The word “Holy” has several different meanings, with all of the definitions pointing to God. Holy means to be divine; it means exalted or worthy of complete devotion; and it means to be set apart for God or the service of God. This blog is just a simple look at these definitions of “holy”, the verses that correspond with these definitions, and the realization that God is holy and we are called to be holy as He is holy.
The first two definitions of “holy” are centered towards God. And why not? Jesus Christ is a holy God and holiness describes Who He is. He is perfect, matchless, awesome, incredible, and overall holy and worthy of our praise. The first two definitions of “holy” are as follows; holy means to be divine and it means to be exalted or worthy of complete devotion. Isaiah 6:8 says, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.” To be holy is to be divine; to be divine is to be God. The main point is God is holy, and that means He is exalted or worthy of complete devotion.
The last definition of “holy” here is to be set apart for God or the service of God. The verse I picked that corresponds with this definition (and there are a lot you can pick) is Leviticus 11:45b, “…ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy”. Peter later uses this verse in his letter to the church. In the verse in Leviticus, the Lord is talking to the nation of Israel about how He brought them out of Egypt and took them as His people. His point is clear and simple; because He is their God and a holy God, they should sanctify themselves or be set apart for Him and become holy as He is. After all, if God brought them through every situation they faced and led them to the promise land, why wouldn’t they want to be like Him? I mean how cool is it that the Creator of the universe has took interest in you and wants you to be like Him? IT is awesome! Now, that does not mean we will be as great as God or even on the same level as Him, but that we will be His, we will be like Him, and we can see things from His point of view. We, as the body of Christ, are called to be like Jesus; to be holy because He is holy.
