If you ask ten different people at church what the word holy means, you’ll probably get ten different answers. It’s important to understand the definition, though, because that word is going to be a big part of our future. Revelation 4:8 tells us that four creatures will stand in front of God’s throne in heaven and say, “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come”—for all eternity.

We cannot understand God without understanding his holiness. To be holy is to be completely separate from sin. It’s more than just taking a strong stand against sin. It’s more than just judging people who do evil. The fact that God is holy means sin cannot exist where he is—just as darkness cannot exist where the sun is.

God’s holiness is what makes salvation necessary. Anyone who is guilty of sin cannot be in God’s presence. And since we’re all guilty of sin, we need Jesus’ perfect sacrifice to make us pure and reconnect us with God.

Praising God for his holiness should be a big part of our worship. Thanking him for his gift of salvation should be a big part of our praise.

Christopher D. Hudson, Niv, Once-a-Day: At the Table Family Devotional (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012).