A Different Question on Holiness

Holiness, Holiness is what I long for

Holiness is what I need…

You know you’ve been there.  It’s the last song…head held back, arms lifted, singing this over and over

And over

And over

And over

And….*yawn*

After eternity ends and Jesus comes back, it’s done and you walk out in the lobby (that’s church-code for “Gossip Central”), where you hear about the worship leader’s son’s girlfriend’s pregnancy, how the pastor’s socks were mis-matched, and those rumors about how the children’s director got a speeding ticket and thus needs to resign.

Is there a problem with this picture?

The words of Jesus ring ominously when He says, “Be holy, for I am holy.”  Seriously?  Jesus, who walked on water and turned water into wine?  Who went 40 days without food?  Who withstood temptation from Satan himself?

How am I supposed to be just as holy as Him?

An Attempt

If we see holiness on a scale, a grade of goodness that goes from good to bad, then giving up is the only way.  That’s the problem with religion, it puts a limit and a scope on holiness that is contextual, and then conveniently provides rules and regulations that will help the unsuspecting church-member to fit that scope.  Some of the more common rules are:

Don’t drink, it’s a sin

Don’t listen to music that isn’t Christian (minimum limit of 5 clichés per song)

Don’t miss church, that’s a sin too

Don’t hang out with too many people who aren’t Christians

Don’t question your faith

Don’t appear weak or vulnerable

Don’t challenge church leaders

Church culture defines holiness, sets the rules for attaining it, and then releases a package via an established institution for people to either follow, or “fall away”.  Ironically, this culture overlooks some overt sins like gossip, because certain sins actually enforce the rules.

A Problem

The problem is that holiness is not that simple, and Jesus wouldn’t fit in with any of these religious games churches play with.  He didn’t restrict Himself, in fact, He did the exact opposite.  He went to the clubs, the bars, and the crazy parties of His day. He made alcohol and drank it too.  He hung out with hookers in clear heels and white collar crooks who robbed the poor.  He made fun of the ‘church leaders’ of His day and cussed out Jewish holy men in the temple, saying they were sons of Satan.

So, by today’s standards, Jesus wouldn’t be allowed to give the announcements in children’s church.

A Different Question

We need to ask a different question about holiness.  It isn’t about ‘is this word holy’, ‘is this music holy’, ‘is this drink holy’, or ‘is this movie holy’. The holiness of a thing is not about the thing itself, but to what the thing points to.

Does my beverage consumption show my love for Jesus?

Does my consumption of and conversation about artistic expression show I love Jesus?

Does where I spend my time point to Jesus?

Does my social structure reflect Jesus’?

Am I authentic as to reflect Jesus?

Do I challenge sin in my own life to help others love Jesus?

Do I challenge authorities and rules that go against the principles of Jesus?

See the difference?  Everything points back to Jesus, how HE would react, and the questions don’t refer back to US and OUR definitions of holiness, but to how we are connecting our lives and choices back to Jesus. 

Holiness isn’t found in restriction, but in redemption.

The Struggle of Surrender

Surrender

What are some things that come to mind when you hear that word?  Maybe white flags, hands raised, guns down, the French?

In our American philosophy, surrender is usually something that is associated with the weak-minded and the weak-willed.  Our society prides itself in rewarding the biggest, baddest, and brawniest of persons.  Businesses and wars are run with a “we-will-never-surrender” mentality, and for the most part…it’s worked.

Unfortunately, surrender from a Christian perspective is viewed in the same way.  When we hear a phrase such as “I must surrender myself to God”, it is viewed as a limitation of freedom, fun, or creativity and thus is substituted with rote obedience.  But I think it’s something a lot different.

Surrender is a struggle.

Think about it.  Jesus died to set us free right?  But we are also called to surrender our bodies down as living sacrifices.  To mesh the two, freedom must be seen through a different lens: the struggle to surrender leads to freedom.

The Bible says that Jesus gave himself up for us, surrendering to His Father’s will.  We are called to do the same.  True, biblical surrender of our lives, wills, ambitions, and aspirations seems at first to be extremely limiting.  But there is a second part to this story.

In the proportion to which we surrender ourselves, we get unchained from the slavery of shame, guilt, ‘religious’ rules, and regulations.  The struggle to continuously surrender to God produces in the life of a Christian the increasing ability to live life the way we truly want to, freed from the desire to sin and freed to the desire to ‘put away violence and practice justice and righteousness’.

When surrender is seen as a struggle which results in freedom FROM sin and TO Christ-likeness, it becomes a joy instead of a burden, a love instead of an obligation, and allows us to engage with the true heart of the Gospel.

"Love is an attempt at penetrating another being, but it can only succeed if the surrender is mutual."

      - Octavio Paz