According to the Bible, holiness is a concept that is closely associated with God. The Bible fundamentally equates holiness with God, and it is commonly defined as being separate or set apart. God is holy in that he is set apart from everything that is not God, and Gods people must be holy by being set apart from sin. Holiness according to this definition is separateness that entails moral purity. The Hebrew word for “holiness” is qōdes, which means “to cut” and refers to being cut off or separate from everything else. To be holy means to be in a class of your own, distinct from anything that has ever existed or will ever exist. Holiness is also associated with moral purity, and Gods holiness pervades His entire being and shapes all His attributes.

The Bible teaches that only God is holy, but there is also a sense in which others can be holy. When God told Israel to be holy in Leviticus 11 and 19, He was instructing them to be distinct from the other nations by giving them specific regulations to govern their lives. Israel is God’s chosen nation, and God has set them apart from all other people groups. They are His special people, and consequently, they were given standards that God wanted them to live by so the world would know they belonged to Him.

Holiness only results from a right relationship with God by believing in Jesus Christ as Savior (accepting His gift of eternal life) . When we believe in Jesus as Lord, He cleanses us from sin and makes us holy. In addition to being "made" holy, we are called to live holy lives. We are commanded to avoid the ways we practiced before becoming a Christian and live according to Gods ways. Theologians refer to this daily practice of living for God to become more holy as progressive sanctification. As we seek to follow Gods will each day, we can increasingly become holy as we become more like Christ.