But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.

1 Peter 1:15

What does it mean when the Bible says that God is holy and we must be holy too? Habakkuk 1:12-13 says,

“O Lord my God, my Holy One….

You who are of purer eyes than to see evil,

And cannot look on wrong”

So, does that mean that God closes His eyes when evil things happen, and that Christians are to go around with their eyes closed and live a monastic life untouched by the contamination of the sinful world around us?

That is not the picture the Bible gives us of God, or of how we are to live. God sees all that is going on in this world, but He does not condone sin. He cannot give approval to evil – moral imperfection- at any time. God’s holiness is utter purity and He gives His Word to us is to help us to see that He is the only purely good thing there is in this world. He wants to give us His utter purity when He calls us to be holy. Holiness can only be given by God. It is bestowed on us through the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of our lives. He gives us a hatred for sin, but leaves us with a love for sinners. He doesn’t take us out of this world at the point of salvation, nor does He tell us to go off in a corner by ourselves to live out a holy life in isolation.

Biblically holy people do not condone sin, or join in sinful behaviour, but they do live among sinners and love sinners. Jesus was the perfection of holiness in human form. He loved people and people loved Him. He did not stand afar of from people who were sick or hurting. He touched them and healed them.

There is a false idea of holiness that is portrayed by some religions. The religious person is set apart from normal society. Often, they can look down on others and think themselves better and purer. They can demean people and condemn people as worthless, evil, good for nothings; immoral people who are not to be associated with.

Jesus didn’t see people like that. The outcasts of society were the people He associated with. His perfect holiness did not stop Him from reaching out to the prostitute, the immoral, the sick and the poor. He did not become contaminated by their sin, but those he ministered to were touched by His love and care.

You can have all the theological truth about the holiness of God. You can acknowledge His goodness and the truth that man is a dirty rotten sinner. But that includes you, and it includes me. It is not enough to know Biblical truth you have to live it out for it to become a reality.

If we love God, we will hate sin. But our pursuit of holiness must never make us despise the sinfulness of others. But for the grace and mercy of God we would still be condemned sinners on our way to hell. Our holiness should draw people to the love and holiness of God, not drive them away from Him. Our consecration to God is outworked through our love to others.