Holiness is God’s self-affirming purity that renders him separate from sin and necessarily devoted to seeking his own honor.
(1) Etymologically, holiness comes from simple Greek and Hebrew terms (קָדַשׁ and ἁγιος, respectively) that mean “separate” or “apart.” The terms simply mean “set apart from ordinary usage,” and may be applied not only to persons but also to physical objects and personal property (Exod 40:11; Lev 29:14, 16). The term frequently carries no moral connotations at all and can even, ironically, denote impurity (Gen. 38:21; Deut 22:9).
(2) From this most primitive idea the transition was made to the idea of separation from uncleanness, or the idea of moral purity, the common understanding of the term today.
(3) Something of the more primitive amoral meaning of “apartness” persists in the descriptor as applied to God. God’s holiness refers not only to his apartness from all that is unclean (his ethical purity), but also to his apartness from all that is finite and created (his majestic transcendence).
(1) Holiness as Majestic Transcendence
Exodus 15:11—Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?
Psalm 99:1–3—The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the LORD in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. Let them praise your great and awesome name—he is holy.
Isaiah 6:1–4—I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke (see also Rev 4:6–8).
(2) Holiness as Ethical Purity
Leviticus 1:43–47—Do not defile yourselves…. Do not make yourselves unclean. I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy…. You must distinguish between unclean and clean.
Isaiah 5:16—The LORD Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness.
Isaiah 6:5—Isaiah was convinced of his ruin for having seen the thrice holy God from the standpoint of “unclean lips.”
Acts 3:14—You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.
Stand Firm! 