What is holiness, and why do we need it?

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Overview

The word holiness sends up red flags in the minds of many. After all, holiness smacks of legalism, and few of us want that. Besides, we’re trying our best to be culturally relevant for the sake of winning unbelievers to Christ. Holiness sounds a little outdated.

Is holiness out of vogue in the church? And if so, what do we do with Scripture’s unequivocal call to holiness? The answer to these questions may lie in our definition of holiness. In our day and age, holiness is usually defined as a person’s private moral choices. Somewhere along the line, we’ve missed the real meaning. So what is God’s definition of holiness? Is it even possible to be holy? Are holiness and cultural relevance mutually exclusive? Is holiness a personal or a corporate calling?

Table of Contents

SCRIPTURE: Mark 8:34–38; Ephesians 2:1–10; Philippians 2:1–16; 1 Peter 2:9–17

LEADER'S GUIDE

    • Identify the Current Issue

    • Discover the Eternal Principles

—Teaching point one: Holiness must be based on a relationship with Jesus Christ, rather than merely an effort to be good.

—Teaching point two: God’s call to be holy is a radical, all-encompassing claim on our lives, loves, and identities.

—Teaching point three: The call of God to holiness comes not to isolated individuals, but to a people.