Behold the Throne

p16 - "Cut up the Bible? Perish the thought. We must recover a holistic view of God as He has revealed Himself in Scripture."

p17 - "We are made in His image and that is something we do not dare try to reverse in our minds. We don't want to assume that we can make Him in our image."

p18 - "It is impossible for us to see, enjoy, and comprehend this world rightly without a right view of who God is."

p19 - "Unfortunately, too many of these practices are a direct result of people actually worshiping themselves and not the God of the Bible."

p20 - "We take our version of "love" and attempt to conform God to it. This leads to forming God in our image which at best results in an unhealthy view of the true God and at worst culminates in downright idolatry of a false god who only exists in the figment of our imaginations."

p21 - "God is holy. Theology matters."

p21 - "The chief aim of our salvation in Christ is about the glory of God in purifying for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works (Titus 2:14)."

p22 - "To doubt Scripture is to doubt the holiness of God Himself."

p22 - "We must never place tradition, experience, or culture on the same level as God's self-revelation in Scripture."

p46 - "Earthly magistrates may come and go, and even be overthrown, but the King of all the universe reigns on high forever and ever."

p47 - "Adonai is the One with supreme authority. He is the Sovereign One. He will not be overthrown."

p49 - "[God] is untamable. He will not be controlled. He reigns in majesty."

p50 - "The Lord consistently reminds us that He alone is the Supreme Ruler of the universe and He is the God that fights battles for His own eternal glory (Exodus 14:14-18)."

p51 - "The devil is a needy, dependent creature restrained by God's leash. Satan himself has no power unless the Lord of hosts grants it."

p52 - "Jesus has the full and final victory even if at times during this life we don't see that in its entirety."

p52 - "Jesus will take no prisoners. His judgment will be swift and righteous. His plans and purposes will prevail for the glory of His Holy name."

p52 - "The deity they serve is domesticated. He is a god with whom they can negotiate. One who has agreed to allow less than complete surrender and still promises them heaven. This is not the God of the Bible."

p53 - "God will meet with us on His terms and His timetable, not ours. He plays by His own holy rules."

p53 - "God has every right to manifest His holy presence to us in such a way that we are obliterated from earth and eternity. God has every right to overwhelm us with His holy presence in such a way that brings true and lasting revival to our church."

p55 - "We dare not serve the God of untamable holiness in complacency."

p55 - "You were not made to tame God's holiness but to prize it. To treasure it. To glory in it. To be in awe of Him for who He is."

p56 - "This is why those who counterfeit the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not merely harmful to the church, but downright blasphemous. No person of the Trinity will be controlled. God is untamable."

p56 - "We ought to pray for more of God, seek more of God, and plead with God for more of God Himself in our own lives and those around us."

p57 - " In those situations, actually in every nanosecond of the history of humanity, God is not just doing one thing. He is doing immeasurably more than we see or realize--all for His own glory."

p58 - "May we care more bout the fulfillment of His will for our lives than our own--whatever the cost."

p59 - "May our passion not be for safe encounters, but adoring exaltations and complete surrender as we daily seek the Lord."

p59 - "God's untamable holiness is not meant to scare us into thinking God is unappeasable. The point is, we can't placate Him on our terms. There is Another who must do this on our behalf."

p60 - "...there is an element of 'woe' that should develop within people when they consider the holiness of God. But, because of the gospel, we should not be left in such a state. The gospel changes 'woe' is me" to 'worthy are You' because the penalty for transgressing God's Holy Law has been atoned for in Christ."

p60 - "...our goal should not be to run away from God, but to run to Him. And this running must be on His terms as presented to us in the gospel."

p61 - "In Christ, the holy wrath of God has been propitiated."

p61 - "In Christ, it is no longer our desire to control this God, but to worship Him in full surrender."

p87 - "God's holiness is altogether different! There is simply no comparison between God and any of the heavenly hosts! There is no comparison between God and anything."

p89 - "Let us be intentional in our song selections--in singing hymns that glorify Him instead of focusing on our own experience. We must gear all facets of our singing--words, style, arrangement and content--toward magnifying the unmatachable holiness of God. Holy, holy, holy."

p90 - "I sometimes wonder what we worship on Sunday mornings. Is it our musical ability and talent? Is it the atmosphere of fog, lights, and positive, encouraging music? Is it Auto-Tune? Is it a longing to be back in the 1950s? Is it our idea of God? Or, when we gather, is our focus on the One of unmatachable holiness?"

p90 - "Let the people come hungry, and leave holy. Let them leave talking about how great the Lord is more than wishing they could have your autograph."

p91 - "I plead with you: Let us show people God's unmatchable holiness."

p91 - "Don't be complicit in anything that takes people's attention away from the Holy One."

p92 - "Let us be mindful that the God of unmatchable holiness is to be worshiped on His terms, not ours."

p92 - "Show me the Holy, and He will suffice. Show me His worthiness in His Word. Show me how His holiness permeates the universe and is glorious enough to exact unceasing praise from all creation."

p93 - "Practical steps for Christian living have their place, but never let application overshadow exultation. Preach the Holy One. We were made by God for God and God is the One we need to see in your preaching."

p96 - "God's holiness is unmatchable. Don't trade it for lesser things. Don't blend it with lesser things--thus adulterating it. We were created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."

p97 - "It's not that people don't know how to worship. It's that we are too often worshiping something or someone lesser than our God of unmatchable holiness."

p97 - "The good gifts of God are not made to be worshiped but are arrows pointing us to the only One who is worthy of our worship."

p133 - "...the importance of the immutability of God cannot be overstated. If God were a changeable God we could have no assuring hope in the gospel."

p134 - "So many denominations, and even individual professing Christians and so-called 'celebrity' pastors, are ready to adapt Christianity to fit in the current age. When we adapt Christianity we lose Christianity."

p135 - "We live in an age of absurdity. Yet, Christians have the truth. We must spend less time trying to adapt the truth to be palatable to the absurdity of the age and instead proclaim it to the masses."

p137 - "The big issue here is that we are shocked by God's justice. We are so used to God's common grace that when we see His justice, it rubs us the wrong way."

p139 - "God's unchanging holiness means that He is able to simultaneously abhor sinners in their wickedness and yet love them by sending Christ (John 3:16). God didn't wait around for us to be loveable before taking on human flesh in the person of Christ (Romans 5:8)."

p139 - "Believers were once objects of God's wrath (Ephesians 2:3). By grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone we have been reconciled to God and counter righteous in Christ (Romans 3:22-26)."

p141 - "This means that hose who pretend to be Christians, those who look for eternal life in some other god, and those who flat out reject the very existence of God should be terribly afraid. Because of God's immutable holiness, He cannot and will not compromise with sin or sinners. He is patient, but there will be an end to that divine patience."

p143 - "Refuge from the holy wrath of God is available in Christ alone. Christianity is not 'radically inclusive.' It is categorically exclusive. It's only for those who deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Jesus. There is only one way and that door is Christ alone."

p166 - "We can always see people doing things we wouldn't do and feel somewhat virtuous. But when we compare ourselves with a holy God, how do we measure up to that?"

p167 - "Do you want to get an idea of the heinousness of sin? Stop comparing yourself with other people. Instead, cast your eyes upon God's uncompromising holiness."

p170 - "Jesus died the death of lawbreakers so that, in our salvation God could display the glory of His mercy and the splendor of His justice. And it was all done with exalting and maintaining His uncompromising holiness."

p170 - "When we are confronted with the holiness of God, the proper response is not to foolishly try to hide under a mountain (Revelation 6:16). The proper response is not to push aside feelings of guilt. We must realize that we feel guilty because we are guilty. The proper response to the holiness of God is to repent, look to the Son, and live."

p170 - "On the cross, holy justice met holy mercy; holy righteousness met holy grace."

p171 - "When we compromise God's holiness we can never truly love a lost and dying world. We are never more damaging to an individual or society than when we accept what the Lord says He hates. Our job as Christians is not to coddle the lost, but to preach the uncompromising holiness of God."

p171 - "...only those who begin with 'woe is me' will end up with 'worthy are You.'"

p172 - "...grace identifies sin as sin so that it can do something about it. Do not capitulate on calling sin sin."

p172 - "When we preach a gospel devoid of the holiness of God, we lose the gospel altogether...When we compromise the holiness of God we rip out the need for any penal substitutionary work of Christ."

p173 - "Mistakes only require you do better next time. Weaknesses only require you to be stronger the next time. Messes only require you to clean it up next time. But sins require forgiveness. And there is nothing you or I can do to earn that forgiveness. Oh, but Christ has earned it for His people!"

p175 - "O Christian! A God who is superbly holy calls you His own, loves you, and sings over you (Zephaniah 3:17). This is not because of some intrinsic goodness you posses, but because of Christ's work for you. And now, by grace, you are to live a holy life for His glory."

p194 - "The Lord is not an angry tyrant demanding dutiful tribute. He is happily holy and in all of eternity His holy joy cannot be quenched."

p196 - "[God] never undergoes the least bit of change. He is immutable. And one thing this means is that for all time God is eternally happy in Himself. This is part of the glory of His holiness."

p197 - "He is not laughing at your trials, but even in them there is joy within Himself, and what He is bringing about in your life is far beyond what you could even imagine. There is no such thing as meaningless suffering."

p199 - "...God is for believers in Christ and that it is His delight to ever conform us more into the holy image of His Son. So, even when we sin, we do not quench God's holy joy. He is the God of unquenchable holiness."

p201 - "It's not always easy because our flesh constantly tells us how important we are (see James 4:1-2). But if we will see the glory of an unquenchably holy God and put ourselves in our proper place, and work 'as unto the Lord,' our every effort can be filled with joy--no matter how mundane the task."

p202 - "...continue to walk in the joy of the Lord. To love God and trust Christ's work on your behalf, is to want to be like Him. 'True faith always produces real conformity to Christ.'"

p204 - "God's commitment to His people is not contingent on their loyalty, but His. And since He is committed to His own glory His people can always be assured of His steadfast love because He will never waiver from His delight in His own holiness. He is forever committed to His people's joy in Himself."

p205 - "Happiness in God always results in a pursuit of personal holiness. If we take God's holiness seriously, we will take ours seriously, too."