The Bible spells it out very clearly, God is holy (c.f., Isaiah 6:1-5; Revelation 4:8; etc.). But what does it mean to be “holy”? Typically, we understand this to mean that He is perfect, and so, we think actions (and we would not be wrong). God is holy in His actions, but the word has more to do with His being than it does His actions. I’ve been taught most of my life that holiness means “seperateness or being other” from everything and everyone else. Hence, God’s nature and character is different than any other.
Over the last few years in my counseling journey, I’ve been surprised from time to time by the things I’m learning in Scripture, which really could be understood in a different light. This word, for instance, “Holy,” can be translated as whole. As such, it would be more proper to say that God is holy (or perfect) because He is complete. He is whole. He doesn’t need anything from anyone else. If He did, He would cease to be infinite.
When Scripture says that we are to, “Be holy as He is holy” (1 Peter 1:14-16) it is not talking about perfect actions, but wholeness in our being. Think about it, out of our brokeness we try to cover over or fill the void(s) in our life. We turn to stuff we think will make us happy or bring us pleasure (success, relationships, alcohol, drugs, sex, and even religion). Yet, God has set eternity in the hearts of men, and when we try to fill those empty spaces with things, it leaves us often more disappointed and broken than we were in the first place. Each of us is utterly broken in our sin; it just plays itself out differently in each of our lives.
To be made whole requires the transformational work of the Holy Spirit to heal the broken and fractured parts of our hearts and lives. And, it’s not easy! It takes great work to face the ugliest parts of ourselves… the parts that have been wounded more than words can adequately express.
But this is the good news of the Gospel. God loves us! And, He doesn’t leave us as orphans! He sends His Spirit to illuminate, comfort, and heal us in our brokeness.
My hope is that we would allow our great God to “bind up the brokenhearted to make us holy (to make us WHOLE)!
