Holiness, purpose of

God in his holiness desires a holy people amongst whom he can dwell, and who can effectively worship, witness to and serve him as they prepare for a future with God and to be like God.

The goal of holiness is to be like God

Leviticus 19:2; Matthew 5:48 See also Romans 8:29; Hebrews 12:10; 1 Peter 1:15–16; 1 John 3:2–3

“Speak to the whole congregation of Israel and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.[’’]

God dwells with holy people

God dwelt with the people of Israel

Deuteronomy 23:14 See also Exodus 29:42–46; Numbers 5:1–3; 1 Kings 9:3; Ezekiel 37:26–28; Zechariah 2:10–12

For the LORD your God walks throughout your camp to protect you and deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, lest He see anything unclean among you and turn away from you.

God dwells with Christians

Ephesians 2:19–22 See also 1 Corinthians 3:16–17

Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.

Holiness is required for acceptable worship

Hebrews 10:19–22 See also Leviticus 22:17–22; 2 Chronicles 29:15–31; Isaiah 56:6–7; Matthew 15:7–9 parallel Mark 7:6; Isaiah 29:13; Romans 12:1

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Holiness is needed for effective witness

1 Peter 2:9–12 See also Ezekiel 20:41, Ezekiel 36:20, Ezekiel 39:7; 1 Peter 3:1–2

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul. Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.

Holiness is needed for godly service

Hebrews 9:13–14 See also Exodus 28:41; Leviticus 21:6–8; 2 Chronicles 35:3; Zephaniah 3:9; Luke 1:74–75; 2 Timothy 2:20–21; Titus 2:14

For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!

Holiness leads to a future hope

Holy people will see God

Hebrews 12:14 See also Matthew 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:10

Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.

Holy people will receive eternal life

Romans 6:22 See also 2 Peter 3:11

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life.

Holy people will inherit the kingdom

Colossians 1:12 See also Daniel 7:18, Daniel 7:22, Daniel 7:27; Ephesians 1:18; Revelation 20:6

giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.

Holy people will judge the world

1 Corinthians 6:2

Believers' ultimate destiny is to share God's holiness for ever

Ephesians 5:25–27; Revelation 21:2–3

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.

I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.