Holiness: What Is It?

Holiness is being set apart and living accordingly

Catherine Booth in her mission would also stress not conforming to the world. She believed strongly by the third definition of Holiness to be as described by our definition earlier, “Specified or set apart for a religious purpose: a holy place.” As Christians, we are set apart by God, for a holy purpose. Things set apart for a purpose are most treasured when they live up to that purpose. When Catherine encourages us to be set apart as a window to holiness and not conform to this world. By the world she means the common culture, the collective self centered culture around us. Even in Catherine’s days, the late 1800’s, the common culture in England was still tolerant of sinful philosophy and lustful behavior. This would include the way people dressed, the focus on material things, consumption and over consumption of alcohol and tobacco, the inappropriate dialogue, the social injustice, and more. The same issues our community struggles with in our present time. Paul is urging in Romans about this in what must have been part of the biblical basis of Catherine Booth’s conviction.

“1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”(Rom. 12:1-3, NIV)

Paul is urging us here to not entertain sinful nature, but to be set free of it with the insight we gain from God’s Word. That renewing of our mind, it challenges us to think differently about what we let slide in our lives, what we deem is ok, what we are tolerant of. In acknowledgement and gratuity for his grace we should be motivated to show the world His way of loving, thinking, acting, and such. Since the common culture is a rebellious one, this will obviously look different. But this is good. Jesus is quoted in Matthew 5:14 it saying, 14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” As holy people, we are called to obey God’s law which is not the same as the law that the rebellious have manifested, but Christ encourages us to continue this for we stand out like a beacon of truth for those who are lost and want to be found. Holiness is me putting God’s culture above human culture. There are blessings to be had in this life if we do this. The media, events, people, places, and activities we engage in must be put against the Word of God, prayer and good theology so that we are not caught up in worldly things, but that we are caught up God pleasing and not man pleasing.