I've been doing much reflection on holiness. It is at the very heart of my Wesleyan faith tradition as a Salvationist (The Salvation Army is my church home). This past week as I've been putting my thoughts into writing another book, I wrote the following: Not many years ago there lived a revered
retired professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary, George Allen
Turner. I came to know Dr. Turner in the
last years of his life. In his book, The More Excellent Way, he wrote “While
the terms associated with “holiness” stress the contrast between Jehova and
humanity, bridged by an act of cleansing, those associated with ‘perfection”
point to humanity’s kinship with God and the possibility of fellowship.” That one sentence was pregnant with the idea
of the social-relational nature of holiness.
The ideas of cleansing and perfection speak to a loving, restorative work of God
in a person’s life beginning at the cross and going on beyond the resurrection. Cleansing suggests
purity of heart and life making possible holy love and intimacy with God. Kinship with God
suggests the hallowed, social setting of family; our adoption and inclusion into an ongoing,
close knit, intimate relationship with the three persons of the Godhead.
Finally, the possibility of fellowship with God implies an ongoing, interactive
relationship with the our Father, and the Son by the Spirit. Holiness is social, relational, personal and intimate with God. 
Diane Leclerc* puts it this
way. “Only God is holy. Yet God commands, ‘Be holy as I am holy.’” Leclerc makes the case for “derived holiness”
in which humanity derives holiness from its relationship with God and the quality
of that relationship. It involves imparted righteousness dependent on a social,
relational connection with God. Such a
relationship makes possible God’s multiple acts of grace including forgiveness
of sin, reconciliation with God, initial sanctification, continuing
(synergistic) sanctification, the progressive restoration to the likeness of
Christ, and ultimately entire sanctification all to the glory of God. 
Sanctification ultimately is God’s cleansing
that leaves a pure heart, makes possible inward holiness and outward
righteousness, and continuing growth in grace.
Holiness is reflected in profound holy love of God and a profound love
for others (Mark 12:30-31). It reflects an inner moral transformation that is
expressed in holy love made possible not only to some, but to all. Most simply defined, holiness is
Christlikeness, the unfolding of Christ’s own character in the life of the
believer who devotes time and attention to remaining in a sanctified context. That context is God’s presence and the
presence of holy others making possible spiritual growth, formation, and
Christlikeness, and ultimately an infilling of the Spirit and a cleansing of
the heart, soul, and mind.
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit in me . . .
Psalm 51:10
*Diane Leclerc, Discovering Christian Holiness: The heart of Wesleyan holiness theology, (Kansas City, Beacon Hill Press), 2010.
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