Holiness is not consistency.

Last night I came across a 30ish second clip of a prominent, hipster preacher's latest sermon. In this clip he says "holiness is consistency". He says that God is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13: 8) and that is how He is holy.

Holiness is not consistency.

Looking at semantics only we can see that holiness is not consistency. The word 'is' in the phrase means the third person singular present indicative of be. Used in our English language 'is' is a linking verb. It joins the subject of a sentence to a complement. It shows relationship between the two words. 'Is' is often also used in math equations. Five plus two is seven. In this 'is' can also mean equal to or the same as.

When looking from a mathematical perspective, holiness is equal to or the same as consistency, as stated by this preacher. A look at a Thesaurus would show us that this is not true. Holiness is not found as a synonym of consistency and vice versa.

Semantics aside, proposing---and speaking with intense conviction---that holiness is consistency is not a Biblical concept. There is no scripture that gives any slight indication that holiness is the same as consistency or that consistency proves holiness.

Yes. God is Holy.
Yes. God is consistent.
Yes. God is consistently holy.

But His Holiness can not be substituted or confused with the word consistency.

From the initial statement, we could conclude that all mentions of the word holiness could be interchanged with the word consistency. How do these sound:

Be ye consistent, as I am consistent. -1 Peter 1:16
Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in consistency, fearful in praises, doing wonders? - Exodus 15:11
And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of consistency, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever. -2 Chronicles 20:21

We could continue, but this is ridiculous. Stating that these two things can be mutually exclusive or the same thing is preposterous. There is no way to get around this.

I admit that lack of understanding of the Holiness of God, but when I think of it I am overcome with reverence. I am made aware of my unholiness and my sin that cannot remain the presence of a Holy God. I am sobered to His immense purity against my uncleanliness.

I think about Isaiah 6. Isaiah sees the Lord seated on the throne and the angels calling to one another saying "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." Isaiah recognizes his uncleanliness when he says " I am a man of unclean lips".

The Holiness of God should move us to humbled, repentant responses. It cannot be flippantly passed off as just being consistent.

May we seek to have a true, reverent understanding of His Holiness and may we respond appropriately.

Search my heart, oh God, and remove any unclean thing from me.