HOLY & RIGHTEOUS: So what’s the difference?

Holy and righteous are not words commonly spoken these days.  Well, that’s not completely true.  Holy gets a workout as in “holy cow, holy mackerel, holy #%@*” as an expletive of surprise. 

Recently, I’ve noticed an up-tick in the use of both ideas (holiness and righteousness) by young people.  There is an emergent interest among in late teens and early twenties in matters of justice.  They show a longing for something higher, better, more pure, whole, and honorable.  They want to do right especially as it relates to righting the wrongs they observe in the world.  They seek to actively respond to injustice.  Having been a college professor and university president over the past 40 years, I had the privileged position of being with four decades of young people who peak in their idealism between 20 and 25 years of age.  I am convinced that there is a difference in today’s generation, different from their parents in this matter of holiness and righteousness.

Holiness and righteousness are two sides of a coin.  Holiness is all about sanctity, godliness, being devout and devoted to a standard of purity and perfection of the heart.  In the Wesleyan theological tradition, holiness is entire sanctification, perfection that is neither more nor less than pure love expelling sin and governing both the heart and life of a child of God.*  Holiness speaks to who we are, our being and essence. It is the essence of God in us, His indwelling nature resident in our hearts and lives.  Holiness is holy love permeating our being through the presence within us of a Holy God whose nature is pure love.  Holiness is where daily knowing Christ, loving Christ, and living Christ come together more and more.

 While holiness is the nature of our being, righteous is the nature of our doing.  It is the characteristic of our actions flowing out of our being.  Righteousness reflects our morality, decency, honesty, and our orientation to justice.  While holiness reflects who we are in Christ, righteousness speaks to what then we do, the moral living out of our nature and calling.  They are two sides of a coin, the being and the doing, the heart and the life.  Young people are interested in righteousness, in justice and addressing injustice.  What is needed is the appreciation of the interaction of holiness and righteousness, the understanding that righteousness uncoupled from holiness will lead eventually to self-righteousness.  Addressing matters of injustice must be grounded in the purity of one’s heart and the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit.

This then brings up the “So what?” question.  What’s the point here?  Young people are tuned into these things, especially righteousness and injustice.  It is time they have a chance to see that the foundation of righteous living is purity of heart, the indwelling Holy Spirit, holy love which comes from the fullness of God in the human heart.  This then is a call for more teaching, preaching, writing, and conversation about holiness and righteousness.  These are two old words that still hold power and promise for young people whose interests call for understanding and action.

*Posted on the wall of the SEEDBED office at Asbury Theological Seminary.