Bible glossary
What Does ‘Holiness’ Mean in the Bible?
Holiness means being set apart and utterly pure: it is who God is in His perfect goodness, and what He calls His people to become.
In short
Holiness means being set apart and utterly pure: it is who God is in His perfect goodness, and what He calls His people to become.
To be holy is to be set apart, distinct, uncommon. At its center holiness describes God Himself: His absolute purity, His otherness, His freedom from all evil. The angels cry holy, holy, holy, because there is no darkness in Him at all.
God then calls His people to holiness, not as cold rule-keeping but as a life increasingly free from what corrupts and increasingly full of love. We do not become holy to earn God's welcome. We are welcomed, and then made holy from the inside out.
Key verses
“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:15-16
“And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.”
Isaiah 6:3
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”
Hebrews 12:14
Holiness and Jesus
Jesus is the Holy One who came near to the unholy without being stained by them. Instead of holiness keeping Him at a distance, His holiness healed what it touched. He shares His purity with us, making holy people out of forgiven ones.