We have also put together lists of the books on Holiness that a believer must read along the way. This definition of holiness is problematic since it doesn’t truly characterize a holy God. Long before there was any sin to avoid, God was holy. Before there were any flaws, he was perfect.
Holiness is whole. The phrase “God is holy” alludes to the Godhead’s overflowing wholeness, fullness, beauty, and abundant life. Nothing is lacking in God. He is whole and whole within himself, unbroken, unharmed, and unfallen. He is the epitome of perfection, the indivisible One, and completely self-sufficient.
Holiness is the entirety of God’s nature in magnificent totality, not just one facet.
Perfection in the sense of completion is what is meant by holiness. When Jesus the Holy One came and told us to “Be perfect” (Matt 5:48), he was calling us to a life of purity and fullness. The Greek word for “perfect” means “whole” or “complete. Jesus said, ‘Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Jesus comes to heal the broken. He was summoning us to his life.
A holy and undivided God is set against an impure and broken world. Sin and separation bring us into a world of scarcity and death. Our natural state is a preoccupation with our demands and deficiencies. We spend our lives trying to get what we are lacking and to heal the damage done by our alienation.
But the only cure for our brokenness is the revelation of a God who is whole and holy and who has promised to supply all of our needs out of his abundant sufficiency.
It seems obvious but many people do not know this. We are called to worship God in the beauty of His holiness, but too much of what we call worship is complaining about how ugly we are. We do not receive it to the extent that we prioritize our needs over His provision. All Christ did for us is beyond our understanding.
Below are lists of books on Holiness:
A Christian’s Pocket Guide To Growing In Holiness (Pocket Guides) – J. V. Fesko
Pleasing God: 11 Ways to Make Him Smile –
