“Holiness” is not a word that many of us use very often. It has a sanctimonious sound to it and makes us uncomfortable. But the word, for the follower of Jesus, basically means becoming like Christ. And it begins in recognizing that it is achieved over time, through training, a long process of little decisions and adjustments of thought. C.S. Lewis onc...e wrote these words in Mere Christianity:
People often think of Christian morality as a kind of bargain in which God says, “If you keep a lot of rules I’ll reward you, and if you don’t I’ll do the other thing.” I don’t think that is the best way of looking at it. I would rather say that every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all of your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow-creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the other.
“Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the other.” This is an awesome and somewhat uncomfortable picture of what it means to be human. It means that I am responsible before God for what I do with my life and for what I am becoming. Granted, some people find themselves in extremely difficult circumstances created by the decisions of others. But even there, I am able to choose – free to choose to play the victim or the fighter. The problem is that most of the time we don’t recognize the power of our choices and the way they may be taking us. Other times, we know how serious decision-making is, but we refuse to make a choice (of course, this in itself is a choice). Karl Barth once wrote: “Better something doubtful or overbold, and therefore in need of forgiveness, than nothing at all.”
For the believer, to become a heavenly chooser, to grow in holiness, to become more and more like Christ is something that must be learned and practiced. Worship is one of those places where we learn what it means to please God, to have the mind of Christ, to find our deepest satisfaction and meaning. Other resources are prayer, bible study, community, discussions with friends, etc. But this training in holiness is a process, a process that requires our choice and commitment. Notice that it doesn’t mean that we will be perfect or that we will never fail in this journey. Thank God for forgiveness (1 John 1:9). I think that fundamentally what God desires from us is the turning of our will in his direction. This desire to please God does please him. And if we will accept it, God places at our disposal all that we need to continue on the journey. Second Peter 1:3-4 says: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” Holiness, a life pleasing to God and us, is not impossible. God has made available all the resources that are necessary. But the choice is up to us.
Reflect: What kind of choices am I making and what kind of person am I becoming? Do I make a conscious effort to understand what a choice that honours God really looks like? When I look at my life, do I find that in my heart of hearts I really desire to please God in all areas of my life? If I am a follower of Christ and God has made available all the resources I really need to live a godly life, am I making use of those resources? If not, why not? If so, what progress have I seen in my life?
