What does it mean to be holy?
Uncomfortable Discomfort
I'm not sure many of us are too worried about what it means to be holy. A little imprecision on this subject seems to benefit all involved. God gets to avoid being described as “too demanding” and we get to avoid being described as “worldy” or “sinful.” Hey! It’s a win-win!
Apart from a few who yammer on about “being holy” (mostly they seem interested in other people becoming holier, not themselves) why are most of us uncomfortable with holiness?
To what shall we compare holiness? Holiness is the cleric who walks into a (non-costume themed) frat-party. The buzz dies. People sneak away. He clears his throat and begins to ask young strangers thoughtful questions: “Does all this perilous worldliness satisfy your soul in a meaningfully way?” Cough.
Holiness is just... the worst. Who wants to be holy?
To the extent Christians bother with holiness, they consider it to be a vestigial feature of their faith. Leviticus is all “don’t touch, don’t eat, don’t handle,” but that’s not for us anymore! (Col 2:21!)
Leaving Leviticus aside for a moment (Don’t worry, we’ll be back!), let’s consider the question from this angle:
“Be holy, for I am holy!” God says. (E.g. Eph 1:4, 1 Peter 1:15-16)
“Then You Shall Be Like God”
So, do we want to be like God? Absolutely! (Genesis 3:5 anyone?!)
Consider for a moment: What are the characteristics of God that compel us to worship Him? His goodness and trustworthiness. His kindness and grace toward sinners. His power against injustice, the righteousness of His judgments. How He heals, serves, loves, walks beside the lowly, the undeserving, the lonely, the lost. These all and so, so many more.
If there are some things about God that give humanity a bit of pause when we consider trusting Him with something significant—such as our selves—there are also many things about God that we deeply desire. In fact, those things are the most wonderful, the most unusual, things about God. They are, in other words, some of the distinguishing marks of His holiness.
Holiness means, “The moral perfections and attributes that separate God from all else that exists.” It is those things about our God, the Christian God, that are utterly unique, oftentimes infuriating, and yet always delightfully praiseworthy. It’s the stuff that we love about God, what fills our favorite stories of Him, what we cling to in moments of distress or despair.
For example: most “gods” get angry and throw things, but there’s only one God who is freely merciful and gracious to wildly undeserving subjects. And all “gods” pretend to law-making and judgment, but only one God’s laws are fundamentally right, but who still took judgment on Himself in the place of all law-breakers.
The holiness of God—that which distinguishes Him from all others—is described in these many extraordinary and beautiful features of His character and His activity toward humanity.
Much more could, should, and has been by others, said about God’s holiness. Let’s just pause and consider simply this: maybe it’s not so bad to be like God. Maybe it’s not so bad to be holy.
Holy is... Not So Bad?
What if being holy didn’t mean, being a jerk? What if being holy didn’t mean being more like a Pharisee, and meant being more like God as met in Jesus Christ? What if being holy didn’t mean more suppressive religiosity, but meant more expansive humanity? What if holiness were actually delightful rather than dreadful?
And so we shall see, without even leaving the pages of Scripture, exactly these truths.
But in the meantime, consider another moment of prayer. We have encountered just a hint of something sweet embedded in the bitter herbs of pugilistic “holiness”—after all, isn’t our God holy?
Father, there is much about You that makes me tremble—and for good reason! I’m a sinner! I am weak and prone to folly—quick to make mistakes and slow to apologize. And yet everywhere I turn in the Bible I behold You forgiving, caring, lifting, strengthening, protecting, and blessing, people just like me. I love that! I love, I mean, You. And so, while it is still with a measure of trepidation, yet I ask that you help me not fear holiness, but perhaps even, if it means being more like You in these and other beautiful ways, help me to be holy as You are holy. Amen.
Photo by Ivana Cajina on Unsplash
