The Believer's Standard

    According to Webster's 1828 Dictionary, holiness means, "The state of being holy; purity or integrity of moral character; freedom from sin; sanctity." Furthermore, Webster states, "Applied to human beings, holiness is purity of heart or dispositions; sanctified affections; piety; moral goodness, but not perfect." The above definitions are in complete agreement with the use of the word holy or holiness throughout both the Old and New Testaments.

    In the Old Testament the Hebrew word most commonly translated as holiness or holy is qodesh, which means apartness, holiness, sacredness, or separateness. Qodesh comes from the root word qadash, which means to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, or be separate. Other English translations of qadash include sanctify, hallow, dedicate, and consecrate. Some derivative of these two Hebrew words is used in the Old Testament some 640 times.

    In the New Testament the Greek word most frequently translated as holiness or holy is hagios, which means most holy thing or a saint. This word is translated as holy 161 times and as saints 61 times. The root word from which hagios is derived and where it gets its meaning is hagnos, which is defined as pure from every fault, immaculate. Thus, hagnos is translated as pure, chaste, or clear throughout the New Testament. It is interesting to note that in the Septuagint the Greek word hagios stands for the Hebrew word qodosh. Other translations of this Greek word group include sanctification, godliness, sanctuary, and holy place.

    To fully comprehend and understand what holiness means, it is imperative to know what the Bible teaches regarding the holiness of God, because it is His standard of holiness by which all men shall be judged. While there is not space to fully develop the concept of the holiness of God, R.A. Torrey writes that the holiness of God is manifested in His hatred for sin, His delight in righteousness and holiness, His never doing wickedness or iniquity, the separation of the sinner from Himself, the punishment of the sinner, and His making an infinite sacrifice to save others from sin and unto holiness (Torrey 38-40).

There are numerous passages of Scripture that testify to the holiness of God. For instance, Exodus 15:11 states, "Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praise, doing wonders?'' Or consider Deuteronomy 32:4, where it is written, "He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." Perhaps Habakkuk 1:13 sums it up best, "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?" This is the standard God has set for all men to live by.

When it comes to the human perspective of holiness there are two areas that must be dealt with. First, one must be deemed holy to enter into the presence of God. If a person is found to be unholy they are destined to an eternity in the lake of fire. In God's grace He has provided the means necessary by which to be declared holy. When a person places their faith in Jesus Christ as their savior they are immediately cleansed of all unrighteousness and are clothed with the righteousness of Christ Himself. This is instantaneous at salvation and cleanses a person forever of the guilt of sin.

However, there is a second area that must be considered. 1 Peter 1:15, 16 says, "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." Elsewhere, Paul writes, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1). It is this perfecting of holiness that must be dealt with after salvation.

W.E. Vine writes concerning holiness, "This sainthood is not an attainment, it is a state into which God in grace calls men; yet believers are called to sanctify themselves, cleansing themselves from all defilement, forsaking sin, living a 'holy' manner of life, and experiencing fellowship with God in His holiness" (Vine 308).

R.A. Torrey states it best when he writes, "We perfect holiness by cleansing ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit. To this end we are to come out from among unbelievers, refusing all alliances with them and touching no unclean thing" (346). This is attained through presenting the members of our bodies as slaves to righteousness and becoming willing servants to God. Holiness is something the Christian must pursue with all earnestness if they hope to attain it. Becoming a person of holiness is accomplished only by God, but requires the diligent effort of the believer. Charles Ryrie sums up,

"The holiness of God becomes the standard for the believer's life and conduct. This should put to end the often useless discussions over what is permitted and what is not in the Christian life. Proper conduct can be tested by the simple question, Is it holy? This is the believer's standard. Although he does not always measure up to it, he must never compromise it (Ryrie 43).

For the minister of the Word of God, this is not an option, but an absolute necessity. Paul commands Titus that a pastor is to be "a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate" (Titus 1:8). Furthermore, he instructed Timothy to be an "example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12). Truly, if the pursuit of holiness was ever required it is required of those who shepherd the flock of God. He is to model a life of holiness to the congregation he is entrusted with. It involves hard work and it necessitates discipline, but it is to be sought after like a treasure to be gained. For the pastor, there is no alternative.

 

Works Cited

Ryrie, Charles Caldwell. Basic theology a popular systemic guide to understanding biblical truth. Chicago, Ill: Moody P, 1999.

Torrey, R. A. What the Bible teaches. New Kensington, Pa: Whitaker House, 1996.

Vine, W. E. Vine's complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words with topical index. Nashville: T. Nelson, 1996.