sanctification

If We’re Holy, Why Does God Call Us to be Holy?

August 22, 2014 // 38 Comments

Here’s a question grace preachers hear a lot: “If we are already holy, then why does God call us to be holy?” Answer: He’s calling us to be who we truly are. He is saying, “You are my sanctified children. Act like it. Be who I made you to be.” As D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said: Holiness is not [...]

Why Was the Seventh Day Holy?

June 1, 2012 // 87 Comments

When God made the heavens and the earth, everything he did was good. And yet none of the six days of creation was considered holy. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy. (Genesis 2:3) Have you ever wondered about that? God made the stars and planets and it was good – but not holy. God made the [...]

What is Holiness? (It’s Better Than You Think!)

May 23, 2012 // 86 Comments

“Holiness is avoiding sin. It’s being set apart from the world and staying undefiled.” Or so we’ve been told. The problem with defining holiness like this is that it doesn’t actually describe a God who is holy. God was holy long before there was any sin to avoid. He was unblemished before there were [...]

7 Useless Definitions of Holiness

May 21, 2012 // 28 Comments

An old tale is told about a group of blind men who encounter an elephant for the first time. The first blind man man touches the leg and concludes, “Elephants are like trees.” “Oh no,” says the blind man touching the ear. “Elephants are like fans.” “You’re both wrong,” says the man touching the [...]

Nothing but the Blood of Jesus: Five Reasons to Thank Him

July 1, 2010 // 23 Comments

The gospel of grace is underwritten by the most precious commodity in the universe – the blood of Jesus. Some have lost sight of an important truth, possibly the most important truth, which is this: no blood means no salvation. And no redemption, no forgiveness, no sanctification, and no future. Without the [...]