What does it mean to live a holy life? Frequently we associate holy living with a list of rules, some biblical and some arbitrary that if followed mark a person as holy. Some of those rules are prohibitive, some are directive. Supposed holy living is often marked by clearly delineated behaviors. If a person doesn’t do these things and does do these things then they must be holy. If, however, they do these things and don’t do others then clearly they are not holy people. These pro and con lists of behaviors may have some value, but such behavior is not real holiness.
I have a friend who is a camp manager. Like many small camps he rents their facilities to community, civic and church groups. He once asked me, “What group do you think creates the most trouble for us regarding sexual misconduct among teenage children?” Knowing that he occasionally rented the camp to the Sea Cadets, an organization of high school aged teens planning to join the US Navy, I suspected they would be the chief promiscuous group. I was wrong. The teens his staff had to watch most closely were the kids from a highly rules-oriented church group. Within the group women wore no makeup, never cut their hair, did not don jewelry, and had to wear shin length skirts. Men and boys had their own list of legalistic rules for conduct. How is it that a highly regulated religious group would produce more lusty teens than the kids headed toward the US Navy?
This is a result of a misunderstanding of what holiness actually is. Holiness is life lived out. Holiness is the life and action of a person who has placed their entire confidence in Jesus Christ and as a result has experienced a new birth or a regeneration. This new birth is not the domain of especially advanced Chrsitians, but the life of everyone who has been born again. When we are born again or born from above we begin living a new life, living life is the norm for every Christian. Certainly there will be ups and downs, fits and starts, moments of stumbling and walking. New believers are babes in Christ. All the habits of body and mind are still in the old life, but there is a new Spirit driving life.
Behavior is important but for a different reason than list and rule keeping. Behavior is the by-product or as Paul puts it the fruit of the Spirit that animates this life. There is no justification for wrong or sinful behavior in the life of a disciple. But good behavior results from a desire to be what Christ wants in that specific moment and opportunity.
Think of this practical example. Why did Jesus, from the cross, forgive those who crucified Him? Because it was easier for Him to forgive than to hate or to hold a grudge. Why was that the case? Because He was so like His Father it came natural to love and forgive. Holiness is not just the behavior, important as that is, it is also the motivation and the natural result of our desire to imitate Jesus in our life.
I Peter 1:14-16 says, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 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.”
How can we be holy? It begins with wanting it. Too many times we are like the teenager who prayed, “God set me free from lust, but don’t hurry about it.” God will not impose on us behaviors that we don’t really want. God will not be impressed by our keeping a list or rules when our hearts are not in them. What we must do is to love God so much that we will do what is holy because we generally do what we want. It is a heart change God partners with us to produce. Certainly there is work but work is not the opposite of grace. Earning is the opposite of grace. Work is what we do to move toward what we really want. Live like a disciple, live holy; because that is what you love and want.
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