Holiness
Where is begins

Holiness begins with salvation. No one is holy without being “in Christ” as Paul frequently uses the term. It is the union with Christ that energizes and animates us to be holy. As Packer puts it:
Natural life is super-naturalized as the Holy Spirit makes Christ present to us, and reproduces in us the God oriented desires, aims, attitudes and behavior patterns that were senk in Christ’s own perfect humanity when he was on earth.
If you are a Christian, think back to the way it was when you were dead in sin and trespasses. As the Apostle Paul puts it, we were all children of wrath living for Satan, the world and our flesh [Eph. 2:1-3].

Why were we all children of wrath? Sin…that anti-God attitude manifesting itself in pride, thanklessness and self-fulfillment. For some, it results in anti-social behavior and in the nice folks we know a failure to love their Creator God because of their self-love. It is a universal condition that can only be corrected by the sovereign work of God. It is a disease that is fatal and not subject to self-cure, in fact self is what feeds the disease. We are incapable of holiness.

The new life in Christ from salvation radically changes a person. We now have a new life and the old has passed away [Rom. 6:3-11; Eph 2: 4-10; Col 2: 11-14]. In theological jargon the new person has been justified, that is declared by God “just as if I had never sinned”; adopted, now calling God the Creator-Judge my Father; and cleansed, my sin has been removed so that there is no barrier to my relationship with God. Only now is one prepared for a life of holiness.

But, here a mistake is often made. Contrary to popular misconceptions, we have not arrived…we are not holy. The proper understanding of this makes our awe of the God Who justified, adopted and cleansed us greater. We are in the words of Martin Luther…simul justus et peccator…at the same time justified [declared sinless] but still sinning. Imagine that, we do not fully love and serve God, but He had sacrificed Himself for us because He loved us fully and completely! And, after He saves you He is fully engaged in the holiness business in your life.

This holiness business is known as sanctification…God making you more like His Son and your Savior. It is increasing conformity to Jesus and all His attributes displayed while He was on earth. We may face “tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger…or the sword” but it all works together for good for the Christian and none of it can separate us from God. [Rom. 8: 26-39] All that happens to a Christian is planned by the Heavenly Father to help the believer along the path of holiness.

It is a life long process, sometimes almost imperceptible, sometimes with breakthroughs that amaze the believer. We know the process, but we cannot know the particulars. They are in the sole domain of God. This is summarized in 1 John 3:2:
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears, we will be like Him because we shall see Him as He is.
And, without being His children through His salvation, there can be no holiness.