holiness

Being set apart for God's purposes. The Hebrew qadosh means separate, distinct, other. God commands his people to be holy because he is holy (Leviticus 11#11:44, Leviticus 19#19:2, 1 Peter 1#1:15-16). This is both a status (believers are sanctified in Christ, 1 Corinthians 1#1:2, Hebrews 10#10:10) and a process (believers grow into that identity, Philippians 2#2:12-13).

Kevin DeYoung distinguishes these two senses: "sanctified is what we are and what we must become." The positional reality drives the progressive pursuit, not the other way around.

In the OT, holiness was contagious in a dangerous way: priestly garments could transmit it to unprepared people (Ezekiel 44#44:19). Jesus reversed this. Instead of becoming unclean by touching the unclean, he transmitted his cleanness to them (Luke 8#8:44, Mark 1#1:41). The direction of holiness changed at the incarnation.

Holiness connects to obedience (Peter ties them together in 1 Peter 1#1:14-16) and sits in tension with legalism. Ferguson shows that both legalism and antinomianism misread the relationship between law and gospel. The antidote to both is Christ himself.

Key Passages

Leviticus 11#11:44, Leviticus 19#19:2, Isaiah 6#6:3, 1 Peter 1#1:14-16, Hebrews 10#10:10, Hebrews 12#12:14, 1 Thessalonians 4#4:3, 2 Corinthians 7#7:1

Vault Notes

• 2020-12-22 Called to Be Holy Quoting Leviticus
• 2020-12-12 Priestly Garments Transmit Holiness Contrast with Jesus
• 2020-11-26 Sanctification Is a Work of the Spirit
• 2024-05-19 Hole in Our Holiness Highlights
• 2019-10-20 Meditating on Attributes of God
• 2021-01-28 Notes on 1 Peter 2-9 - Habit, Identity, Action

References

• Hole in Our Holiness — the neglected pursuit of personal holiness
• The Whole Christ — holiness without legalism or license
• Knowing God — God's holiness as the foundation for knowing him
• Sacred marriage