When Holiness is No Longer Sexy…Has It Gone Out of Fashion?
I can’t remember the last time I heard a sermon on holiness. In some ways, the move away from hellfire and brimstone preaching has been so important. We don’t want to coerce people to put their trust in Jesus because we’ve scared them to death! The gospel is a message of love and relationship, not fear. It could be though, that we’ve swung too far, in wanting to make the gospel attractive. Have we drifted away from calling people to something important to God?
God is holy. He is concerned that His people live holy lives. When we allow sinful behavior and influences to creep into our lives, we no longer reflect His glory and nature to a world that needs to see who He is – through us. It’s important to instruct ourselves (and those we disciple) to live as those “set apart” from the world. We are called to live and act in radically different ways from those who don’t yet know Christ.
Was Rock Music Wrong?
When I was a teenager, I liked music. My favorite style was jazz. There was an artist named Al Jarreau, whose music made me feel happy and alive. He was not a Christian, nor did he play hymns and worship songs. Sometimes, when with my friends, I listened to music on the radio. The words were often ungodly. Some of the songs encouraged one toward drugs, sex, alcohol abuse, and worse.
My youth pastor at church invited a speaker to come and talk with us about rock music and the dangers of its influence. I remember them well. They talked about back-masking and all kinds of surprising things. When they played a popular band’s song backward you could sort of hear it saying “Worship Satan. Worship Satan.” We were shocked!
I loved God and vowed not to listen to that band anymore. Though I agreed with some things these people said, there was also something in me that didn’t like what they shared. “Not everything in the world that isn’t Christian is evil,” I thought to myself. I love Al Jarreau’s music. Do I have to throw away my albums and only listen to Christian bands? If I want to be holy and please God?
Perhaps there was a balance to be maintained. How could a person stay engaged with the world enough to relate to unbelievers well, while being holy enough to come before an awesome God?
My pursuit of the answer to that question has taken varied twists and turns since my teenage years. It is still a valid question to ask, though, one I return to once again today.
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Hebrews 12:14 NIV
What is holiness?
The Bible is clear on this topic, whether we emphasize it or not. God is holy and He calls His people to live holy before Him. But what does that mean?
Let’s start with a quick review of some Biblical passages.
· You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own. Leviticus 20:26 NIV
· As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”… 1 Pet 1:14-16 Berean Study Bible
In the Old Testament books of Exodus and Leviticus. there are many references to holiness. The Israelites were set apart from other nations around them. They were to be holy.
This is not only an Old Covenant command. It is repeated in the New Testament. We are not to conform to the world but to be transformed. Sanctification is the theological word for that process in our lives.
The Bible Project describes holiness this way, “Holiness is about more than being good and morally upstanding. … God’s holiness is his defining characteristic. It’s a term used in the Bible to describe both his goodness and his power. It is completely unique and utterly all-powerful, radiating from God like an energy.”
Some Areas Where We Are Called to Be Set Apart
- The way we treat people we disagree with.
This is a big one in a day and age when there is so much division in both the church and in political settings. How do we treat those who have a different position from ours? Are we good listeners? Able to dialogue and show respect for other people’s viewpoints? Even learn from them?
Kindness is a very high value in the culture of Thailand, where we live. As Jesus followers, are we kinder than those who don’t know Jesus? Harsh and unkind attitudes do not reflect the goodness and glory of God. Let others see our love!
- Our comfort level (or tolerance) of ungodly behavior.
While being kind, it doesn’t mean we are comfortable around sin. As we walk in holiness, we must hate sin. What we need to be careful about is that we do not hate sinners too. When you hear God’s name taken in vain, does it make you uncomfortable? What about when we see things in films or T.V.? It is easy to grow accustomed to sin and stop even noticing it. Our conscience can become desensitized to things we used to feel were wrong. We can even become numb to perverse sexual behavior when we participate in them by silently watching those things in films or on TV.
- What we value and prioritize.
We are in the world but not of it. This means we have a completely different set of values and priorities. It is easy to be influenced by materialism or the obsession with status and climbing the ladder of achievement. Money and the making of money need to take their rightful place in our lives as believers. If all our extra time is spent on pleasure, or making enough money to get ahead in life, are we that different from the non-believer down the street?
- What we absorb into our bodies and souls.
As the New Year begins, I’ve been particularly challenged to consider this. What do I put in my mouth and what do I put in my soul (through what I watch)? Am I feeding my body what it needs to be healthy or a diet of junk food that satisfies for a short time only?
Our soul food comes through what we watch, what we read, and what we expose ourselves to. Pornography is a huge problem, even among Christian leaders. If that is something that’s been a challenge for you, seek help and freedom. There is support for this issue available and the Lord desires to set you free.
As we pursue holiness we say no to things that are not good for our minds and hearts to absorb.
Have you drifted away from a pursuit of holiness? We cannot say we are pursuing God and not pursue holiness. Nor can we pursue holiness apart from God.
Start the New Year with a fresh commitment to holy living. Let’s reflect the love, glory, and purity of God to a world that is desperate to see it’s possible to live free and whole. We are set apart!