Be Holy: Learning the Path of Sanctification

by Jason M. Garwood, Mathew B. Sims (Foreword)

Whether we admit it or not, sanctification is often misunderstood, misapplied, or ignored altogether. There is a danger in attempting to follow Jesus apart from His commands, provisions, and promises. Without a coherent, biblically informed understanding of God—His holiness, His attributes, His character—any grace driven efforts of Christian growth will be truncated at best. Now that Christ has saved us, how does that work itself out in love? What are some of the things we should know as a follower of The Way? What if I just don’t feel like growing in the Lord? Inside Be Learning the Path of Sanctification, Jason Garwood explores the terrain of sanctification in a comprehensive and easy to understand way. It’s saturated in Scripture and rooted in the church’s history of holiness—the ups and downs of growth and change in the Christian life. And at the center of Be Holy sits the reigning King Jesus and the work of the trinitarian God in the gospel. May God stir up your affections as you behold His glory and walk the path of sanctification.

104 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 10, 2014

About the author

Rev. Dr. Jason Garwood serves as the teaching pastor of Cross & Crown Church in Northern Virginia. He is husband to Mary and father to three children. His passion is the gospel, and his desire is for the social order of the Kingdom of God to be present in the here and now. His motto: All of Christ, for all of life.

Reviews

[Jon Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Excellent Resource

Jason Garwood's "Be Holy" is a book that is much needed for the church. He reminds us that part of our calling as Christians is to live holy lives. We truly are to be different than the world around us. Unfortunately as Garwood points out holiness is a forgotten part of discipleship.
He builds a good case for Christians to live holy lives, but along the way points out the wonderful truth that we only become truly holy through the blood of Jesus Christ and His righteousness being imputed to us. We are positionally holy because of the blood of Christ, which frees us up to pursue practical holiness in our lives. We pursue this holiness not to earn salvation but because we are thankful for it.
2 Corinthians 3:18 which I would say is the theme of the book, tells us that we are transformed into becoming more like Jesus as we behold His glory. Garwood's premise is that we behold the glory of God in the Gospel, And as we make the truth of the Gospel our daily, moment by moment focus we will be changed.
Transformation is the work of God within us but it also requires effort on our part, Garwood presents this truth in a very balanced manner. Sanctification, us becoming like Jesus, is as one person said a "grace filled, gospel fueled effort." Garwood does a great job of laying this truth out in "Be Holy".
One of my favorite parts was the part on commitment. We are to commit ourselves to holiness but in reality this is a commitment to God. If we just commit to be better people then our commitment isn't to God but to a system of morality, and holiness is much more than just mere morality.
This book is packed with Gospel truth, it will inform you, it will challenge you, and it will convict you all for the glory of God.

[Moses Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Excellent book! Garwood knows holiness!! "Be Holy" is an excellent resource on something the body of Christ needs and yet lacks resources for: being holy. I especially appreciate the section on the corporate holiness of the church and the larger picture of where our holiness is headed: to behold God and his Son Jesus Christ. Highly recommend!!

[Zach McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

At just around 100 pages, this is a great introduction to sanctification - our call to be holy as set apart children of God. Jason Garwood touches on why we are to be holy, how we are to be holy, and the dangers of legalism and antinomianism. Chapter five, on 'Holiness and the Church', was the most helpful chapter for me, as Garwood took the time to dive into the implications that personal sanctification has for the corporate church and its mission. “The path of sanctification isn’t just about personal piety, it’s about God’s grand mission to restore all things to Himself." We can often become so self centered, even in our striving for holiness, that we miss what God is using our holiness for - the glory of his name among the nations. Most works that I have read on holiness and sanctification miss this big picture. I would highly suggest this book for a new Christian looking to understand why he/she needs to strive for holiness, or for a quick encouragement to the more mature believer.

[Jacob Pippin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great primer on sanctification, a short read that is well worth it.