Holiness is being pure, separated from sin, and dedicated to God. To be holy is to strive to align one’s actions, thoughts, and desires with God’s word, distinguishing oneself from the sinful ways of the world. In Christianity, holiness had been the way of life of all the faithful who are highly praised. Though sometimes they faltered, they returned to the path of holiness. God has set holiness up as a goal that all Christians must attain in their walk with Him and He would accept nothing less for it is written that we should make every effort to be holy for without holiness no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
Sin and holiness are opposing concepts. Sin represents actions, thoughts, or behaviors that deviate from the word of God, leading to separation from God. In contrast, holiness is a state of purity, righteousness, and alignment with the Scriptures. Whereas holiness brings divine blessings and good things, sin is the source of every suffering, curse, and unrest known among mankind. The connection between sin and holiness lies in the understanding that sin, which brings suffering and death, highlights the need for holiness.
God is the ultimate standard of holiness. The Bible describes Him as being “holy, holy, holy” (Isaiah 6:3), emphasizing His absolute moral purity and separation from sin. In various scriptures, God’s holiness is portrayed as a defining characteristic, setting Him apart from all creation. This divine holiness serves as a model for believers, who are called to emulate God’s nature in their lives. Believers must pursue holiness because it is the only way to draw closer to our holy God and establish a healthy relationship with Him. A healthy relationship with God is where you feel that God is with you, watches over you, and answers your call for help;
God did not leave us in our struggle to attain holiness. He gave us His word that guides us to make the right decision toward holiness, warns us about the dangers of unholiness, and serves as a mirror by which we can access ourselves whether we are holy or not. Though all believers have the Holy Spirit, holiness is still not attainable without the word of God because it is the word that identifies the things and the deeds that are holy which we must do, and the unholy ones that we must avoid.
Hence Psalm 119:9-11 asks, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity?” and answers, “By living according to your word.” And it continues to say, “I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
In a situation where a believer is living in obedience to God’s word, we call it bearing fruit, as he produces virtues such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). In the biblical context, bearing fruit refers to obedience to God’s word leading to the manifestation of virtues such as love, joy, peace, and kindness. These are the virtues that build a holy life. Hence, we say that bearing fruit is the ingredient used to prepare a holy life. This is because the fruit we bear are all tangible expressions of holiness.
Holiness is a term that scares many Christians. This is because, for most Christians, they do not know how to get to holiness. Yet holiness is required of God just as bearing fruit is required by God. Your life begins to take the form of holiness if you begin to bear fruit. Therefore holiness is nothing more than the result of bearing fruit. If you wish to be holy, this is what to do: start bearing fruit. And bearing fruit is as simple as living by God’s word. And God’s word is obtained by studying the Bible.