Holiness...

Reading my book, Loving God by Charles Colson, I decided to share part of a passage in the book:

"Mother Teresa's definition may sound rather nebulous to many Christians who have from childhood associated holiness with a long string of do's and don'ts. But seeing hoiness only as rule-keeping breeds serious problems: first, it limits the scope of true biblical holiness, which must affect every aspect of our lives. Second, even though the rules may be biblically based, we often end up obeying the rules rather than obeying God; concern with the letter of the law can cause us to lose its spirit."

"Third, empashis on rule keeping deludes us into thinking we can be holy through our efforts. But there can be no holiness apart from the work of the Holy Spirit- in quickening us through through the convicton of sin and bringing us by grace to Christ, and in sanctifying us -for it is grace that causes us to even want to be holy."

"And finally, our pious efforts can become ego-gratifying, as if holy living were some kind of spiritual beauty contest. Such self-centered spirituality in turn leads to self-righteousness -the very opposite of the selfessness of true holiness."