Reflecting on holiness

The concept of holiness is difficult for 21st-century people to grasp because we have failed to model and teach it in its most primary meaning—being Christ-like. In all our teaching, the more we focus on Christ, the more people will be able to grasp truth and see it as something practical and viable for daily living. The Hebrew word for holy, qadosh, simply means “other” or “different.” If we present holiness as being like Jesus—thinking, talking, acting, and reacting differently than the average person in society—I believe people will not only understand holiness, but also have a passionate desire to pursue this high calling from God.

There seems to be a stigma associated with the term holy, perhaps because early in the 20th century there was a misappropriation of the term and theology of holiness. We used to define holiness as the things we didn’t do, but the scriptural mandate to be holy conflicts with this thought pattern and ideology. Rather, the Bible shows us that holiness is an issue of the heart.

Are we teaching holiness? Are we teaching and preaching that God is a holy God who demands us to be holy as well? I have observed and participated in many churches where holiness is not even an issue of concern or discussion. We have become far too concerned with the types of music, the length of service, the mode of the service, and so on. When we focus and mandate the entire Word of God, we will see a resurgence of holiness in the Church. The Bible clearly teaches that when Christ returns, it is for a spotless Church. We know we can become spotless by His blood, but we remain spotless by obeying His word.

Most people today are weirded out by the concept of holiness, primarily because of a misunderstanding of its original meaning and heart intention. The early Israelites struggled in a similar fashion, and the Pharisees perpetuated the struggle. Across previous generations and centuries, God’s people have diminished holiness to following a list of negatives: “Don’t do this” and “Thou shalt not do that.”

In reality, the ancient story flowing from Leviticus and echoed by Saint Peter’s epistle reveals an extremely positive nature in the call to holiness. To be “set apart” was to mimic the very nature of God, to live a life flowing out of a love relationship with one’s Creator. “Set apart” carries the idea of being “one of a kind,” “above the norm,” “totally unique.” Walking in holiness is all about ordinary people relying on the Holy Spirit of Christ, learning to live extraordinary lives!