The Pursuit of Holistic Holiness

INTRODUCTION

You shall be holy, for I am holy. – 1 Peter 1:16

There are three basic goals in spiritual growth: to learn what we need to know, become what we were meant to be, and do what we were meant to do. – Max Anders[1]

God is holy, and he intends for us to be holy (1 Pet. 1:16). Though God designs human beings to be holy, or set apart, like him (Gen. 1:26–27), humanity defiled God’s holiness when Adam and Eve sinned against him in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve’s sin corrupted humanity, and now every human is born into unholiness, evil, sin, and death. Fallen human beings still bear God’s image (Js. 3:9–10), but sin distorts his image in us.

Since the fall of humanity, the highest goal of God’s work in the universe is the sanctification of human beings (1 Thess. 4:3). To accomplish this work, God sent his own Son to the earth to reverse the curse of sin. Through Jesus, God makes all things new (Rev. 21:5). Through Jesus, Christians are restored to holiness. Through union with Christ, there is a holiness we already possess (Rom. 3:21–26). However, there is also a holiness we must pursue (Heb. 12:14). The apostle Peter emphasizes the pursuit of holiness, saying, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Pet. 1:14–15). As we pursue holiness, we become who we already are in Christ.

The apostle Paul provides the framework for the pursuit of holiness by commanding the Philippians, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure”[2] (Phil. 2:12–13). Growth in holiness, also referred to as spiritual formation, rests ultimately in the grace of God, who works in and through the Christian. However, the Christian is required to work to grow in holiness. God commands Christians to press on and strain forward in order to increase in Christlikeness (Phil. 3:12–14).

John says that when a person is born again, he or she receives “the Spirit without measure” (Jn. 3:34). Peter verifies that upon spiritual birth, Christians receive everything they need to live a godly life (2 Pet. 1:3). Therefore, if spiritual growth is hindered in the Christian life, what’s lacking is not on God’s end; it’s on our end. Paul tells the Ephesians, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Eph. 1:3–4, emphasis mine).

Since all true Christians are credited with the righteousness of Christ, you could ask, “What’s the big deal about avoiding the pursuit of holiness?” There is more at stake than you might realize. By neglecting holiness, you diminish the abundant life Jesus offers, you damage your relationships, you weaken your Christian witness, you impair your communion with God, and you ultimately displease and dishonor God. In the worst case, an ongoing neglect of holiness may reveal an illegitimate faith. God’s Word frequently motivates us to pursue holiness, because as we do so, our faith is displayed, God is glorified, and we are blessed.

This book highlights the pursuit of holiness as a holistic endeavor, meaning spiritual formation involves the mind, heart, and hands and each component affects the others. God designed the mind, heart, and hands to work in perfect harmony with one another, but sin has thwarted that design. Too often, the Christian’s growth in holiness is stifled due to an unbalanced approach.

All Christians are shaped by cultures, church backgrounds, and personalities that tend to predispose them toward a faith of the head, heart, or hands.[3] Some have a “head-only faith” that is centered on attaining knowledge. Others have a “heart-only faith” that is fueled by emotion. Still, others have a “hands-only faith” that is driven by doing good works. Taken alone, a faith of the head, heart, or hands is deeply flawed, because each represents a fragmented faith with imbalances and inadequacies.[4] A separation of the head, heart, and hands is inconsistent with God’s design for Christians.

The solution to lopsided and stagnant spiritual growth is a holistic approach to holiness, centered on the Great Commandment. When asked by a scribe what the greatest commandment is, Jesus replies,“The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mk. 12:29–31). The Great Commandment, which has been called the North Star of spiritual formation, is the highest aim of the Christian life.[5] Spiritual formation is about loving God with all that we are. In doing so, we progress from holistic brokenness to holistic holiness.

[1] Max Anders, Brave New Discipleship: Cultivating Scripture-Driven Christians in a Culture-Driven World (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2015), 123.

[2] Unless otherwise noted, all scripture citations will be from the English Standard Version.

[3] Dennis P. Hollinger, Head, Heart, & Hands: Bringing Together Christian Thought, Passion and Action (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005), 190.

[4] Ibid., 32.

[5] James Wilhoit, Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered: Growing in Christ Through Community (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), 45.