Introduction to Holiness

Holiness is a recurring theme throughout the Bible. The words holy or holiness appear over five-hundred and fifty times in the Scriptures. They are comprehensive terms, distinguishing and unifying all that they describe. The Bible is often called the “Holy Bible,” meaning the entire Bible is holy (comprehensive), but somehow linked together or unified by its shared holiness. Nothing can be partly or a little holy. Anything that is holy is completely holy, or it is not holy at all. There are no shades of holiness. Holy also signifies something is different and special because it is associated with God. The opposite of holy is common.

Holiness is also a prominent theme in each of the Tier II challenges (“Become Like Jesus: Character Transformation”) and a foundational concept that undergirded the OT system of covenant and laws. The God of the Bible, Yahweh, is first and foremost described as the holy God. He’s the meaning and ultimate standard of holiness. Consequently, his people must also be holy. “You must be holy because I, the LORD [Yahweh] your God, am holy” (Lev 19:2). The command to be holy, however, is more than just one of the 613 OT laws. Holiness is what makes each of the other laws life-giving and God-honoring. The apostolic teaching makes holiness a prominent theme in the Jesus Way (1 Pet 1:15-16). The Jesus Way is the way of holiness, because Jesus was the “Holy One of God” (Mk 1:24; Lu 1:35, 4:35; and Jn 6:69). 

In this challenge (7 A) we will consider a common misconception of holiness; ways people frequently misunderstand holiness. Then we will explore what the first phrase of Leviticus 19:2, “God is holy,” means. Next, we will focus on the second phrase of that verse which calls us to be holy as God is holy. This is a lofty aspiration, and we will explore its meaning and implications for disciples. Finally, we will consider how we can live into that seemingly impossible goal.

What Holiness is Not: 
Religious Rules

The Pharisees (literally, separated ones) sought to obey the command to be holy as God is holy by meticulously obeying all of the 613 commandments in the OT plus the oral traditions. To succeed in this approach, they had to separate themselves from others so that they would not accidently break one of the commandments. For instance, they refused to eat a meal with a non-Pharisee to avoid the possibility of eating food or spices that had not been tithed. Their understanding and practice of holiness focused on externals, rituals, and religious legalism—outward and observable behavior. Their approach to holiness required physical separation from ordinary people (sinners) and in their minds, made them superior. Yes, the Pharisees were distinct (they also could easily be identified by the robes they wore) but were characterized by attitudes that communicated superiority, arrogance, and harsh judgmentalism. This sect encouraged a “holier than thou” mentality. Pharisees were religious purists who despised those who disagreed or failed to live up to their standards for holiness. Jesus repeatedly condemned the Pharisees as “being blind guides” who do “everything for show” (see Matthew 23). He identified them as “hypocrites” who Isaiah had described with these words:

⁸ These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
⁹ Their worship is a farce,
For they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.
Matthew 15:8-9 (quoting Isaiah 29:13)

Pharisees used their concept of holiness to differentiate “saints” (literally: holy ones) from sinners—those who are right with God from those who are not. When I was a teenager, many of my friends and I were leery of our fundamentalist peers because they understood holiness as submission to five rules. They did not use tobacco, drink alcohol, use cuss words, dance, or play cards (or pool). Adhering to these pious rules was the litmus test in those days that you had to pass before you could be welcomed into their fellowship. Many religious groups continue to use external standards to determine who belongs (the holy ones who obey the standards) and who is excluded (sinners). Like the Pharisees, their religious rules for holiness become the litmus test. Holiness, understood in this way, becomes ugly, legalistic, and judgmental—fostering pride and a sense of entitlement rather than love, kindness, and joy. This is a mistaken understanding of God’s holiness, and not the holiness disciples aspire to embody. 

God is Holy
“I, the LORD Your God, Am Holy”

Holy is an all-encompassing description of God. The God revealed by the Bible is the “holy God.” Holiness ultimately distinguished God from all other living beings, including human beings, and from all lifeless idols. My first theology course focused on who God is. We studied what theologians call God’s “attributes,” a lengthy list of his character traits and qualities. For instance, God is omnipotent (all-powerful) and omniscient (all-knowing). God is perfectly just, merciful, sinless (pure), and righteous. God is love, alive, personal, rational, patient, gracious, good, kind, generous, compassionate, and glorious. God is the Creator, eternal, and without limits. God is Trinity. Uniting all of these attributes in one person or being, is what makes God holy—unique and different from all else. The sum of all of God’s attributes equals God’s holiness. People distort God’s holiness when they reduce it to one or even several of his attributes instead of the sum of his attributes.

The OT also used the term holy to describe anything associated with the Holy God. The nation of Israel was holy because of its relationship with the Holy God. Priests were holy because they were set apart to serve their Holy God. The temple was holy because it was God’s dwelling place. The Bible is Holy because it is God’s written word. Even common objects became holy when they were associated with God. A bowl or a sacrifice became holy if set aside for use in the temple and thus for God. Holy describes both God’s uniqueness and perfection but also can be a “status” given to anything (people or objects) set apart for God’s use. Thus, something was made holy (a status) by association with the one and only Holy God. 

But we must be attentive to the primary meaning of holy contained in God’s mandate: “You must be holy because I, the LORD [Yahweh] your God, am holy” (Lev. 19:2 and 1 Pet. 1:15-16). God’s holiness is not the honorary holiness of a “status” by association, like a bowl used in the temple, but a description of his being and character. We are given the status of holy when we go all-in for Jesus just as the Israelites received the same status. But this passage tells us we must “aspire” to reflect God’s holiness through our words, actions, and character—through who we are, not merely the status conferred on us. We must live into the status of holiness we have already been given so that it becomes an accurate description of our character.

Disciples seek to become holy as Jesus is holy
“You Must Be Holy”

The events described in the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel became a tipping point for many in the large crowd following Jesus. They asked Jesus for “a miraculous sign” (Jn 6:30). Instead of performing a miracle, Jesus taught several more difficult, seemingly outrageous, truths. Many in the crowd “turned away and deserted him” (6:66). Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked,

⁶⁷ “Are you also going to leave?”  

⁶⁸ Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. ⁶⁹ We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”

Jesus is the “Holy One of God” and he declared, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9). Jesus personified what God’s true holiness (the sum of God’s attributes) looks like in a human being. That is why we, as apprentices of Jesus in kingdom living, seek to embody the holiness Jesus exemplified. The only way to obey God’s command, “You must be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy” (Lev. 19:2), is by becoming more like Jesus. God’s holiness is the sum total of all his attributes and so our holiness must be the sum of everything we think, say, believe, and do. Holiness is a comprehensive term describing everything God is and everything we are striving to become. That does not mean we must become omnipotent and omniscient, all-powerful and all-knowing, but that we use our abilities, authority, and minds in ways that are consistent with the way Jesus exercised authority and used his abilities and mind. We seek the holiness Jesus embodied and revealed.

Jesus simplified and condensed holiness into two components: loving God with all that we are and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. Jesus lived out what that looks like. He embodied love for God and neighbor. But, unlike the Pharisees, Jesus did not separate himself from known sinners, tax collectors, or prostitutes. They seemed drawn to Jesus like nails to a magnet and he was drawn to them in the same way. For instance, Jesus reached out to a tax collector named Levi (aka: Matthew) and called him to “Follow me and be my disciple” (Lk 5:27). Then Levi got up and followed him. 

²⁹ Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. ³⁰ But the Pharisees…complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?” 

³¹ Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. ³² I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.” Luke 4:17-32

Each gospel has similar stories of broken people coming to Jesus and Jesus going to sinners, the marginalized, and those who suffered. Jesus welcomed them, shared meals with them, and genuinely loved them. Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery and told her to go and sin no more (Jn 8:1-11). Unlike the Pharisees and other religious leaders, Jesus obviously enjoyed and associated with sinners. The contrast between Jesus and the Pharisees was dramatic just as the gulf between them was wide. I believe the differences were the result of conflicting perspectives on holiness. The Pharisees’ (means “separated ones”) concept of holiness required them to separate themselves from all sinners, believing their sin was contagious. Jesus, however, believed holiness could be contagious. Those who were broken, unclean, ostracized, marginalized, and sinful could be made holy through association with him, just as a bowl became holy when it was associated with God when used in the temple. Consequently, Jesus always was attentive and sensitive to the needs of broken and sinful people. 

The holiness that distinguished Jesus from the religious elites was expressed through his love for sinners. The way he loved people made him unique and different. Sacrificial love is a key part of the picture of holiness that emerges. Jesus did not condemn, reject, or separate himself from known sinners or the marginalized. Rather, Jesus was drawn to them. The holiness practiced by the Pharisees built walls between them and others. Jesus’ approach to holiness broke down the walls dividing people and replaced the walls with bridges. He sought to include people, not exclude them because they failed to observe various religious rules. The holiness Jesus embodied was a “different kind of differentness” because he loved in different ways—ways that transformed sinners into saints (holy ones). 

Dare to be Different:
Living Before an Audience of One

True holiness makes us different in the same way Jesus was different. We were given the status of holy when we became disciples (associated with Jesus) just as we were given the status of righteous at the same time. Yet as we navigate the Jesus Way, we progressively grow and become more like Jesus every day. Increasingly, the status that was conferred on us, righteous and holy, describes who we are becoming. The transformation is a life-long process of growth, led and empowered by the Spirit, to make us more like Jesus until our character reflects Jesus’ righteousness and holiness. We are learning kingdom living. We grow not by conforming to rules, but by loving Jesus, embracing his teaching, and following his example. Theologians call this process “sanctification” (literally becoming holy). But the transformation is not completed until Jesus returns, and the saints are given new immortal bodies. This is called “glorification.”

In the meantime, we follow the Jesus Way. We seek to replicate Jesus’ way of living. Jesus lived his life before the Father, his “Audience of One.” He sought to please the Father above all else, through every word he spoke, every action he took, and every thought he pondered. We follow his example by seeking to please Jesus above all others. Jesus is our “Audience of One.” It is impossible to grow into Christ-like holiness if we live to please people. We must daily make pleasing Jesus our primary objective. This is the beginning of the sanctification process—the first step in our lifelong journey into holiness. We love and serve others, not to win their approval (that would be manipulation), but to please Jesus. 

Paul advised the disciples who were slaves in Colossae to “work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people” (Col 3:23). Whatever your job or task, your primary goal is to do it in ways that please Jesus. Imagine your life as a play. You are the main character on the stage and Jesus is the only one in the audience. This simplifies your life, lowers your anxiety, and brings freedom. Living in this way is the primary way you fulfill God’s command to be holy as he is holy. Your holiness, like God’s, needs to become an accurate and comprehensive description of who you are. True holiness starts as your heart’s desire and spreads outward into every part of your life. Then, with the Spirit’s help, the sum of all your attributes will make you holy, just as the sum of God’s attributes makes him holy.

THINKING IT THROUGH

O God, your ways are holy. Psalm 77:13

THE TRUTH: Jesus’ character made him different and holy. 

THE CHALLENGE: Disciples dare to be different in order to live into Christ-like holiness. 

The Scriptures, questions, and notes are for group discussion and personal reflection. Our goal in Tier II is character transformation which requires sustained effort and growing faith. Thinking through the questions can help you understand this challenge at a deeper level. We encourage you to focus on those questions that you find most interesting or helpful. This is not a test, but a tool to help you respond to the challenges.

Related Scriptures

John 5:41-42 ⁴¹ “Your approval means nothing to me, ⁴² because I know you don’t have God’s love within you.”

John 12:42-43 ⁴² Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. ⁴³ For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.

Galatians 1:10 ¹⁰ Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

Deuteronomy 10:12 ¹² “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the LORD your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul.”

Isaiah 56:4
⁴ For this is what the LORD says:
I will bless those eunuchs 
who keep my Sabbath days holy 
and who choose to do what pleases me 
and commit their lives to me.

Zechariah 7:6 ⁶ And even now in your holy festivals, aren’t you eating and drinking just to please yourselves?

2 Chronicles 19:5-7 ⁵ He [King Jehoshaphat] appointed judges throughout the nation in all the fortified towns, ⁶ and he said to them, “Always think carefully before pronouncing judgment. Remember that you do not judge to please people but to please the LORD. He will be with you when you render the verdict in each case. ⁷ Fear the LORD and judge with integrity, for the LORD our God does not tolerate perverted justice, partiality, or the taking of bribes.”

John 8:29 ²⁹ “And the one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.”

2 Corinthians 5:8-9 ⁸ Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. ⁹ So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him.

Ephesians 5:10 ⁵ Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.

Philippians 2:6 ⁶ As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone else.

John 12:43 ⁴³ For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.

1 Thessalonians 4:1 ¹ Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you.

Psalm 22:3
³ You [Yahweh] are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.

Isaiah 65:55
⁵⁵ Yet they say to each other,
‘Don’t come too close or you will defile me!
I am holier than you!’
These people are a stench in my nostrils,
an acrid smell that never goes away.

Romans 2:29 ²⁹ No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.

Questions

You are encouraged to use these questions for group discussion or personal reflection. Respond to the questions that are most relevant or interesting to you (I urge you to write your responses in a journal or notebook).

1. Name a person you know who best embodies holiness. What makes this person distinctive?

2. Briefly explain how the Pharisees’ concept of holiness differs from Jesus’ understanding of holiness. 

3. List five things Jesus did or said that revealed or manifested his holiness. Did his holiness attract or repel people? Are you attracted to Jesus because of his holiness?

4. Can holiness be reduced to a list of do’s and don’ts? Have you encountered a group that used such a list as a litmus test? Did Jesus teach or use such a list?

5. Challenge 7, Part A, asserts that living to please Jesus (our audience of One) is the primary means of growing in holiness. If you disagree, how do you believe we should grow into the type of holiness Jesus embodied?

6. Peter wrote, “be holy in everything you do….” What makes a particular behavior  “holy?”

7. How can deciding to live before an audience of One reduce your level of anxiety?

8. Some believers suggest the word special is a synonym for holy. Being special differentiates someone or something from ordinary or common things. It conveys a positive association (i.e., God thinks I am special). I believe this simple way of thinking about holy can be helpful. Would it help you to substitute “special” for “holy” when reading Scripture? Why or why not?  

9. What other audiences, besides Jesus, could you seek to please? If you chose to live before an alternative audience, would that be idolatry? Why or why not?

10. Should we differentiate seeking to please others and seeking to serve others? Explain.

11. True or False: I am convinced that Jesus lived his life before an Audience of One, meaning that he sought to please the Father in everything he thought, said, or did. Explain why you answered as you did.

12. What prevents you from seeking to build your life around pleasing Jesus above all else?

Copyright © 2024 Don Waite

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