Holiness has fallen on hard times. An ad campaign for a Las Vegas hotel promises, “Just the right amount of wrong.” Yet holiness—or more specifically, its lack—is not just a problem out in the big bad world, but also in the hearts of those who claim to follow Christ.
In church, we sing worship choruses with gusto, but are nearly mute on the habits of holiness. We dish up sermons by the pound on God's love. We talk a ton about “felt needs.” But mere ounces are devoted to holiness.
Holiness lacks flash and fun. It has no drummer, no distortion guitar, and doesn't seem to fit with a fog machine. There's no app for holiness. And how do you fit holiness into Snapchat—let alone Facebook? Which means in a culture like ours, holiness is not just antique…it's a dinosaur.
At its core, holiness means set apart for God's service.
Conformed in all things to God's will.
I dare you to make a pie chart of all your activities this past week. How many hours—or maybe, just minutes—would you describe as set apart exclusively for God and His service:
- Time spent reading, studying and meditating on God's Word.
- Time spent communication with God through prayer.
- Time spent actively pondering God.
The exercise might just make you a bit uncomfortable (it does me!).
The truth is, holiness requires time.
Holiness requires soul silence.
Holiness requires discipline.
So, many of us just never get started. Instead we reach for our smartphones, our tablets, our e-Readers and amuse ourselves to distraction. Rich in toys and technology, we are—many of us—impoverished in holiness.
But as the Scripture says, “Without holiness, no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14).