On Being Reformed - Commitment #2: “Pursue holiness in all areas of life.”

In our last blog post in this series, we saw that our Membership Covenant operates under the ultimate authority of Scripture and that all we do is rooted in the Word of God. This first commitment to Scripture as our ultimate authority sets the tone for the rest of the covenant commitments, and we strive for all the others to flow from it. And since this is the case, the next logical question to ask is, what does Scripture actually call us to do? And that brings us to our second commitment, “to pursue holiness in all areas of life.”

And the reason that this is the next commitment that we make to each other is that it is one of the clearest commands that is repeated throughout the Bible. As such, we believe it is a duty of every Christian, and every Christ-centred church, to pursue holiness in all that we do. Therefore, we strive to be conformed to His image as we pursue holiness.

The primary passage that grounds this commitment is 1 Peter 1:14-15, where Peter writes, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct”. This command for God’s chosen people, His Church, to pursue holiness isn’t a new one either. This command reaches all the way back to Leviticus 19:2, where Moses writes using very similar language to Peter, “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.”

Holiness has always been God's desire for His people, and as such, we as a church commit ourselves to striving after this in all we do in order to be faithful and obedient to God. For this reason, we root this here in our Membership Covenant, because Scripture tells us that God "chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him" (Ephesians 1:4). Notice that holiness is not an afterthought in God's saving work. It is one of His purposes in saving us. He did not simply save us from judgment; He saved us so that we would increasingly reflect His own holy character. Holiness isn’t an optional pursuit, nor is it reserved for a select few "mighty" Christians. It is God's command for every believer whom He has saved and regenerated. 

Because holiness is God's purpose for His redeemed people, the New Testament repeatedly calls us to actively pursue it. This is why the author of Hebrews exhorts us to "strive for holiness, without which no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). That being said, it is important to always remember that holiness isn’t the thing that leads us to our salvation. Holiness is the thing that we now live for, as we have already been made into a Child of God. Holiness is the fruit of our salvation. It is the gracious work of the Holy Spirit within us, producing an increasing conformity to Christ as we actively pursue obedience to Him. Our pursuit of holiness does not earn God's favour; it demonstrates the transforming work He has already begun within us. 

And it is important to know that this call for holiness isn’t just an individual call, but it is a collective call. The New Testament constantly speaks about the Church and the call of the Church. We must always remember that when Christ returns, He is coming back for His bride (the Church) and not just for millions of individual Christians. Scripture also teaches that there is one body and one Spirit, and that we are to be eager to maintain our unity and walk in a manner worthy of our calling, which is in a manner of holiness (Ephesians 4:1-4).

Having been saved and united to Christ, we are now called to bear with one another in love. And since a local church is its own body of Christ that is a part of the universal bride of Christ, we are called to pursue holiness together as a church. We are to stir up one another in love and in good works, as we encourage each other to live a life in holiness (Hebrews 10:24-25). The call of the church is to encourage each other to holiness in love.

A holy church is one where we: forgive quickly, refuse gossip, seek reconciliation, speak truth, serve joyfully, honour elders, care for weaker believers, and love one another sacrificially (Titus 2:11-14). We need to understand that holiness isn’t just avoiding sin, but it is actively becoming more like Christ, whom we are to imitate. We must never ignore sin that we see in the church or its members, and we are called to pursue purity and holiness together. Because Christ calls His Church to pursue holiness together, He also commands His Church to lovingly protect that holiness whenever it is threatened. 

We see an example of a church responding to sin among its members and protecting the church from unholiness in its midst. God records this for us so that we can see what pursuing holiness looks like in the life of a local church. We see this in 1 Corinthians 5, where there is sexual immorality among some members. Paul commands that the unrepentant offender be removed from the fellowship of the church. Holiness among the Church of God must be guarded and fought for.

And the reason for this we see in verses 6 or 7, which is a little sin (the leaven) among the church; if it is tolerated, it will eventually spread to the whole church (the loaf/lump). So unrepentant sin can never be tolerated within the church, so that the church can celebrate living in sincerity and truth together. Verse 11 goes even a step further and exhorts Christians not to associate with people who call themselves Christians, who are living in unrepentant sin. This is precisely why we covenant together as members of a local church. We do not merely pursue holiness as isolated Christians, but commit ourselves to helping one another faithfully pursue it together. 

This commitment matters to the life of the church, since holiness glorifies God (Matthew 5:16), and the ultimate aim of His Church should be this very thing. Personal holiness strengthens the body, since every part of the body plays a vital role. Holiness also protects the church, since sin is always damaging to unity, witness, and the fellowship among members. Finally, holiness brings us assurance and joy, since walking with Christ in holiness is where true joy is found (Psalm 1).

When we became members of Knox Baptist Church, we promised not merely to attend church together, but to pursue lives of holiness that honour God together. And it is important to note that this commitment isn’t about perfection, but it is about a forward direction as we pursue holiness and strive to be conformed more and more to the image of Christ. When we stumble, we repent. When we see a brother or sister living in sin, we lovingly confront them, in the hope that it leads to their repentance. We do this with a loving heart, and remember that as Christ sanctifies us, He displays His own holiness through us, His Church.

In closing, I just want to pray that we are united as a church in this commitment that we have made to each other. I pray that God keeps making Knox a church that increasingly resembles Christ and is marked by holiness. And I pray that as we pursue this in our church, we remember that it is all for the glory of God.

Soli Deo Gloria

Pastor Steven Larson