This week's "thought" speaks
of a topic which I don't hear much about any more -- holiness. Therefore
I thought it would be a good reminder for us all. It is taken from Jerry
Bridges book, "The Pursuit of Holiness."
I once had the privilege of hearing Mr. Bridges speak at a conference
alongside John Piper, John MacArthur, and others. They were all good, but the
one thing that struck me about Mr. Bridges (as opposed to the others, whose
content was unquestionably superb) was his humility. I can't remember all
that he said, yet that was partly because I was so struck (distracted?) by the sense
that here was a truly holy and humble man That's what stood out the most to me
as I listened to him speak. And it was confirmed a few years later when I
took a class on "Grace and Discipline" with him while pursuing my
doctorate. Thus I offer this selection on holiness from a humble man who took
to heart the earnest pursuit of it. Enjoy. 
"God expects every Christian to live a holy
life. Holiness is not only expected; it is the promised birthright of
every Christian. Paul's statement in Rom. 6:14 is true: "For sin
shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under
grace." The concept of holiness may seem a bit archaic to our
current generation. To some minds the very word holiness brings images of
bunned hair, long skirts, and black stockings. To others the idea is associated
with a repugnant "holier than thou" attitude. Yet holiness is very
much a Scriptural idea. The word "holy" in it's various forms occurs
more than 600 times in the Bible. One entire book, Leviticus, is devoted
to the subject, and the idea of holiness is woven elsewhere throughout the
fabric of Scripture. More importantly, God specifically commands us to be
holy (see Leviticus 11:44 / I Peter 1:16).
The idea of exactly how to be holy has suffered
from many false concepts. In some circles, holiness is equated with a
series of specific prohibitions -- no smoking, drinking, dancing, etc. The list
of prohibitions varies depending on the group. When we follow this
approach to holiness, we are in danger of becoming like the Pharisees with
their endless lists of trivial do's and don'ts, and their self-righteous
attitude. For others, holiness means a particular style of dress and
mannerisms. And for still others, it means unattainable perfection, an idea
that fosters either delusion or discouragement about one's sin. All these
ideas, while accurate to some degree, miss the true concept. To be holy is to
be morally blameless. It is to be separated from sin and, therefore consecrated
to God. The word signifies, "separation to God [to be set apart for God],
and the conduct befitting those so separated."
Perhaps the best way of understanding the
concept of holiness is to note how writers of the New Testament used the
word. In I Thessalonians 4:3-7, Paul used the term in contrast to a life
of immorality and impurity. Peter used it in contrast to living according
to the evil desires we had when we lived outside of Christ (I Peter
1:14-16). John contrasted one who is holy with those who do wrong and are
vile (Revelation 22:11). To live a holy life, then, is to live a life in
conformity to the moral precepts of the Bible and in contrast to the sinful
ways of the world. It is to live a life characterized by the "[putting]
off of your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.... and
[putting] on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness
and holiness" (Ephesians 4:22-24)...
At the risk of oversimplification, the lack of
personal holiness can be grouped into three basic problem areas:
1st) Our first problem is that our attitude
toward sin is more self-centered than God-centered. We are more concerned about
our own "victory" over sin than we are about the fact that our sins
grieve the heart of God. We cannot tolerate failure in our struggle with sin
chiefly because we are success-oriented, not because we know it is offensive to
God. W S. Plumer said, "We never see sin aright until we see it as
against God... All sin is against God in this sense: that it is His law
that is broken, and His authority that is despised.... As the returning
prodigal said, "I have sinned against heaven and before you," and
David said to God (after his adulterous affair with Bathsheba), 'Against You,
and You only, have I sinned." God wants us to walk in obedience, not
victory. Obedience is oriented toward God, victory is oriented toward self...
2nd) Our second problem is that we have
misunderstood "living by faith" (Galatians 2:20) to mean that no
effort at holiness is required on our part. In fact, sometimes we have even
suggested that any effort on our part is, "of the flesh." The words
of J. C. Ryle are instructive to us at this point: "Is it wise to proclaim
in so bold, naked and unqualified a way as many do, that the holiness of converted
people is by faith only, without any personal exertion? Is it according
to the proportion of God's Word? I doubt it. That faith in Christ is the
root of all holiness, no well-instructed Christian will ever think of
denying. But surely the Scriptures teach us that in following holiness
the true Christian needs personal exertion and work as well as
faith." We must face the fact that we have a personal responsibility
for our walk of holiness...
3rd) Our third problem is that we do not take
some sin seriously. We have mentally categorized sins into that which is
unacceptable and that which may be tolerated a bit... But the Scripture tells
us it is, "the little foxes that ruin the vineyards" (Song of Songs
2:15). It is compromise on the little issues that leads to greater
downfalls... As Andrew Bonar said, "Is the Lord to be obeyed
in all things whatsoever He commands? Is He a holy lawgiver? Are all His
creatures bound to give implicit assent to His will?" Are we willing
to call sin "sin" not because it is big or little, but because God's
law forbids it? We cannot categorize sin (suggesting some sins are ok and
others to be avoided) if we are to live a life of holiness... Will you begin to
take personal responsibility for your sin, realizing that as you do, you must
depend on God's grace? And will you decide to obey God in all areas of
life, however insignificant the issue may seem to you?"
When it comes to "holiness" most
all people view it in slightly different ways. Some as stern and joyless,
others as restrictive and still others as refreshing. And some, having
been exposed to a counterfeit version of it (which was super-strict, joyless
and judgmental) -- want nothing to do with it. Yet, we are (as Bridges
points out) called to pursue it, and to do something in our pursuit of it, for
our struggle with sin does require resisting temptation,
repenting of sin, clothing ourselves with Christ, putting to death the sinful
nature, and so on.
We are often so afraid of hearing someone accuse
us of being "legalistic" that we shy away from the pursuit of
holiness, forgetting that what makes something "legalistic"
is not personal effort, but the thought that by that effort we are
earning salvific credits, or securing our justification with God. It is
thinking our obedience earns us our salvation.
Yet the pursuit of holiness is not like that. It
is simply seeking to avoid that which grieves the heart of the God who has so
loved us that He saved us. It is working from grace,
not for grace. It is working from the
place of God's acceptance, not for a place in
His acceptance. And it must be said that just because we have
God's acceptance through Christ, and the Gospel, doesn't mean we stop seeking
to do what pleases Him. It simply means we are secure in His acceptance as we
seek to please Him. "Legalism" seeks to gain an acceptance it
feels it doesn't have through it's efforts; a sanctified pursuit of holiness
simply pursues godliness as it rests in the acceptance it knows by faith that
it already has and can't lose -- that's why it can't be called legalism.
Living in the Grace of Jesus as we pursue the
holiness that is our Christian birthright, Pastor Jeff
