Holiness refers to God's transcendent nature and moral purity (Leviticus 10:3). God is completely set apart from everything else. God is pure, perfect, and greater than all. But we are limited creatures who sin. So how can we be holy as God is holy?
We can never become transcendent like God. We will always be finite creatures, and our holiness will never be absolute like God's. Therefore, our holiness does not come from our own nature or character. Instead, it comes from our union with God and the transformative power of God's grace.
When God declares a place to be holy, it is because God makes his presence known there (see Exodus 3:5). God declared objects holy, like the altar in the tabernacle (Exodus 29:44–46). The objects are holy because God instructed them to be built a certain way and accepted them for his service. Their connection to God makes them holy in a unique way.
It is the same for people. We are told to be holy because God is holy (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:15–16). Only God can give holiness to humans. Without a relationship with God, true holiness is impossible, no matter how good, religious, or disciplined someone’s life is. Only God can make people holy (Exodus 31:13; Leviticus 20:8; 22:32). God promises to be with his people and make their holiness possible (Hosea 11:9; see Isaiah 35:8–10).
The church, like Israel in the Old Testament, has a special relationship with God. Because we are adopted as God's children, we can become godly people (see Exodus 4:22; Romans 8:14; Galatians 3:26; 1 John 3:2). Jesus, the Holy One, died for us, making it possible for everyone who believes in him to have a right relationship with God (Romans 5:12–21). This relationship is the foundation of our holiness (see 1 Corinthians 6:11). We can be holy in our relationship with God and in how we treat others. But it can only happen through our connection to the holy God.
Passages for Further Study
Exodus 3:5; 20:8–11; 28:29–35; 29:44–46; 31:13; Leviticus 11:44–45; 19:1–3; 20:3–8; 22:32; Psalm 24:3–6; Isaiah 35:8–10; Daniel 4:8–9; Romans 8:5–14; Galatians 3:2–3; 5:16–26; 1 Peter 1:13–16; 1 John 3:2–3