Written By Lesallan – 10/10/2023
Ohio Christian University
THE4050 Investigating Christian Theology II (ONLF23)
Professor Jeremy Kamer
October 10, 2023
Walk In Holiness
The Biblical mandate to walk in holiness is founded on the idea that God is holy and calls His people to be holy as well (Lev. 11:44-45; 1 Pet. 1:15-16, NIV). According to Oden (2009), holiness is “the quality of being set apart for God’s service, consecrated, sanctified, and hallowed” (Oden, 2009). Holiness is both a gift of grace and a response of obedience. It involves justification and sanctification, faith and works, love and law.
According to Oden (2009), the Biblical teaching on holiness can be summarized in the following key aspects: Holiness is founded in the nature and character of God, who serves as both the source and standard of all moral excellence. Holiness is exemplified in the person and works of Jesus Christ, who is the perfect image of God’s holiness and the one who makes us holy through His death and resurrection. Holiness is communicated by the Holy Spirit, who applies the benefits of Christ’s redemption to our hearts and lives and empowers us to live following God’s will. Holiness is expressed in the church’s life, which is the community of the holy ones, who are called to worship God, proclaim the gospel, serve one another, and witness to the world. Holiness is embodied in the personal conduct of believers, who are called to be holy in all aspects of their being: body, soul, and Spirit.
To cultivate holiness, we rely on the means of grace, the channels through which God communicates his grace and enables us to grow in holiness. These include the Word of God, prayer, sacraments, fellowship, and discipline. However, holiness is challenged by the reality of sin, which is the opposite of holiness and the cause of our alienation from God. Sin exists as both a condition and an act, original and actual, personal, and social.
Holiness can be restored by the process of repentance, which involves turning away from sin and returning to God. Repentance requires confession, contrition, conversion, and a behavior change. Holiness is perfected by the hope of glory, which is the goal and destiny of God’s people. Although we are not entirely holy, we are working towards becoming so. We await the final consummation of God’s kingdom, when we will see Him face to face and become like Him (Oden, 2009).
Holiness is not a set of rules or regulations, we must follow, but a relationship with God that transforms our hearts and minds. To walk in holiness means to live in obedience to God’s will, to love Him with all our being, and to love others as ourselves. Holiness is not something we achieve by our own efforts, but a gift that God gives us through His grace and Spirit. Holiness is not a burden but a blessing that brings us joy and peace.
Blessings,
Lesallan
References:
Oden, T.C. (2009). Classic Christianity: A Systematic Theology. New York: HarperOne.
