The Pursuit of Holy-ness (1)

H-O-L-Y: Just another dirty four-letter word?

Our bodies can become pretty smelly, if left to their own devices. True? Fortunately, we recognize the need to sanitize them, and have devised a whole multi-billion dollar industry to keep them clean, fresh and fragrant, to avoid suffering rejection from our fellow beings.

But what about our inner selves? Our souls: our minds, will and emotions? Our thoughts; our hearts? Do they have hygiene issues, too? Sure they do. Think about all those times you’ve heard it said that someone’s attitude STINKS.

Way back in secondary school I first heard the term Holy Joe. By no means a compliment, this new, cool expression became ingrained in my consciousness, and I determined to strive never to be numbered among those who had been nicknamed thus. Oh, the folly of youth! We thought that our peers who were studious, or who resolutely refused to join in the mischievous actions of the rebellious set, were beyond dull. They would never dream of swiping the communion wine from our school chapel, as my dorm-mates and I did one slow Saturday afternoon to spice things up… Oops! Did I really just say that?

Never mind, let’s get back to the topic.

Dirty Word

Doubtless, “holy” is a word that adults rarely ever use in normal conversation. Not even Christians talk about holiness in the course of their discussions. In fact, you could be forgiven for thinking it’s another of those dirty, four-letter words! Okay, bad joke. Nevertheless, I’m willing to bet that apart from the odd church sermon, the word has never been part of your everyday interactions. It seems to be largely confined to religious texts and discourses.

Yet in 1 Pet 1:13-16 we are exhorted to be holy, as God is holy. It stands to reason that we should be constantly thinking about how to attain this high goal as we go about our daily business.

So what does holiness actually look like at any given moment?

I’ve been immersed in a personal study of Colossians chapter 3 over the past few days, mulling over the Apostle Paul’s appeal to the church members in Colossae to be conscious about the way they conduct themselves in their daily lives.

It is explained in Col 1:13-14 (“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins”) that we are, essentially, foreigners on this earth. If you’ve ever spent time living in a foreign land, you will be keenly aware that something about your recognizable foreign-ness instinctively compels you to put your best foot forward – and keep it in that position. You sense the need to represent your country of origin honourably. This is why followers of Christ Jesus are reminded of our relationship with this world: it is not our home. We are, as the old song puts it, just a-passin’ through. We may have been sent to live in it for a specific purpose, but we are not to blend in with its ways.

One of the definitions of holiness that I came across is that it is “being of one mind with God”. In other words, when you are living a holy life you are fully aligned with the things God likes and hates, and are committed to changing what needs to be changed in your life – whether in your thoughts, speech or actions – in order to show that you are on His side.

In my reading of the third chapter of Paul’s letter to the Colossians (Col 3:13-17), I isolated three sets of five nouns each, showing various possible approaches to our daily lives. Interestingly, one can quite easily identify the state of a person’s inner hygiene using this yardstick. Isolating the three sets in this way clearly brings out the ideal progression of a person who has come into the Kingdom. And ultimately, this analysis provides a guideline to living a life consistent with the teachings and values of Christ Jesus.

Each of the following sets of words illustrates what a person’s life can look like:

Set 1: (i) Sexual immorality, (ii) Impurity, (iii) Lust, (iv) Evil desires, (v) Greed (idolatry)

Set 2: (i) Anger, (ii) Rage, (iii) Malice, (iv) Slander, (iv) Filthy language

Set 3: (i) Compassion, (ii) Kindness (iii) Humility, (iv) Gentleness, (v) Patience

These are the words used in the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible. For purposes of comparison, the old King James Version (KJV) uses words like “fornication”, “uncleanness”, “inordinate affection”, “evil concupiscence” and “covetousness” in Set 1; “blasphemy” in the place of “slander” in Set 2; and “bowels of mercies” (compassion), “meekness” (gentleness) and “longsuffering” (patience) in Set 3.

Closer to the kind of language everyone can identify with, the Common English Bible uses “moral corruption” in the place of “impurity” in Set 1; and “obscene” in the place of “filthy” to describe language.

The Narrow Way

In my view, this is a pretty unambiguous portrayal of what is considered not good, versus what is considered desirable in a person who claims to have set their feet on the proverbial narrow way.

We are instructed to put to death the attitudes and behaviours in Set 1. These are of the earthly nature, and we are not earthly beings. Such an approach to life is not God’s best for us. The fruit of the Set 1 lifestyle is invariably unprofitable and devastating, culminating in a wretched existence, ruined lives and shattered relationships.

We are then instructed to rid ourselves of the motivations and responses laid out in Set 2. This brings to mind the way we strip off our clothes before jumping in the shower. We must resist the temptation to engage in or be subject to these things, since they are remnants of our old self, not who we are now, as subjects of the kingdom of light. Moreover, they soil us from within, and destroy our relationships with others.

Finally, we are instructed to put on, or clothe ourselves with the attributes described in Set 3. Dressing after a shower is usually a carefully thought out activity. It is a series of deliberate actions, a process of considering the image we want to present to the world. This is the hallmark of the truly submitted new creation in Christ, the ardent and sincere follower of our Master; the one able to extend forgiveness and be motivated in all things by love.

Any student of language will recognize that “put to death”, “rid yourself” and “put on” are firm instructions and not mere suggestions. They are written in the imperative voice. We are to recognize, abhor and shun the vices in Set 1, because they are the very things that invite the wrath of God. We are to strip ourselves of the indulgences of Set 2, including the accompanying habit of lying to one another, because these are remnants of our old human nature which makes us look no different from those living in the dominion of darkness, in their own individual kingdom-lets with themselves enthroned as kings and queens.

We are to pursue daily the virtues in Set 3, because these are the only qualities that are able to set us apart as citizens and subjects of another “country”.

In short, we are required to consciously move away from the condition of having a smelly soul towards one that is constantly pursuing a state of higher inner hygiene. This is the kind of progressive growth that should take place within us: from the base to the holy. Each stage calls for us to engage an act of our will. There is a clear requirement for our active participation in our own transformation.

However, the key to this transformation is not found merely in our own effort and striving. We have a Helper who is able to bring it about without leaving us heartbroken and filled with shame at the realization of the filthy state we were in.

1. The pursuit of holiness begins with an invitation to this Helper, the Spirit of God, to help us take a personal inventory of the state of our inner self. We all have a “blind spot” that prevents us from seeing ourselves as others see us. He can provide the right mirror for us to see the truth.
2. The pursuit of holiness continues with a recognition of the source of the offensive odour as we evaluate our moments and our days, as we examine the quality of our interactions and the state of our relationships.
3. The pursuit of holiness progresses to repentance as we confess and renounce our old ways that are out of alignment with what pleases God.
4. The pursuit of holiness moves us into a state of surrender as we acknowledge that we cannot accomplish this gargantuan makeover without the power of the Holy Spirit.
5. The pursuit of holiness culminates in a process of practicing to dress in new clothes, one item at a time, learning each lesson until we look like the foreigners we are called to be.

May He grow us in holiness, so that we may become firmly grounded in this journey of faith.

Love and blessings,

Joy

“Once you were alienated from God and you were enemies with him in your minds, which was shown by your evil actions. But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through death, to present you before God as a people who are holy, faultless, and without blame. But you need to remain well established and rooted in faith and not shift away from the hope given in the good news that you heard.” Col 1:21-23 (CEB)

“Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus…” Col 3:17 (CEB)