Why is Holiness so unpopular?

January 24, 2019

I recently read Rod Parsley quoting Leonard Ravenhill. Here is the quote: “The greatest miracle God could ever do is to take an unholy man out of an unholy world, make him holy, put him back in an unholy world, and keep him HOLY.”

Let’s face it—holiness (what ever that means) has reached a pretty low degree on the scale of popularity. Let me give you a brief description of my journey with the ever elusive holiness. I was raised and learned my ‘Christian walk’ steeped in a culture of holiness. This holiness culture was interpreted by me in the following manner:

1. God is holy—Peter is not.

2. While the initial dose of holiness came through salvation—after the initial dose, Peter needed to majorly step up to the plate and smarten up.

Basically this was interpreted like this: If it was fun—it was probably wrong.

3. Unholiness could jeopardize the initial dose of the aforementioned imputed holiness received at salvation.

4. Lack of holiness (which digressed to rule keeping) had the significant possibility of me getting kicked out of heaven.

5. So being a somewhat complacent kid—I became the quintessential law keeper (a some-what unhappy one—but nevertheless—a pretty good one)

6. Off I went into ministry with my holiness somewhat in tact.

Now going through a long period of time (40 years pastoring)—someone started changing the rules. But before I refer to that —something else happened. I discovered rule keeping didn’t create intimacy with God. I knew a lot of good ‘rule keeping’ people who were—em—crotchety and miserable. I keep wondering, ‘How can they be walking with the Lord—and act like that?’ And, to top it off, I also noticed in my life…my growth in intimacy with God—had little to do with external law keeping! If keeping rules created intimacy, I should have had a sit down breakfast ‘face to face’ with Jesus at the age of 12.

Why is holiness so unpopular?

1. Because we have created holiness as an entity outside of intimacy. Holiness was rule keeping—it was legalism. We are part of a culture and society that balks at rules! So out with holiness!

2. We have not experienced a holiness that grows out of intimacy and relationship. Peter was serious—at least I think he was—when he wrote: For the Scriptures say, "You must be holy because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:16). So holiness is not an option—it is not a feature of selected Christians. As a matter of interest, Hebrews goes so far as to record these words: Without holiness no one will see the Lord (see Hebrews 12:14). So we have to be holy—or find holiness.

3. Holiness to me— now, is product of intimacy and closeness with God. Think of it this way. Holiness is a result of intimacy. Intimacy is not a result of holiness.

4. How do I live in a holy manner? Easy—doing what the LORD tells me as I walk in closeness and intimacy with Him. It is a doing thing. It is a thinking thing. Holiness pervades my life—because God pervades my life.

5. My goal is to grow in intimacy and closeness to the LORD—so I don’t ask questions such as: ‘Can I do such and such now that the rules have changed?’ That’s the wrong kind of question to ask. I ask ‘Lord, what can I do to live closer to You?” ‘Lord, how can I live in closer union with you?’ These questions create intimacy—and intimacy creates holiness!