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Define the Word

Define the Word: Holiness

Holiness is one of those churchy words that we say a lot but don’t always explain what it means. To a junior high school student or a new believer who didn’t grow up going to church, learning what holiness is can be intimidating, but teaching about holiness doesn’t have to be scary. The best way to teach this to your students is to define it and then use examples they will understand.

First things first, what is holiness? Simply put, holiness is to be set apart. We know that God is holy and also calls us to be holy (Leviticus 11:44-45 and 1 Peter 1:15-16). In the Old Testament, God teaches the Israelites what holiness is by the way He instructs them to do pretty much everything- from the clothes that they wear, the food that they eat, and the homes that they live in (read Leviticus if you want to learn more!). God wanted the Israelites to be different than the other nations around them, so He gave them guidelines to do so.

One story I love to tell when explaining holiness is about Christmas dishes. Most of our parents, grandparents, and some of us too have special dishes and silverware that we only use for Christmas dinner. Once a year, we get the dishes out of the cabinet and set the table for our closest friends and family. These dishes are not for everyday use- you’re not going to serve pizza on them or have them at your family barbeque- they are set apart for a special occasion. These dishes are treated differently, hand-washed instead of put in the dishwasher, and carefully tucked away once they’re done being used. They look different, feel different, and have a different purpose than other dishes.

So, what does holiness look like in the lives of students? Ultimately, seeking holiness should make them look different. They’re not going to say the things their friends at school say or do some of the things they do. They should want to run from their sin to look more like Jesus- who is the perfect example of holiness. God wants His people to be salt and light to the world around them (Matthew 5:13-16)- to stand out and be different for the sake of the Gospel. In our pursuit of holiness, we are walking testimonies of God’s unending grace and matchless power to save.

When teaching students about holiness, share examples from your own life of how you’ve seen Him sanctify you to be more like Him! The best way for them to learn is by example and through experience- and knowing that you were once just like them can help them feel free from shame that they’re not as spiritually mature yet. Remind them that sanctification (becoming holy) is a process that we will be going through until we meet Jesus. Even the oldest and wisest Christians are still being sanctified by Jesus- and we can praise God for that!


Emily Skaggs serves as the Girls' Minister at Fellowship of Montgomery in Montgomery, Texas, and has been working in student ministry since 2022. After coming to know Jesus during her freshman year of college, Emily knew she was called to girls' ministry. She is an Arkansas native who loves baking, traveling, taking her dog on walks, and having deep conversations.