The Hole In Our Holiness Goes Even Deeper
Kevin DeYoung uncovers a troubling erosion of personal evangelical piety, but what about the public implications of godly living?
[ posted 11/26/2012 8:12AM ]
This is the second of a four-part series of reviews looking at Kevin DeYoung'sThe Hole in Our Holiness.
Holiness is an essential mark of God's people, but it's all too often ignored and dismissed. Kevin DeYoung's The Hole in Our Holiness ...
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Grady Walton
Yeah, for decades I’ve heard the case for holiness in the church. Don’t get me wrong, I believe some form of holiness must be part of the Christian life. But I’ve also heard bold assertions from pulpits and in print that we can’t achieve holiness via our own power, that the power of God will help us. Certainly I have experienced the life-changing power of God. But I have also experienced the absence of that power at times, or I did not perceive it. Let’s be honest: everyone fails at holiness, some worse than others. After years of struggling for holiness, it’s understandable why many put holiness on the back burner. (Or shove it off the stove entirely.) It’s simpler to focus on Christ’s imperative that we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbor as ourselves. Both of these imperatives are a full plate without piling on the holiness. Besides, even Paul expressed frustration with the struggle between human weakness and what he knew he should do. So what’s the answer? I don’t know. Now that, at least, is genuine.