“No matter what you profess, if you show disregard for Christ by giving yourself over to sin – impenitently and habitually – then heaven is not your home” (DeYoung, The Hole in Our Holiness, p. 14)
Reviewed by Kelvin Macharia:
Is it even possible to please God with our righteousness? It sounds like an ocean being amused by water in a cup. And doesn’t Scripture say that “…all our righteous acts are like filthy rags?” Why bother to fight a losing fight? After all haven’t we been made righteous through justification in Christ, the righteousness that really counts?
There is a place for practical holiness Kevin DeYoung says, and it’s not optional. We are to walk in righteousness because we have been made righteous- we have been given a new identity. DeYoung has done a wonderful job uniting imputed righteousness through justification in Christ alone with progressive practical sanctification.
Not only is the pursuit of holiness possible, it is also a winning battle. Christ has won the battle for us so now we enter the boxing ring with confidence knowing that our medal is guaranteed. No matter how many blows we take, no matter how many falls we make during the fight, the medal is ours, therefore we do not give up. And we have the best coach on our side, the Holy Spirit. He not only shows us how to maneuver but also helps us stand when we fall, hands us a towel when things get messy and massages our shoulders in encouragement. We have the upper hand in this fight. This is actually a winning battle!
If you are like me, you have most probably felt discouraged at some point in this fight for righteousness. Here is a book for you. It is possible to be holy. It is possible to please our all righteous God with our imperfect righteousness, it is what he has called us to (Ephesians 5:8-10; 1 Peter 2:5).
DeYoung has packed a lot of encouraging biblical truths in this short and simple book that will be of help to Christians seeking righteousness. I specifically loved the chapter where he talks about saints seeking purity in dating and courtship. Why waste your energy determining how close you can get to sin without ‘sinning’ when you can actually run as far away as possible from sin for the sake of your righteousness and for God’s glory! And this is not only limited to dating situations, it applies to our day to day activities – the movies we watch, the thoughts we tolerate, the conversations we have with others etc.
This book is a good read to people of all ages. Get yourself a copy as you gear up for this winning battle.
