Holiness: Part 1: What is it?

Paul in his epistle to the Ephesians talks about something called “true” holiness. What is it?

“And that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:24

The key phrase “true holiness” immediately suggests that there is a type of holiness that is not true, or misunderstood to be holiness.

What does the original word mean?

The Greek word used for “true” here is “Aletheia,” meaning objectively true—truth independent of personal opinion. It’s not a subjective or personal interpretation of holiness, but an absolute, God-defined reality. In other words, it is not based on conduct but rather it is an identity!

This is huge, because most of the teaching on holiness is about conduct. It is rarely understood or taught as an identity. Holiness here is presented as an objective state of identity rather than a measure of conduct.

Why was Jesus holy?

Consider the holiness of Jesus. Was He holy because of what He did—or didn’t do? Or was He inherently holy because of who He was? Clearly, His holiness was intrinsic. Jesus’s identity defined His holiness, not His actions. When the Father declared at Jesus’s baptism, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased,” it was even before he had done all the great work he had done. It was an objective declaration of inherent holiness, independent of any miracles or actions.

Similarly, believers’ holiness is not primarily about behavior but about identity—being God’s children inherently makes us holy. Actions, while important, flow out from this identity rather than creating it.

Understanding Holiness through God’s Nature

Peter emphasizes this understanding of holiness in 1 Peter 1:15-16:

“But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’”

Peter is not primarily instructing believers on actions to perform but first establishing a clear understanding of their identity. He anchors our holiness in God’s nature: God isn’t holy because of external actions, but because holiness is inherent to His very being. Likewise, believers are called to express holiness from the inside out, mirroring God’s intrinsic holiness.

The Difference Between Objective and Conduct-Based Holiness

Paul distinguishes between the holiness of our identity (objective holiness) and holiness related to conduct. In 2 Corinthians 1:12, when Paul speaks of conducting himself in simplicity and godly sincerity, he uses a different Greek word that emphasizes behavior. Here, holiness reflects actions and choices. But crucially, this conduct-based holiness isn’t the foundation for our righteousness or standing with God. It’s an expression of the objective holiness believers already possess.

Holiness as Sons and Daughters

The cornerstone of New Covenant holiness is our sonship—being children of God. John confirms this by saying that believers have been given the authority to be called children of God (John 1:12). Our holiness flows directly from this relationship, rooted in who we are, not merely what we do.

As we continue exploring holiness in both the Old and New Testaments, this foundational truth remains critical: True holiness isn’t a goal to be achieved but an identity to be embraced.