The word “holiness” is often misunderstood in our day. In the Scriptures it refers not to a pharisaical pursuit of legalistic minutia that elevates one person or group of God’s people above the rest, but rather to a pursuit of God that brings humility before God and His Word and surrender to the Spirit’s work of transformation. In Romans 12:1-2, Paul urges, “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. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Romans 1-8 is the most logical and clear treatise on the process of salvation in the entire Bible. The understanding that we are a sinful people who by the grace of God are justified (made right in the presence of God) and also sanctified (enabled to live right before the watching world) is core and central to orthodox Christian belief and practice in every denomination throughout the history of the church. The emphasis that arose in our country through the sexual revolution of the 1960s, along with the postmodern denigration of truth standards have had profound influence on the view of holiness in our culture and even in some sectors of the American church. Like the wayward Israelites in the days of the Judges, we tend to do what is right in our own eyes (Judges 17:6, 21:25).

The good news is that the same grace that brings God’s forgiveness in our lives enables us to become more like Christ. Paul writes, “But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18). It is because of God’s transforming grace that we can and must hold high standards for our church leaders (1 Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 1:5-9). When we do so, members of the church at large can take seriously the ability of God to transform our lives. If we minimize the Biblical call to Christian maturity and basic holiness as a standard for our church leaders, however, how can we challenge our membership to embrace the grace of God and the Spirit’s ability to conform us into the image of our Savior?

The Corinthian church is recognized to have been extremely immature spiritually and confused in nearly every facet of Christian living. Nevertheless Paul was clear in his letters to them that God expects us all to be in the process of life-change through the Holy Spirit of God. Because he kept the standard high, they experienced spiritual growth. He wrote,

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

The sometimes mistaken notion that a practicing homosexual should have free reign in church leadership while the practicing alcoholic or adulterer should not is unfounded in Scripture and sound logic. The very same arguments that are being used today to suggest that homosexuality is acceptable in the Bible can be used even more forcefully to support incest. Proponents of incest as a viable option today are suggesting a genetic linkage to justify their behavior and only find one text in the New Testament to condemn such activity (In 1 Cor. 5; compare with New Testament injunctions against homosexual practice: Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:8-11, 2 Peter 2:6-10, Jude 7, and Revelation 21:8; 22:15. Old Testament prohibitions include: Genesis 2:21-25; 9:20-27; 19:1-29, Leviticus 18:22; 20:13, Deuteronomy 23:17-18, Judges 19:22-25, 1 Kings 14:24; 15:12; 22:46, 2 Kings 23:7, Ezekiel 16:50). The greater argument against sexual compromise of all kinds, including fornication and adultery, is the standard God established at creation for one man and one woman to remain faithful in the marriage relationship (Gen. 2:24). The positive affirmation by Christ and his followers of this standard negates all human perversions of God’s plan (Matt. 19:3-6, Mark 10:2-9, 1 Cor. 7).*

God’s call to holiness should effect every aspect of our lives, should humble us because of our imperfections, should convince us of the need to surrender to the Holy Spirit’s transforming grace, and should make us acutely aware of our need for mercy, compassion, graciousness and yet high expectations for those who lead the Church of the Living God.

* The call to holiness is woven into the very fabric of the Bible. See for example: Gen. 17:1; Gen. 35:2; Ex. 19:6; Ex. 39:30; Lev. 11:44, 45; Deut. 14:2, Deut. 26:19. Deut. 18:13; Psa. 24:3–5; Isa. 35:8; Mic. 6:8; Matt. 5:6, 8, 29, 30, 48; Rom. 6:1–23; 8:1, 4, 12; Rom. 13:12–14; 1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 1 Cor. 6:12, 13, 19, 20; Gal. 5:22–25; Eph. 1:4, 13, 14; Eph. 5:1, 3, 8–11; Phil. 4:8; Col. 3:5–10, 12–15; 2 Tim. 2:19, 21, 22; Heb. 12:1, 14, 15 v. 10; 1 Pet. 1:14–16; 2 Pet. 1:5–8; and Rev. 2:18-29.