Is being holy even possible since only God is holy?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Being holy means being set apart for God’s purposes and living morally pure lives, reflecting His perfect holiness. Only God is inherently holy by nature, but through Jesus Christ, believers are credited with holiness and called to pursue it in their daily lives. Christians are already made holy in status by Christ’s sacrifice, yet they are also called to grow in holiness through a lifelong process of sanctification empowered by the Holy Spirit. This journey is not about achieving perfection by our own strength but about being transformed more into Christ’s likeness over time. Ultimately, holiness is both a gift and a calling to live for God’s glory and reflect His character to the world.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The word holy has more than one meaning. It can mean to be set apart, as for a sacred purpose, or it can mean to be morally pure. Of course, God qualifies as both. He is set apart from all other beings by His transcendence and greatness (Exodus 15:11; Jeremiah 10:6), and He is morally pure by His goodness and righteousness (Habakkuk 1:13; Psalm 7:11).
• God is holy in a way that no other being is holy. The prophet Isaiah and the apostle John both emphasize this point by way of repetition (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8). God is not only holy; He is holy, holy, holy! This means He is perfectly holy.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Only God Himself is inherently holy. Holiness is an attribute of His very essence and being. Each Person of the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is holy. It is only through God's grace and the humility of Jesus Christ that we are able to share in His holiness (1 Corinthians 1:28–31; 2 Peter 1:3–4).
• Not only can we be holy, but we must be holy to see God (Hebrews 12:14).
• In one sense of the word, all Christians are already holy, in that we have been sanctified (made pure; cleansed) by the sacrifice of Jesus's body and blood, which expiates our guilt and covers our sins (Hebrews 10:10; 13:12). This holiness has to do with our status before God.
• Those who receive Jesus Christ not only have their sins forgiven but are also credited with the righteousness of Christ. Although we still have and struggle with a sin nature, the blood of Christ covers our sins, so God views us as holy in Christ (Romans 3:22; 4:5).
• A believer’s status of holiness is not something that is earned; it is a status conferred on us when we receive the Holy One of God, who is Jesus Christ (John 6:69; Luke 1:35; Hebrews 7:26; Revelation 3:7).
• The status of holiness is different from the pursuit of holiness. Although believers in Christ have already been sanctified as regards our status before God, we are also called to engage in the process of sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:2, Hebrews 10:10; Philippians 2:12–13; 1 Thessalonians 4:3).
• Sanctification is the process whereby our characters are progressively conformed to the likeness of Christ experientially and not in status only (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:29).
• We are called to live up to our status of being holy (1 Corinthians 1:2).
• We are not called to live holy lives in our own power. The Holy Spirit, who indwells all believers at salvation, gives us the power to become sanctified (Philippians 2:12–13).
• Sanctification is a lifelong process, which is never complete until we are glorified—i.e., made perfect and unable to sin (Philippians 1:6; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Hebrews 12:14). We are not glorified until we die and go to be with God or until Christ returns (Romans 8:30; 1 John 3:2–3; 1 Corinthians 15:51–53).
• Christians are also referred to in Scripture as holy because we have been set apart from the rest of the world. We have been chosen by God to be His special possession (1 Peter 2:9).
• We have been separated from the anti-God mindset and lifestyle, which is embraced by the world (Romans 12:2; John 17:16).
• We have been set apart to live godly lives and do good works (2 Timothy 2:21; Ephesians 2:8–10).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Pursuing holiness is not about achieving perfection on our own but relying on God’s grace to transform us progressively into Christ’s likeness. Though we still struggle with sin, the Holy Spirit empowers us to grow in love, purity, and obedience, making us increasingly reflect God’s holiness. This process continues throughout our lives until we are glorified—made perfect and free from sin—when Christ returns, or we go to be with Him. Being holy involves both our status as God’s chosen people and our active commitment to live in unity with that calling. Ultimately, holiness is a sacred mission to live for God’s glory and to reflect our holy God to the world around us.

UNDERSTAND

• Christians are made holy at salvation and are called to be holy as God is holy.
• Being holy does not mean being perfect; rather, it means growing in Christlikeness as the Holy Spirit transforms us.
• Holiness involves both being set apart from the world and living godly lives for God’s glory.

REFLECT

• How do you experience being set apart as holy in your daily life, and how does that shape your decisions?
• How do you reconcile the call to be holy with the reality of human imperfection in your own life or others?
• How do you respond when you struggle with sin as you pursue living a holy life?

ENGAGE

• How does understanding holiness as both a status and a process impact the way we view Christian growth?
• In what practical ways can believers encourage others’ pursuit of holiness?
• What does it look like to actively cooperate with the Holy Spirit to grow more like Christ in holiness?