Holiness
I. What is Holiness?
a. Holiness is a biblical word that means to be unique, set apart, and unlike anything else
i. Hebrew – qadas
ii. Greek – hagios
b. What kinds of things can be holy
i. People – Leviticus 19:2
ii. Places – Ezekiel 42:13
iii. Things – Exodus 9-10
iv. Times – Exodus 12:16
v. Feasts/Gatherings – Leviticus 23:1-2
II. What makes something Holy?
a. Lets examine the first two things identified as holy in the bible and try to found out why
i. The sabbath day
Genesis 2:3 English Standard Version
3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
1. The sabbath is holy because God rested on it
a. What God rests on, He makes holy
ii. The “holy ground” around the burning bush of God’s presence
Exodus 3:4-5 New King James Version
4 So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
5 Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”
1. The ground was holy because the presence of God was resting upon it
b. Holiness is being close to God/being in close relationship with God
i. The presence of God is literally and figuratively close to it
c. This is because God is the Most Holy
1 Samuel 2:2 New King James Version
2 “No one is holy like the Lord,
For there is none besides You,Nor is there any rock like our God.
i. the bible lists two reasons that make Him more holy (unique, set apart, unlike anything else)
1. God is holy because He is the only source and sustainer of all life (Genesis 1)
Isaiah 6:3 New King James Version
3 And one cried to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!”Isaiah 17:7 New King James Version
7 In that day a man will look to his Maker,
And his eyes will have respect for the Holy One of Israel.Isaiah 43:15 New King James Version
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
The Creator of Israel, your King.”Isaiah 54:5 New King James Version
5 For your Maker is your husband,
The Lord of hosts is His name;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;
He is called the God of the whole earth
2. God is holy because He is the source of moral goodness and purity
Leviticus 11:44 New King James Version
44 For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves...
2 Corinthians 7:1 English Standard Version
7 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body[a] and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
III. The Paradox of God’s Holiness
a. God’s holiness is the source of all life and the sustains our existence
Colossians 1:17 New King James Version
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
1 Corinthians 8:6 New King James Version
6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.
b. His holiness is also dangerous to humans defiled/corrupted by sin
i. The temple had to be kept separate from everything unclean/impure
1. Leviticus chapters 11-15
ii. Only holy priests were allowed into God’s presence in the temple, they were in danger if they did not honor God’s holiness.
1. Leviticus chapters 9-10
iii. The need for animal sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people
c. God’s desire was to dwell among His creation, but time and time again, His presence was not able to remain with His people because of their sin
IV. God’s Plan
a. Isaiah’s Vision – Isaiah 6:5-7
i. Verse 5 – terrified because he is unclean (morally impure)
ii. Verse 6 – he is not destroyed but purified by a burning and holy coal
1. How do I know it was holy? Its in God’s presence
iii. Verse 7 – Instead of the temple becoming contaminated, or Isaiah being killed, Isaiah is purified by God’s holiness
b. Ezekiel’s Vision – Ezekiel 47:7-12
i. Out of the Holy Temple a river flows through the dessert and into the dead sea
1. The dessert land is healed, producing plant life
a. All kinds of trees
b. Fruit and leaves will never fail (bloom and fruit in every season)
c. Fruit for food and leaves for medicine
2. The dead sea will be healed and filled with life
a. Fishermen will fish
c. Jesus
i. The holiness of God – Mark 1:24
1. Pursued those who were unclean and would not be able to enter the presence of God – like Isaiah and Ezekiel’s vision
a. Matthew 8:1-4 – leper – cleansed
b. Matthew 9:20-23 – woman with bleeding issue – healed
c. Luke 7:11-17 – a dead body – resurrected
ii. Nothing from the outside defiles a man – Mark 7:14-23
Mark 7:15 New King James Version
15 There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.
iii. Jesus claimed
1. to be the new temple. The place where holiness would meet God’s people in their sin and uncleanness:
John 2:19-22 New King James Version
19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”
21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this [a]to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
2. He offered forgiveness of sins apart from the temple sacrifices
Matthew 9:1-8 New King James Version
9 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. 2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”
3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”
4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 7 And he arose and departed to his house.
8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled[a] and glorified God, who had given such power to men.
3. He said His death was a sacrifice that covered for the sins of others
Matthew 26:26-29 New King James Version
26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, [a]blessed and broke it, and gave It to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the[b]new covenant, which is shed for many for the [c]remission of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
d. Holy Spirit
i. Through the coming of Holy Spirit Jesus established the community of His followers as the new temple, where God’s holiness meets with people and changes them forever
Acts 2:1-4 New King James Version
2 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all [a]with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them [b]divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
1. Compare this to previous biblical images of the presence of God
a. Exodus 40:34
b. Leviticus 9:23-24
c. 2 Chronicles 7:1
ii. This was promised by Jesus who alluded to Ezekiel’s vision of holy river
John 7:37-39 New King James Version
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those [a]believing in Him would receive; for the [b]Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
V. You are Called to be Holy
a. God takes holiness seriously
Leviticus 20:26 New King James Version
26 And you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 New King James Version
16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone [a]defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
b. Without the Holy Spirit is it IMPOSSIBLE to be holy
i. He makes us holy, the presence of God, being in us
Romans 8:11 New King James Version
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies [a]through His Spirit who dwells in you.
ii. If you don’t have Holy Spirit, all you need to do is ask
Luke 11:13 New King James Version
13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
iii. Without Holy Spirit you will strive in the flesh and fail and grow angry and bitter with the Lord
c. What does holiness look like: being led by and walking in the Spirit
i. Holy Spirit is called the Helper, He empowers, He doesn’t force you to follow
Galatians 5:16-18 New King James Version
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Galatians 5:19-21 New King James Version
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: [a]adultery, [b]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, [c]murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
ii. Adultery – sex, porn, and fantasizing about anyone or anything that is not your wife
iii. Fornication – any sexual act or stimulus outside of biblical marriage
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 English Standard Version
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification:[a] that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body[b] in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;
Matthew 5:28 New King James Version
28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
iv. Uncleanness – lustful (if I want it I will possess it), lavish, and wasteful living
v. Lewdness – stimulating sexual desires/feelings in others
vi. Idolatry – giving the priority/place in life, that belongs to God, to anything or anyone else
vii. Sorcery – including, rebellion, manipulation and passive aggressiveness
viii. Selfish ambition – my desire over God’s desires and others
ix. Dissensions – being divisive, turning people against one another (intentional or not)
x. Heresies – choosing (choosing what parts of the bible are true vs not)
xi. Drunkenness
Ephesians 5:18 New King James Version
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
xii. Revelries – refers to half-drunk, night time, parties with music and dancing to music that honors Bacchus (God of wine) or Dionysus (God of pleasure)
xiii. And the like: anything similar to these things
d. The Fruit of Being Led by, and Walking in, the Spirit
Galatians 5:22-26 New King James Version
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 [d]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
i. The way you live affects Holy Spirit
Ephesians 4:30 New King James Version
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
e. Holiness will sound like legalism to the lukewarm.
i. This isn’t works based salvation, you can be saved and not grow in holiness, but you will not be a part of releasing God’s life, healing, and power in the world around you
2 Timothy 2:20-21 New King James Version
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, [a]sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
ii. Those of us who have the received the promise of Holy Spirit are called to holiness, there are no exceptions.
2 Corinthians 7:1 English Standard Version
7 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body[a] and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
1. The promise is found in chapter 6 where God promises His presence in us
2 Corinthians 6:16 New King James Version
16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you[a] are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.”
