Recommended reading on Holiness (What is "Holy"?)

[Sam Jer]

Hello, brethren,

Do you have any recommended reading (preferably not too long, more like a Puritan treatise or something similar) on holiness? As in, what it is, the holiness of God, the holiness of created things like the saints, sabbath, scriptures and temple, and related topics?

In addition to reading recommendations, I would appreciate any discussion on holiness, and particularly what it is. I have often heard it defined as set apart, but to me it raises more questions than it answers (surely, God was holy even before there was anything to be set apart from!). Is there something to that definition? Is there anything missing from it?

 

[chicagophil]

Book 5 of John Owen's work on the Holy Spirit. It's the last book in the Goold edition Wks Vol III. He is talking about the necessity of holiness for believers but he begins with the holiness of God. It's short and it's dense. I see it's actually available online at Digital Puritan Press in their online work, their vol 3, which doesn't seem to correspond with the Goold edition.

 

[davejonescue]

The Beauty of Holiness by Richard Allestree (1619-1681) – Puritan Publications

www.puritanpublications.com

Brooks, Thomas — Holiness, the Only Way to Happiness: The Crown and Glory of Christianity (Sermons eBook)

Thomas Brooks preaches from Hebrews 12:14, urging the pursuit of holiness, explaining its necessity and beauty, and directing believers to the means by which

www.monergism.com

Item Information | Gospel-holinesse, or, The saving sight of God laid open from Isa. 6.5 together with the glorious priviledge of the saints, from Rom. 8.4, 5 : both worthily opened and applied / by ... Walter Cradock ... | Early English Books Online

Item Information | The beauty of holiness, or, A description of the excellency, amiablenes, comfort, and content which is to be found in wayes of purity and holinesse where you have that glorious attribute of Gods holinesse exactly setforth : togethe

 

[VictorBravo]

J C Ryle: Holiness.

 

[Sam Jer]

Does anyone have thoughts on the second question, that of defenition?

In addition to reading recommendations, I would appreciate any discussion on holiness, and particularly what it is. I have often heard it defined as set apart, but to me it raises more questions than it answers (surely, God was holy even before there was anything to be set apart from!). Is there something to that definition? Is there anything missing from it?

 

[CathH]

Recommendation - Sinclair Ferguson, Devoted to God.

It's a brilliant book anyway, but also he actually tackles your question about the definition right on the first page.

Ferguson says, "it starts from the wrong place. It describes the Creator's attribute of holiness from the viewpoint of the creature," which is back to front (p.1). An attribute is "true of God simply as he always existed in the eternal Trinity. But in that case, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit had no 'attribute' that involved separation. That is not to say that God the Trinity cannot be described as 'holy.' But it is to say that holiness cannot be defined as separation. Yes, there were personal distinctions within the fellowship of the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), but there was no separation, no being placed at a distance from each other. In fact it would be nearer the mark to say that the reverse was true." By the holiness of God "we mean the perfectly pure devotion of each of these three persons to the other two. ... absolute, permanent, exclusive, pure, irreversible, and fully expressed devotion." (p.2)

Which means it is not something mechanical or legal. "It is personal. ... Holiness is the intensity of the love that flows within the very being of God, among and between the three persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." (p.2)

"If this is what holiness means in God, then in us it must also be a corresponding deeply personal, intense, loving devotion to him - a belonging to him that is irreversible, unconditional, without any reserve on our part. Simply put, it means being entirely his, so that all we do and possess are his. We come to think all of our thoughts and build our lives on this foundation." (p.3)

"To be holy, to be sanctified, therefore, to be a 'saint,' is in simple terms to be devoted to God." (p.3)

 

[Polanus1561]

Radical Call to Holiness-Beeke and Barrett

 

[Stephen L Smith]

Radical Call to Holiness-Beeke and Barrett

I second this. The works mentioned by Ryle and Ferguson are also excellent.

 

[Solparvus]

Recommendation - Sinclair Ferguson, Devoted to God.

It's a brilliant book anyway, but also he actually tackles your question about the definition right on the first page.

Ferguson says, "it starts from the wrong place. It describes the Creator's attribute of holiness from the viewpoint of the creature," which is back to front (p.1). An attribute is "true of God simply as he always existed in the eternal Trinity. But in that case, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit had no 'attribute' that involved separation. That is not to say that God the Trinity cannot be described as 'holy.' But it is to say that holiness cannot be defined as separation. Yes, there were personal distinctions within the fellowship of the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), but there was no separation, no being placed at a distance from each other. In fact it would be nearer the mark to say that the reverse was true." By the holiness of God "we mean the perfectly pure devotion of each of these three persons to the other two. ... absolute, permanent, exclusive, pure, irreversible, and fully expressed devotion." (p.2)

Which means it is not something mechanical or legal. "It is personal. ... Holiness is the intensity of the love that flows within the very being of God, among and between the three persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." (p.2)

"If this is what holiness means in God, then in us it must also be a corresponding deeply personal, intense, loving devotion to him - a belonging to him that is irreversible, unconditional, without any reserve on our part. Simply put, it means being entirely his, so that all we do and possess are his. We come to think all of our thoughts and build our lives on this foundation." (p.3)

"To be holy, to be sanctified, therefore, to be a 'saint,' is in simple terms to be devoted to God." (p.3)

Ferguson revolutionized my thinking on holiness by this concept. I've never seen holiness the same way since.

 

[arapahoepark]

Possessed by God and Transformed by God by David Peterson. Both are fairly short, especially the latter.