Holiness.
We hear this word tossed around all the time in Christian circles.
I’ve listened to countless sermons and attended conferences where men are challenged to “rise up” and “live for God” in holiness. We are bombarded with calls to action that are well-meaning but ultimately only compound our guilt when we fall short.
Men are expected to be the leaders of their homes and strong role models. We are expected to set the tone in our churches and be good examples in our communities. We are repeatedly told to “man up” and do better.
Everyone is counting on us.
But for every impassioned sermon rousing men to “be holy,” there is a long trail of weary and deeply discouraged guys who feel overwhelmed by the prospect of upholding some seemingly unattainable standard.
There is a sea of men who truly want to honor God and live right but are all too familiar with falling short and feeling dejected and ashamed.
The struggle to overcome sin and “be better men,” combined with the very real cycle of failure that can follow these efforts, causes men to feel trapped and hopeless.
Some men give up trying altogether, feeling like they will never and could never really “be holy,” so, “What’s the point?”
If this is you, I’m truly sorry. My brother in Christ, do not lose hope or listen to the Accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10), the father of lies (John 8:44), who loves to kick us when we’re down.
We are called to be holy, but much of our chagrin stems from an incorrect understanding of what that means.
I want to encourage you today by presenting “holiness” from a different perspective—not from pressure and expectation, but joy.
Living for God should not be something we dread. It should not be something we do out of some twisted sense of duty or obligation; no, brothers—living for God is something we have the privilege of doing, and it’s something He empowers us to do.
So, what is biblical holiness?
Well, to be “holy” means to be “set apart” (e.g. Exodus 19:23; Leviticus 20:26; 1 Chronicles 23:13; Hebrews 7:36; etc.).
But that isn’t always correctly understood. What does it mean to be set apart?
Usually, when we speak of holiness in the church context, we mean some sort of moral purity. If you ask the average Christian, “What does it mean to be holy?” they’ll respond with some variation of “Don’t sin” or “Live right before God.”
Now, they wouldn’t be wrong to give such an answer. Being holy (set apart) does include moral purity. But right living or faithful obedience is not the end; it’s actually the means.
The end, and therefore the joy of holiness, is deeper union and communion with God.
Let me explain.
The first time the word “holy” is used in the Bible is in Genesis 2:3: “Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done.”
The Hebrew word used here is qādaš, which translates as “sacred or consecrated”; this is where we get the idea of being “set apart.”
Please note that there is no immediate element of moral purity in this context. God did not set apart the seventh day because the other six were lacking. He set it aside (consecrated it) for Himself for the purpose of His rest.
When something is consecrated, it’s not just set apart from other things; it is specially selected and, therefore, set apart for something or someone.
For example, if I set apart a slice of cake, it is true that I’ve distanced that slice from the rest of the cake. But I’ve done this so that I can enjoy that slice of cake for myself. It has been set apart from the rest, but set apart for my enjoyment.
This is how we ought to look at holiness. The goal of holiness is that we might draw closer to God. We are called to be set apart from sin (because sin separates us from God and brings about death—Romans 6:23; James 1:15), but we are set apart for God, for His enjoyment and His glory.
It just so happens that when we consecrate ourselves and refrain from active disobedience, we end up blessed in His presence.
But the focus matters. If I put all my efforts into trying to live right and not sin, all I’ve succeeded in doing is burdening myself with a pressure that Jesus has freed me from (Acts 15:10).
So long as my only goal is “don’t sin,” I’ve missed the point. The goal, to borrow from the Westminster Catechism, is “To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” Part of that enjoyment is the freedom and peace that comes from knowing that I am loved by God despite my lack of holiness (Romans 5:6-8).
God calls Christians to be holy, not because otherwise we face wrath and punishment. The wrath of God was fully put on Christ at the Cross (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9). Jesus already bore the punishment for our sins and shortcomings.
We are commanded to be holy because right living brings us into right relationship and right enjoyment of God (Hebrews 12:14).
We don’t try to live right just so we can be good men; we try to live right because we serve a good God. Our goal is to draw near to Him. The good news is that He draws near to us first and has made a provision for our weaknesses (John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
So, the next time you feel overwhelmed by the pressure to “be holy,” remember that it’s not just a command; it’s an invitation, and the One who calls us “is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy” (Jude 1:24).
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