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What Does The Bible Actually Mean When It Says ‘Be Holy’?

What Does The Bible Actually Mean When It Says ‘Be Holy’?

Last updated on: July 15, 2026 at 11:23 am by Benjamin Raven Pressley

What Does The Bible Actually Mean When It Says ‘Be Holy’? 2026-07-15T11:23:01-04:00 Benjamin Raven Pressley

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All through the Bible, we are given a glimpse of how holy God is. From the very start, when He called out His first chosen people, the Jews, He appeared as lightning, fire, and smoke on Mount Sinai. His appearance was so terrible and frightening that the people following Moses basically said, “We aren’t going up there, Moses. You go.“

“And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.“— Exodus 20:18-19

Probably most of us would have done the exact same thing.

Another time, Isaiah spoke about his experience seeing God:

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”— Isaiah 6:1-5

The Impossible Command

So, this holy, awesome God then tells His people:

“For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy.“ (Leviticus 11:44)
And even Jesus reiterates: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)
“But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.'” (1 Peter 1:15-16)
“And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy“ (Exodus 19:6)
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

Now contrast those commands with these realities:

Isaiah 64:6 – “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…”
Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

What a Catch-22! What an impossible command to carry out!

Lost in Translation

It seems impossible initially, but keep in mind that the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic, and the New Testament was written in Greek. When we look at the original languages, everything changes and makes more sense:

Greek for “Perfect” (Teleios): This does not mean flawlessness. It means to be complete, whole, or mature. It does not mean never making a mistake, but rather reaching spiritual maturity and integrity.
Hebrew for “Holy” (Kadash): When the Bible calls something holy, it isn’t strictly speaking of moral purity. Rather, it means something is “set apart” from everything else in order to accomplish a specific purpose.

God is not putting a burden on us that we cannot carry. We are not required to be perfectly sinless on our own. Instead, He is asking us to choose to be uniquely different from our surroundings—focused on Him.

Jesus highlighted this unique identity when praying for His followers:

“They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”— John 17:14-16

God Has Us Covered

God knows we are flawed and subject to fall. The Apostle Paul expressed this clearly: “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and John wrote, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

But God has us covered!

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”— Titus 3:5-7

Do you think it caught God by surprise when Adam and Eve sinned? Not hardly. It is written in 1 Peter 1:19-20 that we were redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world…” Revelation 13:8 affirms this again, calling Jesus the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

God knew we would fall, and He already had a plan in place.

The Job Example: Confidence in Flawed Humanity

God knows everything—past, present, and future—and yet He still created us. It seems like a paradox, but think about it: What if He could take something as flawed as human beings and give them the means to overcome sin and glorify Him in our flesh, simply by giving us the freedom to daily choose His way? What pleasure God receives every time we choose right instead of wrong! What a black eye it gives to the devil when God’s children choose to live righteously.

Remember Job?

“And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?“— Job 1:8

Satan challenged God, implying Job only served Him because of His blessings. God allowed the challenge, displaying incredible confidence in a human being He knew was subject to failure. God allowed it to prove a point, making sure Job’s story was written down for all future generations. It shows us that it is possible to make the right choices, and that God will be with us through it all.

The Perfect Mediator

God built a mechanism in us that makes it possible to live in a sinful world and still live holy. He didn’t create meat puppets to manipulate. He created us with flawed flesh, but also built in a spirit that can communicate with Him, and a soul with its own mind, will, and emotions. He broke the rules of the universe when He made a being that was both spirit and flesh—and He did it again when He sent Jesus to inhabit human flesh as both fully God and fully man.

“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.”— Colossians 2:9

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.“— John 1:14

This makes Jesus the perfect mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). He was tempted with every sin and feeling the human race would ever experience, yet He did not sin.

“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”— Hebrews 4:15

He showed us it could be done, then sent the Holy Spirit to live in us and empower us. He gave us an advocate (John 14:26) and promised to forgive us every time we fail and ask for mercy: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness“ (1 John 1:9).

Paid in Full

Sin came into the world through one man, Adam, passing a curse down to all humankind. We were put back in right standing through one man, Jesus. Born of a virgin, Jesus was without the curse of sin, meaning He was the only one qualified to pay our debt.

The wages of sin are death (Romans 6:23). Sin had to be judged, and on the cross, Jesus paid it all in full. Every sin of every man, woman, and child—past, present, and future—was laid upon His shoulders. His blood was completely sufficient; there is no more need for animal sacrifices or for Jesus to be crucified afresh. Once was enough. And it didn’t end there. He was put in a tomb, conquered death, and rose on the third day! Comprehend the greatness of this truth. It is not just a story—He did it for you, he did it for me!

Buried vs. Planted

God planted human beings like a loving gardener plants seeds. In Romans 6:5, Paul says we are “PLANTED together in the likeness of His death; we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.”

If something is buried, it is forgotten. But if something is planted, it is put under the dirt with expectation. When a seed is planted, it undergoes a transformation. It doesn’t come up as a seed anymore; it bursts forth into a completely new creation. An acorn looks nothing like a mighty oak.

We are planted! Why does this matter?

“…so that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is FREED FROM SIN.”
— Romans 6:6-7

Sin has no power over you any longer. Your identity has changed, and you have been given the power to be a child of God (John 1:12). You have the choice to go back to your old ways, but you are a new creation now. You have to think differently and look forward—don’t you dare look back! You’re too good for that old life anymore.

The Scriptural Foundation: Righteousness Through Jesus

Believers are declared righteous because Jesus took their sin and gave them His perfection.

Scripture The Core Truth 2 Corinthians 5:21: God made Jesus sin so that we might become the righteousness of God. Romans 3:22: Righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. Romans 5:19: Through the obedience of one Man (Jesus), many will be made righteous. Philippians 3:9: Righteousness does not come from the law, but through faith in Christ. Galatians 2:16: A person is justified by faith in Jesus, not by the works of the law.

How Do We Do It? Living Out Holiness Daily

Living a holy life is the natural result of being changed by Jesus, not a way to earn His love.

Here is how we walk it out daily:

Renew Your Mind

Read Scripture daily to change how you think and act. Romans 12:2 is the foundational verse for this, encouraging a transformation that rejects worldly conformity. Other key verses to guide you include:

Ephesians 4:23-24: Focus on renewing your attitude and adopting a new, holy self.
Philippians 4:8: Fix your thoughts on things that are true, noble, and pure.
2 Corinthians 10:5: Take every thought captive to align with Christ.
Colossians 3:2: Set your mind on heavenly, rather than earthly, matters.

Flee From Sin

Turn away from choices that destroy your peace and your walk with God. Live as wholeheartedly for God now as you did for the world before your transformation.

“But as for you, man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.“ (1 Timothy 6:11)

Love Your Neighbor

Show the character of Jesus through daily kindness, patience, and forgiveness.

“‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than this.“ (Mark 12:31)

Stay Connected

Pray continually to rely on the Holy Spirit for daily strength.

“Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.“ (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Note: This doesn’t mean uninterrupted 24/7 spoken prayer; it simply means maintaining a constant, underlying attitude of communion, dependence, and conversation with God throughout your day.

Offer Your Body

Treat your physical body as a living sacrifice dedicated to God. Use your hands, feet, mind, and talents to live out the change God has made in you. Be a living testimony by serving others and your community.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.“ (Romans 12:1)

God Wants You to Succeed

This is completely doable when you look at it through the lens of grace. God promises to be with you every single step of the way.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”— Psalm 119:105

It isn’t His will for you to fail; He wants you to succeed.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11

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About Benjamin Raven Pressley

Benjamin Raven Pressley is an author, teacher and spiritual guide. He is of Cherokee heritage. He has been a follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ and the apostles since 1975. His independent studies include the Holy Bible as well as other holy books of other religions. He is ordained by the Universal Life Church. He is a self-taught naturalist and his love and respect for nature is evident in many of the things he writes. He has authored several books on spirituality as well as a fantasy series and books on survival skills. He does not consider himself to be a religious person but believes true spirituality is an all-encompassing view of life and invites open discussion on matters of spirituality. You can read more about the author here.

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