What we lost: the weight of holiness

Holiness is not an accessory to worship; it is the atmosphere of God’s presence. From Eden to Sinai to Zion to the New Jerusalem, God declares Himself holy and calls His people to reflect His nature. “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do. For it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15–16).

Holiness is not dour; it is beauty and splendor. Scripture speaks of worship “in the splendor of His holiness” (Psalm 96:9). And holiness is not optional: “Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

How holiness slipped out of the sanctuary

The sanctuary did not empty of holiness because God changed. We grew comfortable, pragmatic, hurried. We learned to draw crowds and forgot to draw near. We got good at platforms and forgot altars.

The decline is visible. It shows up when worship feels weightless, when sin feels normal, and when the fear of man replaces the fear of the Lord. Consider the culprits:

- Replacing reverence with relevance (2 Timothy 4:3–4; Galatians 1:10; Revelation 3:1–2).

- Confusing grace with permission (Romans 6:1–2; Titus 2:11–12).

- Neglecting the Word and its authority (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; Amos 8:11).

- Blurring the holy and the common (Ezekiel 22:26; 44:23; Leviticus 10:1–3).

- Treating the ordinances casually (1 Corinthians 11:27–32; 10:21).

- Abandoning loving, biblical discipline (Matthew 18:15–17; 1 Corinthians 5; Hebrews 12:15).

- Installing leaders for charisma over character (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1; Acts 20:28–31).

- Entertaining the saints rather than edifying them (Hebrews 12:28–29; Psalm 29:2).

- Praying rarely and lightly (Acts 2:42; Colossians 4:2).

- Living compartmentalized lives (Romans 12:1–2; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20).

Where the sanctuary actually is

The sanctuary is not a stage; it is a people. We are living stones being built into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5). We are God’s temple; His Spirit dwells among us (1 Corinthians 3:16–17). If the people are not holy, the place cannot be holy—no matter how polished the program.

When we gather, we are “the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). Our architecture, music, speech, and sacraments must match that reality. We come not to sample an experience, but to meet the living God.

The fear of the Lord restores worship

Holy fear is not panic; it is weighty joy. It is glad trembling before the God who is both Father and consuming fire. In Acts 5, when sin was exposed, “great fear” fell—and the church advanced in power. Reverence is not the enemy of joy; it is the soil in which joy becomes durable.

Hebrews says, “For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). That fire does not destroy those who draw near by the blood of Jesus; it purifies them. The more we behold His holiness, the more our worship deepens, steadies, and strengthens.

Grace that trains us to say no

True grace never excuses sin; it educates the heart. The grace of God has appeared and trains us to renounce ungodliness and live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives (Titus 2:11–12). Grace saves us from sin’s penalty and schools us out of sin’s patterns.

This guards us from two ditches. Legalism attempts holiness without Christ’s power. Lawlessness claims Christ without holiness. The Spirit leads a better way: “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16), “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), and grow up into Christ.

A pathway to recover holiness together

Renewal does not happen by accident. It comes when we return to what God blesses and obey what He has commanded.

- Re-enthrone Scripture: public reading, expository preaching, and a whole-Bible diet (1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 4:2). “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17).

- Recover the gospel’s summons: repentance, faith, and cross-bearing (Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21; Luke 9:23).

- Practice meaningful membership and restorative discipline (Matthew 18:15–17; 1 Corinthians 5; 2 Corinthians 2:6–8).

- Guard the Table with sober self-examination (1 Corinthians 10:21; 11:27–32).

- Reform worship around Scripture, prayer, singing truth, and the ordinances (Acts 2:42; Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19).

- Reestablish prayer and fasting as normal (Acts 13:2–3; Matthew 6:16–18).

- Train and test leaders for biblical holiness and courage (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1; 1 Peter 5:2–3).

- Cultivate the fear of God in all—lowly contrition, not swagger (Proverbs 9:10; Isaiah 66:2).

- Pursue peacemaking; discipline gossip and slander (Matthew 5:23–24; Ephesians 4:29; James 3).

- Steward the Lord’s Day for worship and rest (Hebrews 10:24–25; Isaiah 58:13–14; Revelation 1:10).

- Restore confession and assurance in gathered worship (1 John 1:9; Psalm 32:5; James 5:16).

- Catechize children and adults in core doctrine and holy living (Deuteronomy 6:6–9; 2 Timothy 1:13; 2:2).

Personal holiness that fuels corporate renewal

Corporate holiness begins in private obedience. Your prayer closet determines your pew. “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8). The sanctuary is strengthened by the secret life.

Personal repentance is never merely personal. “Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). When homes are altars, the sanctuary sings.

Holiness that advances the mission

Holiness does not shrink mission; it propels it. A pure church has a clear witness. Our good works adorn sound doctrine (Titus 2:10). Our honorable conduct among unbelievers gives weight to our words (1 Peter 2:12) and light to our lamps (Matthew 5:16).

When the church blends with the world, her salt loses savor (Matthew 5:13). When she is set apart, the fragrance of Christ spreads (2 Corinthians 2:14–16). Love and truth together—this is the missionary power of holiness.

The promise that empowers change

Christ died to “sanctify” and “cleanse” His bride and present her without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:25–27). He will have a holy church, and He gives the Spirit to make it so. This confidence does not make us passive; it makes us persevering.

“The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24). So we labor and we rest. We open the Bible and open our lives to its searching light. We come near with confidence, and we rise with courage. “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17).

Scripture distinguishes holy from common, and clean from unclean. Holiness means set apart to God; clean describes fitness to draw near. Israel learned that God’s presence is not casual (Leviticus 10:10; Ezekiel 44:23).

- Holy vs. common: who we belong to and for what purpose (Exodus 30:29; 1 Peter 2:9).

- Clean vs. unclean: our readiness to approach (Leviticus 11–15; Psalm 24:3–4).

- In Christ, ceremonial laws are fulfilled, yet the moral call to holiness intensifies (Mark 7:19; Acts 10; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 10:19–22).

Shepherds and the shape of holiness

Leaders set the tone. Shepherds must be models of repentance and integrity. They watch their life and doctrine closely (1 Timothy 4:16). Courage to confront sin and tenderness to bind up the wounded must live together.

- Qualifications matter (1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9).

- Oversight is vigilant, not domineering (1 Peter 5:2–3; Acts 20:28–31).

- Private holiness precedes public ministry (2 Timothy 2:20–22; 1 Thessalonians 2:10).

Church discipline: firm, slow, restorative

Church discipline protects Christ’s name, preserves the flock, and pursues the wandering. It is not a hammer of pride but a scalpel of love (Hebrews 12:5–11; Galatians 6:1).

- Step 1: private reproof (Matthew 18:15).

- Step 2: small-witness appeal (Matthew 18:16).

- Step 3: tell it to the church (Matthew 18:17a).

- Step 4: remove if unrepentant, while praying for restoration (Matthew 18:17b; 1 Corinthians 5; 2 Corinthians 2:6–8).

Worship regulated by the Word

God knows best how He is to be worshiped. The ordinary means—Word, prayer, singing, ordinances—are not bare; they are blazing when believed (Acts 2:42; Colossians 3:16; 1 Timothy 4:13).

- Prioritize clarity over spectacle (1 Corinthians 14:19, 26).

- Let Scripture read, prayed, sung, and preached take center stage (Nehemiah 8:1–8; 2 Timothy 4:2).

- Keep the cross visible and the world’s patterns at bay (Romans 12:2; Galatians 6:14).

Guarding the Table and the waters

Baptism identifies; the Supper nourishes. Fencing the Table is pastoral care, not exclusionary pride (1 Corinthians 10:16–21; 11:27–32).

- Catechize candidates; ensure a credible profession (Acts 8:36–38; Romans 10:9–10).

- Invite baptized, repentant believers to the Table with sober joy (1 Corinthians 11:28).

- Restore church-wide preparation: self-examination, reconciliation, and gratitude (Matthew 5:23–24; 1 Corinthians 5:8).

Sexual holiness in an impure age

Sexual sin hollows out holiness and mocks the gospel. God’s will is our sanctification—that we abstain from sexual immorality and possess our bodies in holiness and honor (1 Thessalonians 4:3–8).

- Bring sin into the light with gospel safety and truthful clarity (James 5:16; 1 John 1:7–9).

- Establish discipleship plans toward freedom: accountability, Scripture, counsel, and rhythms of grace (Galatians 6:1–2; Psalm 119:9–11).

- Remember whose you are: “you were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20); therefore, honor God with your body.

Technology, aesthetics, and reverence

Our tools shape us. Screens can distract, amplify noise, and thin attention. Devices are servants, not masters. Design and sound should serve the Word, not compete with it.

- Embrace “digital fasting” in worship; minimize distraction (Psalm 46:10).

- Pursue beauty that accords with truth—noble, pure, commendable (Philippians 4:8).

- Let silence, confession, and lament have space (Habakkuk 2:20; Psalm 51).

Holiness and justice belong together

God hates both hypocrisy and oppression. Pure religion cares for widows and orphans and keeps unstained from the world (James 1:27). Mercy and holiness are friends, not rivals.

- Do justice without shedding truth; love mercy without shrugging at sin (Micah 6:8; Zechariah 7:9–10).

- Pursue reconciliation across divides through the gospel (Ephesians 2:14–22; Colossians 3:12–15).

- Keep the cross central, where righteousness and peace kiss (Psalm 85:10).

Suffering, discipline, and hope

God disciplines His children for holiness (Hebrews 12:10). Trials refine faith, not ruin it. We do not despise the fires; we trust the Refiner.

- Expect trials; do not be surprised (1 Peter 4:12–13).

- Receive discipline as love, leading to “the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:11).

- Suffer well, bearing witness to living hope (1 Peter 3:15–17).

Prayer rhythms that form holy people

Prayer is the lungs of holiness. Without it, our worship hyperventilates on emotion or suffocates in routine. With it, Scripture moves from page to pulse.

- Pattern the church in ACTS: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication (1 Timothy 2:1–2; Psalm 32; Philippians 4:6–7).

- Anchor homes in daily Word-and-prayer habits (Deuteronomy 6:6–9; Psalm 1).

- Pray toward endurance and unity: “But you, beloved, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God…” (Jude 20–21).

Judgment begins at the house of God

We often want cultural change without church repentance. But Scripture is clear: “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God” (1 Peter 4:17). Our holiness is the most powerful critique of the age and the most credible invitation to our neighbors.

Let’s return to the sanctuary with clean hands and steady hearts. Let’s recover the fear of the Lord and the joy of the Lord—together, under the Word, in the power of the Spirit, for the honor of Christ.