祂一样圣洁的生命为祂而活更能使神得荣耀”(司提反.查洛克)。
因此，既然独有神是圣洁的源头和泉源，那么就让我们热切地向祂寻求圣洁；让我们日日祈求祂“使我们全然成圣……我们的灵与魂与身子得蒙保守，在我们主耶稣基督降临的时候，完全无可指摘”(贴前5：23)。
链接：https://wellsofgrace.com/messages/pink/sdsx/08.htm
The Holiness of God
by A. W. Pink
"Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou only art holy" (Rev. 15:4). He only is independently, infinitely, immutably holy. In Scripture He is frequently styled "The Holy One": He is so because the sum of all moral excellency is found in Him. He is absolute Purity, unsullied even by the shadow of sin. "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5). Holiness is the very excellency of the Divine nature: the great God is "glorious in holiness" (Ex. 15:11). Therefore do we read, "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity" (Hab. 1:13). As God’s power is the opposite of the native weakness of the creature, as His wisdom is in complete contrast from the least defect of understanding or folly, so His holiness is the very antithesis of all moral blemish or defilement. Of old God appointed singers in Israel "that they should praise for the beauty of holiness" (2 Chron. 20:21). "Power is God’s hand or arm, omniscience His eye, mercy His bowels, eternity His duration, but holiness is His beauty" (S. Charnock). It is this, supremely, which renders Him lovely to those who are delivered from sin’s dominion.
A chief emphasis is placed upon this perfection of God: God is oftener styled Holy than almighty, and set forth by this part of His dignity more than by any other. This is more fixed on as an epithet to His name than any other. You never find it expressed ‘His mighty name’ or ‘His wise name,’ but His great name, and most of all, His holy name. This is the greatest title of honour; in this latter doth the majesty and venerableness of His name appear (S. Charnock).
This perfection, as none other, is solemnly celebrated before the Throne of Heaven, the seraphim crying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts" (Isa. 6:3). God Himself singles out this perfection, "Once have I sworn by Thy holiness" (Ps. 89:35). God swears by His holiness because that is a fuller expression of Himself than anything else. Therefore are we exhorted, "Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness" (Ps. 30:4). "This may be said to be a transcendental attribute, that, as it were, runs through the rest, and casts luster upon them. It is an attribute of attributes" (J. Howe, 1670). Thus we read of "the beauty of the Lord" (Ps. 27:4), which is none other than "the beauty of holiness" (Ps. 110:3).
As it seems to challenge an excellency above all His other perfections, so it is the glory of all the rest; as it is the glory of the Godhead, so it is the glory of every perfection in the Godhead; as His power is the strength of them, so His holiness is the beauty of them; as all would be weak without almightiness to back them, so all would be uncomely without holiness to adorn them. Should this be sullied, all the rest would lose their honour; as at the same instant the sun should lose its light, it would lose its heat, its strength, its generative and quickening virtue. As sincerity is the luster of every grace in a Christian, so is purity the splendor of every attribute in the Godhead. His justice is a holy justice, His wisdom a holy wisdom, His arm of power a "holy arm" (Ps. 98:1), His truth or promise a "holy promise" (Ps. 105:42). His name, which signifies all His attributes in conjunction, "is holy," Psalm 103:1 (S. Charnock).
God’s holiness is manifested in His works. "The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works" (Ps. 145:17). Nothing but that which is excellent can proceed from Him. Holiness is the rule of all His actions. At the beginning He pronounced all that He made "very good" (Gen. 1:31), which He could not have done had there been anything imperfect or unholy in them. Man was made "upright" (Eccl. 7:29), in the image and likeness of his Creator. The angels that fell were created holy, for we are told that they "kept not their first habitation" (Jude 6). Of Satan it is written, "Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee" (Ezek. 28:15).
God’s holiness is manifested in His law. That law forbids sin in all of its modifications: in its most refined as well as its grossest forms, the intent of the mind as well as the pollution of the body, the secret desire as well as the overt act. Therefore do we read, The law is holy, and "the commandment holy, and just, and good" (Rom. 7:12). Yes, "the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether" (Ps. 19:8, 9).
God’s holiness is manifested at the Cross. Wondrously and yet most solemnly does the Atonement display God’s infinite holiness and abhorrence of sin. How hateful must sin be to God for Him to punish it to its utmost deserts when it was imputed to His Son!
Not all the vials of judgment that have or shall be poured out upon the wicked world, nor the flaming furnace of a sinner’s conscience, nor the irreversible sentence pronounced against the rebellious demons, nor the groans of the damned creatures, give such a demonstration of God’s hatred of sin, as the wrath of God let loose upon His Son. Never did Divine holiness appear more beautiful and lovely than at the time our Saviour’s countenance was most marred in the midst of His dying groans. This Himself acknowledges in Psa. 22. When God had turned His smiling face from Him, and thrust His sharp knife into His heart, which forced that terrible cry from Him, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" He adores this perfection—"Thou art holy," v. 3 (S. Charnock).
Because God is holy He hates all sin. He loves everything which is in conformity to His laws, and loathes everything which is contrary to it. His Word plainly declares, "The froward is an abomination to the Lord" (Prov. 3:32). And again, "The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord" (Prov. 15:26). It follows, therefore, that He must necessarily punish sin. Sin can no more exist without demanding His punishment than without requiring His hatred of it. God has often forgiven sinners, but He never forgives sin; and the sinner is only forgiven on the ground of Another having borne his punishment; for "without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb. 9:22). Therefore we are told, "The Lord will, take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserveth Wrath for His enemies" (Nahum 1:2). For one sin God banished our first parents from Eden. For one sin all the posterity of Ham fell under a curse which remains over them to this day (Gen. 9:21). For one sin Moses was excluded from Canaan, Elisha’s servant smitten with leprosy, Ananias and Sapphira cut off out of the land of the living.
Herein we find proof for the Divine inspiration of the Scriptures. The unregenerate do not really believe in the holiness of God. Their conception of His character is altogether one-sided. They fondly hope that His mercy will override everything else. "Thou thoughtest that I was altogether as thyself" (Ps. 50:21) is God’s charge against them. They think only of a "god" patterned after their own evil hearts. Hence their continuance in a course of mad folly. Such is the holiness ascribed to the Divine nature and character in Scripture that it clearly demonstrates their superhuman origin. The character attributed to the "gods" of the ancients and of modern heathendom are the very reverse of that immaculate purity which pertains to the true God. An ineffably holy God, who has the utmost abhorrence of all sin, was never invented by any of Adam’s fallen descendants! The fact is that nothing makes more manifest the terrible depravity of man’s heart and his enmity against the living God than to have set before him One who is infinitely and immutably holy. His own idea of sin is practically limited to what the world calls "crime." Anything short of that, man palliates as "defects," "mistakes," "infirmities," etc. And even where sin is owned at all, excuses and extenuations are made for it.
The "god" which the vast majority of professing Christians "love," is looked upon very much like an indulgent old man, who himself has no relish for folly, but leniently winks at the "indiscretions" of youth. But the Word says, "Thou hatest all workers of iniquity "(Ps. 5:5). And again, "God is angry with the wicked every day" (Ps. 7:11). But men refuse to believe in this God, and gnash their teeth when His hatred of sin is faithfully pressed upon their attention. No, sinful man was no more likely to devise a holy God than to create the Lake of fire in which he will be tormented for ever and ever.
Because God is holy, acceptance with Him on the ground of creature doings is utterly impossible. A fallen creature could sooner create a world than produce that which would meet the approval of infinite Purity. Can darkness dwell with Light? Can the Immaculate One take pleasure in "filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6)? The best that sinful man brings forth is defiled. A corrupt tree cannot bear good fruit. God would deny Himself, vilify His perfections, were He to account as righteous and holy that which is not so in itself; and nothing is so which has the least stain upon it contrary to the nature of God. But blessed be His name, that which His holiness demanded His grace has provided in Christ Jesus our Lord. Every poor sinner who has fled to Him for refuge stands "accepted in the Beloved" (Eph. 1:6). Hallelujah!
Because God is holy the utmost reverence becomes our approaches unto Him. "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all about Him" (Ps. 89:7). Then "Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool; He is holy" (Ps. 99:5). Yes, "at His footstool," in the lowest posture of humility, prostrate before Him. When Moses would approach unto the burning bush, God said, "put off thy shoes from off thy feet" (Ex. 3:5). He is to be served "with fear" (Ps. 2:11). Of Israel His demand was, "I will be sanctified in them that come nigh Me, and before all the people I will be glorified" (Lev. 10:3). The more our hearts are awed by His ineffable holiness, the more acceptable will be our approaches unto Him.
Because God is holy we should desire to be conformed to Him. His command is, "Be ye holy, for I am holy" (1 Pet. 1:16). We are not bidden to be omnipotent or omniscient as God is, but we are to be holy, and that "in all manner of deportment" (1 Pet. 1:15).
This is the prime way of honoring God. We do not so glorify God by elevated admiration, or eloquent expressions, or pompous services of Him, as when we aspire to a conversing with Him with unstained spirits, end live to Him in living like Him (S. Charnock).
Then as God alone is the Source and Fount of holiness, let us earnestly seek holiness from Him; let our daily prayer be that He may "sanctify us wholly; and our whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:23).
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