Read an Excerpt

Part One

Developing
Practical Holiness

But like the Holy One who called you,
be holy yourselves also in all your behavior.

1 Peter 1:15

In the preface to The Pursuit of Holiness, Jerry Bridges beautifully illustrates both sides of the development of practical holiness in the life of the believer: God's side and the believer's side. His illustration is that of a farmer who recognizes his own responsibility to plant and nurture his crop while acknowledging that only God gives life to the seed. Says Bridges: "The farmer cannot do what God must do, and God will not do what the farmer should do."¹

Even so, as we grow in practical holiness we are responsible to read the Bible, pray, believe God, and love beyond ourselves. God will not pick up the Bible and open it in front of us, although He will prompt, convict, encourage, and stimulate us to pick it up for ourselves. He will not make us pray, although He will work within our individual circumstances to show us our desperate need for Him. He will not force us to deny ourselves and to invest our lives in the lives of others, although if we listen and observe He will teach us the meaning of John 12:24, that “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

God will no more release us from any of His commands than He will release Himself from any of His promises. Yet He will create in us willing and faithful hearts that cherish pleasing Him above all else (see Psalm 51:10; Philippians 2:13). By His grace alone, God will enable us to obey His commands. And once we choose to obey, He will infuse our obedience with true spiritual life (see John 7:38). In just this way, practical holiness is developed in the life of every believer.

Bridges concludes his illustration by saying, “The pursuit of holiness is a joint venture between God and the Christian. No one can attain any degree of holiness without God working in his life, but just as surely, no one will attain it without effort on his own part.”²

In the following three chapters we will first define what holiness is, then we will examine God’s part, and finally, and throughout the remainder of this book, we will focus on man’s part.

An Appeal to Love

Be holy; for I am holy.

Leviticus 11:44

The best thinking time for me is late at night, when everything is still and the whole world has gone to sleep. I sit on the side of my bed with the covers turned down and read. As a rule, I’m plodding through four or five books concurrently—devotional writings, commentaries, biographies, or poetical works. So there’s always something, either half finished or barely begun, into which I can sink my teeth. At times I find myself reading far into the night.

Eventually, though, I begin to fade; so I close the book, nestle down, and turn out the light. In the quiet moments that follow, God often speaks to my heart in gentle yet profound ways, burdening me to pray, convicting me of sin, driving home some truth by letting me see it in a new light, or just reassuring me of His love.

One such night, in that stage between waking and sleeping where dreams begin, part of a verse of Scripture came into my half-conscious mind and nudged me fully awake. “‘Be holy; for I am holy’” (Leviticus 11:44). This was a familiar note, but it sounded in a way I’d never heard before.

To be honest, my inmost reaction to this command had always been one of frustration, fear, and resistance: frustration because the standard seemed so high and unattainable; fear because, if holiness really is what God expects, I could never hope to please Him; resistance because “nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh” (Romans 7:18). There is no denying this obstinate pull within me in the opposite direction, which balks at being told what to do even by God.

Yet God has every right to expect unwavering obedience from me simply because of who He is, not to mention what He has done for me by His grace. However, that night there was no authoritative tone in His words. Instead, they seemed to appeal to love. The message was not, "Be holy because I said to be holy," but rather, "Be holy because I am holy, and if you love Me, you will want to be like Me."

The reaction of my heart was a longing for holiness that I had never known before. I was overwhelmed with God's great love and the thought that my love should matter to Him! Truly it is "to the praise of the glory of His grace" that He has chosen unholy, unworthy sinners to be "holy and blameless before him" (Ephesians 1:4–6). These phrases from Ephesians speak of our position in Christ, but I believe they also speak of what God wants to see manifested in our daily lives, as loving tributes to His matchless love for us.

Holiness Pursued

Is holiness really possible in the life of the believer? Surely God would not call us to so high a standard without also aiding us in its pursuit.

God has commanded holiness not only within the context of the Mosaic law, which was given as a tutor to show us our sinfulness through our failure to keep the Law (see Romans 7:7–11; Galatians 3:22–25), but also in the heart of the New Testament’s instruction on right living. “But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15–16).

Christ said: “‘The things impossible with men are possible with God’” (Luke 18:27), so some degree of holiness must be within the realm of possibility. But how is it possible? And, even more fundamentally, what is holiness exactly?

Does holiness reside on some mysterious, mystical plane of spiritual existence that can be reached only through great suffering or severe self-abasement? The apostle Peter said:

Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. (1 Peter 4:1–2)

These verses suggest that suffering is an aid to holiness. They teach that suffering sobers us and alters the way we live our lives. But they do not teach that suffering initiates us into some elite stratum meant only for the chosen few. Neither is holiness a reward for suffering, as the medieval monastics mistakenly thought.

Surely, true spirituality does begin with self-denial. Christ Himself said: “‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me’” (Luke 9:23). But here, self-denial really means turning the back on self, ignoring it rather than controlling it through any form of self-discipline.¹

In contrast, self-control, a fruit of the Holy Spirit (see Galatians 5:22–23), is the ruling of self by the power of the Spirit. As Elisabeth Elliot said so succinctly: “As we give ourselves to His rule, He gives us grace to rule.”² But any discipline apart from the Holy Spirit is self-
generated, rooted in pride and unbelief, and “of no value against fleshly indulgence” (Colossians 2:23). Thus holiness cannot be its result.

Some have insisted that holiness is composed of outward things such as dress, hairstyles, or the endless keeping of rules crafted by men. But holiness consists of something more profound than outward show, something which goes much deeper than mere externals (see Colossians 2:16–23).

When I was a child, growing up in what I would consider a typical Protestant church of the late fifties and early sixties, I knew the word holy was primarily attached to two other words: ghost, which frightened me for obvious reasons, and roller, which also frightened me because I envisioned people rolling around on the floor with no sense of impropriety or embarrassment. I now understand more clearly the deep enjoyment of the presence of the Lord and the rejuvenating influence of the Holy Spirit on the soul of man. Nevertheless, I must argue that holiness cannot be characterized by some state of hyperspiritual enthusiasm, nor by displays of emotional adrenaline in a worship service.

Others have held that holiness is an eventual state of sinless perfection attainable in this life. But the clear teaching of Scripture is that, although we have been freed from the dominion of sin and have been given “everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3), we still cannot escape our own depravity. We will never be completely free from sin until we are with the Lord (see Galatians 5:17).

Often holiness is seen as a state to be reached, some future attainment, perhaps a far-off destination on the Christian pilgrimage obscured by many obstacles along the way. However, it seems from God’s commands that He expects holiness from us now, today, not at some future time. So what does it mean to be holy right now?

To answer that question, we must first attempt a positive definition of holiness. We need to come to a basic understanding of holiness as it applies primarily to God, and then to man. Second, we must examine more specifically the concept of holiness in its biblical context.

God’s Holiness

God’s holiness is a mystery of which man has caught only a glimpse. Infinite, immutable, transcendent, He who dwells in unapproachable light yet still condescends to look upon the things in heaven and on the earth (see 1 Timothy 6:16; Habakkuk 1:13; Psalm 113:6).

A. W. Tozer writes: “He is the absolute quintessence of moral excellence, infinitely perfect in righteousness, purity, rectitude, and incomprehensible holiness.”³ Because God is infinite, His holiness is limitless; because He is immutable, His holiness is always the same; because He is transcendent, His holiness is beyond the realm of man’s mind.

Holiness stands above all the other attributes of God, yet it is simply that—an attribute. It does not stand above God as though it were some category under which He falls, along with other things. Holiness does not define God; God defines holiness; it belongs to Him alone. In Revelation 15:4 we read these words addressed to God, “‘Thou alone art holy’” (see also 1 Samuel 2:2).

Man’s Holiness

We can thus conclude that man has no holiness in himself. In and of ourselves, we are but wretched sinners who must shrink under the dazzling brilliance of holy God. What a tragically stark contrast is the degradation of our sin. “‘Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts’” (Isaiah 6:5).

Like Isaiah, when we suddenly comprehend the holiness of God, we are immediately filled with dread and horror over personal sin. Only when we see the holiness of God can we see the blackness of our own sin. The apostle Peter, confronted with the reality of who Jesus really was, fell at His feet and cried: “‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’” (Luke 5:8).

Yet the word holy is used over and over in Scripture in reference to man, in two very distinct ways: positional holiness and practical holiness.

Positional Holiness

The word saints, or holy ones, as used in reference to all believers, denotes our position in Christ. We see this, for example, in the salutation of Paul's letter to the Philippians: "Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi" (Philippians 1:1). We are only holy if we are in Christ (see Ephesians 1:4), and we are in Christ not by our doing, but by God's alone.

Indeed, as Paul puts it, Christ Himself has become to us sanctification (see 1 Corinthians 1:30). Just as the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us, so His holiness is imputed as well. Furthermore, we were called with a "holy calling" (see 2 Timothy 1:9); called as "saints" (see 1 Corinthians 1:2; Romans 1:7); declared to be "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession" (1 Peter 2:9).

We have been made holy according to the will of God through the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus Christ: "By this will we have been sanctified [made holy] through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:10; see also Hebrews 10:29; 13:11).

"For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified" (Hebrews 10:14). But in this last verse, the tense used with the word sanctified implies an ongoing action; those who are being sanctified, those who are being made holy.

Practical Holiness

Scripture also speaks of holiness in reference to man as a goal to be accomplished in the practical realm of daily living. We must pursue this goal with all our hearts. Peter adjures us, "Like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior" (1 Peter 1:15). The book of Hebrews tells us to pursue "holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14, kjv).

A great portion of Scripture is devoted to instructing us in this pursuit, and we are assured that we are not left to ourselves, but our efforts are fueled and energized by the sanctifying discipline of God.

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. (1 Thessalonians 5:23–24)

It is fundamentally God's work to make us holy in this practical sense, just as it was in the positional sense, and He uses whatever means He sees fit to discipline us into holy living (see Hebrews 12:10). God includes us in the process by enlivening our wills and our energies after holiness (see Philippians 2:13). But even this practical holiness is possible only by an impartation of His divine holiness. "He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness" (Hebrews 12:10). Thus Christ's holiness is not only imputed to us in a positional sense, but also imparted to us in a practical sense.

Hence we do not have a holiness like God's; we have God's own holiness, both positionally and practically. Positionally, we wear on our hearts an identifying mark; the mark of God's image, of God's likeness. This mark is holiness. In an outward, behavioral sense, if we are not merely moral but truly holy, it is because the very life of the Holy One is being manifested through us. Thus both positionally and practically, holiness is our likeness to God.

Now this does not mean that we are to sit back passively and wait for God to "animate" us with His holiness. Instead, we are to pursue holiness; we are to strive after holiness of character and holiness of conduct. This is our part in the process, for the holiness that was extended to us at conversion is not immediately evident in our daily lives. Yet as Paul told the Philippians, "He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6). As we struggle and grow in the pursuit of practical holiness, it becomes evident to those around us that we have a likeness to God. "So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy [a state of being] and beloved, put on [an action] a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (Colossians 3:12). In other words, you are holy so act like it.

Holiness is the very essence of our identity as believers. Holy is what we are, who we are, and what we become progressively as we pursue holiness on a daily basis. This effort on our part is what Paul called "perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1).

Holiness As Separation

Now let's consider a specific, rudimentary definition of the word holy. This word has at its root the idea of separation. God is holy in that He is unique, infinitely above and set apart from all of His creation. Man is holy when he is set apart from the world and its lusts, from sin (thus holiness may sometimes mean undefiled), and from self.

In addition, holiness means to be set apart exclusively unto God for His purposes. Hence the word saints—holy ones—refers to believers who are changed into new creatures (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). They are somehow inherently different and separate from the world. What's more, they are sacred vessels set apart by God before the world began (see Ephesians 1:4), vessels that are holy to the Lord, from which the very life of God must shine forth.

The Dynamic of Depravity

Now, to say that believers are different is not to say they are inherently better or improved. The Christian retains his depravity throughout his earthly life. He cannot escape from it as he cannot escape from himself, nor can he improve upon it. He is thoroughly sinful; fundamentally disposed to pride, rebellion, and unbelief. He has no inherent goodness, nor will he ever develop any on his own initiative, because goodness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (see Galatians 5:22).

Nevertheless, he is different in two ways. First, he was dead spiritually but now he has been made alive by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (see Romans 8:9–10; Ephesians 2:1–7). Second, this indwelling brings with it a new desire. In the spiritual dimension of his being he was separated from God (death is not annihilation, but separation). Now he is spiritually alive with the capacity to experience and commune with the Holy Spirit of God. He didn’t have this capacity before. This is what it is to be a new creature in Christ and sets the Christian apart from the natural world (see 1 Corinthians 2:14). Indeed, this is his holiness in a positional sense: He is a new creature with a new capacity in Christ.

Sanctification

This new capacity for God begins at conversion, when the Holy Spirit indwells the believer and renews within him the image of God, producing positional holiness. Then begins a process of achieving practical holiness, wherein the Holy Spirit works to conform the believer's will to the will of God and to conform his daily life—how he thinks, how he feels, where he goes, what he does—to the image of God (see Philippians 2:13). The Bible calls this process of conforming sanctification.

But the conformity of the will is more than just the ability to choose good over evil. This alone might imply an indifference to both good and evil. There must also be a new and growing disposition toward what is good. This is accomplished at conversion as well, when God removes the heart of stone and replaces it with a heart of flesh (see Ezekiel 36:26), alive and sensitive and inclined to love God. Thus the Scripture speaks of a circumcision of the heart: "'Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord Your God'"(Deuteronomy 30:6).

We then see a gradual change based on a change of heart, or desire. This new desire is characteristic of the new life in Christ. It is not self-generated, but it is energized by the Holy Spirit within. There is no cancellation of depravity, either instant or gradual. The Christian does not outgrow his depravity, yet he need not live by its dictates.

A classic manifestation of depravity is that, apart from the grace of God, the Christian would run headlong into every form of wickedness. Yet the grace of God enables him to desire and obey. Grace, in this sense, is the inner working of the Holy Spirit on the soul. The believer sees more clearly his own wretchedness as the Spirit reveals more of the love of God and the beauty of Christ, yet by God’s grace he also longs to please God. Thus he discovers a growing desire for holiness even as he develops a growing aversion to sin (see Ezekiel 36:31).

Yet to his shame, he cannot deny that within him there is also an innate love of sin—a love which the Puritans referred to as sin's "pollution." Hence he learns to cast himself more on the mercies of God, to rely more heavily on the grace of God, which alone can enable him to turn from his own way and follow Christ. The process of true Christian growth is not a development in personal goodness, but a deepening awareness of one's innate "badness" (see Luke 11:13) apart from Christ, and thus of one's great need for God.

The most holy person I have ever known was Dr. Charlie Culpepper, a missionary to China for forty years where he was greatly used of God in the Shantung Revival. I knew Dr. Charlie much later, as a teacher when I was a young seminary student. Once he spoke of man’s depravity. He said that it was most evident in his own life when he would get behind the wheel of a car and find himself irritated with other drivers who got in his way. We students chuckled at this minor sin, until we saw that Dr. Charlie was crying so hard he could barely speak. This was no small or frivolous matter to him!

I also remember going to his office to pray with him and watching with amazement as this frail, little man got down on his knees and cried out loud over his own great sinfulness. But his prayers were also rich with the sweet joy of Christ. Dr. Charlie took seriously God’s call to holiness, but he also rejoiced in God’s mercy.

The most holy person is most in touch with his own depravity and, consequently, with the great mercy and kindness of God. In a sense he has grown downward, not upward; he is humbled, not exalted.

This ongoing growth process, of which the Holy Spirit is the agent, is sanctification (see 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:1–2). The word sanctification shares its root with the word holy. In sanctification the believer is progressively set apart from the world and unto God. The lifestyle that results is one of practical holiness.

This is not to imply, however, that we may reach some end to the process and from that point on live in a state of perfect holiness. Rather, it shows that as we are progressively set apart by God and as we pursue the development of holiness in a practical sense in our daily lives, we are holy. Our lives more and more exemplify the spiritual virtues and moral integrity that mark the true saint of God.

The Ongoing Struggle

Absolute sinlessness will not be realized until we are at home with the Lord. Still, the goal toward which each believer must strive, toward which the Holy Spirit enlivens us, is perfect holiness. This humbles us because it so keenly magnifies our sin, yet it propels us forward because its embodiment is our beloved Lord Himself (see Philippians 3:10–14). Hence we see the dynamic tension that marks the life of every believer. We are depraved, yet He has called us to be like Him, and He is holy.

Those who comfort themselves with the cliché, "Oh, nobody's perfect," should recall the admonition of Christ: "'Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect'" (Matthew 5:48). The fact that we will not reach a state of sinless perfection in our earthly lives does not exempt us from striving after it with our whole hearts. Paul told the Corinthians: "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1).

Each of us is embroiled in an intense conflict between the Holy Spirit within us and our own flesh. Paul told the Galatians: “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please” (Galatians 5:17). J. I. Packer says of this verse: “These words alert us to the reality of tension, the necessity of effort, and the incompleteness of achievement that mark the life of holiness in this world.”⁴ However, Packer goes on to say: “The born-again believer who is in good spiritual health aims each day at perfect obedience, perfect righteousness, perfect pleasing of his heavenly Father.”⁵

In the words of John Calvin: “He is therefore said to be like God who aspires to His likeness, however distant from it he may as yet be.”⁶

Devotion

Before holiness can be evidenced outwardly in our lives, it must be anchored deep within. There is more to it than merely living a moral life. Moral purity is involved, but morality alone cannot denote holiness. Morality may be simply a pharisaic adherence to certain rules of conduct—an outward thing that has nothing to do with true holiness.

Holiness is more than morality; it is separation from the world, which is first an attitude of the heart. It is devotion not to a creed or to a system of rules, but to a Person, and it is wrought by the indwelling Spirit of God. As He stirs our hearts to love God, our lives become more and more an expression of the holy life and love of Christ in us (see Galatians 5:22). Where there is no love, there is no holiness.

This brings me back to the appeal I sensed from God on the night previously mentioned. It seemed that He was pressing this on my heart: Holy living is a matter of love. How simple this is and yet how profound! Holiness is not the highest form of legalism. Holiness is the highest expression of love.

I used to wince at the word holy. I felt condemned because I didn't measure up. But love obliterates condemnation. "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). Love, the supreme motivation in practical holiness, echoes the great love of God, and the form that echo takes is holiness.

The Attraction of the Cross

The supreme expression of God's love to us is the cross of Jesus Christ. How sacred the scenes of Calvary; how precious the flow of love from those wounds; what suffering and sorrow our Lord endured, not only to redeem us, but to make us holy! As Paul wrote to the Colossians, "And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach" (Colossians 1:21–22).

Holiness cannot be separated from love; therefore, holiness cannot be separated from the cross. Paul said, “But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14). This personal crucifixion is the essence of practical holiness.

Thus the life of the true believer reveals a growing detachment from the world that begins in the heart. To those who observe it, there is a sense about that life that the heart is attached to Christ. And this attraction of the heart is pictured beautifully in Song of Solomon 8:5, in a verse that may be symbolically applied both to sanctification and to holiness: “‘Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved?’”

The wilderness can represent the world; the one coming up from the wilderness could be the individual believer; and the beloved, of course, represents Christ. Here we see the believer with his back to the world. He has chosen to forsake the old life and cleave to Christ. But the believer is in a process; he is still in the world and must continue in it. However, the world is having less and less sway in his life.

Indeed, as the believer grows in love for God, he becomes more and more disenchanted with the world. The tender, intimate love relationship between the believer and his Lord is what draws him away from the world and toward true holiness. Indeed, at the end of his life, if he has learned to walk in tender intimacy with Christ, his heart echoes the cry of Samuel Rutherford:

Oh! well it is for ever,

Oh! well for evermore,

My nest hung in no forest

Of all this death-doom’d shore:

Yea, let the vain world vanish,

As from the ship the strand,

While glory—glory dwelleth

In Immanuel’s land.⁷

The Persistence of the World

A true believer has made a clear initial choice; he has decided against self and has surrendered to the love of Christ. He is not one who professes to love God while his heart still belongs to the world. Yet, though he has been conquered by the love of Christ, there are still times when “the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life” overtake him and cause him to stumble (see 1 John 2:15–17). He is distracted by the deceptions of Satan and the allures of the world, and his gaze on Christ is diverted. At those times he finds maintaining his holiness a hard task.

Why? Because, although he loves God, the love of sin and the love of self are still very strong in him. The world still holds some attraction. Were this not so, living a holy life would be simple. Only by daily forsaking self (see Luke 9:23) and deliberately focusing his heart on Christ can his love for Christ overshadow his love of self.

“Apart from Christ, let nothing dazzle you,” wrote St. Ignatius.⁸ Christ must so captivate our souls and fill our spirits that, in contrast, the attractions of the world grow pale and cheap. He must become to us more precious and dear until He is “altogether lovely” (Song of Solomon 5:16, kjv). Then will we be constrained by the love of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:14)! Then will the mere mention of His name, in favored moments, bring a lump to the throat and weeping to the heart! Then will we feel that holiness is not so difficult after all.

Jesus, Thy boundless love to me

No thought can reach, no tongue declare;

O knit my thankful heart to Thee,

And reign without a rival there:

Thine wholly, Thine alone I am:

Be Thou alone my constant flame.

O grant that nothing in my soul

May dwell, but Thy pure love alone.…⁹

The Ultimate Source

In God we have holiness, the essential “otherness” that is exclusively God’s. This makes God’s people peculiar altogether, each one singled out and set apart from the world. Man’s holiness is not just “separateness,” but being in Christ, who Himself is infinitely separate. In this relationship, which we have described as positional holiness, we find our fundamental likeness to God.

This separateness becomes more evident as God disciplines us toward practical holiness (Hebrews 12:10) and as we pursue this holiness in the fear of the Lord (Hebrews 12:14; 2 Corinthians 7:1). These themes of God’s discipline and our pursuit set the course for the rest of our study.

Love is the well from which practical holiness springs: love for God, then love for men. This love is our humble response to God’s great love for us. If we truly love Him, attaining to His likeness will be our heart’s desire. And like Him we will be, if we are holy.