The Holiness of God

Rating:
Summary: Sproul's best book!
Review: Sproul is one of the best expositors when it comes to scripture. Here he shows how important it is to know the holiness of God. He shows the great distinction between the Creator and the created. You'll find yourself more thankful toward God who deserves it.

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful, Yet Not Perfect, Discourse on God's Holiness.
Review: Sproul's "The Holiness of God", although occasionally disagreeable, is a recommended reading for all Christians. Sproul emphasizes the tremendous gulf between the human and the divine, all the while offering a sobering analysis of God's holiness and righteousness.

My only major criticism is that Sproul occasionally wanders back and forth without concluding his point. Sometimes it feels like his book has little direction. Also, due to Sproul's catholic and Calvinist leanings, there are a few things I disagree with. For example, Sproul seems to believe in preordination, which I think is quite unbiblical. However, despite a few areas of contention, I found Sproul's work to be very rewarding. Reflecting on God's holiness, power, and righteousness is very important yet often overlooked. I would recommend this book to all Christians wishing to advance in their spiritual journey.

Rating:
Summary: God is always greater!
Review: The Church Fathers had a motto, "God is always greater!" Sproul writes about an awesome holy God who is bigger and greater than anything humans can ever contain. Reading this book started a life long quest of studying and honoring the awesomeness, the terror, and the absolute Holiness of God.

Rating:
Summary: God is always greater!
Review: The Church Fathers had a motto, "God is always greater!" Sproul writes about an awesome holy God who is bigger and greater than anything humans can ever contain. Reading this book started a life long quest of studying and honoring the awesomeness, the terror, and the absolute Holiness of God.

Rating:
Summary: opus magnum from a great teacher
Review: There is a reason this book (as I am writing this) averages 5 stars for a review. It is worth every star. In the subject of theology or philosophy, the greatness of a work is not due to the author coming up with a novel theory. It is due to the accuracy of his work.

Sproul's work is so spot-on, I am ashamed I never saw the holiness of God more clearly in the Scriptures before. It even helped explain some of my own experiences. This work should be read and re-read. It should be given as gifts. It should be in our library. If begging and pleading will get you to read this, I'll do it.

Understanding the holiness of God helped me systamize many theological questions, such as the Cross, God's judgement, and our reaction to God's holiness.

But above all, what I carried away from this book was our natural repulsion to God's holy character.

This book has been a help to many, and I'm sure it will be to any believer who reads it.

One final note: I liked the original version better. The final two chapters in the revision are worthwhile and good. But in my mind, chapter 9 is so impactful, ending right there has better flair. This in no way diminished my admiration for the new chapters.

Rating:
Summary: An awesome presentation of the holiness of God.
Review: This book brings the reader face to face with God in all His awesome holiness. The attribute of the holiness of God is presented in a way that challenges the reader humble himself before God and live a life that is holy because God is Holy. A book that can change one's entire outlook on life. A must read!!

Rating:
Summary: A Modern Classic of Christianity
Review: This book has changed the way I think about God's justice and mercy and put a healthy fear of God in me. It points out that God is not obligated to be merciful and He is not merciful to all. Some people receive God's justice (retributive justice, that is) and others receive His mercy. Nobody gets injustice from God. This is a sobering idea and Sproul uses this distinction to expound on those biblical passages that show the severity of God (the slaughter of Nadab and Abihu, Uzzah, the Canaanites, etc).

I also appreciate the significant point he made about God alone being eternal (without beginning or end). Everything else was created by God out of nothing and is sustained in existence by Him! This point is fundamental and powerful. It refutes the idea of "immutable natural laws" thereby allowing for miracles. It also refutes the idea underlying Deism that God created the universe and "backed away." God CAN'T back away without everything falling into nonexistence! I could go on and on, deducing more and more ideas from the ones presented in this book. But these are just a couple that laid a sure foundation in my mind. A must read for every Christian (or non-Christian for that matter).

Rating:
Summary: A good book on a neglected subject
Review: This book has two basic features. The first is the subject matter. Holiness is a neglected concept today and this book will make you think. The second feature is the 12th grade reading level. You will not have your intelligence insulted by this book. It is intended for the general public and not theologians. Therefore, there are no obscure technical terms. There are numerous illustrations from history.

Rating:
Summary: The God who is
Review: This book helps illuminate one of the most important teachings in the Bible, the fact of God's Holiness. We learn that one of the reasons that man was created was to reflect the character of His creator. It should not surprise anyone that Holiness as part of God's character is given great emphasis in His word and that he calls His people to be like Him in this regard.
There is a powerful illustration in the life of the great reformer Martin Luther of a man wrestling with the concept of how a sinful man,such as him, could be justified before a Holy God. He was riddled with guilt and the realization that if the greatest commandment was to love God with all of your heart then it was very sinful to fail in this regard. In struggling with this he eventually came to understand the Gospel. That he could never be justified before a Holy God on the basis of anything that he could do(his own good works or his own merit),but only through the perfect obedience and merits of another on his behalf could he ever be reconcilled to a just and Holy God.
In Chap. 7 using the judgement of God upon Nadab, Abihu and Uzzah we learn something more about God's holiness. We see throughout the Bible that the Lord often displays mercy, but we are not owed mercy. Sometimes when we see God's righteous judgements we shrink back in horror perhaps because we presume upon God's mercy or think somehow that He is obligated to show mercy.
Mr. Sproul informs us that saint means 'holy one'. On p.201 he writes "The saints of Scripture were called saints not because they were already pure but because they were people who were set apart and called to purity."
A book such as 'The Holiness of God' will cause one to reflect much on what holiness is and what it means that God is holy. The more we think about God's holiness the more we will see how unlike God we are,or how unholy we are.
If by God's grace the reading of this book accomplishes a desire in some perhaps many to be holy like their creator and Lord then in this reviewers judgement a great work(to the glory of God)will have been accomplished.

Rating:
Summary: Holy, Holy, Holy Is The LORD!
Review: This book is unlike any that I have ever read in that it puts the LORD in His rightful place; on the throne, high and lifted up,exalted.

RC Sproul has a wonderful grasp on the Holiness of God. This book is a must read for any Christian who is serious about furthering his or her walk with the Lord. Holiness is not a topic that is preached on, and that is unfortunate, because the Bible tells us that without holiness "no man shall see the Lord." Dr. Sproul's work is compelling, yet easy to understand. I highly recommend this book, and I am willing to discuss it in more detail, so feel free to send me an email.