It is difficult to talk about holiness. It is too deep and demanding and dangerous to take lightly but, at the same time, it is our inheritance in Christ. So, I am not sure what to say that would be different from what you have heard a thousand times before. Holiness is expected. Period.

But what does that mean? It has overtones of perfectionism and high expectations that I can never meet. It worries me. It scares me. I'm not at all sure that I can live up to the demands of this holiness that is expected of me.

And I can't just hide behind the righteousness of Jesus, can I? It is his holiness in me that is expected, isn't it? Sort of but there is still an expectation of holiness that is the outworking of that relationship. Love accepts but it also expects, as we say. Marriage is that way. Parenting is that way. But those things we think we can handle. Holiness is a whole other level of expectations.

In Book 1: The Spirit of Holiness, I try to deal with these issues and put them in perspective. It's a bit of a potpourri of thoughts about what holiness might look like in my life. I talk about Spiritual Effort and what that might look like. The Bible tells us a number of times to "make every effort" so there is no excuse for laziness.

I talk about the fact that most of us are in Spiritual Drift rather than really taking things in hand and doing what needs to be done. I talk about Spiritual Goals and Spiritual Sin and what it means to grieve the Spirit within us. I even talk about learning to live with God's perspective on our lives and all of those things certainly do help. But it is the first two chapters you need to pay attention to the most.

In the first chapter, I talk about the fact that Holiness is Relational. If you don't get that right, all the rest doesn't matter. No, that doesn't mean that we can hide behind the holiness of Jesus as we do with his righteousness, but it does mean that our relationship with him is the heart of our holiness. And just to add shame to injury, the result should be Spiritual Joy and nothing less. If that isn't happening at some level in your walk with Christ, then something is wrong. Rather than being worried or scared, this relational holiness should bring you great joy and peace.

After all, holiness is not merely morality or perfectionism. It is about being chosen for a purpose. In fulfilling that purpose, we will grow in morality and the perfection of Christ but not alone and not without purpose. After all, a relationship can create morality but morality cannot create a relationship.

Yes, we are broken jars of clay that have a treasure within (2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV), and even Paul admitted that he had problems and needed God's grace in an ongoing way (2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NIV). We can be described as "righteous sinners" because we will continue to sin while at the same time, we are righteous in God's eyes because of Jesus Christ. If that were not so, how could we receive the Holy Spirit who is, in fact, the spirit of holiness?

And now we come to the heart of the issue.

When we talk about relational holiness, we are saying that because we are in Christ, we have received the spirit of holiness who will work with us and on us throughout our lives to create the holiness of purpose that God expects of us. This is not done without our involvement of course and we need to participate with all of our might, but it doesn't change the fact that this incredible thing has happened to us. We have the spirit of holiness within these jars of clay that are still full of holes and dirty and broken and full of sin.

This is to show that all of this growth in holiness is the work of God within us and not just because of our efforts even though we are involved. Think again of Hosea and Gomer, his prostitute wife, who betrayed him and had children with other lovers. As a prostitute, she has already destroyed her ability to love anyone. She can have sex (the religious spirit) but she cannot love (relational holiness) without the ongoing help of her husband who forgives her and sees her as she will be and not as she is right now. That is the miracle that makes all the difference.

We are all Gomer to one extent or another and we have a lot to learn about loving God much less each other. Forgiveness is ours and Reconciliation cannot be taken away. The Holy Spirit is a guarantee of our salvation (Ephesians 1:13,14 NIV). That security is where we start but not where we finish.

In the Old Testament, only a lamb without blemish or spot was chosen for the sacrifice. Only utensils and cups and saucers and all the other things found in the Tabernacle and later the Temple are perfect in every way. As it should be. But that is the Old Testament and not the New Testament. In the New Testament, the lamb was Christ, and the utensils, cups, and saucers needed for the furtherance of God's Kingdom are all chipped and broken and dirty and in the process of being cleaned and fixed up. What they have is the spirit of holiness within them and that makes all the difference in the world.

There is a lot to learn about holiness and it takes every effort to participate in this great purpose of God for our lives but when we share in the sufferings of Christ for the gospel in the ministry of reconciliation, we shall also share with him in his glorious character and heart (Romans 8:17 NIV). We have work to do for sure. We were chosen for that work specifically. It is only in the context of completing that work that our holiness will become evident, and the spirit of holiness can do his cleansing work. That is the lesson of relational evangelism and when you learn that it is a blessing and not a curse, you will find the joy and peace your life needs to become abundant and spiritually mature.

Only in effective ministry will you find the joy and peace that are your birthright because you will have learned love through faith based on hope. Learning to love God and others is its own reward and the bride in all of her holy splendor will be of such a glory that your heart would burst if you saw yourself that way today. That is the promise and he will keep it.

What more could you want? Embrace it with all of your heart and he will lead the way to glory.