The quest for holiness….
After a thought provoking conversation at Alpha last night I started thinking about holiness. It’s such an old fashioned word.
We are called to holiness yet who has ever described themselves as holy?ÂÂ
Does that mean we don’t think we’ve arrived - aren’t good enough to be called holy?
Have we been given perceptions along our way that equate holiness with some kind of wierd radical tv-evangelist-type religion?
I want to be holy. I want to be set apart, but what action needs to happen on my part to get there?
It’s easy to say we’re humble (or as least to fake a sort of humility that is acceptable in Christian circles), but is it humble to say we are striving for holiness?
Just thoughts that I’d love to see some dialogue on……
V.
October 26th, 2006 at 9:31 pm
My gut level reaction to the “holiness” is to hold back the bile that kicks up in my throat. I should clarify, its not that I don’t think we should be, or Jesus was… But I often wonder is it possible?
Why am I so far from it? I’ve had friends tell me they are, or know people who are holy (as they defined it at not sinning knowingly, or intentionally). And deep down inside I balk at that, I wonder how could someone as messed up as me be holy… and I’m not the worst.
Or am I?
If by holiness you mean we no longer need to repent, then sorry… not me.
October 27th, 2006 at 6:58 am
I don’t know what I mean by holiness…that’s kind of why I opened the topic up.
All I know is the Bible calls us to be holy, yet we talk very little about that anymore. The word itself is lost in our modern world.
December 27th, 2006 at 7:53 pm
Holiness? Ahhh, yes! That is what I want!!!!
The desire for holiness is something God placed in me a few years ago and understanding it has been a process. (Not that I’m “there” yet!) For as much as I understand, I believe the process of becoming holy is the process of becoming more like Jesus. (Jerry Bridges’ book, “Growing Your Faith” helped me greatly in my understanding, and my book, “Confessions of an Irritable Mother” chronicles my journey.)
I believe holiness IS possible for everyone - even the worst of us. The good news is, becoming holy isn’t up to us. It’s God’s work. Ours is to submit and obey.
Thanks for opening the dialogue!