Be holy for I am holy.
Those are the words God spoke in the middle of delivering a grueling list of rules and regulations to the Israelites—his people (see Leviticus 11). It’s like he knew they needed a reminder for why they couldn’t eat pork or rendezvous with folks from the other nations. Their adherence to his commands set them apart.
Thanks be to Jesus, we are no longer bound by stiff Old Testament regulations. But the call to a life of holiness remains.
What is holiness, and why does it matter? Is all about following rules and abstaining from things like sex and alcohol, or is there more?
See what it means to be holy.
Hi, I’m Lauren Thell, author of Christian YA fiction and blogger for teens who are ready to exceed the world’s expectations.
In This Article
The Importance of Holiness
Holiness is officially defined in the secular dictionary as “a life of total devotion to God.” The word holy means “sacred; dedicated or consecrated to God,” which God himself confirms in Leviticus 20:26:
“You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.”
We may have different regulations from the ancient Israelites, but the premise remains:
Living a holy life shows you are are set apart for God.
“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
Hebrews 12:14
Through a life of holiness, you not only demonstrate total devotion to God, but you also point the rest of the world in his direction. The command to be holy for I am holy is a call to a higher life in the name of Jesus.
What Holiness is NOT
Holiness is not merely being “gooder.”
Sometimes Christians look at their own religion like it’s a moral checklist.
Do not kill—check. Do not cuss—check. No sex with your boyfriend—check.
There’s no heart in that, only a sense of duty to NOT DO, rather than a desire to DO. But Jesus says, “If you love me, keep my commands.” (John 14:15). He’s not interested in a robotic performance of virtue.
Love is an action, and he’s telling you exactly how to show it.
Holiness is not about “finding yourself.”
These days, the person who is confident in herself is revered as the ideal. The problem is, many people “find” themselves in a lifestyle of sin—idolatry, homosexuality, lust, greed, etc. This is the world’s definition of being true to yourself, and rather than freeing you, it confines you to a certain standard of tolerance and diversity.
The surest way to crush holiness is to follow your own desires and whims.
The surest way to crush holiness is to follow your own desires and whims.
Holiness is not worldliness.
You can’t call yourself holy just because you’re nice. Plenty of unbelievers are “nice” people—that is, they tolerate a wide variety of lifestyles and never hurt anyone’s feelings by saying they’re wrong.
That’s worldliness, not holiness. Worldliness means being nice, but holiness means radical love. It means resisting the mold the world wants you to fit in for the sake of loving your God and your fellow men.
“For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”
1 John 2:16
The world does not understand holiness, and probably won’t appreciate your pursuit of it. But you’re not looking to gain the favor of men.
Worldliness means being nice, but holiness means radical love.
Holiness is not generic.
Wearing hats to church, bowing your head when you pray, making the sign of the cross over yourself—these are all common spiritual practices, but they in themselves do not make a person holy.
Optimus Prime could bow his head for prayer—and he’s a robot!
What is Holiness?
By looking at what holiness is not, one thing becomes clear: Holiness means being transformed by the Spirit. It starts in the heart and works its way outward into your physical conduct.
Holiness goes beyond surface-level obedience.
Holiness means being like God.
“Yeah, right,” you say. “Who could ever be like God?”
Yes, it’s a lofty standard, but there’s a difference between BEING God and being LIKE God. God doesn’t think in terms of checklists and gut feelings. He calls us to put off the old ways and embrace the truth wholeheartedly.
“Put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
Colossians 3:10
“You were taught to put off your old self, to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Ephesians 4:22-24, condensed
As Kevin DeYoung says in his book The Hole in Our Holiness, “If you want to know what holiness looks like, look at God.” Therefore, in order to be holy, you need to know God. (Learn more about who God is and how he defines right and wrong in my post Biblical Discernment for Teens: How to Make Good Decisions.)
Holiness means throwing off sin and embracing righteousness.
It’s great if you’re fighting temptation, but don’t stop there! Fill the spot that sin once held in your life with fierce righteousness.
Consider these double-sided verses:
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:9, 21
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
1 Corinthians 13:6
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Colossians 3:12
Holiness isn’t just a call to stop sinning. It’s a call to desire and rejoice in truth and virtue.
Related: Your Deepest Desires: The Truth About Habitual Sin
Holiness is having a clean conscience.
I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit.
Romans 9:1
Through a life of holiness, you can enjoy a rightfully clean conscience. Beware, however, that your conscience will lead you astray if it’s not aligned with the Bible. Your conscience is a gift from God, but you have to fine tune it regularly for it to work the way it should.
Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace.
2 Corinthians 1:12
When in-tune with God’s word, your conscience will help you make decisions about all the little things the Bible doesn’t specifically instruct us on (like how long your skirts should be and whether it’s okay to get a tattoo). Your conscience might tell you it’s not okay to read romance novels while another person’s conscience might allow clean romances. Who’s right?
Both, perhaps! Check out Romans 14. Your conscience is a gift, so listen to it. If you believe something is not acceptable, it’s not acceptable for you to do it. Don’t numb your conscience by ignoring it.
Holiness is obedience to God’s commands.
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.
John 14:23
Yes, God gives certain nonnegotiable commands for those wishing to pursue a life of holiness. These rules aren’t there because he’s a big meanie who enjoys watching you miss out. God’s rules are there to protect, seal, and define your relationship with him. You are not redeemed by following rules. God’s commands are there to make certain nothing comes between you and him.
Holiness is Christlikeness.
Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
1 John 2:6
Jesus is our model for love (John 13:1-17), humility (Philippians 2:5-8), facing temptation (Matthew 4:1-11), enduring suffering (1 Peter 4:1-2), and obedience to the Father (John 6:38). He wasn’t just morally good, he was radically holy.
Be like Jesus!
Be Known For What You Do, Not For What You Won’t Do!
You don’t have to have all the answers.
but, hey, why not?
Bring me your questions about faith, life, God, the Bible… and I’ll help you find the answers.
Your friends might know you as the guy who won’t look at porn or the girl who won’t skip church for basketball practice. But if you embrace radical holiness, you could be known as the guy who rejoices in Jesus or the girl who overflows with compassion for her peers.
Let the world see the positive side of holiness. Take delight in following God’s commands. (Check out my post on Psalm 119 for more!)