Similarly, there are a “great crowd” of faithful Christians today who are not included among those 144,000 “holy ones” who receive the “holy calling” to heavenly life. (2 Tim. 1:9) Nevertheless, this “great crowd,” who have prospects of eternal life under the rule of God’s heavenly kingdom, are pictured as having “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Rev. 7:3, 4, 9-15) This represents for them a standing before God, a counting to them of righteousness, that will tide them safely through the fast-approaching destruction of this wicked system of things.

However, unlike those with the heavenly hope, the “great crowd” do not have human perfection imputed to them and so are not reckoned in the Scriptures as “holy ones.” Rather, they look forward eventually to attaining actual human perfection and holiness.

MAINTAINING HOLINESS

Both the anointed “holy ones” and the “great crowd” who receive a standing before God need to maintain a course of purity and cleanness before God. They need to “continue in the faith, established on the foundation and steadfast and not being shifted away from the hope of that good news” which they accepted. (Col. 1:23) This requires on their part continued regular study of God’s Word of truth and the application of it to their lives. (1 Pet. 1:22) And since they are still imperfect and inclined toward wrongdoing, it also requires their responding to Jehovah’s discipline.

The part that discipline plays in maintaining holiness the apostle Paul explains, saying: “We used to have fathers who were of our flesh to discipline us, and we used to give them respect. Shall we not much more subject ourselves to the Father of our spiritual life and live? For they for a few days used to discipline us according to what seemed good to them, but he does so for our profit that we may partake of his holiness.” (Heb. 12:9, 10) Thus those “holy ones” who would partake of God’s holiness must humbly accept and submit to discipline. And to maintain their standing before God the “great crowd” need to do the same.

Christians are admonished to cleanse themselves of “every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in God’s fear.” (2 Cor. 7:1) Are you doing this? If a Christian practices things that defile or damage his fleshly body, or goes contrary to the Bible in doctrine or morals, he is turning from a course of holiness and shows that he does not really love or fear God. This is a very serious matter.

It is clear that Jehovah God expects both his anointed “holy ones” and the members of the “great crowd” to maintain a course of purity and cleanness. Such holiness of conduct is a requirement for all servants of God. You will, therefore, show wisdom if you strive to obey the Bible counsel: “As obedient children, quit being fashioned according to the desires you formerly had in your ignorance, but, in accord with the holy one who called you, do you also become holy yourselves in all your conduct.”​—1 Pet. 1:14, 15.