WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HOLY

(a) Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God, according as we find His mind described in Scripture. It is the habit of
agreeing in God’s judgment—hating what He hates, loving what He loves—and measuring everything in this world by the standard
of His Word. He who most entirely agrees with God, he is the most holy man.
(b) A holy man will endeavour to shun every known sin, and to keep every known commandment. He will have a decided bent
of mind toward God, a hearty desire to do His will, a greater fear of displeasing Him than of displeasing the world, and a love to all
His ways. He will feel what Paul felt when he said, “I delight in the law of God after the inward man” (Rom 7:21-23), and what
David felt when he said, “I esteem all Thy precepts concerning all things to be right, and I hate every false way” (Psa 119:128).
(c) A holy man will strive to be like our Lord Jesus Christ. He will not only live the life of faith in Him, and draw from Him all
his daily peace and strength, but he will also labour to have the mind that was in Him, and to be “conformed to his image.” (Rom
12:2) It will be his aim to bear with and forgive others, even as Christ forgave us—to be unselfish, even as Christ pleased not Himself—
to walk in love, even as Christ loved us—to be lowly-minded and humble, even as Christ made Himself of no reputation and
humbled Himself.
He will remember…
– that Christ was a faithful witness for the truth,
– that He came not to do His own will,
– that it was His meat and drink to do His Father’s will,
– that He would continually deny Himself in order to minister to others,
– that He was meek and patient under undeserved insults,
– that He thought more of godly poor men than of kings,
– that He was full of love and compassion to sinners,
– that He was bold and uncompromising in denouncing sin,
– that He sought not the praise of men, when He might have had it,
– that He went about doing good,
– that He was separate from worldly people,
– that He continued instant in prayer,
– that He would not let even His nearest relations stand in His way when God’s work was to be done.
These things a holy man will try to remember. By them he will endeavour to shape his course in life. He will lay to heart the
saying of John, “He that saith he abideth in Christ ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked” (1Jo 2:6); and the saying of
Peter, that “Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps” (1Pe 2:21). Happy is he who has learned to
make Christ his “all,” both for salvation and example! Much time would be saved, and much sin prevented, if men would oftener
ask themselves the question, “What would Christ have said and done, if He were in my place?”
(d) A holy man will follow after meekness, longsuffering, gentleness, patience, kind tempers, government of his tongue. He will
bear much, forbear much, overlook much, and be slow to talk of standing on his rights. We see a bright example of this in the behaviour
of David when Shimei cursed him, and of Moses when Aaron and Miriam spake against him (2Sa 16:7; Num 12:1).

Copyright J. C. Ryle