# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S12
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

12 Proceedings of the Forty-First Convention,

SYNOPSIS OF DOCTRINAL ESSAY

The Holiness of God

Essavyist: Tue Rev. THEO. Laetscu, D. D.

Introduction. At the convention in 1940 three of the four
theses on “The Holiness of God” were considered:

I

God’s holiness manifests itself in its transcendence over all
created things. Is.6:1-4; Ex. 15:1-19; Isaiah 40; Revelation 4.

II

God’s holiness manifests itself as an ethical quality in His ab-
solute sinlessness and impeccability, Isaiah 6.

iI

God’s holiness manifests. itself in creating man in His own
image; in demanding holiness of all His creatures; in His threats

directed against every form of unholiness and every unholy person;
in the temporal and eternal punishment of all sinners. Is. 6:5, 9-13.

This year we shall, with the help of God, consider the fourth
thesis: I
Vv

The holiness of the God of grace manifests itself in the removal
of sin through redemption, justification, sanctification, and final
glorification of sinful man.

The grandest and most complete manifestation of the holiness
of God is recorded in Isaiah 6, which we made the starting point of
the preceding three theses, This chapter, however, presents the
Thrice Holy not only as the transcendent Ruler of the universe,
sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, v.1; nor only as the
God of absolute sinlessness, so immaculately perfect and pure
that even the seraphims cover their faces and their feet with their
wings, v.2; nor only as the Holy One who demands perfection
and who threatens punishment to all transgressors, filling the heart
of the sinner with fear and dread, v.5. He is—and that is the
marvel of marvels—at the same time the Thrice Holy Lord of
Salvation who manifests His holiness in effecting a separation of
sin from sinful mankind by providing a means whereby man is
delivered from sin, its guilt, v.7, its punishment, vv. 5-7, and its
power, thus enabling man to serve the God of Holiness in holy
willingness, v. 8.

This conception of God’s holiness runs throughout the Old
Testament. The same God who declares, “I. am holy,” and on
that account demands that Israel be holy, states very clearly and
distinctly that He Himself will sanctify His people, Lev. 20:26.
The preceding context, vv. 1-25, as well as the following, v. 27,
proves that not only ceremonially, but ethically Israel was to be
separated, v. 24, or severed, v. 26, from other people, and that
therefore the demand to sanctify themselves and live holy, v. 7,