Holiness – Part 1
Holiness, part 1 – Victorious Christian Living
Hebrews 12:14 (King James Version)
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
The Bible defines the lifestyle of the Christian with an extraordinary word – holiness. Webster’s 7th Collegiate Dictionary defines it as “the state or quality of being holy; being set apart to the service of God, characterized by perfection.” The Zondervan Pictorial Dictionary indicates that the word holiness is translated from the Hebrew root word QUADASH meaning, “separateness,” and the Greek word HAGIASMOS which means “pure.” The three significant elements of holiness are separation, purity, and perfection.
1) The Character of God – Holiness!
A) The nature and character of God is most clearly seen in His two major, defining attributes – love and holiness.
- God is LOVE
1 John 4:8 (New King James Version)
He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
- God is HOLY (found more than fifty times in the Bible!)
Exodus 15:11 (King James Version)
Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
Psalms 99:9 (King James Version)
Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.
Ezekiel 39:7 (King James Version)
So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
Revelation 4:8 (King James Version)
And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
B) Not only is God holy – but all that He commands, establishes and ordains is holy:
Romans 7:12 (English Standard Version)
So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
Psalms 105:42 (English Standard Version)
For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham, his servant.
Romans 1:2 (English Standard Version)
which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
2 Timothy 3:15-16 (New King James Version)
15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
Psalms 99:3 (New Century Version)
Let them praise your name; it is great, holy and to be feared.
Matthew 6:9 (Complete Jewish Bible)
You, therefore, pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven! May your Name be kept holy.
2) The holiness of God’s people:
A) Holiness in not attributed exclusively to God or inanimate objects: the word is also used in reference to God’s people – His saints, children, believers, followers and disciples:
Deuteronomy 28:9 (English Standard Version)
The Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways.
B) Since He is holy, He requires a holy people. Holiness is not an option or an alternative; it’s an imperative command of God!
Romans 6:19-23 (God’s Word)
19 I’m speaking in a human way because of the weakness of your corrupt nature. Clearly, you once offered all the parts of your body as slaves to sexual perversion and disobedience. This led you to live disobedient lives. Now, in the same way, offer all the parts of your body as slaves that do what God approves of. This leads you to live holy lives. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from doing what God approves of. 21 What did you gain by doing those things? You’re ashamed of what you used to do because it ended in death. 22 Now you have been freed from sin and have become God’s slaves. This results in a holy life and, finally, in everlasting life. 23 The payment for sin is death, but the gift that God freely gives is everlasting life found in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 12:1-2 (New King James Version)
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
2 Corinthians 7:1 (The Message)
With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let’s make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let’s make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God.
Ephesians 1:3-4 (English Standard Version)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.
Ephesians 4:22-24 (New King James Version)
22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 5:25-27 (New King James Version)
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
1 Thessalonians 4:7 (King James Version)
For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
1 Peter 1:13-15 (New King James Version)
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
Hebrews 12:14 (New Century Version)
Try to live in peace with all people, and try to live free from sin. Anyone whose life is not holy will never see the Lord.
- These Scriptures, along with so many others, elevate the concept of personal holiness to a vital dimension! Holiness is an essential and necessary element of the Christian life! It’s the ONLY lifestyle of the true, Biblically-obedient Christian. Holiness is the distinguishing characteristic! It is a high calling.
3) The attainment of holiness:
A) Holiness and righteousness are closely related concepts in Scripture. They’re used almost interchangeably as overlapping concepts.
- The word righteousness is often used to indicate justification which means “made right, blameless, innocent or just before God.”
- Holiness is also used to indicate proper behavior, virtuous action, and godly lifestyle.
B) As Christians, we attain holiness and righteousness in two ways: by the imputed (conferred) righteousness of Jesus Christ, and by our obedience to the righteousness of the Word of God.
- First, the righteousness or holiness of Jesus Christ is imputed (conferred, bestowed, credited) to us:
- When the blood of Jesus Christ is applied to our life at our new-birth, His righteousness is imputed to us on the merit of His completed work at Calvary. His death pays the price for our sins.
- The element of holiness is transferred upon us as a gift of grace and is applied to us through our obedient faith in His Word:
Romans 5:17-19 (New King James Version)
17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (New King James Version)
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
- As we encounter Jesus Christ at the cross, we are washed by His blood and cleansed from our sins for which we could have never paid. Now we are righteous and holy through Him!
- BUT, this gift of righteousness awakens us to a new way of life, behavior and lifestyle! What you receive inwardly shows up outwardly!
2 Corinthians 7:1 (The Message)
With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let’s make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let’s make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God.
Romans 1:16-18 (English Standard Version)
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
Romans 6:12-23 (English Standard Version)
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. 20 When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- These and other Scriptures make it obvious that after the gift of righteousness is conferred IN us, a continual life of righteous behavior should be followed. In other words it works from the inside out! Inward holiness will always manifest itself outwardly!
- Secondly, righteousness and holiness are accounted to us through our obedient action to the righteousness of God’s Word.
- Biblical terminology concerning our role in personal righteousness and holiness:
Romans 6:19 (KJV)
I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Romans 12:1 (King James Version)
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 Corinthians 7:1 (King James Version)
…let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Ephesians 4:24 (King James Version)
.And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
2 Timothy 2:22 (King James Version)
Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Titus 2:12 (King James Version)
…denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Hebrews 12:14 (King James Version)
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
1 Peter 1:15 (King James Version)
…be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
1 John 3:10 (King James Version)
…whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God…
- The words “yield, present, cleanse, put, be, follow, flee, deny, live, and do” are verbs that denote an ACTION to be taken by an individual!
- The language of these Scriptures clearly indicates that there’s a continuing element of holiness and righteousness that’s derived from the action and behavior of the believer!
- True holiness begins an imparted gift of grace, that in turn, teaches us to develop a daily lifestyle of holiness.
Titus 2:11-13 (New King James Version)
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
