Holiness. A word that is not spoken much, even by the church in these last days. What is holiness? What does it mean to be holy? Is it holiness important?
The primary meaning of the word “holy” is to be separate, or to be “other”, whole and complete within itself. Holiness separates that which is sacred from the mundane. To be holy is to be Special, Different, “Other” – SET APART.
God is Holy. He is Higher, Superior, Transcendent, over every other thing that exists. There is nothing that exists that can be compared to God (YHWH/JESUS CHRIST/HOLY SPIRIT).
Holiness describes God’s absolute Majesty, His Sacredness, His perfect Righteousness, the Distinction of the Creator over the created. In this sense, Holiness can be thought of as synonymous with Divine. The Godhead (Father/Son/Holy Spirit) is Divine, Holy, Distinct from God’s creation. The Godhead transcends far above our human comprehension.
The Hebrew word that is translated as “HOLY” in the Old Testament is the noun “Qodesh and the Greek equivalent is “hagios.” Both terms convey the idea of separation from the common or profane and dedication to the Divine. God’s Holiness is evident in His moral purity and righteousness, as seen in Habakkuk 1:13: “Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil; You cannot tolerate wrongdoing.”
- YHWH (God the Father) is Holy
- Holy One of Israel (Jesus Christ)
- Holy Spirit
- Holy Ground
- Holy Days (Holidays -set apart, different than ordinary days)
- Holy Vessels
Everything that is touched by God is Holy, set apart and sanctified.
“In this short, 5-minute video, we explore the paradox that God’s holiness presents to human beings. God is the unique and set-apart Creator of all reality and the author of all goodness. However, that goodness can become dangerous to humans who are mortal and morally corrupt. Ultimately, this paradox is resolved by Jesus, who embodies God’s holiness that comes to heal His creation.“
The Bible details a vision seen by the prophet Isaiah in which he perceived the Lord seated upon a Throne, exalted and sublime. Seraphim hovered above the Throne of God proclaiming, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of armies, the whole earth is filled with His Glory”. The Scriptures tell us that the foundations of the threshold quaked at His utterance, and the sanctuary was enveloped in smoke. Isaiah stood terrified, recognizing that he was standing in the presence of a Holy God. 😱He was overcome with dread because he KNEW that no being could survive the majesty of such holiness. The purity of God is so intense that any trace of impurity would be utterly consumed in His presence. Isaiah was enveloped in fear and trembling.
Isaiah 6:5: And I (Isaiah) said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Isaiah understood the very dangerous position he was in as an unclean, mortal human being coming into the Presence of God. He was terrified! 😱
Isaiah 6:6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
The previous verse describes when a Seraphim (special angel) came to Isaiah with a burning coal from the altar and touched it to his mouth. This important act symbolized God’s Holiness being given to Isaiah, allowing him to be in God’s presence without harm. It also foreshadows the role of the Messiah (Jesus Christ). Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross grants God’s righteousness to everyone who believes in Him. ✝️
Everything that is touched by God is made holy. In this way, mankind can be touched by God and made holy (set apart) so that we can come into the presence of God without being destroyed.
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then you have been made holy (set apart for God’s purposes). God touches His people removing all sin and uncleanness and then deposits His Holy Spirit within us to help us walk out the new life that He has purchased for us. Because God’s people have been touched by God and made holy, we are commanded to REFLECT God’s Holiness in the way we live our lives.
Jesus Christ is GOD and HE is HOLY
Jesus Christ, the Second Member of the Godhead (Trinity), is perfectly Holy. Baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, The Spirit of God appeared as a Dove 🕊️and rested on Jesus and the voice of God came down from Heaven saying – “This is My Beloved Son with whom I AM well pleased.”
Matthew 3:16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove🕊️ and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Jesus Christ IS God who took on the likeness of human flesh in order to walk with mankind, teach us God’s ways, and die as the ultimate Sacrifice for our sins. ✝️ God is so holy that we cannot come into His Presence and survive. But God, in His mercy, clothed Himself in humanity so that He could walk among us.
The Cleft of the Rock
There is a story in the Old Testament found in the book of Exodus, Chapter 33. Here, Moses asked God the Father (YHWH) to show him His Glory. Moses LONGED to see the Glory of God. The Lord spoke and told Moses...”You cannot see My face, for NO MAN may see My Face and Live”.
Exodus 33:20: But,” He said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”
We can think of it this way. Imagine the sun☀️ that heats up our earth as a metaphor for God. The sun is NOT God but let us say it is a metaphor for God. Although the sun warms up our earth and brings life🌳, it is also so hot🥵 that no man could approach it. It is not possible. You couldn’t even get close without instantly burning up in its heat. Now imagine our Holy God who is far brighter, far “hotter” than the physical sun which He created. It is not possible for us to approach God…UNLESS He makes certain provisions for us. This is exactly what God did for Moses.
Exodus 33: 21 And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by Me where you shall stand on the rock,
22 and while My Glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”
God hid Moses in the “cleft of the rock” so that Moses could SEE a part of God that would not burn Moses up. God made provision for Moses to witness His Glory without dying.
God made similar provisions for the Jewish High Priests who were commanded to come into His Presence in the Jewish Temple and make animal sacrifices for the Israelites. Only the Jewish High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place of the Jewish Temple (Tabernacle) and only once a year on Yom Kippur. (Day of Atonement). When the High Priest would enter the Temple (Tabernacle), he had to obey strict rules to ensure his safety. He had to ceremonially wash and wear holy, sanctified garments. He had to enter the “holy of holies” WITH the BLOOD of a sacrificed animal to be sprinkled on the altar. There also had to be the smoke of incense symbolizing the prayers of God’s people to fill the space that the High Priest would enter. If everything was not done PERFECTLY to God’s standards the High Priest would die.
Jesus Christ IS the “Cleft in the Rock”! He IS the Holy of Holies! Jesus IS the very essence of God that humanity can “see” and “walk with” without fear of death! When Jesus died on the Cross the veil of the Jewish Temple was torn in half from top to bottom, unveiling the glorious truth that Jesus had just opened THE WAY for ALL MANKIND to step into the Holiest place of God’s Presence! Because Jesus Christ IS God, He rose VICTORIOUSLY from the grave three days later!
All who embrace Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord ✝️are invited to enter God’s Most Holy Place through the precious Blood of the Lamb. (This requires faith and belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the ultimate Sacrifice for the sins of all mankind).
Jesus SERVES as the believer’s High Priest after the Higher Order of Melchizedek continually making intercession for us. As believers hidden IN Christ, WE (CHRISTIANS) are considered “priests and kings”, HOLY before the Lord.
1 Peter 2:5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Because Jesus Christ our HIGH PRIEST FOREVER FULFILLED the Day of AtONEment through His death and RESURRECTION, all who BELIEVE IN HIM are invited to come BOLDLY before the Throne of God (spiritually) with prayers and petitions. We are spiritually cleansed of all sin by the blood of Christ and sanctified by His Word. Believers in Christ are indwelt by God’s Holy Spirit who sanctifies us and sets us apart as holy.
Those in Christ are safely set into the “CLEFT OF THE ROCK”. We will see the Glory of God.
Hebrews 4:16:: Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
1 John 3:2: Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
Romans 8:18-19: I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the revelation of the sons of God.
Philippians 3:20-21: But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself, will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body.
God separates HIS PEOPLE from “THE WORLD”
The Bible tells us that to be “friends with the world” is to be an enemy of God. 😈 In this context the term “world” refers to the system of values, beliefs, and practices that are contrary to God’s righteousness.
We cannot be friends with the world and devoted to God. There is an extreme incompatibility between worldly values and devotion to God. The book of James describes those who attempt to ride this fence as “adulterous”, meaning they are not faithful to God. James uses very strong language (adulterers) to warn God’s people NOT to embrace worldly values, which are in direct opposition to the Will of God. James is implying that those who do this are being unfaithful to the New Covenant
James 4:4: You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 😱
When God saves a person through the shed blood of Jesus Christ✝️, He is SEPARATING them from the world (the world’s values). The Holy Spirit, who dwells within the believer, is constantly at work setting that person apart from the world for God’s Holy use and purpose.
The Worldly Church
Sadly, much of the modern Church has abandoned teaching its congregants about holiness because holiness doesn’t sell seats. Instead, many churches have embraced worldly values, encouraging their congregants to embrace them too. The Bible tells us that The Church is called to be separate from the world, sanctified and Holy. The Church is supposed to base its beliefs on the unchanging Word of God, NOT on the culture. What was sin two thousand years ago is still sin.
What are the world’s values?
- Worldview based on feelings not on the Word of God
- Idolatry, witchcraft, new age spirituality🧘🏻♂️
- Drugs and alcohol (getting high/drunkenness/partying)🥴
- Narcissism – Self-absorption, looking at others as inferior 🤳🏻
- Envy – desiring what others have
- Greed/Avarice – money, status, power🤑
- Sexual sins – fornication, adultery, homosexuality, pornography
- Violence/rage – in entertainment/movies, video games, music 😡
- Revenge and unforgiveness
- Profanity, gossip, swearing, course jokes, and unclean language 💩
Galatians 5:19: Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, 20 idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
It should not be a surprise that the Church has embraced worldly values because the Bible clearly states that in the Last days, there will be a significant apostasy within the church (1 Timothy 4:1-3) Apostasy, defined as “falling away” from the truth, is precisely what we are witnessing in much of the Church today.
FALSE TEACHING: Much of the church either says “Clean yourself up and then you can come to Christ” (self-righteousness/legalism) OR….. “Come as you are and stay as you are“ – FALSE!
TRUE TEACHING: The Bible says: “Come as you are and let God’s Holy Spirit transform you into the person God created you to be”, one who reflects God’s holiness and righteousness. – TRUE!!
YHWH Macadesh – The LORD who sanctifies us.
“Also known as Yahweh-Mekoddishkem. We have been set apart, made saints and redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, our Jehovah-Mekoddishkem. Therefore, we must continue to live a holy life that pleases God (1 Peter 1:13-25). Holiness is not something we must achieve by our own efforts. Holiness is a state created and given by God. The people of God are called to maintain the holiness that he has already conferred upon them by his grace in promise and redemption. The emphasis on these verses is “live differently because I have made you different. Be what you are”.
Because the Church is straying from the truth, it is not fully walking in the power of Christ’s Holy Spirit. This is undoubtedly a key reason for the scarcity of miracles today. If the Church believes it can embrace the world’s values while simultaneously walking in God’s power, it is mistaken. The same worldly message (false teaching) used to “sell seats” (come as you are, stay as you are) will ultimately repel people from the Church. Who truly enjoys a lukewarm beverage? No one. Christianity in the West is dwindling, not growing.
Holiness and Prayer connected to Miracles 🙏🏻
Jesus’ disciples, observing the connection between prayer and His Powerful miracles, asked Him to teach them HOW to PRAY. In Response, Jesus taught them the most sacred prayer on the planet….“The Lord’s Prayer”.
How does the Lord’s Prayer begin? “Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed (Holy) is Your Name.” This is not simply a declaration about the Holiness of God’s Name (Character). This is the first petition within the Lord’s prayer that says, “Help me to reflect Your holiness SO THAT Your Name is Glorified and Magnified throughout the earth!” The very next words are “Thy Kingdom Come; Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”.
When we REFLECT GOD’S HOLINESS, we bring God’s Kingdom to earth. When THE CHURCH (THE PEOPLE OF GOD) REFLECTS GOD’S HOLINESS, THEN we will begin to truly see the MIRACULOUS KINGDOM MIRACLES we are all longing for — HEALINGS, signs and wonders!!
How do we reflect God’s Holiness?
We reflect God’s Holiness when we allow God’s Holy Spirit🕊️ to change us from the inside out. We are not to “stay as we are” (stay in our sin). This is a FALSE TEACHING of the “modern church”. The TRUTH is that we are to allow God’s Spirit to change us into who we were created to be.
God’s Spirit powerfully convicts the Believer of sin, empowering us to genuinely repent and change direction. As our Counselor, God’s Spirit constantly guides and teaches us His Will through His written Word (the Bible). When we pray and place our Trust in Jesus, God’s Spirit directs our paths and rescues us from the snares of the trapper (Satan).
God’s Spirit is ALWAYS working on our behalf! 🕊️
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word,
27 so that he might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
I received a Rhema Word from God (spoken into my spirit) on March 9, 2024…that said “I AM coming for a bride without spot or wrinkle”
Tips for Holy Living:
- Accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. ✝️ Holy Living does not earn us salvation; it is the by-product of being saved.
- Pay attention to the voice of the Holy Spirit, our teacher and guide.
- Invite the Holy Spirit to direct our steps in every situation
- Choose to be obedient to God, even when its hard
- Forgive the unforgivable, love the unlovable – Be fruitful (Love, peace, joy, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control). 💖🕊️🍇
- Avoid all worldliness and “deeds of the flesh” (sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, jealousies, strife, envy, drunkenness, carousing). 😈
- Sexual purity – Sex is only okay in marriage which is a Covenant Relationship between one man and one woman.
- Pray without ceasing
- Read the Bible daily and reflect on how to walk in its Light
- Find a Bible believing Church who teaches truth
- Cultivate humility
- Surround yourself with Godly, Faith-filled people
If the Church wants to walk in the Power of God, to heal, to deliver, to set the captives FREE, THEY MUST TEACH their congregants to walk in a manner that REFLECTS the HOLINESS and RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD. Jesus Christ paid a VERY HIGH PRICE ✝️to set us apart as His Representatives on this earth, we need to take that seriously and live accordingly.
This is NOT about legalism or law-keeping for the purpose of making ourselves righteous! This IS about OBEYING THE VOICE of the HOLY SPIRIT and LEARNING to walk in the righteousness that Christ already obtained for us. We have been set apart and made righteous through the blood of Jesus Christ. All we need to do now is walk in a manner that honors our Savior. ✝️
Nobody said it would be easy. Living a Holy Life in an ungodly world is NOT easy. Thankfully we don’t have to do it alone. We CAN’T do it alone! It’s not possible!! All Believers have the indwelling of christ’s holy spirit! 🕊️ We have God’s Word! We have each other!!! God will help us, empower us, guide and direct us, run cover for us, remove snares, etc.! We were never meant to do this alone!
Living a HOLY, FAITH-FILLED life is REWARDING…and we will SEE the GLORY OF GOD!
HALLELUYAH!!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
