The Opposite Of Holiness.

There are only two words in Greek for holiness that are used in the New Testament. One is, “Hagiós,” which means “Set apart or separated from.”  This also implies “Separated unto.”  In other words, you are delivered from something and unto something else.

For example:  Suppose the company for which you work suffers a financial downturn, but you get a raise or promotion in the midst of it.  Or maybe, everyone around you uses foul language, but you choose not to do so.  You are, in effect, different or separate; special.  You are what God calls, “UNCOMMON.”

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To be “Hagios” means you are no longer “COMMON.”   So the opposite of holiness is not sin; it is “COMMONNESS.”

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The Other Word For Holiness.

The other word translated as “Holy” in the Bible is this word:  “Hosiós.”  

The Apostle Paul uses this word in Acts 13, which records the only sermon where he preaches the gospel.  In the course of his message, he refers to Psalm 16:10 in verse 35 which says, “For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption.”

He uses the word, “Hosios,” for “Holy.”  But he is quoting this verse from Psalm 16.  Let’s go check out this Old Testament verse for ourselves.

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The Septuagint.

“Isn’t the Old Testament written in Hebrew,” you ask?  Yes, it is.  But about 400 years before Jesus was born, a group of Jewish Rabbis translated the Old into Greek.  It is called the “Septuagint Version.”  

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Why did they do that?  Because Much of the known world at that time had been conquered  by the Alexander the Great.  As a result, Greek became the common language of the day, like English is today.  In fact, many Jewish people couldn’t even speak Hebrew anymore.  But they did speak and understand Greek. 

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Throughout the New Testament the disciples quote a lot from the Septuagint, like the verse in Acts 13.  As I said, the word Dr. Luke uses for “Holy” in that verse is “Hosiós.”  But the verse he quoted is from Psalms.

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In the Hebrew Old Testament, however, the word: “Hesed,”  is used for ”Hosiós/holiness,“ which means “Grace, mercy, lovingkindness:” “Praise the Lord for He is good, for His mercy (hesed: hosiós) endures forever!”

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There are other instances of the word, “hosiós,” found in 1 Timothy 2:8-” lifting ‘holy hands’ to the Lord.”  In Titus 1:8 is another, outlining qualities of the believer: “….. hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy (hosiós), self-controlled…”  All of these are descriptions of an uncommon, set-apart person.

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When you accept Jesus as your Savior, you are born into God’s family.  You are hid with Christ in God.  You are separated from the world and separated unto God.  You are now. UNcommon.  Just as God is holy, in Christ YOU ARE HOLY because He is holy. That’s why it says in 1 John 4:17, “As He (Jesus) IS…..present tense…..so are we IN THIS WORLD.”

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Is Jesus right now, before the Father, holy?  Yes!

Is He acceptable to God?  Yes!

…..Then as He IS, so are you and I IN THIS WORLD.

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So now, what is the opposite of holiness?  According to the Bible, COMMONESS, NOT SIN, is the Opposite of Holiness.