I’m not an iPhone guy, but I have noticed while shopping for my wife’s iphone charger (yes, we are a house divided)…🙂 I have noticed that there are fake products out there that may WORK for Apple, but are not made by Apple.

If you’re a mechanic, there are aftermarket parts that may or may not fit, then there are OEM parts… original equipment manufacturer… they just FIT.

It’s the same way in Holiness. The only real thing – real holiness comes from connection to God.

He’s the OEM the original equipment manufacturer… and nothing else will really fit.

Holiness isn’t intrinsic

There is no intrinsic holiness in any person or thing.  Most versions of human religion teach that there is “intrinsic” holiness in some place, person, or thing.  That this person is holy, because of some quality THEY possess. 

This is a holy object, holy rock, holy place, holy ceremony, etc.  So we get titles like “His Holiness the Dalai Lama” or “Holy Father” about the Pope. But when the Bible uses the word, that’s not what it means.  The Bible teaches that there is no such thing as intrinsic holiness, that exists in a person or place or thing by themselves.

But when God comes into the picture, when he touches or uses something he communicates his holiness to and through that person or thing.  

Examples of God’s Holiness communicated to people or things: 

Exodus 3 “The ground where you are standing is holy ground.”  What made it holy?  Was it a special place?  No, just a bush and some wilderness ground.  But now, it’s holy because God is using it. 

Bread is holy if God says it’s for his use. 

• Oil. 
• Pots.
• Sacrifices.
• Day – The created or Mosaic Sabbath.
• Gold. Matthew 23:17 Jesus asked the crowd: “Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?”

In the Temple, God says the gold is holy, but Jesus says it’s not holy on it’s own — The Temple makes it holy.  Why?  Because God has chosen to place his presence there.  He’s there, so it’s holy.

God’s Presence, Touch, or Use Makes things holy

God’s presence, touch, or use makes things holy that were not before.  

This is also true of people.

When God connects with us, we become holy, his presence in us makes us holy, even though we were not before. God says in 1 Cor. 7, that as a believing wife you make your husband and kids holy, even if they are not believers… basically, I’m in contact with God and that man is in contact with me, he’s in contact with holiness. 

Holiness isn’t a static quality, it’s a growing relationship

Like electricity flows, holiness is dynamic.  

If God leaves, stops using something, is disconnected from something — it’s not holy.  The light goes off.

The first element of holiness is this: that Holiness requires exclusive, continuing relationship with God.  Anyone connected to God is holy, and anyone not connected with God is not holy, no matter if they used to be or not.

Prayer for holiness:

Father in Heaven, You are holy always and forever.  Holiness flows from you.  I praise you for making all that you possess holy like you are holy.  I ask that you flow to me and through me, and that you produce in me in this 40 days, greater and greater holiness in every part of me.  I want you to own new parts of me, fill new parts of my mind, heart, and attitudes, that I’m not even aware of at this moment.  I invite you to show me new places for you to fill.  Amen.

Meditation Questions about God’s Holiness: 

• If I want to be holy, how do I connect with God?
• Is there anything hindering my connection with God that brings holiness?
• Is it possible for God to make holy more and more parts of my heart and mind by taking possession of them?

A Bible Study for Pursuing Holiness:

What is God’s holiness, and how does God make sinful humans holy? Pursuing Holiness is a 40 Day discipleship journey for growing Christians, taught by Darrell Stetler II, can also be done as a 40 day church campaign. Please visit www.40daysofholiness.com for more details or to take the entire course yourself. There, you can download the Pursuing Holiness workbook, and purchase the course to help you along your journey toward holiness (which is Christlikeness!)

Daily videos on holiness and 130 page workbook

To download the 130 page holiness of God study guide guidebook & journal, please visit 40daysofholiness.com.  This holiness campaign will take you deep into the heart of God, seeing the beauty of His holiness, and learning to long for it in your own life. In this 40-day holiness devotional resource, you’ll learn the definition of holiness, how you can become holy, why God expects you to be holy, and how to grow and increase in holiness. We go to the Bible to define holiness, to see what the Bible says about how to achieve holiness, to explore the metaphors in Scripture for holiness.