A holy life ought to be one of joy in the Lord, not negative drudg­ery (Neh. 8:10). The idea that holi­ness requires a gloomy disposition is a tragic distortion of Scripture. On the contrary Scripture asserts that those who cultivate holiness experience true joy. Jesus said, "If ye keep my com­mandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you that your joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full" On. 15:10-11). Those who are obedient — who are pursuing holi­ness as a way of life — will know the joy that flows from communion with God: a supreme joy, an ongo­ing joy, an anticipated joy.

1. The supreme joy: fellowship with God. No greater joy can be had than communion with God. "In thy pres­ence is fulness of joy" (Ps. 16:10). True joy springs from God as we are enabled to walk in fellowship with Him. When we disfellowship our­selves from God by sin, we need to return with penitential prayer to Him like David: "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation" (Ps. 51:12). The words Jesus spoke to the thief on the cross represent the chief delight of every child of God: "To day shalt thou be with me in paradise" (Lk. 23:43).
2. The ongoing joy: abiding assur­ance. True holiness obeys God, and obedience always trusts God. It be­lieves, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God" (Rom. 8:28) — even when it cannot be seen. Like faith­ful workers on a Persian carpet, who blindly hand up all colors of strands to the overseer who works out the pattern above them, God's intimate saints are those who hand Him even the black strands He calls for, knowing that His pattern will be perfect from above, notwithstand­ing the gnarled mess underneath. Do you too know this profound, child­like trust in believing the words of Jesus: "What I do thou knowest not now: but thou shalt know hereafter"(Jn.13:7)? That is ongoing, stabiliz­ing joy which surpasses under­standing. Holiness reaps joyous contentment; "godliness with con­tentment is great gain" (1 Tim. 6:6).
3. The anticipated joy: eternal, gra­cious reward. Jesus was motivated to endure His sufferings by anticipating the joy of His reward (Heb. 12:1-2). Believers too may look forward to entering into the joy of their Lord as they pursue holiness throughout their lives in the strength of Christ. By grace, they may joyously anticipate their eternal reward: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant. . . . Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord" (Mt. 25:21, 23). As John Whitlock noted: "Here is the Christian's way and his end — his way is holiness, his end, happiness."¹

Holiness is its own reward, for everlasting glory is holiness per­fected. "The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness" (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Ques­tion 37). But also their bodies shall be raised immortal and incorruptible, perfect in holiness, complete in glo­rification (1 Cor. 15:49, 53). Finally, the believer shall be what he has desired to be ever since his regenera­tion — perfectly holy in a Triune God. He shall enter into the eternal glory of Jesus Christ as a son of God and fellow heir with Him (Phil. 3:20-21; Rom. 8:17). He shall finally be like Christ, holy and without blemish (Eph. 5:25-27), eternally magnifying and exalting the unfathomable bounties of God's sovereign grace. Truly, as Calvin stated, "The thought of the great nobility God has con­ferred upon us ought to whet our desire for holiness."²

Concluding Application⤒🔗

I once read of a missionary who had in his garden a shrub that bore poisonous leaves. At that time he had a child who was prone to put any­thing within reach into his mouth. Naturally he dug the shrub out and threw it away. The shrub's roots, however, were very deep. Soon the shrub would sprout again. Repeat­edly the missionary had to dig it out. There was no solution but to inspect the ground every day, and to dig up the shrub every time it surfaced. Indwelling sin is like that shrub. It needs constant uprooting. Our hearts need continual mortifi­cation. As John Owen warns us:

We must be exercising [mortifica­tion] every day, and in every duty. Sin will not die, unless it be con­stantly weakened. Spare it, and it will heal its wounds, and recover its strength. We must continually watch against the operations of this principle of sin: in our duties, in our calling, in conversation, in re­tirement, in our straits, in our en­joyments, and in all that we do. If we are negligent on any occasion, we shall suffer by it; every mistake, every neglect is perilous.³

Press on, true believer, in the uprooting of sin and the cultivation of holiness. Continue to fight the good fight of faith under the best of generals —Jesus Christ; with the best of internal advocates — the Holy Spirit; by the best of assurances — the promises of God; for the best of results — everlasting glory.

Have you been persuaded that cultivating holiness is worth the price of saying "no" to sin and "yes" to God? Do you know the joy of walking in God's ways? The joy of experiencing Jesus' easy yoke and light burden? The joy of not belong­ing to yourself, but belonging to your "faithful Savior Jesus Christ," who makes you "sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto Him" (Heidelberg Catechism, Question 1)? Are you holy? Thomas Brooks gives us sixteen marks on "how we shall know whether we have real holi­ness." It includes marks like these: The holy believer "admires the ho­liness of God, ... possesses diffusive holiness that spreads itself over head and heart, lip and life, inside and outside, ... stretches himself af­ter higher degrees of holiness, ... hates and detests all ungodliness and wickedness, ... grieves over his own vileness and unholiness."⁴

It is a daunting list, yet a Biblical one. No doubt we all fall far short, but the question remains: Are we striving for these marks of holiness?
Perhaps you respond, "Who is sufficient for these things?" (2 Cor. 2:16). Paul's ready answer is, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God" (2 Cor. 3:5). 'Would you be holy? ... Then you must begin with Christ.... Would you continue holy? Then abide in Christ."⁵ "Holiness is not the way to Christ; Christ is the way of holiness."⁶Outside of Christ there is no holiness. Then every list of marks of holiness must condemn us to hell. Ultimately, of course, holiness is not a list; it is more than a list — it is a life, a life in Jesus Christ. Holiness in believers proves that they are joined to Christ, for sanctified obedience is impossible without Him. But in Christ, the call to holiness is within the context of sola gratia (grace alone) and cola fide (faith alone).⁷ "If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, 0 Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgive­ness with thee, that thou mayest be feared" (Ps. 130:3-4).

"Since Christ cannot be known apart from the sanctification of the Spirit," Calvin writes, "it follows that faith can in no wise be separated from a devout disposition."⁸ Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, ho­liness, grace, and faith are inseparable. Make it your prayer: "Lord, grant that I might cultivate holiness today — not out of merit, but out of gratitude, by Thy grace through faith in Christ Je­sus. Sanctify me by the blood of Christ, the Spirit of Christ, and the Word of God." Pray with Robert Mur­ray M'Cheyne, "Lord, make me as holy as a pardoned sinner can be."⁸