Christian Holiness. The Leader of Christians, the Son of God, when born as a human, was holy (Lu 1:35), and he maintained that sanctification, or holiness, throughout his earthly life. (Joh 17:19; Ac 4:27; Heb 7:26) This holiness was thorough, perfect, filling his every thought, word, and action. By maintaining his holiness even to a sacrificial death, he made it possible for others to attain holiness. Consequently, those called to be his footstep followers are called with “a holy calling.” (2Ti 1:9) They become Jehovah’s anointed ones, the spiritual brothers of Jesus Christ, and are called “holy ones” or “saints.” (Ro 15:26; Eph 1:1; Php 4:21; compare KJ.) They receive holiness by faith in the ransom sacrifice of Christ. (Php 3:8, 9; 1Jo 1:7) Holiness, then, does not inhere in them, or belong to them, through their own merit, but it comes to them through Jesus Christ.​—Ro 3:23-26.

The many Scriptural references to living members of the congregation as “holy ones,” or “saints” (Dy, KJ), make it clear that a person is not made a holy one, or “saint,” by men or by an organization, nor does such a one have to wait until after death to be made a “saint.” He is a “holy one” by virtue of God’s calling of him to joint heirship with Christ. He is holy in the eyes of God while he is on earth, with the hope of heavenly life in the spirit realm, wherein dwell Jehovah God and his Son, along with the holy angels.​—1Pe 1:3, 4; 2Ch 6:30; Mr 12:25; Ac 7:56.

Clean conduct essential. Those who have this holy standing before Jehovah strive, with the help of God’s spirit, to attain to the holiness of God and Christ. (1Th 3:12, 13) This requires study of God’s Word of truth and the application of it to their lives. (1Pe 1:22) It requires response to Jehovah’s discipline. (Heb 12:9-11) It follows that if a person is genuinely holy, he will pursue a course of holiness, cleanness, and moral uprightness. Christians are admonished to present their bodies to God as a sacrifice that is holy, just as acceptable sacrifices presented at the ancient sanctuary were holy. (Ro 12:1) Holiness in conduct is a command: “In accord with the Holy One who called you, do you also become holy yourselves in all your conduct, because it is written: ‘You must be holy, because I am holy.’”​—1Pe 1:15, 16.

Those who become members of the body of Christ are “fellow citizens of the holy ones and are members of the household of God.” (Eph 2:19) They are likened to a holy temple of living stones for Jehovah and constitute “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for special possession.” (1Pe 2:5, 9) They must cleanse themselves of “every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in God’s fear.” (2Co 7:1) If a Christian practices habits that defile or damage his fleshly body, or make it filthy or unclean, or if he goes contrary to the Bible in doctrine or morals, he does not love or fear God and is turning away from holiness. One cannot carry on uncleanness and remain holy.

Holy things to be treated with respect. If a member of the temple class uses his body in an unclean way, he defiles and tears down not only himself but also God’s temple, and “if anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him; for the temple of God is holy, which temple you people are.” (1Co 3:17) He has been redeemed by the blood of God’s Holy One. (1Pe 1:18, 19) If anyone misuses what is holy to Jehovah, whether his own body or any other dedicated thing, or if he harms or commits offenses against another person who is holy to God, he will suffer punishment from God.​—2Th 1:6-9.

God revealed to Israel his attitude toward such profane use of his holy possessions. This is seen in his law prohibiting the common, or profane, use of things set apart as holy for those under the Mosaic Law, for example, the firstfruits and the tithe. (Jer 2:3; Re 16:5, 6; Lu 18:7; 1Th 4:3-8; Ps 105:15; Zec 2:8) Also consider the punishment God brought upon Babylon for its malicious misuse of his temple vessels and of the people of his holy nation. (Da 5:1-4, 22-31; Jer 50:9-13) In view of this attitude of God, Christians are repeatedly commended for and reminded of the necessity to exercise loving, kind treatment toward Jehovah’s holy ones, the spiritual brothers of Jesus Christ.​—Ro 15:25-27; Eph 1:15, 16; Col 1:3, 4; 1Ti 5:9, 10; Phm 5-7; Heb 6:10; compare Mt 25:40, 45.

Christian Holy Ones. Persons brought into relationship with God by means of the new covenant are sanctified, cleansed, and set apart for God’s exclusive service by “the blood of the covenant,” the shed blood of Jesus Christ. (Heb 10:29; 13:20) They are thereby constituted “holy ones” (“saints” in KJ and some other versions). Consequently, they do not become “holy ones,” or “saints,” by decree of a man or an organization, but by God, who brings them into covenant relationship with himself through the blood of Jesus Christ. The term “holy ones” applies to all those thus brought into union and joint heirship with Christ, not to a mere few considered to have exceptional holiness. It is also applied in the Bible to them from the beginning of their sanctified course on earth, not being deferred until after their death. Peter says they must be holy because God is holy. (1Pe 1:15, 16; Le 11:44) All the spiritual brothers of Christ in the congregations are frequently called “holy ones.”​—Ac 9:13; 26:10; Ro 1:7; 12:13; 2Co 1:1; 13:13.

As the “wife” of Christ, the entire congregation is represented as wearing bright, clean, fine linen, which stands for “the righteous acts of the holy ones.” (Re 19:7, 8) Against these, while they are on earth, Satan the Devil’s symbolic political “wild beast” is seen in vision waging war. (Re 13:3, 7) Thereby the endurance of the holy ones is severely tested, but they conquer by observing the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.​—Re 13:10; 14:12.

Their hope. In a parallel vision Daniel saw a wild beast making war upon God’s holy ones; this was followed by a court scene in which “the Ancient of Days” gave judgment in favor of the holy ones and they were given an indefinitely lasting Kingdom, “the kingdom and the rulership and the grandeur of the kingdoms under all the heavens.”​—Da 7:21, 22, 27.

These “holy ones” do not exercise kingly authority while on earth but must await their being united with Christ in the heavens. (Eph 1:18-21) They must first be ‘conquerors.’ (Re 3:21; compare Re 2:26, 27; 3:5, 12.) They are to act as priests and to rule as kings with Christ during his Thousand Year Reign. (Re 20:4, 6) The apostle Paul states that the holy ones will judge the world, as well as angels, evidently sharing in the execution of judgment on wicked ones.​—1Co 6:2, 3; Re 2:26, 27.