The Problem

The Bible tells us that God the Father is holy, that Jesus the Son is holy and it goes without saying that the Holy Spirit is holy. If holiness is such a fundamental characteristic of the godhead how can we ever be truly holy?

To answer that we need to know what holiness means.

The Greek word ‘hagios’ translated as ‘holy’ in our bibles means, ‘separated’. It doesn’t necessarily mean morally perfect in much the same way that righteous doesn’t either.

So when the Greeks used this word it was often in the context of being devoted to or separated to their ‘gods’.

Character

The worshipper of the pagan god acquired the character of that pagan god and the religious ceremonies connected with its worship. The Greek temple of Aphrodite at Corinth housed a large number of temple prostitutes with whom you could ‘worship’ the goddess of ‘love’. Thus, the set-apartness of the Greek worshipper was in fact sinful. The believer in the Lord Jesus is set apart to worship God by not living like the rest of society. Thus, the worshipper of the God of the Bible partakes of the character of the God for whom he is set apart. We aim to demonstrate in our lives the fruits of the Holy Spirit, which are themselves Christ-like.

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious;sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy,drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar, about which I tell you in advance—as I told you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.

God is Holy

So if God is separate, what is he separate from? Mankind? The devil? Sin?

Clearly God is separate from mankind, because mankind has separated itself from God. This was never God’s purpose and through his Son he has made ‘a bridge to cross the great divide’. So being separate from man isn’t what makes God holy, in fact in the Lord’s prayer man is told to declare that God is holy.

God is separate from the devil, in that they have different natures and plans. God and the devil are not different types of the same being, nor equals but opposites, not just mortal enemies, because Satan is a created being, albeit a spirit. Satan has a bad plan for us, to destroy us, and God has a good plan to adopt us into His family. Satan’s own pride has separated him from God and there is no way back, no redemption possible, only the wait for an eternal lake of fire.

God is separate from sin, in that it is not in His nature to sin. He is perfect in all His ways and deeds, but even this is not enough to describe what makes God holy!

God is in a category of His own; He alone is God, creator, and to be worshipped. God is God! That makes God separate and that separation makes Him holy!

Holy glass!

The same root word gives us the word saint, a term that has been misused through the years as meaning some person we venerate for the gifts if the Holy Spirit they operated (healing, miracles etc.) A saint is someone who is sanctified, separated unto God. This sainthood is not an attainment, it is a state into which God in grace calls ordinary men, women and children, who set themselves apart for God.

When I was ten years old, John Mosey led a Bible Study on this subject which I attended. He took a glass of water and said ‘this is my glass, it exists so that I may drink from it and no one else may use it. It is sanctified!’ At age 10, I understood what sanctified and holy meant! I went home and took my favourite glass out of the cupboard and explained it to my mother.

Hagios and its kindred words... express something more and higher than hieros, sacred, outwardly associated with God;... something more than semnos, worthy, honourable; something more than hagnos, pure, free from defilement. Hagios is... more comprehensive.... It is characteristically godlikeness" (G. B. Stevens).

So when we separate ourselves to God, when we live in restored relationship with God through Jesus, when we allow the Holy Spirit to generate His fruits in our lives, we become Christ-like and we too can share in His holiness.

This is of course the key point if holiness – we share in His!

Sanctification

The theme of sanctification, or growing into God's likeness and being consecrated for His use, is prominent throughout the Bible. Like Jesus, the apostles taught that sanctification, or true holiness, expressed itself in patient and loving service while awaiting the Lord's return. Peter urged the suffering Christians of the Roman Empire to follow God's example of holiness in their trials: "As He who has called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct" (1 Peter 1:15).

Paul's prayer for the saints at Thessalonica is timeless in its application to the church and individual believers: "And may the Lord make you increase in love and abound in love...so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints" (1 Thess 3:12-13).

What it is not

Righteous doesn’t mean morally perfect, but it means we are made to be in right-standing with God. We can never be morally perfect, but we can be restored to right relationship with God.

In the some way, holy does not simply mean morally perfect either. Unlike us God IS morally perfect, but whereas He is totally separate from sin, that isn’t enough to describe his holiness – He is one of a kind, creator and the only one we should worship.

Sanctification or the holiness of believers is nothing ceremonial, it isn’t to do with anointing of oil, or the outcome of a religious service, it is by necessity relational.

Be holy

The scriptures are holy:

Rom 1: 2which He promised long ago through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures

The prophets were holy:

Acts 3:21 which God spoke about by the mouth of His holy prophets from the beginning.

Some places (where God appears) are holy:

Acts 7:33 Take the sandals off your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground

The law is holy, as are the commandments:

Rom 7:12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.

Sometimes hands can be holy:

1 Tim 2:8 therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.

It is even possible for a kiss to be holy:

Rom 16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss.

But above all you are called to be holy:

2 Tim 1:8 Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God,

 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling,

not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace,

which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

You are a holy temple

1 Cor 3:16 Don't you know that you are God's sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17If anyone ruins God's sanctuary, God will ruin him; for God's sanctuary is holy, and that is what you are.

Keep you bodies and minds holy

Rom 12:1Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.2Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

We are a holy church

Eph 2:21 The whole building is being fitted together in Him and is growing into a holy sanctuary in the Lord, 22in whom you also are being built together for God's dwelling in the Spirit.

Eph 5:27 He did this to present the church to Himself in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and blameless.

We are a holy priesthood

1 Peter 2:5 you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in Scripture:

We should be driven to holiness

2 Peter 3:11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness 12as you wait for and earnestly desire the coming of the day of God,

It’s all about Relationship

So we find that holiness I much bigger than morality. This isn’t side-lining morality, because without it we will not see God. How can you be a disciple unless you practice self-discipline?

But holiness is not a judgement call on how nice you are or how little you sin, but on your relationship with God. If God is separate, and you are walking with God, then you are walking with Him who is separate and you are separate together!

Col 1:22 But now He has reconciled you by His physical bodythrough His death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before Him— 23if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith, and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard

Our salvation is not a one minute thing, regret, a hand in the air and then it is over – rather it is a change in the way you walk. If what you do offends the one you walk with, stop it! God will help you, but you need to help yourself.

1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance 15but, as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; 16for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.

When you are walking with a Holy Father, a Holy Jesus and you are full of the Holy Spirit, then you will be holy because He is holy. It becomes a relational thing, and because God is relational how else should we understand it?

Have you separated your life to God? - Then you are a saint – a sanctified one.

Saints of God arise! Let us walk with Him in holiness together! It is possible, because holiness is relational. Just as “bad company corrupts good character” (1 Cor 15:33) so walking with a holy God will enhance yours!