Quotes from J.I. Packer's Rediscovering Holiness

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"Be Holy, for I am Holy" (1 Pet. 1:16)


I am currently reading J.I. Packer's Rediscovering Holiness in my devotions and I am finding so many pearls of wisdom. He argues that one of the main weaknesses of the Evangelical Western Church is its lack of holiness and I completely agree. Here are some nuggets I've gleaned so far:

"Holy in both biblical languages means separated and set apart for God, consecrated and made over to him." (p. 19)

"Genuine holiness is genuine Christ-likeness, and genuine Christ-likeness is genuine humanness-the only genuine humanness there is. Love in the service of God and others, humility and meekness under the divine hand, integrity of behavior expressing integration of character, wisdom with faithfulness, boldness with prayerfulness, sorrow at people's sins, joy at the Father's goodness, and single-mindedness in seeking to please the Father morning, noon, and night, were all qualities seen in Christ, the perfect man. Christians are meant to become human as Jesus was human." (p. 28)

"In reality holiness is the goal of our redemption." (p. 35)

"When we confess ourselves lost sinners and cast ourselves on Christ to save us, we are acknowledging by our action that we contribute nothing to our new relationship with God save our need of it, and this is the exact truth. We get into God's favor, not by paying our way, but by accepting his gift of a blood-bought amnesty. However, in sanctification, which is the work of God within us from which our holiness flows, we are called to cooperate actively with God." (p. 45)

A holy life begins with being awestruck at the greatness of my Maker, gratitude for the mercy of my God, being zealous for the glory of my Savior Jesus Christ, and being natural in the living of my life (being led by the Holy Spirit). (Chapter 3)

"A paradox of Christian holiness that mystifies outsiders is that, despite the privations that Jesus described as self-denial, cross-bearing, cutting off one's hand and foot, gouging out one's eye, leaving wealth and security for poverty and some measure of persecution, holiness is essentially a happy business." (p. 87)

"Holiness is every Christian's calling. It is not an option, but an requirement. God wants his children to live up to his standards and to do him credit in the eyes of the watching world, so he says explicitly to us all: 'Be holy, because I am holy' (1 Pet.1:16)." (p. 90-91)

"Holy people practice good works, not to earn God's present or future favor, but as a way of laying hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of them." (p. 105) 


A God who Judges

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One of my goals every year is to read the Bible entirely from cover to cover. This week, I have started reading the book of Jeremiah. When I read the Old Testament Prophets, I am reminded again that God is a judging God. Here are some verses that struck me this morning as I was reading:


1. God will Judge those who Refuse to Repent

"O LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You have struck them down, but they felt no anguish; you have consumed them, but they reused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent" (Jer. 5:3). One of the reasons why God judges sin is so that His people would repent and acknowledge their wrongdoing. However, instead of repenting, Israel continues to harden their hearts against God. 

2. God will Judge those who Neglect Justice

"They know no bounds in deeds of evil; they judge not with justice the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy. Shall I not punish them for these things?" (Jer. 5:28-29). Another reason why God judges sin is because people neglect to show justice to the orphan and the poor. God cares for the weak and calls His people to do likewise.

3. God will Judge those who Preach Falsely 

"An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?" (Jer. 5:30-31).  The prophets in Jeremiah's time were preaching that judgment was not coming because God would not judge His own people. They were preaching peace, when there was no peace (Jer. 6:14). Not only were the prophets and priests preaching lies, but the people of God were loving the lies. Both the spiritual leaders and the people of God abandoned the truth for a lie. 

Jeremiah prophesies the coming judgment of Babylon. God did in fact use Babylon to judge Judah in 586 B.C. The Temple in Jerusalem was completely burned down and the people of God were driven into Exile. Why did God judge? God judged his people because they refused to repent, neglected justice, and the prophets were preaching lies. This is a good warning for us that God does not tolerate sin and will in fact judge sin. 

The Preacher's Calling and Commission

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[4] Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, [5] “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” [6] Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” [7] But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. [8] Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 1:4-8)

God sovereignly appoints before the foundation of the world whom He will use to proclaim His Word to the nations (v. 5). Jeremiah feels inadequate because he is young and knows that he is not exactly the most eloquent speaker that you would want to preach to the nations (v. 6). But God reminds Jeremiah to not rely on himself, but on the God who sends, and God who commands. Jeremiah is simply to obey by going and speaking (v. 7). Moreover, Jeremiah is not to be afraid of the people He is being called to speak to, because God is with Him to deliver Him (v. 8). 

I know in my own life, there are times where I feel completely inadequate because of my youth and my lack of eloquence to preach God's Word to God's People. But this passage reminds me to simply go to where God calls me to go, and speak to the people what God commands me to speak. In other words, go and preach the Word (Matt.28:18-20; 2 Tim. 4:2). And when I am afraid, I need to be reminded that God promises to be with me, "for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD" (Jer. 1:4-8). 

True Religion According to Isaiah

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I have been doing my devotions in the morning in the book of Isaiah. I pray that I would learn to be a doer of the Word, and not just a hearer (James 1:22). Here are some things that stuck out to me this morning:

1. God is Concerned about Internal Holiness, Not Just External Religiosity (Isa. 58:1-7)

The Israelites are asking God why He is not noticing their fasting, "Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?" (58:3). But God answers and says he does not acknowledge their fasting because they still seek their own pleasure (58:3), oppress their workers (58:3), fight and quarrel (58:4). True fasting according to the Lord is to "loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke" (58:6). Moreover, true fasting is being generous and hospitable to those who are in need (58:6-7). In other words, true fasting is concerned about justice.

2. God is Concerned about the Poor (Isa. 58:10)

God says, "If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday" (Isa. 58:19). Not only is God concerned about justice, but he is concerned about true generosity. I have been thinking about how this applies to me in my own context. I live in the Suburbs where it is reasonably comfortable and I do not exactly see many homeless people walking around the streets of West Covina. But I am sure there are poor saints in the local church who do not share their need because they feel ashamed or embarrassed. I'm also thinking about the saints in Iraq who are leaving their homes because of the terrorism of ISIS. Does this mean I need to give to a relief organization? Volunteer at a local homeless shelter? Be quick to give to someone who is asking for money on the streets? Lord, I need guidance on how to apply this in my own life.

3. God is Concerned about the Sabbath (Isa. 58:13-14)

Although we are not Israelites living under the Old Covenant anymore, I believe the principle of honoring the Lord's Day still applies. God rested on the Seventh Day after creating everything and He delighted in His Work. We too, must set aside a day, to rest and delight in the Lord. God says, "if you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, and the holy day of the LORD honorable, if you honor it, not giving your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly, then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth" (Isa. 58:13-14). It is discouraging to me to see Christians who are not concerned about honoring the Lord's day. Often times, many people make excuses not to gather with God's people because the reality of the matter is that they do not make the Sabbath (or Lord's Day) a delight. For me, Sunday is one of the most exciting day of the week because I get to sing God's praises, hear God's Word, fellowship with His People, observe the ordinances that remind me of the glorious Gospel, and be reminded of the goodness of God. If only we understood the privilege of worshiping freely with God's people in this country. With the recent events in Iraq, I am reminded not to hold the Lord's Day in contempt.

True religion according to Isaiah 58 is doing justice, being generous to the poor, and delighting in God on a Day we set aside to honor Him with His people. Lord, teach me how to do this in my life. Amen.