Are we Holy and What makes us Holy?

Answer 1

To answer the first part of your question "Are we Holy", there are numerous passages in the New Testament that declare followers of Christ to be holy. To understand what that means, we must first look at the meaning of the word "holy. The word used in the NT is the greek word "hagios" which the Strong Greek Dictionary defines as "sacred (physically pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially consecrated): - (most) holy (one, thing), saint."

In Colossians 1:21-22 the Apostle Paul states "You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God's side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence." (Message)

This passage clearly states that Christ "brought you over ... and put your lives together, whole and holy..." or "to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight" (KJV) The Apostle wants us to understand that, not through anything we have done but through the actions of Christ, we are made to be holy or "morally blameless", having removed the sin that would condemn us.

This verse also speaks to the second portion of your question "What makes us Holy". It is the act of Christ enduring our punishment in our stead, and our acceptance of that act, that makes us blemeless and "unreproveable in his sight"