I know this topic might seem a little different from the usual marketing advice, but the way I see it, the values we hold—whether in faith or business—are deeply connected.
Just like I believe God doesn’t shy away from the messes in our lives, I approach marketing and business with the same mindset. I’m here to dive into the challenges, to face them head-on, and to help my clients succeed with integrity and honesty. So, let’s explore this idea together.
You’ve probably heard it before—God is so holy, He can’t even look at sin. Maybe you’ve been told that when you mess up, God turns His head, disgusted, waiting for you to get your act together before He’ll give you the time of day.
But what if I told you that’s not who God is at all? What if, instead of turning away, God actually runs straight toward your mess, ready to redeem you right where you are?
I know, it sounds almost blasphemous to some, but stay with me—we’re about to dig into why everything you’ve heard about God’s holiness might just be missing the point.
Understanding God’s Holiness
For as long as we can remember, we’ve been taught that God is so holy, He can’t even look upon sin.This idea has been emphasized by theologians like R.C. Sproul, who in his book “The Holiness of God”, presents God’s holiness as something so pure that it’s incompatible with sin.
John Piper has also spoken about “God’s purity”, suggesting that because of this, sin cannot coexist in His presence.
But here’s where I want to challenge this idea:
- Does God’s holiness really mean He turns away from us when we screw up?
- Is He so holy that He’s distant, like some untouchable deity who can’t be bothered with our mess?
- Or worse, when we’re suffering from things beyond our control—when injustice is being done to us—does He turn His back, too good to even notice?
I believe this understanding of God’s holiness is incomplete, and we need to explore what the Bible really says about God’s nature.
The Misunderstanding in Habakkuk
A lot of this misrepresentation of God’s nature actually comes from a single verse in the book of Habakkuk.
In Habakkuk 1:13, the prophet says, “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong…” This verse has often been taken out of context to suggest that God is so holy, He can’t even look at sin.
But when we really dig into the context of this passage, we see something different.Habakkuk isn’t making a definitive statement about God’s inability to see sin. Instead, he’s expressing his frustration and confusion about why God seems to allow evil and injustice to persist.
Habakkuk is wrestling with the tension between God’s holiness and the apparent success of the wicked. But the key here is that this isn’t a statement of fact—it’s a part of the prophet’s emotional outcry, his attempt to understand God’s ways.
What’s important to note is that God doesn’t respond by saying, “You’re right; I can’t look at sin.” Instead, He assures Habakkuk that He sees everything and that He will act in His own perfect timing.
This passage is less about God’s inability to see sin and more about the human struggle to understand divine justice.
God Is Not Aloof or Unaware
Here’s the truth:
God sees everything.
Psalm 139:1-4 tells us there’s nothing He doesn’t know about us—our thoughts, our actions, our struggles, and yes, even our darkest sins.
But let me be clear—unlike what some teachings might suggest, God doesn’t turn His head in disgust. He’s not sitting there, arms crossed, waiting for you to clean up your act before He’ll engage with you again.
Instead, God reaches into our brokenness with a heart full of love and a desire to redeem us.
Think about it—if God were “too holy” to see sin, how could He save us from it? If He didn’t see the injustice, the pain, and the suffering we go through, how could He be the just and loving God we know Him to be?
The notion that God is so holy He can’t look at sin makes Him seem detached, almost aloof, like He’s indifferent to our struggles. But that’s not the God of the Bible.
God’s Love: The Anchor of Our Faith
Here’s the beautiful part:
God’s love isn’t fragile or conditional.
Romans 8:38-39 makes it clear—nothing can separate us from His love. Not our sins, not our failures, not even the mess we’ve made of our lives.
But here’s where I think some teachings miss the mark: they make it seem like God’s love is something we have to earn back, that H
God sees it all—the mess, the brokenness, the mistakes—and instead of running away, He runs toward us, arms wide open, ready to pull us out of whatever pit we’ve fallen into. His love is the anchor that holds us, no matter how far we’ve drifted.
And that’s something A.W. Tozer touches on in “The Knowledge of the Holy”, where he describes God’s attributes, including His love and His justice. But even Tozer’s emphasis on God’s holiness can sometimes make it seem like there’s a distance between us and God when we sin.
The Prodigal Son: A Story of Redemption
If you need a picture of what this looks like, just think about the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. This guy blew it—big time. He wasted everything, made a mess of his life, and ended up in the dirt. He was about as far from “holy” as you can get.
But when he decided to go back home, what did his father do? He didn’t wait for him to crawl back in shame. No, he ran to him, embraced him, and celebrated his return.
This is where I think some traditional teachings fall short. They focus so much on God’s holiness that they miss the point of His love. The father in the parable doesn’t represent a God who’s too holy to deal with sin; he represents a God who’s so full of love that He can’t help but run to us when we turn back to Him.
That’s God’s heart for you. He’s not standing at a distance, arms crossed, waiting for you to grovel. He’s running toward you, ready to bring you back into His love, no matter what you’ve do
God’s Invitation: Come As You Are
Some teachings, like those from Jonathan Edwards in his famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, have painted a picture of a God who is so angry and disgusted by sin that He’s just waiting to punish us. But that’s not the full picture of who God is. Jesus didn’t come to condemn us; He came to save us.
In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus invites all of us—especially those who are weary and burdened—to come to Him for rest.
And here’s the kicker—He doesn’t ask you to clean yourself up first. He doesn’t say, “Get your life together, then come to me.” No, He says, “Come as you are, right now, in the middle of your mess.” God’s not too holy to deal with your sin—He’s holy enough to transform it.
And that’s something that’s often overlooked in teachings that focus too heavily on God’s wrath or His holiness.
Addressing the Misconception
Let’s be real:
The idea that God is too holy to look at sin has been used to keep people at arm’s length, to make them feel unworthy, like they have to earn their way back to God. And yes, this idea has been pushed by influential voices—whether it’s A.W. Tozer, Jonathan Edwards, or even R.C. Sproul.
They’ve emphasized God’s holiness, sometimes to the point where it feels like God is just too distant to care about our everyday struggles.
But here’s the truth:
God’s holiness isn’t a barrier—it’s the very thing that drives Him to redeem us.
If God didn’t see our sin, He couldn’t save us from it. If He didn’t see the injustice, He couldn’t bring justice. If He didn’t see our suffering, He couldn’t comfort us. But He does see it, and He chooses to step in and bring us back.
James 4:8 says that when we draw near to God, He draws near to us. God’s not distant—He’s right here, ready to meet you where you are. Far from being aloof, God’s holiness is what compels Him to engage with us, to bring us closer to Him, to heal and restore what’s been broken.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re too far gone, like God could never look at you because of what you’ve done—hear this: God sees you, He loves you, and He’s running toward you, not away from you. The only distance between you and God is the one you create. But no matter how far you’ve wandered, He’s always ready to welcome you back.
So take that step, turn toward Him, and know that His arms are open, waiting to embrace you with a love that never fails.
If this message hits home for you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. And if you’re feeling distant from God, take a moment to reach out to Him in prayer.
His love is always within reach, and He’s ready to bring you back, no matter where you’ve been.
