Holiness

  • Holiness Incarnate

    John 6:60–69

    Because He is the Holy One of Israel, Jesus can, through the power of His Holy Spirit, make us into His holy people. As we grow older, we should be seeing this work of holiness progress in our lives, as ...Read More

  • Honoring God’s Holy Name

    Isaiah 8:13

    Fundamentally, revering God as holy means trusting His promises and obeying His commandments. In other words, we must recognize first that He is holy and that we are unholy, and we must rest only in His Son, Christ Jesus, in ...Read More

  • Knowing the Lord

    Jeremiah 9:23–24

    Many people today want to set holiness, love, and mercy in opposition to one another, especially when they speak of the character of God. Yet, it is only because the Lord is holy that we can be confident that He ...Read More

  • Life Before Christ

    Colossians 3:7-8

    One commentator has said that “we should never confuse being moral with being Christian, but we cannot claim to be Christian if we ignore morality.” An outwardly upright life is not a sure sign that somebody knows Christ, but a ...Read More

  • Obedience Not Sacrifice

    Psalm 40

    Read again the final two verses of Psalm 40. Do you seek the Lord with gladness? Are you compelled to declare before men “The Lord be glorified”? Whether poor or rich, remember today that He who thinks of you is ...Read More

  • Our Everlasting Light

    Isaiah 60:19-20

    One of the greatest blessings we have to look forward to in Christ is the ability to dwell in a new heaven and earth with Him as our light. On that day, we will no longer stumble but will see ...Read More

  • Our Pattern for Holiness

    Leviticus 19:1–2

    We are often tempted to trivialize God’s demand for holiness and instead look to somebody or something other than God as the standard by which we measure ourselves. Remember, though, that the Lord has pronounced judgment on His image ...Read More

  • Our Purpose

    Genesis 1:1-2:3

    If our original purpose is to shine forth God’s image to creation, then the importance of our obedience to His will takes on new significance. When our goodness and mercy align with His standards, we reveal His pure character ...Read More

  • Peace and Holiness

    Hebrews 12:14

    Are you doing things that might disrupt the peace or holiness of the church? Go to the Lord in prayer, and ask whether you might be exhibiting divisiveness or whether you are unconcerned with the church’s purity. Whatever the ...Read More

  • Pressing on to the Mark

    Philippians 3:12–14

    Christians make true progress in their fight against sin over the course of their Christian lives. Yet, we continue to discover new sins we never saw before until we die, and our sin-clouded minds need help in knowing the Lord ...Read More

  • Putting Sin to Death

    Colossians 3:5-6

    Understanding that we are already holy in Christ should not be confused with the perfectionism that we often see in other theological traditions. We will not be free from the struggle with sin before we are glorified, but knowing that ...Read More

  • Sanctification Demanded

    Leviticus 10:1–11

    John Calvin, in his commentary on today’s passage, notes how many people might view the Lord’s treatment of Nadab and Abihu as overly harsh. Yet, he writes, “If we reflect how holy a thing God’s worship is ...Read More

  • Seeing God

    Read and compare the visions of God seen by Isaiah (Isa. 6:1–5) and John (Rev. 1).Read More

  • The Church is Holy

    1 Corinthians 1:2

    Through the blood of Christ, God sees His church as holy, although He is by no means ignorant of the sin that persists in our lives. Yet this declaration of holiness gives us confidence that we can make real progress ...Read More

  • The Demands of Justice and Truth

    Genesis 2:15–17

    Without a robust doctrine of divine simplicity, we have a God at odds with Himself and One who cannot be trusted. The “gods” of other religions are not as just as they claim to be because they do not pour ...Read More