In earlier generations it was far more common to talk about holiness in the Christian life. For the Bible is consistently clear in its call for us to be ‘sanctified’ and become increasingly ‘holy’ as God’s people (see Eph 1:4, 5:25–27; 1 Thess 4:3; 2 Tim 1:9; Tit 2:11–14; 1 Pet 1:15–16, 2:9). As God’s redeemed people we have been set apart to live distinctive lives that clearly show the life-transforming power of the gospel. Through the gospel we are saved from a life of sin and saved to a life of holiness.
Our justification and sanctification are inextricably linked. To talk about salvation and holiness as though they were two entirely different things is not helpful. God’s saving grace in our lives should naturally produce changes that lead to holiness (Eph 2:8–10). Pursuing holiness is the ‘normal’ Christian life, the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit, steadily doing his sanctifying work. God’s divine plan has always been that we, his chosen and saved people, should be “conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom 8:29) “with ever-increasing glory” (2 Cor 3:18). So in practical terms, how does this challenge apply to us today?
Some Errors and Cautions
Wrong ideas about holiness have created more than their share of problems down through the centuries, and these are still causing confusion today:
- Instant holiness: There are many people who think that by receiving a second blessing or praying a special prayer of consecration it is possible to experience and sustain a new level of holiness.
- A formula for holiness: Others think that devoutly following a specific set of legalistic disciplines enables them to grow in godliness.
- A ‘holy’ lifestyle: Still others think that the way to holiness is by adopting a particular ascetic lifestyle, often insulated from the real world, in order to align their lives more completely with God and his word.
Of course, throughout our life’s journey there will be times of special blessing when our spiritual growth is invigorated and perhaps accelerated. We should praise God for such times. However, we should not lose sight of the overall thrust and balance of biblical teaching when it comes to how we grow in holiness. Likewise, legalism and asceticism will result in a warped understanding of grace, which is so essential to our freedom in Christ.
The Inner Conflict
While it would be wonderful to have instant holiness or to be able to tap into a guaranteed formula for spiritual growth, the New Testament generally describes this process in terms of a difficult conflict, a long-distance race, a crucifixion, a ‘putting to death’. The battle for holiness is ongoing. Old sins keep surfacing, along with the temptation to new sins. There may be feelings of guilt and failure, perhaps even leading to doubts about one’s salvation.
The battle between the ‘flesh’ (who we are as children of Adam) and the Spirit (who have now become in Christ) is described in Galatians 5, is a part of the experience of every Christian:
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (Galatians 5:16–17 (ESV))
The apostle Paul famously personalizes this conflict in Romans 7:
Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? (Romans 7:21–24)
He knew only too well the agony and frustration of the battle for holiness. And who of us cannot identify with this heartfelt cry for help?[1] As J. I. Packer says
the fallen Adamic instincts (the ‘flesh’), though dethroned, are not yet destroyed …. This conflict and frustration will be with Christians as long as they are in the body.[2]
Though mortally wounded, Satan is still a powerful foe. But we are not helpless victims of Satan’s schemes to defeat us. Nor are we helpless victims of our old sinful patterns of thinking and behaving. It is not a battle of equals. And that’s why Paul could conclude his ‘wretched man’ cry with these triumphant words: “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom 7:25a). We are on the winning side of the battle! Satan has been defeated. Sin’s power over us has been broken. No matter how deeply ingrained our sinful inclinations may be, we can overcome them. Praise God for this great news!
Engaging in the Conflict
Sin is no longer our master (Rom 6:6, 14). Instead, we should “offer [ourselves] as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness” (Rom 6:19). We now have the Holy Spirit living in us and fighting with us (Rom 8:9–13). Previously, the flesh was unopposed, but this is no longer the case because, the grace of God “teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Tit 2:12). But we are not passive onlookers, simply ‘letting go and letting God’. It is our responsibility to actively and willingly cooperate with the Spirit’s sanctifying work (Phil 2:12–13). We do this in two ways.
First, by killing the flesh. While it is true that we have been “crucified with Christ” (Gal 2:20; Rom 6:6) we still have to kill off the lingering vestiges of our sinful ways, as Paul commands: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry” (Col 3:5, see also Rom 8:13). This means taking a ruthless approach to specific sins and entrenched sinful habits in our lives. As John Owen expressed it in his famous The Mortification of Sin: “Be killing sin or sin will be killing you.” As Jesus said: “If your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away” (Matt 18:9). This will mean identifying areas of sin in our lives, repenting of them before God and developing practical strategies for dealing with them. It may mean getting someone to pray with us and hold us accountable. This is all part of how we achieve victory over our sin and make progress along the path to holiness.
Second, by keeping in step with the Spirit. We now have the responsibility to “keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal 5:25). The Christian life is not a stroll but a methodical walking in line with the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit’s role to help us say no to the flesh and yes to what pleases him. As he convicts us and prompts us we trust and obey him. And as we trust and obey we grow in Christlikeness. Learning to think with a renewed mind is essesntial in this process (Rom 12:2). As we think about things which are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy, and put them into practice, the Spirit will be helping us (Phil 4:8–9).
The Hope of Holiness
Many Christians live with a sense of shame and guilt, especially when it comes to the subject of holiness. I encourage you to keep the focus on Christ. He is not only the “pioneer” but also the “perfecter of our faith” (Heb 12:2). As John Newton said:
I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still, I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.
Our holiness will be a work in progress during this earthly life. But in our resurrection and glorification at the last day we will be made perfectly holy, just like our Lord. Until that time comes we press on, “throwing off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles”, and “running with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Heb 12:1). But we rest in the assurance that a day is coming when we will stand in his presence, dressed in white robes as his holy people.
[1] Interpreters of Romans 7 understand the ‘I’ of this passage in different ways. Some, myself included, read 7:14–25 as a portrayal of Paul’s personal experience as a believer. Others read it as a portrayal of his experience before becoming a believer, or perhaps the personification of a devout Jew. Those of us who read the passage as an expression of a Christian’s struggle need to bear in mind that chapter 7 is not the full picture of this experience. Paul’s despairing question in 7:24 is emphatically answered in chapter 8.
[2] Concise Theology p. 171.
