Making holiness great again is a worthy effort. What godly person doesn’t want holiness to be great?  The pharisees in the first century attempted to “make holiness great again.” Sadly, their version of “holiness”* was a strict adherence to the law, especially the sabbath laws. This approach weaponized holiness and put them in conflict with Jesus on multiple occasions. Theirs was a haughty brand of “holiness” that in the end looked nothing like the humble holiness that Jesus exuded. When holiness disintegrates into a prideful, battle weapon it is no longer holiness. It’s a self-congratulatory enterprise that looks more like the smirking pharisees on Good Friday, than the forgiving, dying Savior on the cross. It’s no longer great.

Religious bullying in the name of God Almighty is what Jesus abhorred. Could it be that Jesus is still disgusted by anyone touting a far less than great brand of holiness. A “holiness” more intent on keeping rules and keeping out rule breakers, than it is on a welcoming, Philippians 2:5-11, selfless-love brand of holiness?

Holiness is great when smugness is swapped with the unpretentious fruit of the Spirit.
Holiness is great when pride is replaced with humility. 
Holiness is great when it’s characterized by true righteousness not self-righteousness.
Holiness is great when perfect love chases out all fear.
Holiness is great when it looks like the open-armed father and not the angry, rule keeping older brother when his prodigal sibling returned.
Holiness is great when there are less pitch forks and torches and more flames of the Spirit. 
Holiness is great when the miniscule search for specks in the eyes of offenders gives way to 
lumberjack-ian task of log removeable from one’s own optic nerves. 
Holiness is great when it looks like Jesus.

One of the core values of the Church of the Nazarene is “holiness.” It would have been one of the pharisees’ core values too. Do we look more like the pharisees or Jesus? The pharisaical brand of “holiness” is one where there are multiple boxes which need to be checked. Accordingly, if not all of the boxes are checked, then it’s not “holiness.” The Jesus brand of holiness has only one box: holy forgiving selfless love.** If it’s checked, it’s holiness. Let’s strive to check that box. Let’s make that brand of holiness great again.

*The pharisees’ “holiness” is in quotation marks, because it’s something, but whatever it is– it’s not holiness. 

**Please Note: Jesus made demands on his followers (most notably “pick up your cross and follow me”). But those demands flow from a heart of love, not out a code of ethical boundaries. Those demands reflect–  Holy. Forgiving. Selfless. Love.