This is part of the series What is the Gospel?
The Glory of God reminds us of God’s utter perfection. This is an important concept to understand if we are to makes sense of the Gospel. But, God’s glory is not the whole picture. God is also Holy. In the Bible, these two words are no synonyms even though they are related. Holy means “to be separated from,” and specifically to be separated from a desire or capacity to sin. God is full of glory and is, therefore, Holy. What this means is that because of God’s perfection there exists a gap—a very wide gap—between God and humanity.
If the Gospel is to be effective the “distance” that exists between us and God must be seen and properly understood. This separation between us and God is not a matter of miles, it is a matter of the heart. The human heart does not naturally bend toward God if God does not first act upon us. As Methodist people, we see this as God’s Prevenient Grace. God extends His grace to us, calling us away from sin and sinfulness to follow after Him. The Gospel requires a proper understanding of God’s Holiness because that is God’s standard. “For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am holy” [Lev. 11:44a, ESV].