I was thinking some more about the whole link between holiness and happiness this morning in the shower (where I do all my best thinking—I think if I had a dry-erase board installed in my shower I’d cure cancer).
I think there’s a couple reasons why I find this linkage so important. One, I think it’s true. If you want more on how Scripture talks about this, go to www.desiringgod.org and check out John Piper’s web site. Of his many books on this subject, Future Grace is definitely his best, and on my ‘Top 5 Reads of All Time’ list. Secondly, because it’s true that holiness is the only real way to real happiness, I find myself much more deeply motivated to pursue holiness at any cost! Being pruned back by the Lord is hard stuff, and I need all the hope and promises that I can gather together to walk down some of the paths that he calls me to walk down.
In the mean time, my sweet daughter has decided to do most of her sleeping in the mid-to-late afternoon times, and then nurse about every hour before and after that! So my poor wife is becoming nocturnal—it’ll be tough to be married to someone who has the sleep habits of a bat, but what are you gonna’ do??
5 comments:
And, you know, a dry-erase board might work in the shower!
get it? dry-erase? and a shower's wet?
OK, time to weigh in -- beware of the Grace Life perspective. Is holiness something we have to achieve? Or are we already holy? Or is it a little of both? I think that we need to speak clearly regarding holiness, because it can easily become something that we have to maintain or do (and we risk running into justification by grace, santification by trying hard). This is not what Christ offers. Christ has made us holy, once for all, by making us new creations (2 Cor 5:17). Hebrews 10:14 says that He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. Seems that neither of those (made perfect - His work; being made - His work) are up to us. Perhaps I am just waging a semantical battle here (is that a word), but I think that in current evangelical culture we are presented holiness as something to achieve instead of a reality to live from. You said you need/want to pursue holiness at any cost, but holiness has already pursued and caught you. You don't always liv and act like it, but that doesn't change the truth. I agree with Piper that holiness and happiness are intrinsically linked; the way to holiness is to live in the reality of who we are now in Christ. 1 Peter 1:15-16 tells us to "be holy as He is holy" and we automatically think that "be-ing = do-ing." But what if it really is simply "be holy" - don't do, just be. Be who you have been re-created to be, in Christ, by your new birth. It is no longer up to you to accomplish holiness but to live as who you really are.
While I haven't commented yet on what I think the difference between piety & holiness is, I'm in complete agreement with Marshall here.
Part of the distinction I want to draw between the two is that holiness is not simply "action" (or do-ing). Piety is, strictly speaking, action. Holiness is more, erm, wholesome, or wholistic.
I was thinking that a post on holiness didn't really go with my post on Sevens (which, btw, Alex I called you out on). So I was waiting until to day to post on this particular subject.
Ok, I finished some of my thoughts on holiness&piety. (not to be confused, ever, with passion&purity.) you can read it here.
Thanks for the thoughts, guys! I wonder if sanctification and holiness are two different things that we use too interchangibly. It seems that somewhere we need a category for the process of "taking off and putting on" that the Scriptures call us to do so often.
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