The Weekly Encourager – January 23, 2013 – Anatomy of Holiness

“I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” - Romans 12:1 I've been reading The Hole in Our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung. He urges, “[D]o not miss what many churches have overlooked: Jesus expects obedience.” (p.16) Most of us know we're supposed to be holy, but what does that mean? I'd like to share some of DeYoung's thoughts here.

Here's one to consider as we're making plans and deciding which activities to participate in this year. “There are a hundred good things you may be called to pursue as a Christian. [A]ccording to the Bible, holiness, for every single Christian, should be right at the top of that list.” (p.20) Wow – that was convicting! Holiness wasn't anywhere on the list I made. Hmm...make time to be holy?

Drawn from many Scriptures, here's a practical picture of what holiness looks like: “You can think of holiness, to employ a metaphor, as a sanctification of your body. The mind is filled with the knowledge of God and fixed on what is good. The eyes turn away from sensuality and shudder at the sight of evil. The mouth tells the truth and refuses to gossip, slander, or speak what is coarse or obscene. The spirit is earnest, steadfast, and gentle. The heart is full of joy instead of hopelessness, patience instead of irritability, kindness instead of anger, humility instead of pride, and thankfulness instead of envy. The sexual organs are pure, being reserved for the privacy of marriage between one man and one woman. The feet move toward the lowly and away from senseless conflict, divisions, and wild parties. The hands are quick to help those in need and ready to fold in prayer. This is the anatomy of holiness.” (p.41)

Action idea for those with small children: have them act out or illustrate this paragraph or write a song about it. Extra points if you do it yourself, too!

Throughout his book, DeYoung emphasizes that a desire to be holy comes from a grasp of the gospel of grace. One phrase that struck me was, “there must be evidence flowing out of us that grace has flowed into us.” (p.26) So the more we understand what Jesus did for us, the more we'll want to do for Him what is holy.

Here's another nugget: “Obeying the commandments is how we fulfill the law of love, and love is at the heart of holiness. If you care about love you will love to obey the Ten Commandments.” (p.46) Keep that one around for Valentine's Day.

Lord, may I be holy in every part of my heart, mind, and body. Move me to do Your will. Grace in – grace out.

God is faithful,

Kevin DeYoung, The Hole in Our Holiness: Filling the Gap between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness. 2012 Wheaton, IL: Crossway.