What is Holiness?

When you begin to get acquainted with the Wesleyan holiness movement, you will quickly come across the idea of holiness. The idea has been called many things, like entire sanctification or Christian perfection. It is a puzzling doctrine not only to many outside the Wesleyan tradition but often to those inside as well.

This is very understandable. Me? Perfect? Christian perfection? Really?

Dr. Steve Deneff quickly mentions some of the misdirections that have happened in the past. For example, if you approach the question of holiness from a standpoint of what you do, you can easily slide into legalism or moralism. Holiness comes to be about keeping rules.

In the past, holiness could almost become identified by what you wore or didn’t wear. It could be identified with whether you went to movies or played cards. Did you cut your hair or wear jewelry? It is no wonder that a generation of Wesleyans nearly rejected the concept of holiness. This approach to holiness can come to look a lot more like the Pharisees of Matthew 23 than anything Jesus taught.

A second misdirection focuses on experience. Did you go back to the altar to get your second work of God after conversion? Did you have that tremendous feeling of God when he met you that second time? This approach can unintentionally become quite “me” centered. At its worst, holiness becomes what Keith Drury once called “two-tripism” – making sure you take two trips up front to the altar.

Rather, Dr. Deneff clarifies that holiness, properly understood, is relational. It starts with the holiness of God himself, who has revealed himself as love. In relation to us, holiness has to do with our relationship with God, our love of God powered by God. Then it involves our relationship with others as an outpouring of our loving relationship with God.

We can never love God or others as much as possible. To some extent, holiness will always be aspirational. Deneff also indicates that it is dynamic. The more you love God, the farther you realize you have to go.

Dr. Deneff gave a helpful example from a conversation he had with a husband and wife. He asked the husband if he loved his wife with his whole heart. He indicated that he did. Then Deneff asked him if he loved her enough. He indicated he could love her more. 

This parable holds an important key to understanding holiness. From the human side, holiness involves giving God our whole heart. That’s a commitment God expects of all believers. But this general surrender will always require the daily, unending surrender and making of choices for God in the details of our lives. There will always be more love we can give God and others.

So, what is holiness? First, it has to do with who God is, and God has revealed himself as love (1 John 4:8). What is the nature of God’s holiness? His nature is love. 

Then God calls us to be in relationship with him. He pours his love out into our hearts (Rom. 5:5). That results in us loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. That love of God then leads us to love our neighbors and enemies as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). This is what holiness looks like for us.