In this sermon, our pastor, Ian Forest-Jones describes how the Holiness Tradition emphasises the re-formation of our hearts so that we are able to respond appropriately to the challenges of life. The word “holiness” has some negative connotations today, but the original Greek meaning of the word virtue is simply “to function well.” Virtuous Life is not about rules or judgement, perfectionism, or some kind of merit gained by good deeds. It encourages us to the ultimate goal: not to “get us into heaven, but to get heaven into us.” It is attentiveness to the source of our actions, to the condition and motives of the heart, and taking on new patterns of life that flow naturally from within.
This sermon was delivered on Sunday, 18 February 2024
The Value of TrainingI realise I have not used a running metaphor yet this year so, not to disappoint you, I have to admit that I am NOT running these days. I have, sadly, contracted plantar fasciitis, which is an excruciating pain in my heel. Every time I run I aggravate the condition and, if I want to recover and heal, I have to stop making it worse.
Ian having completed the Canberra MarathonMy plantar fasciitis is also mentally excruciating because I am registered to run the Canberra Marathon in April. Since I am not able to train by running, due to my heel pain, then I will not be ready to run a marathon. Thankfully, the organisers are allowing me to apply my registration fee to next year’s marathon.
I set for myself a goal to run a marathon this year. I cannot achieve this goal with only a good intention. Because I cannot train, I will not be able to achieve my goal for this year of running the Canberra Marathon for the third time.
Whether running, fat loss, continuing education, or any other kind, we must train appropriately and well if we want to achieve the goals we set for ourselves.
The same is very much true for achieving a balanced Christian life. We must train for contemplation, integrity, power, compassion, living-the-message, and for incarnation.
RecapLast week, in our exploration of the balanced Christian life, I described for you The Contemplative Tradition, which is the prayer-filled life. We were reminded of how, from the earliest days of the Church, both spiritual giants and ordinary saints have discovered it is through an ever-deepening connection with God, which the prayer-filled life provides, that we are encouraged to respond with integrity and equipped to enter into an ever-deepening re-formation of our heart, from which all action flows.
What & Why?This brings us to The Holiness Tradition, individuals and movements within the history of the Church which have focussed on the inward re-formation of the heart and the development of spiritual habits —in other words, virtues. The more deeply ingrained habits of virtue become, they make our lives function well and bring about the lasting resilience and integrity of a godly character in the face of the challenges of life.
The Holiness Tradition appreciates how the virtuous life requires effort. It is as Paul the apostle wrote,
Train yourself in godliness. For the training of the body has limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
1 Timothy 4:7b–8[1]
As the friends of Jesus “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling” (Php 2:12-13), we know “streams of living water flow from deep within” (Jn 7:38), as Jesus promised. Those blessings and rewards are experienced now, even if only partially. They are not reserved for the future.
How then do the friends of Jesus train for living a virtuous life? A good place to start is by following the example of James, the brother of Jesus.
James’ Example
Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
Matthew 13:55
I am going to assume you are all comfortable with the fact that Jesus did, in fact, have brothers and sisters (Mt 13:55; Mk 6:3). And James was, apparently, the eldest of Jesus’ brothers.
For not even his brothers believed in him.
John 7:5
Interestingly, neither James nor his family believed Jesus is who he said he is, at least not during his public ministry. On at least two occasions they tried to interfere with his ministry, once attempting to “restrain him” and another time trying to call him away from teaching a crowd.[2] Because of this, James, the brother of Jesus, was not among Jesus’ disciples nor among those amazed at Jesus’ teaching or healing. He may even have been antagonistic towards his brother and his ministry.
They all were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
Acts 1:14
Yet, when the disciples gathered in Jerusalem waiting for the Holy Spirit to descend, as promised by Jesus —which occurred on the Day of Pentecost— Mary, his mother, and James and the rest of Jesus’ brothers were there with them! (Ac 1:14). Even more, within a few short years James had been elevated to the status of a “pillar” of the church, even authoring the letter that bears his name.[3]
This was a complete change, a radical conversion. What changed James’ mind? What encounter with the living God did he have?
Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
1 Corinthians 15:7
If we are paying attention when we read the Bible, and put separated pieces together, then we will notice from The First Letter to the Corinthians that, according to Paul the apostle, Jesus appeared to his brother James during the forty days after his resurrection (1 Cor 15:7).
Can you imagine that conversation between brother and brother, one antagonistic and the other resurrected? James had played with his older brother Jesus, eaten with him, worked with him, and then had a conversation with him face-to-face after his death. That single encounter —that we all want with our loved ones who have passed away— it completely erased all the embarrassments of the past, all the objections, and all James’ doubts. Jesus, his own brother, was and is the Messiah he himself hoped for.
Placing his faith in Jesus and living a Christian lifestyle, James eventually became the leader of the church at Jerusalem, recognised as an apostle (Gal 1:19).[4] James presided over the great “Jerusalem Council” described in Acts 15 (Ac 15:19, 28), which decided on the inclusion of Gentile believers in the Church. He would eventually come to be called James the Just because of his integrity and righteousness.[5]
The greatest legacy of the brother of Jesus is The Letter of James. It closely parallels Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” (Mt 5-7), since both writings focus on the formation of moral character.
Despite what many think, James’ letter is not about action, it is about the source of action, the heart of virtue. For James, a person of faith can face trials of all kinds with “great joy” (Jam 1:2). A person of faith can see with divine wisdom that “bitter jealousy” and “selfish ambition” are destructive (Jam 3:16). A person of faith can relate to all people on the basis of the “royal law” of love (Jam 2:8), can “tame the tongue” (Jam 3:8) out of the divine resources available, and can avoid “fighting and wars” (Jam 4:1) because the inner wellspring of life is so pure that from it naturally flows blessing and not cursing (Jam 3:10).
James understood that what is on the inside of a person will come out. If we yield to the “wisdom from above”, then “by our good conduct we show that our works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom” (Jam 3:13-18).
James offered a summary of the virtuous life: “to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (Jam 1:27). What is the kind of action a pure heart will do? Care for the most helpless . What is the kind of action a pure heart will not do? Accept the pollution of the world system that is bent on rebellion against divine love.
Purity of heart is the source of all right action, according to James. This is why he is such a valuable example of The Holiness Tradition, the virtuous life, encouraging us to respond to God’s grace with integrity.
Historical ExamplesSeeking to follow a virtuous life has created within the Church a Holiness Tradition —the second historical movement I want to describe for you in this sermon series The Balanced Christian Life.
book coversFor this series, I am relying on the writings of Richard Foster, most especially his book Streams of Living Water: Essential Practices from the Six Great Traditions of Christian Faith.[6]
From its very earliest days, there have been many individuals and movements within the Church that have sought to develop Christian virtue for a fuller and more satisfying spiritual experience. They sought a re-formation of their hearts and lives through an encounter with God.
In the pages of history we find many examples following The Holiness Tradition:
And there are many more examples of spiritual giants and normal saints who responded to God’s grace with integrity and devoted themselves to virtuous lives in many and varied ways. The overflow of their re-formed hearts was loving action for their neighbours and changing the systems around them.
What Is the Virtuous Life?When we respond to the grace of God with integrity, holiness, the virtuous life, is the ability to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. It means being able to respond appropriately to the demands of life because of the spiritual resources available to oneself.
Virtue then is good habits we can rely upon to make our life work, whereas vice is bad habits we can rely upon to make our life not work, to make it dysfunctional. Good, virtuous habits arise from a life devoted to God.
William Law, author of the classic book A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, wrote,
Devotion signifies a life given or devoted to God… The devout [person] … lives … to the sole will of God … considers God in everything … serves God in everything … makes all the parts of common life parts of piety by doing everything in the name of God and under such rules as are conformable to his glory.
William Law, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, 1728
Holiness is not rules and regulations for these missed the point about life hidden with God in Christ.
Holiness is sustained attention to the heart, the source of all action.
Holiness is not otherworldliness. It does not distinguish between sacred and secular, nor avoid contact with our evil and broken world.
Holiness is world-affirming, it is found in the middle of everyday life. We discover it while being freely and joyfully in the world without ever being of the world.
Holiness is not a consuming asceticism. It neither despises nor depreciates the human body. It does not locate virtue or merit in ascetical or bodily-appetites-denying exercises themselves.
Holiness is a bodily spirituality. It affirms the goodness of the human body and seeks to bring it into working harmony with the spirit/Spirit. It uses spiritual disciplines for training the body and mind for right living.
Holiness is not “works-righteousness”. We cannot muster our willpower to do good deeds and thereby become righteous. Sanctifying grace is utterly and completely a work of grace. It is unearned and ungovernable.
Holiness is “making every effort to enter”, as Jesus tells us (Lk 13:24). Spiritual disciplines place us before God in such a way that he can begin re-forming our hearts and lives.
Holiness is not perfectionism. We do not become sinless creatures incapable of any wrong action. We can still make mistakes and experience a sorrowful regret when we do so.
Holiness is a progress in purity and sanctity. We set ourselves apart for divine purposes. Holy habits then deepen into fixed patterns of life. We are ever always in the process of becoming holy.
Holiness is not absorption into God. It does not mean the loss of our identity or our personhood. We do not become less real, less whole, and less human but quite the opposite. We become more fully alive.
Holiness is loving unity with God. It is a growing, maturing, freely-given conformity to the will and ways of God. Holiness gives us our truest, fullest humanity. When we respond to the grace of God with integrity, seeking to live a virtuous life, in holiness we become the persons we were created to be.
Practices for TodayHoliness never involves works but it most assuredly involves effort. So the question then before us is how do we go about moving forward in holiness, making progress in the virtuous life?
First, we train. We undertake activities of body, mind, and spirit that will build spiritual resources within us to act appropriately when the situation demands it. If we are struggling with pride, we practise service. If we are needing hope, we practise prayer and meditation. If compulsions of one kind or another obsess us, we practise fasting, which teaches us to control all our senses and appetites by the grace of God. If we want faith, we practise worship.
We are training for holiness, planning and practising for perfection.
Second, we invite others to travel the journey with us. Companions and mentors provide us with discernment, counsel, and encouragement. Others often can detect our growth and development better than we can, and their reassuring words help us see the footprints of God in our lives.
Such spiritual companionship also provides a loving accountability and advocacy.
Third, when we stumble and fall, we get up and start again. Where we are not yet perfect, we know we have a perfect Friend who will never leave us nor forsake us. We are looking ahead to the perfection that is coming and is to come. We keep pressing on because, by the Spirit, Jesus is with us always.
Our mistakes and failures teach us the right way to live and that the right way is the good way. Yet, it is only by being in tune with the Holy Spirit, through prayer, that we recognise when we have made mistakes and have failed. As Paul the apostle wrote,
We know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:3b–5
When we come before God in the practise of spiritual disciplines, following The Holiness Tradition, his gracious acceptance is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Thus re-formed, our hearts will produce pure, virtuous actions like:
ConclusionThe Holiness Tradition emphasises the re-formation of our hearts so we are able to respond appropriately to the challenges of life with integrity. The virtuous life is not about rules or judgement, perfectionism, or some kind of merit gained by good deeds. It encourages us to the ultimate goal, which is not to “get us into heaven” but to “get heaven into us”. The virtuous life is attentiveness to the source of our actions, to the condition and motives of the heart, and taking on new patterns of life that flow naturally from within.
Let us, therefore, follow the example of James the Just, the brother of Jesus, and the example of saints that have gone before us in the Holiness Tradition, that the Holy Spirit might make us more like Christ —to will and to act in accordance with God’s will for us (Php 2:12-13).
And may we always remember Jesus said, “The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him” (Jn 7:38). The virtuous life of the Holiness Tradition overflows.
If your want to begin or to further develop a virtuous life, then join me in this prayer of commitment:
Heavenly Father,
I come before You today to recommit my life to You.
Guide me in Your wisdom and strength
that I may seek to live a life of virtue and holiness,
according to Your will and Your Word.
Lord, help me to cultivate the fruits of the Spirit—
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
May these virtues be evident in my actions and my attitudes.
I ask for the courage to stand firm
in the face of temptation and the trials of this world.
Grant me the perseverance to pursue righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness
in all that I do.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Keep my thoughts pure and my eyes fixed on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of my faith.
Thank You for Your grace that covers my weaknesses
and for Your forgiveness when I fall short.
I trust in Your unfailing love and mercy
to lead me in the path of everlasting life.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
[1]Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are taken from The Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN, USA: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017).
[2]See Mark 3:21; 31-35; John 7:5.
[3]See Acts 12:17, 15:1-29, Galatians 2:9; James 1:1.
[4]It is worth noting James was not the only brother of Jesus to have been converted. Jude, the writer of the letter that bears his name, was also a brother of Jesus (Jude 1), although he was too modest to admit such, and also an evangelist (1 Corinthians 9:5).
[5]Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, volume 1, translated Kirsopp Lake, the Loeb classical Library (Cambridge, MA, USA: Harvard University press, 1965), page 171.
[6]Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth (Harper San Francisco, 1998).