The Wonderful God Whom We Worship

For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. —Isaiah 57:15

Before we worship God in a way that is pleasing to Him, we have to know at least five things about Him.

First: He is Holy

Our text says, “whose name is Holy.”

The holiness of God means that He is separate from every created thing, and that there is nothing that can compare to Him. We cannot say, “God is like…” because God is totally “other.” 1 Timothy 6:16 says, “Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto…”

In Scripture we read that the Israelites made what they thought was an image of God. Something strong, powerful, something that can crush us. So, they made a golden calf (Ex. 32). It was the kind of creature that can gore you, throw you up in the air, and step on you when you come down.

The calf was a symbol of fertility. Apis was the sacred bull of Egypt. Its worship was accompanied with group promiscuity, the meaning of “play” (Ex. 32:6). But God did not like the comparison. Apis did not create the Earth, nor does it sustain life, and the order of the cosmos.

Second: God Wants to Be Our Friend

Isaiah 57:15 tells us that God “inhabiteth eternity,” but the text goes on to say that God is also “with him that is a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” God wants to revive us and give us strength.

In John 1:14 we read, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” God moved into our neighborhood. He wants to be our friend because He loves us and He wants to help us.

Do you need help? Are you loaded with worries? Is your life empty of real meaning? Turn to Jesus. He wants to be your Lord and Savior.

Third: God Is Wise and Has All Knowledge

That God is wise means that He knows the best way to accomplish His will and purpose. That God has all knowledge means that there is nothing that God does not know.

There is a natural tendency in our hearts to get angry with God and complain about things that have happened to us. “Why, God, did you let my husband lose his job? We have no money. We can’t pay the rent and we can’t buy food. God, why did you not stop my husband from losing his job?”

When you feel like complaining, remember that God is wise and possesses all knowledge. People are sometimes not very wise and none of us possesses all knowledge.

My daughter, Ruth, has a service dog by the name of Lucy. Ruth was in the Air Force and has some injuries from her time in the military. Lucy attends church with us, rides in the car and even flies on an airplane. Lucy is very smart, but she is not as smart as Ruth. Just like people are smart, but definitely not as smart as God!

Lucy does not like to travel on an airplane. After the plane takes off, she looks at the door, pulls on her leash, and wants to leave. But Lucy does not know what we know. If you leave the plane when you are six miles up in the sky travelling at over 500 mph, you will die. Lucy is not that smart, and neither are we when evaluating the work of God in our lives.

Fourth: God Rescues Us from Our Problems

We all know that humanity faces many serious issues and problems. There is disease, war, crime, and a total breakdown of society. The news describes all of these things for us, but the news cannot help us.

One day a man fell into a deep pit, and he could not climb out. He was panic-stricken. What would happen to him? Would he ever be rescued?

There was a very kind, warm and loving man who came by and looked down into the pit. He was filled with compassion and began to groan and weep. He looked down into the pit and said, “I feel so bad for you, dear friend. You are down in that deep pit and you may die there.”

Then there was another man who came by who was an engineer, and a very smart man. He knew the angle of the walls of the pit, the depth of the pit, and the possibility that the walls of the pit might collapse and bury the man. The engineer took out his calculator and did some calculating. He accurately described to the man in the pit that the man was in a very dangerous situation. But the engineer did not rescue the man.

After that a man who had the heart of a Jewish Pharisee came along. They did not get along with Jesus. They did not like His message of love and forgiveness. The Pharisee looked at the man in the pit, shook his head and said, “Only bad people fall into pits.”

But then Jesus of Nazareth came by and said, “Don’t worry I will come down and get you out of the pit. Just trust me.” And that is what Jesus did. The world is like a deep, dark pit. No one can get out of the pit unless they are rescued.

The Bible says, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Cor. 8:9).

Fifth: God Has a Zero Tolerance for Sin

What does “zero tolerance” mean?

Supposing you go into a building and there is a sign: “No Guns. Zero Tolerance.” Does that mean you can’t bring in two guns and one box of ammo, but one gun and no extra ammo except what is already in the gun is permitted?

God has a zero tolerance for sin. The Bible makes that very clear. We see that throughout the bible.

Moses’ brother, Aaron, had two sons, Nadab and Abihu. They served in the worship of God and were responsible to obey God perfectly, but they did not. They offered “strange fire,” something that was not authorized by God. God killed them on the spot (Lev. 10:1-2).

What does that tell us about worship? It tells us that we cannot approach God in worship unless Jesus is our Savior. We have all sinned, and we all need to be forgiven of our sin—and that can only happen if Jesus is our Savior. The blood of Christ cleanses us of all sin. That blood is powerful. It is sufficient for all, but effective only for those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ.

Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ? Have you asked Him, in a very simple prayer, to be your Lord and Savior?