Morality vs. Holiness
Is not morality and holiness just about the same thing? Are not believers to aspire to both? Is not one just as good as the other? Well the truth is they are not really the same thing at all. For starters, we have heard much more about morality than we have holiness. Morality is oriented more toward outward behavior stemming from an internal belief which can be either weak or strong. Morality is adherence to a standard or a system. It is doing the right thing.
Holiness is quite different. The word “holy” essentially means “set apart.” Holiness is the only attribute of God that is ascribed to Him 3 times consecutively. In Isaiah 6:3 the seraphim cried one to another saying “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.” All other attributes of God given in scripture should be understood in the context of His holiness. In fact one can never understand God apart from His holiness. R.C. Sproul has stated that, “any attempt to understand God apart from His holiness is idolatry.” In other words, if one fails to recognize God as holy then they are not recognizing the one true God but some other being or object they have put in place of the one true and living God.
God has bound Himself to a sense of morality, however it is He Who sets the standards for what is moral. Most of all God is holy. As His children we are most responsible for being “set apart” or pursuing “holiness.” Being holy means we are set apart from sin as well we are set apart for a purpose. What might that purpose be? The writer of Ecclesiastes captured the thought well when he wrote as he concluded his writing, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments; for this is man’s all” (Ecc. 12:13) Man’s highest duty is to remain set apart for God’s purpose in his life. Sin is that which separates him from God and gets in the way of holiness.
We need much more than mere external behavior to please God. Holiness takes us to that internal relationship we so desperately need. Dr. Art Azurdia writes,
God does not desire a moral people; He desires a holy people. You ask: ‘Is there really a difference between the two?’ There is most certainly. It is the difference between the Pharisees – the most zealous of the parties of ancient Judaism during the late Second Temple period – and the Lord Jesus Christ. They were moral; He was holy. Morality is the negative concept, in that it defines itself in terms of what one refrains from doing. It’s preoccupation is almost exclusively with externals. Holiness, by contrast, is the positive and holistic concept. While encompassing externals, its reach is far more penetrating and comprehensive. (Art Azurdia; Connected Christianity: Engaging Culture without Compromise; 34)
Some may believe that following an external code of morality is the answer for changing the world, changing their church, or even changing themselves, but it is not. Only holiness will fulfill God’s purpose for us. Azurdia goes on to write, “God fulfills his purposes in the world not through the means of a moral majority but a holy minority. Holiness, not morality, is God’s desire for His people.” (Azurdia; Connected Christianity; 36)
Too many believers, even pastors have fixated on externals to the serious neglect of a personal pursuit of holiness. Our main objective as believers should be this pursuit, although it is rarely mentioned. It is not about following rules or adhering to a standard or a code of conduct, it is about hungering, thirsting, pining after God. The Psalmist said it so eloquently in Ps. 42:1-2, “As the deer pants for the water brooks so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” Both an obedient and truly fulfilling life comes only through a committed pursuit of holiness.
In Christ,
Pastor Allen Raynor