Holiness is the quality or characteristic of who can be considered Holy, i.e, endowed with virtues, innocence, piety and purity.
The concept of holiness is closely related to religiosity and faith. According to Christian doctrine, sanctification is the process of making something or someone holy, that is, one that possesses holiness. Holiness is the separation and renunciation of what is considered impure, evil or profane, from the dedication to a life of devotion and total consecration to God.
Holiness for Christians
For Christians, living a life of holiness to the Lord means giving up practices that are considered abominable before God. It means living committed to all that is considered "holy", in the sense of being honest, clean, praiseworthy, correct, kind, and so on.
Church members, such as bishops, priests and nuns, for example, are committed to living the holiness of God and, for this, they must renounce aspects and habits that are considered mundane, such as the sexual act and the lust.
For Christians, therefore, holiness is linked to the idea of the absence of sin and worldly pleasures. For Christians, holiness must be practiced throughout life, in every little act or gesture, through choices based on love and patience.
His Holiness the Pope
The ultimate icon of earthly holiness in the Catholic Church is the Pope, who is also called “His Holiness”.
The Pope is called this way because of the important title he receives and the spiritual devotion he must carry with him.
Holiness in the Bible (verse)
In the Bible, in addition to the concept of purity and the absence of sin, the concept of holiness is also related to a person's dedication to God.
Likewise, holiness is related to the behavior that must be followed (holiness behavior) in order to get as close as possible to the holiness of God.
See this example of a Bible verse about holiness:
Now, beloved, as we have such promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting sanctification in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1
Etymologically the word holiness would have originated from the Hebrew term kadosh.
This word is used with the meaning of holy or sanctified to designate something sacred or to refer to an individual who has been consecrated before other people.
Learn more about the meaning of Kadosh.
