The Attributes of God: Holiness

Holiness is a word people use constantly and define rarely.
Start with the negative definition, because that is where the Bible starts. Holiness is separateness - set apart from what is common, from the profane, from what is unclean or impure. That is the basic idea underneath the word.
Then the positive side. Holiness refers to what is distinctively pure. God is set apart in his own morality, in the way he does things and in what he wants. Put plainly: God is separate from sin - and sin, roughly defined, is whatever is contrary to God's will. He is absolutely pure in his holiness.
Scripture expresses this in several ways, and one of them ties straight back to transcendence: he is totally unlike anything else in creation. Who is like you among the gods? The expected answer is nobody.
Then the surprise. This is a shared attribute. We are charged to be holy because he is holy. God makes that a real possibility as we live in line with his will and character, directed by Scripture.
Scripture links:
- Exodus 15:11 - who is like you, O LORD, among the gods?
- Leviticus 11:44 - be holy, for I am holy.
- 1 Peter 1:16 - "You shall be holy, for I am holy."
Set apart from sin. Set apart for him.