As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:66–69)

The holiness of Christ brings implications. What we know and believe about God affects life. He didn’t intend theology (“knowledge about God”) to reside in the mind or in ivory towers. Certainly He does not find it entertaining to listen to our esoteric and erudite debates or discourse about Him using big fancy words. Theology is meant to give knowledge that straightens out distorted thinking about life and how to live it.

At the most fundamental level, we are commanded, “[L]ike the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15–16). The apostle draws on at least three times in the OT where God commands this kind of holiness from His people (Lev 11:44, 19:2, 20:7). Peter applies this to the holiness of Jesus Christ. We as His followers need to act on this:

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance… (1 Peter 1:13–14).

The Christian is never satisfied with worldliness or even a moderate holiness, but should always be striving for complete and perfect holiness. This is the standard, and it’s a lifelong pursuit. Peter himself, writing in his later years, shared his passion when he instructs us, “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). We must grow in our knowledge and practice of holiness—to be separated from the lusts of the world, the spirit of this secular, immoral age, the false thinking of today’s philosophies.

A second implication of the holiness of Jesus Christ, whom even the demons respected, is how we treat His name. The use of the phrase “Jesus Christ” by itself as an exclamation entails using His name as a common swear word, and shows huge disrespect to the holder of that name, the Holy One of God. How dare anyone treat His name is such a way! How dare Christians entertain themselves with movies where the characters blatantly disrespect their Holy One, whom they love and worship! Yes, the holiness of Jesus Christ must affect our everyday life and decisions, even to the point of walking out of a movie.

Lord, I want to be holy just as Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is Holy.