Topical Bible: Holiness: The Wicked are Without

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Holiness, a fundamental attribute of God, signifies purity, separation from sin, and moral perfection. In the biblical narrative, holiness is not only an inherent characteristic of God but also a standard to which His people are called. The concept of holiness is deeply intertwined with the idea of being set apart for God's purposes, and it is a recurring theme throughout Scripture.

The wicked, in contrast, are depicted as being without holiness. Their lives are characterized by actions and attitudes that are contrary to the nature and commands of God. The absence of holiness in the wicked is evident in their separation from God and their inability to stand in His presence.

Scriptural References:

1. Psalm 1:5-6 : "Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD guards the path of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish." This passage highlights the ultimate separation between the righteous, who are aligned with God's holiness, and the wicked, who are not.

2. Isaiah 35:8 : "And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it; only those who walk in the Way—and fools will not stray onto it." Here, the "Way of Holiness" is a path reserved for those who are pure and set apart for God, excluding the unclean and wicked.

3. Hebrews 12:14 : "Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord." This verse underscores the necessity of holiness for those who desire to be in the presence of God, implicitly indicating that the wicked, lacking holiness, are excluded from this divine fellowship.

4. Revelation 21:27 : "But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life." The New Jerusalem is depicted as a place of perfect holiness, where the wicked, described as unclean and deceitful, have no place.

The Nature of the Wicked:

The wicked are often described in Scripture as those who reject God's laws and pursue their own desires. Their lack of holiness is evident in their actions, which are contrary to the will of God. Proverbs 15:9 states, "The LORD detests the way of the wicked, but He loves those who pursue righteousness." This contrast between the wicked and the righteous highlights the absence of holiness in the lives of the wicked.

The Call to Holiness:

Believers are called to a life of holiness, reflecting the character of God. 1 Peter 1:15-16 exhorts, "But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" This call to holiness is a call to be distinct from the wicked, who are without holiness and thus without the favor and presence of God.

In summary, holiness is a defining characteristic of God and His people, setting them apart from the wicked, who are without holiness and thus separated from God. The biblical narrative consistently portrays the wicked as those who are outside the realm of God's holiness, unable to partake in the blessings and presence reserved for the holy.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Timothy 1:9
Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for murderers,
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Timothy 3:2
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Of the Works which God Works in all in Common and of Five Kinds of ...
... of God and their own salvation, but to acquire a name for holiness or for ... distinction,
to union with Himself; both the good and the wicked, without exception. ...
/.../john/the adornment of the spritual marriage/chapter v of the works.htm

The Eternal Punishment of the Wicked Reconciled with the Goodness ...
... say that there would have been more holiness and happiness ... it is that respecting
the future condition of the wicked. ... How can they be made holy without their own ...
/.../chapter iv the eternal punishment.htm

Holy Raiment of One's Own Weaving.
... in whom, therefore, conscious exercise of holiness is out of ... wedding-garments He
lays upon us, without insuring us ... Yea, wicked indeed is it; for this makes the ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/v holy raiment of ones.htm

Rule for Interpreting those Sayings and Actions which are Ascribed ...
... are ascribed to God, or to men whose holiness is put ... [1865] Because it is a shamefully
wicked thing to ... a wise man may use the daintiest food without any sin of ...
/.../on christian doctrine in four books /chapter 12 rule for interpreting those.htm

Article xxvii (xiii): of Monastic Vows.
... Word, who use these observances without wicked opinions [without hypocrisy and with
the understanding that they do not regard their monasticism as holiness]. ...
/.../the apology of the augsburg confession/part 35 article xxvii xiii .htm

Note C. The Holiness of God.
... keeps Himself free from the world without Him, and ... Divine nature, which excludes
all connection with the wicked. ... harmony with this, the Divine Holiness, as an ...
//christianbookshelf.org/murray/holy in christ/note c the holiness of.htm

On Justice and Goodness.
... was the genus of the virtues, and that justice and holiness were species ... In like
manner also he said that a man was wicked who should without any doubt be ...
/.../origen/origen de principiis/chapter v on justice and goodness.htm

The Holiness of God
... not be like the Egyptian temples, beautified without merely, but ... There is no peace
to the wicked.' Isaiah 57 ... Holiness is the root which bears this sweet fruit ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/7 the holiness of god.htm

How Christ is to be Made Use Of, as the Way, for Sanctification in ...
... Son, and Holy Spirit, and please him who calleth to holiness, and thereby ... their
combating with corruption within, and Satan and a wicked world without. ...
/.../brown/christ the way the truth and the life/chapter v how christ is.htm

The Eternity of God
... without trouble, ease without pain, glory without end, ever ... of glory that fadeth
not away.' The wicked have a ... hair, like the pure wool, his holiness; and the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/3 the eternity of god.htm