Understanding Holiness: God's Eternal Nature and Our Identity

Holiness is often misunderstood as a set of behaviors or rules, but its true foundation is rooted in the eternal nature and character of God. Before time began, before humans existed, God was holy. Holiness is not something that originated with human effort or religious discipline; it is the very realm and essence of God Himself. When God created humanity, He made us in His image—male and female, bearing His holiness in our very being. Our bodies, our identities, and our existence were designed to reflect the holiness of our Creator.

The concept of time only entered the human story after rebellion. Adam and Eve were created as eternal beings, not subject to death or the ticking of a clock. It was only after sin that time began to be counted, and with it, the awareness of death and the need for redemption. God, however, remains outside of time—eternal, unchanging, and sovereign. His ways are higher than ours because He sees the end from the beginning. Our attempts to define holiness by our own standards, cultures, or preferences inevitably fall short, because they are rooted in the temporal rather than the eternal.

To truly understand holiness, we must start with God’s eternal perspective. Holiness is not first about what we do, but about who God is and what He has done. The first thing God ever called holy was not a behavior, but a period of time—the Sabbath. Before there was sin, before there were commandments, God set apart a 24-hour period as holy, inviting humanity to rest in His finished work. This rest is a picture of the relationship God desires: not striving, but trusting; not earning, but receiving.

Through Jesus, we are invited back into this eternal reality. We are made holy not by our own efforts, but by the blood of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Our bodies become temples of the Holy Spirit, and our lives are meant to reflect the eternal holiness of God. True transformation comes not from behavior modification, but from living in relationship with the eternal God, allowing His Spirit to lead, convict, and empower us. Holiness, then, is the breaking in of God’s eternal nature into our temporal lives, shaping us to reflect His glory.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Holiness Begins with God’s Eternal Nature, Not Human Behavior Holiness is not a list of dos and don’ts, but the very character of God, who existed in holiness before time began. Our understanding of holiness must start with who God is, not with our own cultural or religious standards. When we define holiness by our preferences or traditions, we miss the eternal foundation that gives holiness its true meaning. [20:58]
• 2. Time Is a Construct for Understanding Holiness, Not Its Source Adam and Eve were created as eternal beings, and only after sin did time and death enter the human experience. God’s first declaration of something as holy was the Sabbath—a period of time set apart for rest in Him. This shows that holiness is rooted in God’s eternal reality, and time is the framework within which we learn to rest in His finished work rather than strive in our own efforts. [52:28]
• 3. Our Identity and Bodies Reflect God’s Holiness Being made male and female in God’s image is an expression of His holiness. Our physical bodies, before sin, were holy and set apart, and even now, through Christ, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. To touch or redefine what God has made—male, female, the body—is to touch the holiness of God, reminding us that our identity is sacred and rooted in the eternal. [25:32]
• 4. Transformation Flows from Relationship with the Holy Spirit, Not Rule-Keeping True holiness is impossible without the indwelling Spirit of God. Behavior modification alone cannot produce holiness; it is the Spirit who convicts, empowers, and leads us into holy living. When we walk by the Spirit, we are enabled to overcome the flesh, not by our own strength, but by the ongoing work of God within us. [31:08]
• 5. Resting in God’s Finished Work Is the Foundation for Holy Living The Sabbath, the first thing God called holy, teaches us that holiness begins with rest in God’s completed work, not in our striving. When we fail to rest in Him, we fall into the trap of trying to add to what God has already finished, leading to frustration and self-reliance. True holiness is found in trusting, abiding, and allowing God’s eternal reality to shape our temporal lives. [53:04]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:31] - Introduction: The Challenge of Defining Holiness
• [01:44] - Expectations and Behavior in Religion and Culture
• [03:02] - The Cultural War on God’s Holiness
• [05:00] - Rethinking Holiness: Beyond Behavior
• [06:56] - Holiness and the Concept of Time
• [08:53] - The Entrance of Death and the Loss of Eternity
• [12:38] - Exploring the Eternal Nature of God
• [16:00] - God’s Perspective: Eternal vs. Temporal
• [20:58] - Holiness as God’s Nature, Not Human Preference
• [25:32] - The Holiness of Male, Female, and the Human Body
• [29:47] - The Role of the Holy Spirit in Holy Living
• [32:59] - The Eternal Spirit and the Gifts of God
• [37:54] - The Eternal Kingdom and Good News
• [52:28] - The Sabbath: Holiness in Time
• [56:55] - Rest, Sabbath, and the Foundation of Holiness
• [59:26] - Closing Prayer and Blessing

Bible Reading

Genesis 2:1–3 (ESV) — > Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Matthew 5:48 (ESV) — > You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (ESV) — > Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Observation Questions

1. According to Genesis 2:3, what is the very first thing God calls “holy”? Why is this significant?
2. In Matthew 5:48, what standard does Jesus set for his followers, and how does he connect it to God’s character?
3. The sermon says, “Holiness existed before we got here. Holiness is not just human behavior. Holiness is the realm of God and God himself.” What does this suggest about where holiness begins? [[20:58]]
4. In 1 Corinthians 6:19–20, what does Paul say about our bodies, and how does this relate to the idea of holiness?

Interpretation Questions

1. The sermon teaches that “holiness is not a list of dos and don’ts, but the very character of God, who existed in holiness before time began.” How does this change the way someone might think about what it means to be holy? [[20:58]]
2. Why do you think God’s first declaration of something as holy was a period of time (the Sabbath), rather than a behavior or a place? What does this reveal about God’s priorities? [[52:28]]
3. The pastor said, “To touch male and female is to touch the holiness of God. Because he’s holy and male and female came out of his nature, out of his mind, and out of his realm.” How does this shape the way we view our identity and bodies? [[23:31]]
4. The sermon claims, “True holiness is impossible without the living spirit within you helping you do it.” Why is behavior modification alone not enough, according to the message? [[41:44]]

Application Questions

1. The sermon says, “If I start with the eternal God who is holy, he’s righteous and just. His throne is eternal. His justice is eternal before I ever got on the scene as a human. Now when I come on the scene, I come on the scene as in his nature and in his image.” How does starting with God’s eternal nature, rather than your own behavior, change the way you approach holiness in your daily life? [[24:50]]
2. The Sabbath was the first thing God called holy—a time to rest in his finished work. Do you find it hard to rest and trust God instead of striving to “do more” for him? What would it look like for you to practice Sabbath rest, not just as a day off, but as a way of trusting God’s work over your own? [[53:04]]
3. The message says, “Our bodies become temples of the Holy Spirit, and our lives are meant to reflect the eternal holiness of God.” Are there ways you have struggled to see your body or identity as holy? How might seeing yourself as God’s temple change your choices or self-image? [[25:32]]
4. The pastor shared a story about someone who tried to quit a habit by willpower, but only found freedom when they invited God into the struggle. Is there an area in your life where you’ve been trying to “fix yourself” instead of letting the Holy Spirit work? What would it look like to invite God into that area? [[40:31]]
5. The sermon says, “True transformation comes not from behavior modification, but from living in relationship with the eternal God, allowing His Spirit to lead, convict, and empower us.” What is one practical way you can listen for and respond to the Holy Spirit’s leading this week? [[41:44]]
6. The message challenges us to “rest in God’s finished work” instead of trying to add to it. Are there ways you’ve been trying to “add” to what Jesus has already done for you? How can you remind yourself to trust in his finished work? [[57:31]]
7. The pastor said, “When we define holiness by our preferences or traditions, we miss the eternal foundation that gives holiness its true meaning.” Are there any cultural or personal preferences you’ve confused with true holiness? How can you realign your understanding with God’s eternal perspective? [[20:58]]