Gracefully Holy

One of my earliest memories is my grandfather's grandfather clock. I was fascinated and a little intimidated by this contraption towering over me in the hallway. I didn't know how to tell time yet—I didn't even notice the dial, the numbers, or the hands. What captivated me was that pendulum swinging back and forth in a steady rhythm.

I still don't understand the mechanics of how that pendulum keeps time, but it's become one of my favorite illustrations for understanding the gospel. Healthy Christians find their rhythm in continually immersing themselves in both the grace and holiness of God. But if you are like me, you have often found yourself stuck on one side or the other.

We can become so focused on God's holiness that Christianity becomes an exhausting effort to earn God's approval through good behavior. After reading the many imperatives we find in God’s Word, we commit to trying harder, doing better, and being nicer. And preachers like me? I’m afraid we can really turn the crank of guilt and shame, reminding you of all the ways you failed last week without offering a sufficient supply of God’s grace.

When we realize our mistake, we can easily overcorrect by swinging the pendulum too far in the other direction. God’s grace is amazing–an unmerited gift for the undeserving. There's nothing we can do to earn our salvation. It's all about faith in Jesus. We love to sing, "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me." But we conveniently forget that God’s grace is intended to make rescued wretches like me holy. 

God's amazing grace doesn't just save us wretches—it transforms us. If you've had a shallow understanding of grace, treating it as permission to live an unholy life, you need to ride the pendulum swing to the side of holiness.

The truth is, grace and holiness aren't fighting each other. Without holiness, we wouldn't need grace. Without grace, we'd have no hope of holiness. God's grace is actually the fuel that powers our pursuit of holiness.

Answer the Call to be Holy

When's the last time you heard the word "holy" in normal conversation? Unless it was followed by an expletive, probably not recently. We've lost touch with this beautiful concept that's central to who God is and who He's calling us to be.

So what exactly is holiness? It's not about achieving some impossible standard of perfection. Holiness is more a pursuit than a destination. It's a direction, not a destination. Think of it this way: 

Holiness is being gracefully conformed into God's holy character in everything you think, feel, say, and do.

Here's what changed my understanding: positional holiness produces practical holiness. If you are in Christ, God has already declared you holy to be holy. Now you get to become in your daily life what you already are in your spiritual position. It's not about earning something you don't have—it's about living out what you've already been given.

What does this actually look like? It’s not performing miracles.

Holiness is the sum of a million little choices made over a lifetime. 

• It's resisting the temptation to conform to the passions of my former ignorance. (1 Peter 1:14)

• It's putting to death fleshly appetites. (Colossians 3:5)

• It's denying myself, taking up my cross daily, and following Jesus. (Luke 9:23)

• It's putting boundaries on what others seem to have the freedom to do.

• It's distancing myself from worldliness.

• It’s refusing to be entertained by evil.

• It's practicing moderation in eating, sleeping, playing, and shopping.

• It's purging my vocabulary from profanity. 

• It’s refusing to abuse drugs and alcohol.

• It's refusing to let my eyes linger on images that arouse me sexually and turning away from the addictive power of pornography.

• It's saving sex for marriage.

• It’s not spending God's money on things I don't need

• It's giving cheerfully to fund the work of the Lord. 

• It’s sacrificing comfort to live on mission with God.

• It's expressing gratitude when I receive something I don’t deserve.

• It’s honoring my parents.

• It's moving toward people in need to help them move closer to God.

• It's forgiving the offenses of hurtful people. 

• It’s refusing to gossip, slander, and seek revenge.

• It's turning the other cheek when unjustly attacked.

• It's disciplining myself to spend time in God's Word and prayer.

• It's being trustworthy, faithful, and keeping promises.

• It's submitting to authority.

• It’s leading by example

• It's showing up on time and doing hard work.

• It's humbly confessing how miserably I fail to be holy and it's getting up every morning to renew my pursuit of holiness, knowing God's mercies are new every morning, because God says, "Be holy, for I am holy."

Access the Power to be Holy 

But let's be honest—this sounds overwhelming, doesn't it? How do we access the power to live this way? Peter gives us the secret in his first letter, and it's better than any self-help strategy you'll find.

First, treasure Christ's ransom for you. Peter reminds us that we've been "ransomed by the precious blood of Christ." This isn't just a word picture. Christ actually paid a ransom with his blood to set me free from sin’s death grip. When you truly grasp what it costs to rescue you, it changes how you live.

The more intently you look to Jesus, the more closely you'll look like Jesus. 

The more you look to Christ and what He's done for you, the more you'll naturally look like Him. Even when you fail miserably (and you will), you get up the next morning and start again, knowing that God's mercies are fresh and new.

Second, keep your hope focused on Christ's return. Peter tells us to "set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." There's still more grace coming. The best is yet to come.

This future hope isn't just wishful thinking—it's powerful fuel for present holiness. When you're tempted to give in to old patterns, remember what you're moving toward. We fight today's fleeting pleasures with the promise of eternal joy. We combat the immediate gratification of sin with the incredible pleasure that awaits us when Jesus returns.

You don't pursue holiness to become holy. You pursue holiness because you already are holy in Christ. The pendulum doesn't need to swing wildly between grace and holiness. It finds its steady, life-giving rhythm when we understand that grace empowers holiness, and our pursuit of holiness constantly reminds us of our need for more grace.

God is calling you to be holy because He is holy. And His grace—that same grace that saved you—is more than enough to empower you to answer that call.