Holy, holiness, or sanctification, all translations from the same root word, intimidate many people, especially when they read or hear preached, “Be holy, because I am holy” (1Pe 1:16). Their apprehension has developed because people, churches, and denominations have attached so much baggage and tradition to the word holy that is far beyond biblical teaching. Nonetheless, we can’t ignore the subject; scripture uses ‘holy’ 649 times in the Bible including 240 times in New Testament. Remember God’s Spirit is the Holy Spirit.
Much of the traditional views center around legalism and focuses on clothes you can’t wear, places you can’t go, people you can’t associate with, note all negative. Extremist even say men or women can’t wear jewelry and their teachings dictate hairstyle; men must have short hair and women long. Men must shave their beards, but women can’t shave their legs. And that’s only a very short list. I’m sure some of you are saying, “That’s ridiculous” while others cringe remembering, “Yeah, I grew up that way.” The truth is that none of these traditions has anything to do with holy, holiness, or sanctification. We can’t find a pharisaical list of don’ts in the New Testament.
Both the Old Testament and New Testament words have the same basic meanings. Examining several key verses will give us a fundamental understanding. The first use of holy came at the end creation. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy (Gen 2:3 NIV). The definition here and all through the OT simply means to separate, to set apart, or to consecrate. God separated or set apart the seventh day from the other six. He made it a special day of rest. This declaration is also one of the Ten Commandments. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exo 20:8). Other items and people that were to be holy are the Tabernacle, its contents, the Priest, and the people of Israel. This indicated they were separate from anything unclean and set apart for God’s purpose.
The OT holiness involved external and physical consecration. People had to separate themselves from everything that God had declared unclean—animals, clothes, anything dead, impurity, etc. All this illustrated the internal cleansing that would take place in the NT. Holy in NT means separate from common condition and use; dedicated (Mounce). The focus here is the internal and spiritual. Writers only referred to a few inanimate objects as holy: temple, Jerusalem, scriptures, and commandment. One of the main translations is saint (60 times). Greet every saint in Christ Jesus . . . All the saints greet you (Phil 4:21, 22). Literally, saint means holies or holy ones. All believers who have received Christ as savor are saints. No one becomes a saint by his or her works. God declares us saints because of the finished work of Jesus and by the internal working of the Holy Spirit.
Paul best summarized holiness and sanctification and how it applies to us today in the following verse. Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God (2 Corin 7:1). This gives both the negative and positive sides of the beginning of holiness and its progress. The negative element is purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit. Understanding the grammar Paul uses is essential for a complete grasp of holiness. The tense of let us purify ourselves indicates a one-time complete separation from that which stains, defiles, pollutes, or contaminates. He writes the same principle saying put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth (Col 3:8).
Perfecting holiness is the positive side and is a continuing process throughout life. Instead of putting off, we now put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, etc. (Col 3:12). It encompasses submission to the will of God, becoming like Christ, allowing the Holy Spirit to work His holy characteristics through us. I like to summarize it as the positive aspect of holiness resisting and avoiding sin and living a lifestyle guided by the Holy Spirit and God’s Word. We should view every aspect of our life as sacred and live accordingly. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus (Col 3:17).
Holiness begins in the mind. First, we must desire to be like Christ. That includes knowing God’s Word so we can walk in His will. The progressive aspect of holiness is like a race you are running. It doesn’t stop until the finish line. Let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us (Heb 12:1). The final stage of holiness happens when we meet the Lord and He perfectly sanctifies and makes us complete in Him. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is (1Jn 3:2) .
Holy, holiness, or sanctification should not intimidate you. They mean a lifetime journey of becoming like Jesus by making positive progression.
Sustaining Word for the Week: “Be holy, because I am holy” (1Pe 1:16).