100% Holy: What It Really Means to Be All His

Don't limit God as your bruh or BFF. He's the Creator and Life-Giver, and He must be worshiped in holiness. Let's look at what holiness really is.

Killjoy or All Joy?

You've probably heard "holiness" thrown around in church and immediately thought of long skirts, no dancing, and your great-aunt's judgmental stare. Or maybe you think of it as this impossible standard that nobody actually lives up to, so why try? But what if holiness isn't about being a killjoy? What if it's about being fully alive in the only way that actually works? What if the emptiness you're feeling, the anxiety, the endless scrolling for something that satisfies—what if holiness is actually the answer to all of that?

Holiness is defined this way: "A pure vessel set aside for God's exclusive use."

That definition forces the question:

Some churches still use the word "holiness." But very few explain its meaning, and even fewer ask the searching question (above) that comes with it. The Palominas Chapel church of God is a Holiness congregation, but what does holiness mean?

Jesus said in Matthew 22:37, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." That verse makes it clear: holiness is not about half measures. It is about loving God more than anything else, putting Him in first place, and living out His Word with no rivals.

So what does that look like? It looks like taking Matthew 6:33 seriously: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. When God is first, everything else falls into place.

Together, these scriptures give us a picture of what your life should look like if it's going to be considered holy.

Why "Just a Little Bit" Doesn't Work

But here's a danger: holiness cannot mix with even a little unholiness. Paul warned in 1 Corinthians 5:6, "Don't you know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?" In other words, even small compromises spread through your whole life.

So ask yourself: would God sit and read alongside you? Would He watch that TikTok? Laugh at the meme? Would God double-tap that post? Would He watch you craft that caption designed to make your ex jealous? Would He scroll with you through the For You Page at 2am?

Would God sit on your couch during that "situationship" conversation where you both know you're crossing lines? Would He be cool with how you're interacting with your boyfriend or girlfriend even when you make the excuse that "we are committed to each other"?

Would God approve the resume where you exaggerated your experience? Would He ghost someone with you because responding is "bad for your energy"?

Would He pregame with you? Not just the drinking, but would He be comfortable with the conversations, the music, the whole scene you're walking into? Would God pass the beer down the row at a game, watch the cheerleaders, or the boys in tights, or appreciate the taunts from the game-day crowds.

Would God enjoy what you do at the hunting shack on opening day for elk? Visit that aisle in the store, or enjoy the conversations you have with your friends?

Would God choose you if another Bible time hero were needed? Can you say, "Here Am I lord, send me!" ?

If the answer is no, then it's not holy. 2 Corinthians 6:17 says, "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."

The point is clear: God will not live where unholiness is entertained. Good and evil don't share space. If something cannot be done in His presence, then it cannot belong in a life that is set apart for Him.

Why You Can't Just Place God in a box

You might be thinking, "Okay, but can't I just keep God in the God box and have my life in the other boxes?" Here's the problem: you're not a set of compartments. You're one person. And whatever you're feeding, whether it's your mind, your heart, or your habits, is forming you. In Mexico, sometimes people say, "Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are!" You can't watch content that treats people like objects and then wonder why your relationships feel hollow. You can't marinate in negativity and sarcasm all week and expect to experience God's presence on Sunday. You become what you consume. Period.

And that emptiness you're trying to fill by consuming the wrong things? Let's talk about what's really going on.

What You're Really Looking For

Sometimes people think that feeling of something missing can be filled with a spouse, entertainment, a fulfilling career, children, houses, cars, education, friends, or information. They chase after these things thinking, "This will finally satisfy me. This will make me whole." But it never does. That restlessness, that sense that something's not quite right—it's often God trying to tell you to place everything else somewhere below your desire to 100% serve Him.

Jesus said it plainly in Luke 14:26 (RVR 1960): "If anyone comes to me, and does not abhor [place as secondary] his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and even also his own life, he cannot be my disciple." Now, this doesn't mean you literally hate your family. It means that your love for God must be so much greater, so much higher, that every other love looks like secondary status by comparison. God doesn't get a spot on your priority list. He IS the list. Everything else comes after. Why? Because he provides it!

When God is first—truly first—those other things find their proper place. But when you try to make them fill the God-shaped hole in your life, they will always disappoint you. Always.

All In: What It Actually Means

Think about it: would you want a friend who isn't as committed to the relationship as you are? Of course not. God feels the same way. James 4:4 calls that type of lopsided-relationship "friendship with the world" and says it makes us enemies of God.

Being 100% clean, 100% dedicated, and 100% filled with the Spirit means that anything you do could be shown and known publicly because there's nothing to hide. Jesus said in Luke 8:17, "For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open."

Here's what being 100% His means: you never intentionally choose sin. Just like in a marriage, you don't cheat on your spouse "once in a while" and call yourself faithful. You're either faithful or you're not. Being 100% clean, 100% dedicated, and 100% filled with the Spirit means being completely committed to never deliberately doing what you know is wrong.

You don't plan compromises. You don't budget for sin. You are completely committed.

Yes, unintentional lapses in judgment can happen because your are human. But that's completely different from intentionally choosing to do what you know dissapoints God. Being fully His means you don't give yourself permission to be unfaithful to God, not even once.

When the Holy Spirit tells you about a mistake, immediately acknowledge it, fix it, and move on. Add it to your knowledge base of things to avoid. We're talking about real mistakes, lapses in judgment, even ignorance—not intentional disobedience. There's a difference between a mistake and deliberately walking into sin.

The Holy Spirit Filter

Before you watch it, post it, say it, or do it, run it through this filter: Would the Holy Spirit hit "play" on this? Would He type that comment? Would He laugh at that joke? Would He stay at that party? Not "would judgmental church people approve," but would the actual Spirit of God, living inside you, be comfortable here?

When you follow the Holy Spirit, you don't need to make excuses for your actions. He never leads you into anything unholy. John 16:13 says, "When He, the Spirit of truth, comes [into your life], He will guide you into all the truth." The Spirit only leads you toward God things, never away from them.

So what does that look like? It looks like turning off what saddens Him, walking away from what dishonors Him, and choosing instead to fill your life with prayer, the Word, worship, and fellowship with God's people. This is what it looks like to be available to God at any moment because your life is already set apart for Him. And let me say this - It is really fun and relaxing to serve God! Here in the Western world, and in our time, it is not work at all, but it is really about enjoying his blessings every day.

You're Not Doing This Alone

Look, you are not left to figure this out on your own. You must allow the Holy Spirit to fill your heart, because He is the One who keeps you holy after you've been washed by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10:10 reminds us, "We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

And when the Spirit fills something, He doesn't do it halfway. In the Old Testament, "the glory of the Lord filled the temple" (2 Chronicles 7:1–2). On the day of Pentecost, "they were all filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:4). And Paul commanded believers, "Be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). The Spirit fills what He enters, completely.

Without being 100% His, you are not truly part of His kingdom. And without belonging to His Kingdom, his church, now, you will not inherit heaven later. As Romans 8:9 warns, "If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ."

So the question comes back around: Are you filled with the Holy Spirit? 100% clean, 100% set apart, 100% His?

A Prayer to Pray (100% Holy)

If you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit and set apart completely for God, pray this sincerely:

Share It

If you prayed that prayer, tell someone. Text your small group. DM me. Find even one other person who's choosing this too. Because you're going to need people who get it when you leave the party early, when you delete the app, when you stand up against co-workers and fellow students, when you walk away from the relationship that's pulling you away from God, or say "no" to something. Holiness isn't a solo sport.

And if you're all in, own it. Add #100PercentHoly to your contact signature and profile status. Let people see that you're 100% committed, 100% His.

The Bible says to 'Be holy, because I am holy.' God is 100% dedicated to your well-being!