Max Rose’s Reviews > The Hole in Our Holiness: Filling the Gap between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness > Status Update

Another excellent chapter! Holiness is possible, even if absolute perfection is not. Numerous people are commended for their righteousness in the Bible and yet somehow we’ve preached (or feel) that nothing we do pleases God. It’s not true. Jesus asks us to obey because obedience is possible.

“The irony is that if we make every imperative into a command to believe the gospel more fully, we turn the gospel into one more thing we have to get right, and faith becomes the one thing we need to be better at. If only we REALLY believed, obedience would take care of itself. No need for commands or effort”

I’ve felt this for years—if only I was more faithful, I’d repent better. DeYoung says no to that.

Convicting read so far. It troubles me that I have taken a small view of sin and holiness and I knew that about myself which is why I decided to read this book. Still some quibbles tho. Finished a chapter on holiness itself being the reason God saves us, i.e.; his goal is to make us holy. That seems only partially true. It feels too much like saying “the point of cleaning your house is to have a clean house”