“Holiness and sin both matter — more than we can imagine. They matter to God, and the more we comprehend their true nature, the more they will matter to us.”- Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth
“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”- 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (ESV)
In the Introduction to her book Holiness: The Heart God Purifies (Moody Publishers, 2004), Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth relates how the Holy Spirit worked on her as she wrote this book. Specifically, Nancy faced the fact that others’ failures bothered her more than her own shortcomings. Applying that to ourselves, that means we tend to minimize or rationalize certain personal offenses that disturb us when we see them in others.
Therefore, the author notes, repentance and holiness need to be taken seriously. Nancy writes:
“The message of repentance and holiness . . . must become more than a theological tenet that we politely nod agreement to; it needs to transform the way we think and the way we live.”
As a result, Nancy’s stated goal in writing Holiness involves an appeal to God’s people to preserve radical holiness. The author states true holiness is:
- the pathway to fullness of life and joy
- total satisfaction with Christ
- a reflection of our holy Lord’s beauty and splendor in this dark world
- fulfilling and experiencing all that God had in mind when He created you
Today’s question: How do holiness and sin both matter in your life? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The common fallacy that holiness is dull”
