We Need a Revival of Holiness  

Recently the moral failings and unbecoming behavior of certain prominent individuals have been in the spotlight. What makes it news is that in some cases the people involved have been public proponents of moral values. Some have even professed to being followers of Christ. Don’t get me wrong. Anyone can be susceptible to temptation and to the possibility of stumbling spiritually. However, it is a different matter when these incidents seem to show that the ones involved may have been putting up a false front, or that it was less of a one-time failing and more of a habitual practice that reveals the questionable character of the person.

Such revelations are nothing new. Well-known individuals who had reputations for being good, moral Christians have fallen in the past. It serves as a good reminder to us not to put our faith in other people but to keep our eyes focused on the Lord who will not let us down.

However, I believe it also points to another vital truth. The church today desperately needs a revival of holiness. What do I mean? Even among those who profess to know Jesus as their Savior, there are often low expectations about the possibility of our actually living up to the biblical standards that are commanded of God’s people. Many expect to have moral failings on a regular basis. They not only anticipate the prospect of being tempted, but also the likelihood of their surrendering to those enticements. Godly behavior and purity of heart are not considered the norm, and some believers may not even think of those ideals as realistic possibilities.

  It is a common theme for churchgoers today to profess their sinfulness and weaknesses while exalting the wonderful truth of the forgiveness of our sins that is available to us through faith in Jesus and in His sacrificial death on the cross. And that certainly is an important and glorious truth. However, we don’t hear so much about the real change such faith makes in our conduct and character. Where are the testimonies about how God doesn’t just forgive me for my failings but is enabling me not to succumb to those temptations anymore? Where are the witnesses to how God not only forgives me for my impure thoughts and my bad attitude but is helping me to think on better things and is transforming me in the depths of my inner being? Where are those who are seeking and are experiencing the reality of God’s scriptural command to be holy?

We are called to be more than perpetual sinners who are saved by grace. We are also called to be saints or holy ones. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t just mean that I am forgiven and going to heaven. It also means that I should be becoming more like Jesus right now. The church needs to recapture the concept of holiness – not just that we serve a holy God, but also that He calls us to be a holy people. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart” (Matthew 5:8), showing us that purity of heart is a possibility. He told us to love the Lord with all our heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves. If He commanded it, He can enable us to do it. The Bible tells us to “be holy in all your conduct” (I Peter 1:15). This goes beyond the holiness of Christ that we are credited with, but speaks of a practical holiness that shows up in how we live our lives.

None of us are immune to sin. However, we should no longer be enslaved to sin and can be holy in our hearts, minds, and actions. Seek to be the holy person God calls you to be.