If holiness is family resemblance, then we pursue it not to earn God’s love but because we already have it. We do not pursue to prove ourselves. It is also not an elusive goal. Think about it: a son or daughter does not try to become part of the family, they already are. 

When we hear the word holiness, many of us immediately think of rules, restrictions, or a kind of stiff spirituality that feels more like duty than joy. But Scripture gives us a very different picture. Holiness is not about being morally pure in a joyless or rigid way. It is about belonging to God’s family and bearing His likeness. It is in this way that holiness and happiness can be so closely linked. 

In the Old Testament, God called Israel to be holy because they were His chosen people: “You are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his treasured possession” (Deut. 14:2). Holiness here was not first about what Israel did, but about who they were, God’s family set apart for Him. As His children, they were meant to reflect their Father’s character. 

This is the same for us. As the image of God, we were created to reflect, express and participate in the glory of God, even his holiness, in miniature, creaturely form. In other words, holiness is family resemblance, looking like our Father in heaven. 

We see parallels in everyday life. Children naturally take on the mannerisms of their parents. They pick up our laugh, the phrases we use, even the way we tilt our heads. Sometimes they don’t even realize it’s happening.

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