UNDERSTANDING HOLINESS

Follow carefully.

If there is a term among Christians that has been the cornerstone for divisions for many centuries, it is the word "holiness". Arguments on "why should a Christian do this?" or "why shouldn't a Christian do that?", including those that go beyond the four walls of the scriptures, are usually upshots of disparity in understanding of this word.

Like I have always taught, if we base arguments on our opinions, it will lead us nowhere cuz opinions will always differ; what is important and always relevant is God's opinion and this has been documented for us already—in the Bible. The Bible does not need our help; the explanation of the Bible lies within the pages of the Bible itself.

The word "holiness" in its basic form is derived from the Hebrew word "qâdôsh"; its Greek equivalent is "hagios". It means sacred. The stance about being morally perfect is a derived meaning. It's basic signification from the original Hebrew is "to be consecrated for a particular purpose."

In many African homes, the daddy of the house usually has a cutlery that he perhaps doesn't share with others members of the family. Personally, many of us have such belongings that we treat specially and opt not to share with others. What we have done by that is we have consecrated the objects to ourselves.

Exodus 20:8,11(NKJV)

[8] Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it HOLY.

[11]For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord BLESSED the Sabbath day and HALLOWED it.

You get the idea? God chose a day out out seven days and made it holy. "Hallowed" there is the verb form of qâdôsh—to make holy; to sanctify.

The children of Israel were nowhere near moral uprightness.

Deuteronomy 9:23(KJV)

Likewise when the LORD sent you from Kadeshbarnea, saying, Go up and possess the land which I have given you; then ye rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God, and ye believed him not, nor hearkened to his voice.

Deuteronomy 32:20(NKJV)

And He said: ‘I will hide My face from them,

I will see what their end will be, for they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faith.’

Yet, God referred to them as a holy people.

Deuteronomy 7:6(KJV)

For thou art an HOLY people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath CHOSEN thee to be a SPECIAL people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

Deuteronomy 14:2(KJV)

For thou art an HOLY people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath CHOSEN thee to be a PECULIAR people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

Why did God regard them as holy? Because of any good conduct? Obviously not. As clearly stated in the verses above, it was because God SEPARATED them unto himself above other nations.

Holiness is not dependent on the "object" but on the person making it holy. Nobody can make himself holy; only God can make one holy.

If holiness were a reward for your good works,

• What good work did the Sabbath day do to be declared holy?

• What good work did the vessels of silver and gold in the temple do to be called holy (2 Chronicles 5:5)?

• What good work did the ground that Moses stepped on do to be called "holy ground" (Exodus 3:3-5)? Joshua had a similar experience (Joshua 5:15).

Like SaintOfChrist put it in his defense to skeptics regarding his name, "Mount Sinai and Horeb are called Holy Mountains, not because of what they did but because the Holy God stepped on them. It was His holy presence that made them holy...."

That word "holy" is the same word "saint" in the original Hebrew and Greek lexicons. So, to "hallow" means to "sanctify", that is, to set someone/something apart unto yourself.

Contrary to some age-long doctrines, people do not become saints when they get to heaven. Both the Old and New Testament writings affirm that there are saints in the earth.

Psalm 16:3(KJV)

But to THE SAINTS THAT ARE IN THE EARTH, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.

Acts 9:13(KJV)

Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to THY SAINTS at Jerusalem.

1 Corinthians 1:2-3(KJV)

[2]Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are SANCTIFIED in Christ Jesus, called (to be) SAINTS, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

[3]Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thus, to be sanctified means to be made a saint. Interestingly, this chapter (especially from verse 18 to the end) admonishes us Christians not just to recognize that we are saved ONLY because we believe (verse 21) but also to always remember that it is not because of any good of ours (our wisdom or understanding) but 100% because of Jesus; that is why we are sanctified.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31(KJV)

[26]For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

[27]But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

[28]And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

[29]THAT NO FLESH SHOULD GLORY (BOAST) IN HIS PRESENCE.

[30]But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and SANCTIFICATION, and redemption:

[31]That, according as it is written, He that glorieth (boasteth), let him glory (boast) in the Lord.

Contrary to popular opinion, saints are not perfect people who have everything figured out in their walk with God. No. They are being trained and equipped for God's work.

Ephesians 4:11-13(KJV)

[11]And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

[12]FOR THE PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

[13]Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, UNTO A PERFECT MAN, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

Read the rest of that chapter and see Paul's admonition to these same saints. Like SaintOfChrist rightly put it, we are only called perfect by the perfection of Christ in us, not because of what we did or do.

Holiness is declared us on the moment the we believe the gospel. Why?

Ephesians 1:13(KJV)

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, THE GOSPEL of your salvation: in whom also after that ye BELIEVED, ye were SEALED with that HOLY SPIRIT of promise.

Because we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit. God dwells in us by his Spirit and this eternal presence has made us holy (2 Cor. 1:21-22, 1 Thes. 4:8, 1 Jn. 3:24).

So, brother, the Bible calls us holy today.

1 Peter 2:9-10(NKJV)

[9]But you are a CHOSEN generation, a ROYAL priesthood, a HOLY nation, HIS OWN SPECIAL people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

[10]Who once were not a people but are NOW THE PEOPLE OF GOD, who had not obtained mercy but NOW HAVE OBTAINED MERCY.

Peter, the apostle, then goes ahead to admonish these holy, special, royal people to live holily (🙂) in this present world.

1 Peter 2:11-12(NKJV)

[11]Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,

[12]Having your CONDUCT honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by YOUR GOOD WORKS which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

The idea is, you are holy, so conduct your life like a holy person that you are.

1 Peter 1:15-16(NKJV)

[15]But as He who called you is holy, you also BE HOLY IN ALL YOUR CONDUCT,

[16]Because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

Because you are holy, be holy in your conduct as well. Let your lifestyle be in tandem with the holy nature that the Holy God has given you.

Colossians 3:12(KJV)

Put on therefore, as the ELECT of God, HOLY and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering.

God doesn't just give instructions, he has graced us for them already by giving us a holy nature. Thinking otherwise will be placing the cart before the horse.

So, sister, we do not live right in order to become holy. The Bible teaches us that we were made holy by faith in the gospel and that is the only reason why we can live right in the first place.

Blessings.

Victor Ibosiola (c) 2021