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Why Christians Must Pursue Holiness


I have been studying the topic of holiness for some time now, and I keep running into the same contradictions.

One Christian tells another they are being "holier than thou." Someone else warns a friend not to be "too holy." And somewhere along the way, the idea took root that full, wholehearted holiness is somehow dull, excessive, or reserved for a certain type of person.

But these phrases raise an honest question. What exactly is the right measure of holiness? How much is too little? How much is too much?

The only place to find a reliable answer is Scripture.

What God Actually Says

God does not suggest holiness. He commands it.

In Leviticus 11:44–45, He says:

"For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy."

Leviticus 19:2 echoes it plainly: 

"Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: 'You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.'"

God is holy. He created us in His image. That image carries His character, and holiness is at the center of that character. Bearing His image means bearing that attribute. There is no qualifier attached. No upper limit. No disclaimer about being too devoted.

What Holiness Actually Means

In the original Hebrew and Greek, holiness centers on one idea: being set apart. Consecrated. Different.

It has two dimensions. First, moral purity. Living without blameless conduct, turning from sin, pressing toward ethical integrity. Second, separation from the world's standards. Not conforming to what culture calls normal, but being wholly given over to God's purposes.

These two dimensions are not in conflict. They work together.

Two Kinds of Holiness

Understanding holiness requires making an important distinction.

Positional holiness comes at salvation. Ephesians 1:4 tells us that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, "that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." When a person receives Christ, God restores what Adam lost. Holiness is imputed. It is complete. That is why Peter can say in 1 Peter 2:9 that we are already "a holy nation." This holiness belongs to our standing before God. It has no ceiling because it flows directly from His nature.

Behavioral holiness is different. First Peter 1:14–15 says: "As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct." And Hebrews 12:14 says to "pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord."

Pursue. That word carries weight. It means to chase something with intensity and urgency. The kind of pursuit you bring when something matters deeply.

Positional holiness is the foundation. Behavioral holiness is the construction built on top of it. Our daily conduct must align with who we already are in Christ.

Holiness Requires Effort

Positional holiness is received, not earned. But behavioral holiness must be worked out.

Philippians 2:12 says: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." If salvation is by grace and not by works, what does it mean to work it out? It means we actively pursue the life that salvation has made possible. Holiness is wrapped inside that salvation. We do not earn it, but we do live it out, deliberately and seriously.

John 14:21 connects obedience directly to intimacy with God: "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." Obedience opens the door to God's manifest presence.

Exodus 33:16 shows what that presence does. Moses said to God: "For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth." It is God's presence that separates His people from the world. Holiness is not self-generated distance from culture. It is the overflow of walking closely with Him.

You Decide What Happens Next

Holiness is given to you at salvation. What you do with it is up to you.

You cannot add to your positional holiness. It is perfect and complete in Christ. But you can choose whether your daily life reflects it. You can pursue it or neglect it. You can lean into God's presence or drift toward the world's patterns.

The voices that say "don't be too holy" are not guiding you toward freedom. They are steering you away from the very thing that makes you who you are in God. Complete. 

There is no such thing as too much holiness. There is only how seriously you take what God has already placed inside you.

God bless you abundantly!


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