Exodus 19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

Just as Israel was called to holiness, so is the church, the new Israel.

Leviticus 20:7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God. 8 And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.

To sanctify means to set aside for God's use, and carries the idea of purification from any unclean thoughts, attitudes or actions that are not consistent with God's nature and purposes. As this verse makes clear, it is God himself who cleanses us so that we are sanctified.

Deuteronomy 28:9 The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.

The requirements of holiness are given here: to be obedient to God's commandments and to follow his leading.

Psalms 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

To be holy means to be like God, which is only possible in Jesus Christ.

Psalms 86:2 Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.

In this case, "holy" means one favored by, and set apart for, God.

Psalms 97:12 Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

Only the righteous can truly rejoice in the Lord, and comprehend his holiness.

Psalms 145:17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

Once more, holiness and righteousness are joined together, in ways and works.

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Holiness comes out of fear, or reverence, of the Lord, and out of the wisdom that only he gives.

Isaiah 35:8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

This is picture of the Way of salvation, Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the narrow way, which is holy because he is holy.

Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

This is a warning not give what we have offered to God, whether money or time or words, to those who have rejected him. It does not mean we should not share the message of salvation with the lost, certainly, or give to those in need, but we should not allow what we have dedicated to God to be put to unholy uses.

1 Corinthians 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

Saints are those who are sanctified, or set apart for God in Holiness, and our sanctification comes about only when we are set apart in Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Our bodies, as Christians, are holy, because they are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Here again we see the idea of being sanctified, or being made holy to God, as associated with washing, or cleansing, which has the effect as well of being made guiltless of sin, or justified, in God's eyes.

1 Corinthians 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

If even one of the parents is a Christian, their children are sanctified, or set apart for God.

2 Corinthians 7:1 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.

Because of the promises we have in Jesus Christ, even the promise of eternal life, we should live lives cleansed from all filthiness, all things not worthy of Christ, whether of the flesh or the spirit. That cleansing comes from the work of the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

It is God's will that every one who accepts Christ should be blameless in his eyes, or holy, in his love.

Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Again, righteousness, our right behavior toward others, and holiness, our right behavior and attitude toward God, cannot be separated.

We cannot have one without the other. Not only is it a requirement, it's how we were created as new creations in Christ.

Ephesians 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Just as individual Christians are called to be holy, so is the church that we, together, make up.

Colossians 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

The qualities that we call "the fruit of the spirit," and especially the bond of love that joins us to one another and to God, are marks and qualities of holiness.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: :4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

Fornication, or sexual sin, is one type of behavior that is not consistent with holiness, or sanctification.

1 Thessalonians 4:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

Holiness is contrasted here to uncleanness, contaminated by the filth of sin and of the world.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is another aspect of holiness, or sanctification: being blameless in God's eyes. It is not only our condition at any given moment, but the whole record of our lives in Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

Sanctification, the work of being made holy in Christ, is a work of the Holy Spirit, and possible only when we believe in Christ, the Truth.

2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Our very calling to be sons of God, to be Christians, is holy, not based on anything we have done, but according to God's purposed and design, in the grace he showed us through Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

The same idea, of being purged of whatever is not good or clean and holy, is restated here in different words.

Titus 1:8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; {men: or, things}

Holiness is one of the key requirements for a pastor.

Hebrews 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Under the old sacrificial system, the people were sanctified to God through the continual offering of sacrifices and the sprinkling of blood, but it was only that Christ's blood be shed once. Under his blood, we are all sanctified from the stain of sin.

Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Again, to be holy is to be like God; it is his nature, and we cannot approach him without it.

That, for us, is impossible, but it is accomplished when we are in Christ, who is holy because he is God.

1 Peter 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

"Conversation" here means "lifestyle"; we are to exhibit an attitude and actions consistent with holiness because in Christ we are called to become like God, whose nature is holiness.

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

This applies the attributes God applied to Israel, as a holy nation [see references in Exodus and Deuteronomy above] to the church.

1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Just as God sanctifies us through the blood of Christ and the working of the Holy Spirit, so we are to give him his due place of holiness in our hearts. We are also always to give a witness to others of our faith, and of the Way to salvation.

JESUS IS the Bridge Ministries

Keyword Study on Holiness