Holiness

Holiness is something I’m fairly familiar with since I was raised up in a holiness movement called the Church of God (out of Anderson IN). Unlike the trailblazers of this reformation movement I keep my approach simple. I’d say I’m slightly more liberal than they were but that’s all opinion.

Holy. It means to be set-apart. To be holy is to be unique or uncommon (Leviticus 10:10) in such a way that it raises an eyebrow and drops a jaw. God is holy. There is none like Him. Israel in the Old Testament was a holy nation, set apart by God for His purposes (Exodus 19:6). The Church is holy as a group of people gathered under the Lordship of Jesus Christ for the purpose of revealing His kingdom to the world (Ephesians 5:27). This means Christians are to be holy (1Corinthians 1:2). But what does that look like in daily life? Can we really be holy or does God have to make us holy? Don’t we need to die before we can become holy?

Well we certainly don’t have to die to be holy. John the Baptizer was called Holy in the book of Mark (6:20). The Father, Son, and Spirit are all called holy (Mark 1:8, Luke 4:34, John 17:11). Holiness refers to God most of the time in scripture. It’s pretty clear that holiness originates with God. If we want to be holy then we must first look to God and then imitate Him (Leviticus 11:44, Ephesians 5:1). Luckily we have seen Christ and been taught about Him. In Christ we have an example of what it looks like to be holy as human beings (God knows we need it)! Colossians 3 also gives a good outline for what practical holiness looks like.

For some, holiness is represented by modest dress, abstaining from certain types of technology, not dancing, or even prohibition towards alcohol. Obviously true holiness is living in a way that reflects God. For some people, in some places, and some times, that could be any of the above choices. There is no scriptural command to abstain from alcohol, not show ankles, refrain from using a car, or keep from gyrating one’s hips. It’d be nice to have a list of dos and don’ts so we could easily measure our holiness (and many try to do exactly that) but that’s not the way God operates so stop looking for such a list! Holiness is more than keeping all the rules. Holiness is being a type of person. To be holy is to live a life of love, hope, and faith. We’re called to be an uncommon people in this world and not to just do good things.

We can most clearly see holiness in terms of identity (as opposed to deeds). Scripture says we are foreigners, aliens, and strangers to our lands (1Peter 2:11), in the world but not of it (John 17:16-18), belonging to another kingdom outside this world (John 18:36). Christians are said to have taken off an old self and put on a new (2Corinthians 5:17), to be light in darkness (Romans 2:9), to be something difficult to understand. We are to be a people that unmistakably stick out in the world because of the way in which we live. Remember the song “One of these things is not like the other. One of these things does not belong…?” That’s the idea. People know we belong to God because of who we are in a holistic sense and not simply because of a few specific things we do or don’t do. In every aspect of our lives we ought to have the kingdom of God shining through us. 

This is a big problem with the Church. She’s rarely holy. Christians don’t treat marriage as a holy thing and thus become less holy and more common as their divorce rates match and sometimes even exceed those outside the faith. When Christians fail to approach holy elements of the universe as they ought to they fade away from being holy people because they fade away from being like God (and this happens far too often). They lose their connection with God because they seek themselves and thus join the world around them that is controlled by sin, which is opposite holiness. Holiness is a large umbrella. To save some time let’s point out some of the largest tenants of holiness: Forgiveness, enemy love, chastity, marriage without divorce, treating others the way we want to be treated, simplistic living, faith in a providing Creator, and free of sin (which comes through Christ and our repentance). The list goes on and on. Ultimately holiness is living as God wants us to live according to scripture. Today it may mean not wearing a bikini or making sure to forgive an abusive parent. Tomorrow it may also mean laying off the horn when you get cut off in traffic or starting an orphanage. Holiness gives us a lot of hats to wear but they all look like halos to the world.

Most importantly, holiness can not be earned. It is given. God makes us holy (Exodus 31:13). However, it’s a back and forth dealing. He makes us holy because holiness comes from him and he deems us worthy. If we live in his will we are considered worthy. Originally, we were set in a holy situation and walked away from it in Eden and mankind has been walking away ever since. So we don’t earn holiness but rather we return to the gift that was meant for us, not because of what we have done but because of who He is. So grab the gift, be transformed, and continue in holiness, being wholly in God.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will,

Romans 12:1-2

You are holy, holy, holy

All heaven cries “Holy, holy God”You are holy, holy, holyI want to be holy, holy God
Finally everything
Wholly, wholly, wholly
I am wholly, wholly, wholly
I am wholly, wholly, wholly Yours

So here I am, all of me

-David Crowder*Band, Wholly Yours