Holiness is simply not an option with God. His word and His call to purity are both clear and unchanging.

In The Pursuit of Holiness, Jerry Bridges makes a very honest assessment of the struggle to understand the role of holiness in a believer's life. First, he discusses the misconceptions of it. "In some circles, holiness is equated with a series of prohibitions … For others, holiness means a particular style of dress and mannerisms. For still others, it means unattainable perfection, an idea that fosters either delusion or discouragement about one's sin. All of these ideas, while accurate to some degree miss the true concept. To be holy is to be morally blameless."

If holiness has always been clearly defined, perhaps the more prominent reason believers are so unfamiliar and uncomfortable with holiness is that they are actually unfamiliar with the Word of God. 

In The Holy Spirit, Billy Graham, discusses the stark contrast between the "ways of the flesh" and the ways of holiness. He uses the passage in Galatians 5, beginning in verse 16 (NIV) to present the lifestyle of one who is possessed by Christ! "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other … The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fists of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like."

But this is not the only place lists of "sin" are given. In Colossians 3:3–5 (NLT), it reads: "For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires. Don't be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry."

If the Word of God makes the recognition of unholy lifestyles so obvious, then why don't we see more walking, breathing, professing and holy Christians?

Though written 1978, Billy Graham made another interesting observation in The Holy Spirit that I continue to find relevant now: "Today people do many of these forbidden things in the name of freedom. What they fail to see is that such activities actually enslave those who become involved in them. True freedom consists not in the freedom to sin, but the freedom not to sin." (p 94 THS)
Maybe we just don't want to call sin in our lives what it is—sin!

In Luis Palau's book, Heart After God, he writes, "Immorality begins with tiny things. Little things. Yet, if you don't crucify them, if you don't bring them to judgment, if you don't face up to them for what they are—sin—they can destroy you. They can blur your moral judgment at a critical, irreversible juncture in your life. No one sees the little flaws, but everyone sees the big collapse."

There is another reason for lack of both personal and community holiness: regular examination of our lives before God and others. Are you in the habit of confessing your sins corporately or privately, even in writing? Do you daily identify and agree with God about the areas of your life that God calls "sin" (the previous lists alone can give us a lot of insight)? Do you daily ask for God's help to steer clear of the areas in which you struggle? Do you tolerate unconfessed sin in your life? Are you willing to be accountable to others regarding any areas of struggle? Are you willing to make written commitments to change or stop?

Whether you are a young or mature Christian, Jerry Bridges is quick to remind us that holiness is not a condition of coming to Christ, but he also reminds us: "Therefore, we may say that no one can trust in Christ for true salvation unless he trusts in Him for holiness. This does not mean the desire for holiness must be a conscious desire at the time a person comes to Christ, but rather that the Holy Spirit who creates in us a saving faith also creates within us the desire for holiness. He simply does not create one without the other."
Holiness is absolutely achievable in our lives when we know what God's Word says about it, when we are convinced that God has called us to it, and when we are willing to daily examine ourselves in front of Him.

Holiness, reflected in an entire community, will start a contagious fire! Seekers, people looking for hope and longing to be loved, are drawn closer to God when they encounter those whose hearts burn brightly in refection of Him. Most importantly, as Paul wrote in II Timothy 2:21, "If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work!"

I believe God is calling, searching for men and women who will live pure and holy lives for Him in this crazy culture, who will take the gift and power of His Holy Spirit to the masses.

Today, I encourage you to ask a few friends to share in an honest conversation. Examine your lives infront of each other. Ask if there is any area in your life that they see might hinder the reflection of a holy God? Provide a safe place for confidential confession and prayer. Ask them to consider becoming accountability partners for each other. Continue to meet in prayer for each other.

Excerpt from The Burning Heart Contract by Becky Tirabassi
www.theburningheartcontract.com