The Holiness of God: The Call to Be Holy

From Exposure to Cleansing to Commission

Throughout this series, we’ve traced the movement of God’s holiness—a movement that appears repeatedly from Genesis to Revelation. First, the holiness of God exposes our sin. When Isaiah stood before the glory of the Lord, he cried:

“Woe is me!” (Isaiah 6:5)

He was undone—not because God sought to destroy him, but because God’s holiness revealed the truth about his condition. But the story never ends with exposure. God’s holiness also provides cleansing.

• Isaiah’s lips were touched with a coal from the altar.

• Peter was restored after Jesus revealed His power through the miraculous catch of fish.

• The disciples were washed by Jesus Himself—He taught them that cleansing must come before calling.

And only then—after cleansing—comes the commissioning.

• Isaiah could say, “Here am I, send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)

• Peter heard, “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:17)

• The disciples were commanded to go into all the world (Matthew 28:19–20)

The pattern is unchanging:

Exposed. Cleansed. Commissioned.

From the Old Testament to the New, the call has remained:

“Be holy, for I am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:16)

To dive deeper into this lesson, watch the connected teaching here:

https://youtu.be/KNa8et7Jta0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNa8et7Jta0

What Does It Mean to Be Holy?

In Lesson Two, we compared holiness to cutting food on a cutting board. Once you slice something, that piece is now set apart—separated from the rest for a specific purpose.

Holiness works the same way.

To be holy is to be:

• set apart

• distinct

• different from the world

• consecrated to God

Being holy means being “a cut above,” not in pride or appearance, but in identity.

Holiness is not:

• outward appearances

• rigid rule-keeping

• religious performance

• behavior modification

True holiness is life transformation—a work God does in us as we surrender to Him.

Paul describes holiness this way:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Romans 12:2)

Holiness is not optional.

Holiness is the Christian life.

What Holiness Is—and What It Is Not

Holiness is often misunderstood. Scripture and Christian history make it clear:

Holiness is not:

• a checklist of religious dos and don’ts

• perfection achieved by willpower

• an outward mask hiding inner emptiness

Holiness is:

• moral blamelessness

• separation from sin

• consecration to God

• transformation from the inside out

Jerry Bridges puts it plainly:

“To be holy is to be morally blameless. It is to be separated from sin and therefore consecrated to God.”

Holiness cannot be faked.

Holiness cannot be manufactured.

Holiness flows from a heart transformed by grace.

The Problem: Our Sinful Hearts and Lips

You may think, “But I can’t be morally blameless—I'm sinful every day.”

Yes—you are. That’s why Isaiah cried out:

“Woe is me!”

Scripture reveals the truth about the human condition:

“The heart is deceitful above all things…” (Jeremiah 17:9)

“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34)

Isaiah confessed his unclean lips because in Scripture, lips represent:

• the heart

• the inner life

• moral character

• spiritual condition

Yet here is the hope:

The same unclean lips God exposes…

are the same lips God cleanses.

The same deceitful heart…

is the same heart God makes new (Ezekiel 36:26).

The same sinful tongue…

is the same tongue that confesses:

“Jesus is Lord.”

Holiness begins when God consecrates what was once defiled—our hearts and our lips—for His glory.

Fruit of True Holiness

Anyone can talk holy.

Anyone can pretend holy.

Anyone can act holy.

But transformation cannot be faked.

Jesus said:

“By their fruits you will recognize them.”(Matthew 7:20)

True holiness produces true fruit—the fruit of the Spirit:

• Love

• Joy

• Peace

• Patience

• Kindness

• Goodness

• Faithfulness

• Gentleness

• Self-control

(Galatians 5:22–23)

If there is no fruit, there is no holiness.

Genuine belief always bears genuine fruit.

The Double Commission: Be Holy and Make Disciples

Before Jesus gave the Great Commission, God gave the command of holiness:

“Be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2)

Peter repeats this command in the New Testament:

“Be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16)

The command is not:

• “Try to look holy.”

• “Work harder at being holy.”

• “Fake holiness until you feel it.”

It is simply:

“Be holy.”

Holiness is identity before it is action.

Then Jesus gave the Great Commission:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” Matthew 28:19–20)

The two commissions are inseparable.

• Evangelism without holiness is empty.

• Holiness without evangelism is incomplete.

To make disciples, we must first be disciples—holy, set apart, consecrated to God’s purpose.

Holiness in Daily Life

Holiness is not abstract. It is a lived reality—seen in ordinary moments, daily decisions, and consistent obedience.

Holiness looks like this:

• In speech: rejecting gossip, lies, and slander; choosing encouragement and truth (Ephesians 4:29).

• In relationships: practicing forgiveness, love, and unity (Colossians 3:13–14).

• In integrity: living honestly, transparently, and consistently (Proverbs 10:9).

• In thought life: focusing on what is true, pure, and lovely (Philippians 4:8).

• In devotion: prioritizing prayer, Scripture, and worship (Psalm 1:2).

Holiness is not perfection.

Holiness is direction—a life pointed toward God.

Closing Call: Be Holy, Then Go

Isaiah’s vision reminds us that holiness begins with confession and cleansing—but it never ends there. Holiness always leads to mission.

The pattern is simple:

• Confess: “Woe is me.”

• Receive cleansing: “Your guilt is taken away.”

• Respond: “Here am I, send me.”

So ask yourself:

• Is my heart surrendered daily to God?

• Do my words reflect His holiness—or tear others down?

• Am I pursuing holiness as my identity—not just performance?

• Am I living as a disciple before calling others to follow Christ?

Holiness begins with the heart and lips.

It grows through daily obedience.

And it results in a life that fulfills both commissions:

“Be holy, for I am holy.”

and

“Go therefore and make disciples.”

This is holiness lived out.

This is the Christian life.

This is our calling.