The Holiness of God (1985)

Sproul is good as apologist. He's easy to read, a great communicator who liberally decorates his arguments with examples that resonate. He makes a good case for the other-ness of God, but I find his analysis of violence and justice unsatisfactory. He makes no attempt to reconcile the contrast between his portrayal of a violent God with the character of Jesus who is, according to the writer of Hebrews, "the very representation of God." For another view, I suggest "Cross Vision: How the Crucifixion of Jesus Makes Sense of Old Testament Violence" by Gregory A. Boyd. ( )

Of the many R.C. Sproul (pronounced like "bowl") books I have read, few have impacted me like The Holiness of God. Writing for the masses, Sproul sheds his academic verbiage for a more colloquial approach to an important topic. He dismantles the flippant image of God that modern society has crafted. He leaves no room for a cosmic Santa Claus or a friendly, bearded Homer Simpson god. Sproul takes the reader on a journey through Scripture, making stops in the Church History section along the way, introducing the reader to an awe-inspiring, fear-cultivating, righteously-wrathful God. Hopefully his faithful treatment of a plethora of Bible passages will help readers see the veracity to his writing.

This book needs to be read! Sproul brings forth a biblical vision of God that is absent from much of the American religious landscape. Discovering and responding to the God of the Bible is the only hope anyone has. ( )

I received this book free. Having read it I am surprised it is a classic. The author covers various passages of Scripture to try and demonstrate the holiness of God. He makes some good points especially in relation to those who ask how a God of love can allow suffering/send people to Hell. He reminds us that we all deserve Hell due to our sin which is an affront to God's holiness and that it is only by God's grace that we are saved (through faith.) Although the book is biblically sound I found it hard going and a bit dis-jointed. Some of the chapters seemed to have been added randomly. The book just doesn't flow very well as a read-through but it might be useful for reference.

Recommended for Christian readers who want to understand God's holiness. ( )

The Holiness of God will be the text for the next session of Soldiers of Christ Prison Ministries' Discipleship 101 'A Soldiers's Call to Know God's Holiness'

This "one sitting" book kept me turning the pages until wee hours of the morning. Few authors possess the keen ability to help readers come into a grasp of the nature of God's holiness, but through this book Dr. Sproul is able to help us better understand what God's holiness means and transport the reader into the presence of God.

We often hear many talk about how God is love, yet why do fewer ever speak of His holiness and justice? The Holiness of God reminds me yet again that my salvation (through Christ's propitiatory death) is an act of mercy and grace by God (not an obligation), since His absolute holiness demands only justice for my sins. Dr. Sproul helps readers dig deeper beneath a superficial surface of what it means that God is holy--bringing us into a deeper understanding and love of who God is, a greater awe for His absolute holiness, and reverence in worship. As the famous Reformed theologian Jonathan Edwards wrote over 200 years ago: "A true love of God must begin with a delight in his holiness, and not with a delight in any other attribute; for no other attribute is truly lovely without this."

One of my favorite chapters carries an intriguing title: The Trauma of Holiness. Why and how does holiness invoke trauma? Many other religions have invented god(s) who brought only comfort. Even Sigmund Freud espoused the theory that people invent "god" to help them deal with scary things, to serve as a "crutch," so to speak. Dr. Sproul draws a contrast by demonstrating how the one and only true God has certain characteristics distinct from those that would normally be attributed by the common man. Our true God possesses a uniqueness--an awesome "otherness". After Jesus miraculously calmed the storm in the Sea of Galilee, the disciples felt uncomfortable and terrified (yes, terrified) upon realizing that they, in their sinfulness, were in the presence of the Holy One. What a contrast to those popular man-made ideas of God invented only to bring comfort!

This book helps us to better see the God who is--who not only brings comfort in time of need, invokes our adoration and praise, but also in whose Holy presence drives us to our knees in reverential worship. ( )