Be Holy

Jeremy Williams,

What does it mean to “be holy?” Is it necessary for Christians to act a certain way, or is this “be holy” more like a state of existence, or a frame of mind? Should we walk around pious and hitting ourselves with a Bible like a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail?

In chapter one of his first letter, Shimon Kefa (Simon Peter) gives the following instructions to believers:

Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober, and set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ— as children of obedience, not conforming yourselves according to your former lusts as in your ignorance, but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy; for I am holy.”-1 Peter 1:13-16

In this passage we receive some wonderful instructions from Kefa. He starts off with this admonition to “Prepare your minds for action” or as the King James says “Gird up the loins of your mind.” He is saying pay attention, and be ready to “do something.” This has the image of the old saying “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps.” It means, it’s time to act, and to act with intention as we seek to move forward or make progress.

Next he instructs us to “be sober” or serious minded. Set aside the jokes, the frivolities, and immaturities, and having gotten ready to act, be focused; give your undivided attention to what he is about to tell us.

Thirdly, we see the task to “set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Here we see the call to remain faithful as spoken of so often in the Apostolic writings and to rely on the grace of HaShem and hope for the return of Yeshua.

Then Kefa commands us how we are to go about this job of “setting our hope fully on the grace…” He says to be as obedient as children. This is an obvious foreshadow of instruction to come. That we are “not to conform ourselves according to our former lusts as in our ignorance.” The former lusts would be the desires of the flesh to sin, or partake in that which is “worldly.” Shaul expounds greatly of this fleshly desire and even of the time of ignorance in Romans 6-8.

We then receive this great command “but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior;” We are commanded to be like HaShem and be holy in our behavior. How does one make his behavior holy? Kefa instructs us where to look, “because it is written, ‘You shall be holy; for I am holy.’”

There are two locations where the TaNaKh says “be holy; for I am holy.” The first is Leviticus 11:4-45.

“For I am HaShem your G-d. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that moves on the earth. For I am HaShem who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your G-d. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

Twice in these two verses we see that HaShem is holy and expects those in Covenant relationship with Him to also be holy. The entire context of Leviticus 11 is clean and unclean food.

The passage starts off defining the parameters for what land animals are considered kosher, what characteristics one should look for when wanting to eat meat. Verses 9-12 describe the aquatic animals that are and are not kosher. Verses 13-19 telling us what birds are unclean; then verses 20-23 tell us what flying insects are considered edible.

Next verses 24-40 describe how even touching dead animals will make you unclean and how one should conduct themselves around those animals. Verses 41-43 describes the uncleanliness of swarming insects. Only after delivering all of this information, does HaShem say “be holy, for I am holy.”

It is an interesting aside that the words “You shall not defile yourselves” literally translate from Hebrew as “You shall not make your soul unclean.” Could it be that unholy living can make of our souls unclean spirits, or invite unclean spirits to ourselves such as Yeshua dealt with so often?

The next place that we see the command, “be holy, for I am holy” is just a few chapters later in Leviticus 19-20. This passage is interesting as it is bookmarked at the beginning and end with the command, and then a reminder is placed in the middle.

Now if you look up this passage in your English translation, you may or may not find a heading to the chapter. For convenience, I have included the headings of some of the most popular English translations (if headings are available), as well as what is found in some Messianic and Jewish translations.

Translation	Heading
AMP	Idolatry Forbidden/Various Laws
CEB	Living as Holy People
CEV	Moral and Religious Laws
CSB	Laws of Holiness
ESV	The L-rd is Holy
GNT	Laws of Holiness and Justice
KJV	General Statutes
LSB	Y-hw-h is Holy
MEV	Moral and Ceremonial Laws
MSG	“I am G-d, your G-d”
NASB	Idolatry Forbidden/Various Laws
NIV	Various Laws
NLT	Holiness in Personal Conduct
TLV	Holiness Code
TOJB	Kedoshim (Holy Ones)

The Protestant headings vary from as benign as “General Statutes” to as clear as “Laws of Holiness.” I would like to draw your attention to the TLV (Tree of Life Version) and the TOJB (The Orthodox Jewish Bible) as these are Messianic Translations that seek to help us better understand the mindset of the Jewish people who are living at the time the Scriptures were written. The TLV titles these two chapters as “Holiness Code” and TOJB calls it “Kedoshim” which translates from Hebrew as “Holy Ones”

You see, in Judaism, the Books of Moses (Torah) are divided into weekly portions that are read and studied each week, resulting in completing a journey through the Torah every year or three years. Leviticus 19 and 20 are one of those portions, and it is titled “Kedoshim.” In this passage, HaShem begins His commandments with these words,

“Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘You shall be holy; for I, HaShem your G-d, am holy.

Verse 3 then begins a list of instructions that begin with honoring your father and mother and keeping the Sabbath. The instructions continue and repeat several of the 10 Commandments while also giving additional instructions on offerings, how to treat your neighbor, how to treat strangers, and so much more, all while emphasizing fifteen times in the remainder of the chapter, “I am HaShem” or “I am HaShem your G-d.”

Chapter 20 begins with the prohibition on child sacrifice, and using mediums or wizards, and then in verses 7-8 we are instructed,

“Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am HaShem your G-d. 8 You shall keep my statutes, and do them. I am HaShem who sanctifies you."

Verse 9-21 then give a plethora of commands on sexual purity. This passage is marked by the warnings, “He shall bear his iniquity, there blood shall be upon them, and they shall die childless.”

Interestingly enough, Shaul seems to hold very similar thoughts on sexual purity as Leviticus. Here are his thoughts from chapter four of his first letter to the church at Thessalonica.

For this is the will of G-d: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality, that each one of you know how to control his own body in sanctification and honor, not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t know G-d, that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the L-rd is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified. For G-d called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. Therefore he who rejects this doesn’t reject man, but G-d, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you."-1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

Shaul says that we are called not to follow our lust as the Gentiles, and that HaShem called us not to uncleanness, and that to live, particularly in sexual uncleanness, is to live unsanctified and to reject HaShem and His Spirit. This message is incredibly contrary to the world’s message of self-indulgence and sexual promiscuity. HaShem is very clear in His Torah what he deems to be sexually pure and what is not and even says “They will bear their iniquity, and their blood is on their own head.” Shaul says “to reject sexual purity is to reject G-d.”

The remaining verses of Leviticus give us a warning against acting like the other nations, for we are to be separate and verse 26 gives us the final “be holy.”

"You shall be holy to me, for I, HaShem, am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples, that you should be mine."

We see in these two chapters, three times that HaShem claims to be holy. He emphasizes that each of these commands are meant to exemplify a difference and position of sanctification for Himself, and those who are in covenant with Him. Shimon Kefa, the pillar of the church and the preacher of Pentecost, admonishes followers of Yeshua to also “be holy as HaShem is holy.” For we also see in Isaiah 6:1-5

In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw HaShem sitting on a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each one had six wings. With two he covered his face. With two he covered his feet. With two he flew. One called to another, and said, “Holy, holy, holy, is HaShem of Armies!
The whole earth is full of his glory!” The foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. Then I said, “Woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, HaShem of Armies!”

It seems that the New Testament Apostle who did not defile himself in Acts 10, still believes that one who is an adopted heir of the King of the Universe, should not defile themselves with the unclean, but should conduct themselves in a way that exhibits their station as holy!

The prophet saw the angels covering themselves proclaiming HOLY! HOLY! HOLY! In Leviticus HaShem claims of himself, “I am Holy! I am Holy! I am Holy!” And HaShem declares to his servants, “Be Holy! Be Holy! Be Holy!”

Oh that we would seek to “be holy as He is holy”, “to walk as Yeshua walked” for “the Torah of HaShem is perfect, restoring the soul."